Ashtray Project

While in Iowa this summer, I got to do a lot of antiquing. I picked up several old pipes for restoring, some old reamers, cigar boxes and a Dunhill pipe rack. A local gentleman who went shopping with us inquired on the type of stuff I collect. I told him among other things that I collect most things related to tobacco. He indicated that he knew of something I might be interested in. A couple of days later we take a ride over to an old shed and he pulls a couple of strange relics out of a box. They were cast iron looking saucers with a good half inch of rust on them that he thought were cigar ashtrays. These had been outside on his great-grandfather's farm for years and then in an old barn since the 50's. 100 year old weathered cast iron is ugly. We proceeded to wire brush and sand blast them down a bit and sure as shit, they were indeed cast iron ashtrays.

I had these shipped back to Utah as a future garage project. I should have taken some before pictures so you can see the bad shape these suckers were in when they shipped out. Over the past several weeks I have worked feverishly with a wire brush. The next step was to use a few soaked coats of Naval Jelly. Then I got out my dremel tool with the small wire brush attachment and the ashtrays finally came to life. They are adorned in an outdoors motif with a sunflower, a hunter, hunting dog, pheasant, mountains and a rising trout. They will look even better after seasoning them (baking for a long time at a lower temperature with oil). One will end up on the deck and the other on my terrace. No real worries of these breaking outside. The suckers weigh 7 1/2 lbs. each:

Looking good after a few coats of Naval Jelly:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...s/100_0743.jpg

After dremel brushing:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...s/100_0744.jpg

Side by side of finished and unfinished ashtrays:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...s/100_0747.jpg

Hi there long time....That is pretty kewl. My husband uses Howard feeding wax on all his tools when he preparing them for a show. It's great on wood but on that type of metal it makes it look really good.

Those things are awesome! It looks like you could really knock the crap out of someone with it.

Out of the mouths of babes......ya never know when he's gonna need a good weapon in his smoking room. Brings me back to that interview in the humor section....

What is the secret to a long and happy marriage? Tuperware.....because it doesn't hurt so much when she hits you with it! :smiley27:

What a find! I love stuff like that. Nice work James.

Those are some cool ashtrays......all the work you are putting into them will certainly add another dimension to the smoking experience when you tap into them.

That's a neat old ashtray.

Here are a few of mine.

The first one I machined out of 1 inch thick billet alu.
The second one I restored, it was pretty rough when I got it.
I had to glass bead it and then repaint it. There's a fan mounted it the top
part under the ashtray blows out horizantly
The third one is a pipe ashtray from the 30s made of paper mache.

Happy Vets Day

Ron W4RON