I finished up the console today. Sometimes things just don't go right as it took longer than I thought. I broke three #4-40 taps and two of them are imbedded forever in the console. I used some scrap 7075 aluminum plate for the top rim and it turned out difficult to drill and tap. This is the first time I actually did anything by hand on this alloy; all my other experiences were on the mill and lathe. To complicate things more, the shaft in my battery drill was bent slightly probably due to a trip to the floor at some time. At first I was thinking the drill bit wasn't straight and the taps also but when the third tap broke, a close inspection reveled the slightly bent shaft. Luckily, the bad holes are in areas that are covered up so no one knows but me and now you.
I chose to put a layer of felt under the leather to give it a softer feel so the green material in the pictures is the felt. I used the contact cement to attach both the felt and leather and it is easy to use by applying a coat to both parts and letting them dry for about 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of application. I used leather purchased in 12"X24" pieces and the grain and thickness varied between the pieces. I bought 4 pieces and they varied from glove soft to a medium stiff. The stiffer piece was also the thicker one and I used that one for the lid of the console. A close inspection will reveal the differences in texture of the pieces seen on the console.
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