Aseem Sharma

Personal / Making & modifying

At the workbench

Leatherworking, watch modifications, and other hands-on projects outside of my environmental and atmospheric science work.

01 / Leatherworking

Leather cuff

Inspired by a similar cuff I found on Pinterest, I made my own version using a silver-colored bangle, smooth black leather, and industrial staples repurposed into a metal accent.

Black leather cuff with a cross-shaped metal accent made from trimmed staples.
Finished cuff with the staple accent.
How I made it
  1. Prepare the base. I bought a silver-colored bangle from Hobby Lobby and sanded its surface.
  2. Cover it with leather. I glued smooth black leather onto the bangle.
  3. Make the accent. I trimmed industrial staples down and superglued them together to form the cross-shaped detail.
  4. Fit the hardware. I made small holes for the staple ends and used tension to hold the accent in place.
Leather-covered bangle held in hand before adding the metal accent.
The bangle after covering it with smooth black leather.

Handmade by Aseem Sharma, inspired by a cuff found on Pinterest.

02 / Leatherworking

Black leather traveler’s journal

I made a black leather cover to bring several notebooks together in a traveler’s-notebook-style journal. I measured around the notebooks I wanted to use, including Moleskine journals, and fitted elastic through metal eyelets.

Black textured leather journal with an elastic closure and a decorative metal charm.
Finished leather cover with elastic closure.
Construction and notebook details

How I put it together

  1. Measure the fit. I used my notebooks and a traveler’s notebook as references for the cover dimensions.
  2. Fit the leather cover. I sized the leather around the notebooks to create a wraparound cover.
  3. Add the elastic. I fitted metal eyelets and threaded elastic through them for the notebook setup and closure.

The finished cover combines textured black leather with an elastic closure and metal charms. These photos show the completed journal and its inserts.

Close view of the journal edge, elastic hardware and fishbone charm.
Elastic hardware and decorative details.
Blue notebook bearing The Weather Company logo inside the leather cover.
One of the notebooks housed inside the cover.
Leather journal opened to show notebook covers and the inside of the binding.
The notebook arrangement inside the leather cover.
Open leather journal showing a green notebook insert beside another notebook.
A second view of the notebook inserts.

03 / Watch modification · 3D printing

A modified Casio and Fitbit Air, on one strap

I modified a silver Casio F-91W with an inverted display, a silicone-oil fill, and a black NATO strap, then 3D printed an adapter for my Fitbit Air. The goal was a more complete everyday setup: the digital watch I wanted to wear, with my fitness tracker integrated into the same strap.

  • Display modification
  • Silicone-oil fill
  • Hands-on troubleshooting
  • 3D printing
  • Wearable integration

A small mistake, a practical fix

While working on the display, I accidentally peeled off its reflective backing. I replaced the missing layer with a white sticker, giving the display a light background to reflect against again. Recovering the display became as much a part of the project as changing its appearance.

Finished silver Casio F-91W with an inverted display and black NATO strap, worn on the wrist.
The first finished version, with light digits on a dark display and a black NATO strap.

How I built it

  1. Disassemble. I removed the original strap and opened the watch to access the display assembly.
  2. Invert the display. I changed the polarizing film orientation to produce light digits against a dark background.
  3. Recover the reflector. After accidentally removing the reflective backing, I fitted a white sticker as a replacement and checked that the digits were visible again.
  4. Complete the silicone-oil mod. I filled the watch with silicone oil, aiming to improve display visibility.
  5. Reassemble and fit the strap. I put the watch back together and fitted a black NATO strap.
  6. Integrate the tracker. I 3D printed an adapter for my Fitbit Air and fitted it to the strap, combining the watch and tracker into one wearable setup.
Build photos · 8 images
Silver Casio F-91W on its original translucent strap beside a black adapter on a cutting mat.
Starting point: the original watch and strap.
Casio watch face on the cutting mat after removing its strap.
Removing the strap to work on the watch.
Watch held during display modification, with the display appearing dark.
Working on the display layers.
Inverted watch display on the work surface during assembly.
Checking the inverted display during assembly.
Open watch during the silicone-oil filling step; the clear oil is difficult to distinguish in the photo.
Filling the watch with silicone oil to improve display visibility. The clear oil is difficult to see in this photo.
Close view of the watch with light digits visible against the dark display.
The display after the reflector repair.
Underside of the wrist showing the black strap threaded through the printed Fitbit Air adapter.
The 3D-printed adapter integrates the Fitbit Air with the same strap.
Finished silver watch and black NATO strap worn in daylight.
Trying the completed setup in everyday wear.

Next iteration

I’m planning a second version using an all-black watch to compare it with this silver build and see which I prefer. That version is still to come.

In rotation

Recently listened

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Site artwork & type

Wallpaper inspiration: GRASS 4K -terminal by oh eyes. Background video supplied from Steam user Tired Soul. Clock and music overlays recreated for the web.

Entrance lettering: Flesh and Blood by JoannaVu, a Bloodborne-inspired typeface, licensed for non-commercial use.

Listening card: Last.fm Recently Played by JeffreyCA.