I came across this random thing a little while ago, I thought it was a dome press that was missing some parts. After a little more research it turns out it was actually a rivet press for changing brake lining on cars.

I'm not much of a car guy, but I do a small amount of leather work. So I decided to go with my first impression and make this into a dome press that I'd actually use.

Supplies

Old Brake Liner Tool
Round Metal Bar
Paint Stripper
Paint
Grinder
Buffer
Wire Wheel for grinder

Step 1: Clean Up the Brake Liner Tool

I gave this part a quick clean-down with the wire wheel and then washed it to remove any dirt or oil. I then applied some paint stripper and after it had melted the old paint washed it off and gave it a final clean on the wirewheel.

Step 2: Make the Parts

I cut a couple of lengths of the round bar; they were different diameters with the bigger one being used for the bottom anvil. For the bottom anvil I placed the bar into a drill and spun it against the grinder to make a step down to the correct diameter. Likewise, the top 'hammer' bar was too big to fit the tool, so I used a similar process of spinning it in the drill against the grinder to take it down to size.

I then sanded the new parts and cut them to the final length.

The last stage was to spin them against the buffing wheel to really smooth them out.

Step 3: Test Fit the Parts

I then tested everything out to make sure the parts worked as expected.

Step 4: Painting

I then primed and painted the tool body, I settled on a copper colour as I really liked the retro look it gave everything.

Step 5: Try It Out

I used a separate leather punch to make some holes in a couple of leather scraps and then placed the dome through the leather. Once I placed the leather in the Dome Press I gave it a few light taps with a small hammer and it came out perfectly.

Overall it's a much better option than the silly little thing that came with the domes.

Only as I'm writing this did I have the idea of using this tool to punch the holes as well, I suppose that I could try and make some sort of adaptor for my leather punches to fit in, but that's a job for another day.