Nice Ashtray

[SPEEDRACER]

Hit up a flea market.

That's a fine idea, Dan! Although I'm a sucker for cast iron cookware, old rusty carbon steel knives, and other things from the days when things were actually made in the USA, and always end up coming home from flea markets with a lot more than I was looking for in the first place. This is a good excuse to make another haul!

[S.A.W.B.]

This is what I use. It an old piston out of a P&W engine that didn't meet the specs on the rebuild.

[SPEEDRACER]

This is what I use. It an old piston out of a P&W engine that didn't meet the specs on the rebuild.

Nice! Didn't think about a piston... I like the legs on that coffee table too!

[SPEEDRACER]

You could cut it off about halfway through the pinholes, with a band saw, and make a couple of nice rests there too! I may just have look around for a nice big piston, S.A.W.B. That's a fine idea!

[cinda]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Soli...item27ef731545

Now this is different~

[badwhale]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Soli...item27ef731545

Now this is different~

Damn. I might have to buy that!

[S.A.W.B.]

I get compliments all the time on the coffee table. It's just some steel from a old cellphone tower and a drive chain from the elevator. I built it a few years back for my man cave.

[CoventryCat86]

You could cut it off about halfway through the pinholes, with a band saw, and make a couple of nice rests there too! I may just have look around for a nice big piston, S.A.W.B. That's a fine idea!

Here's one from a 1969 Cadillac Coupe de Ville with a 472ci that I blew up 30 years ago:



I thought about cutting it through the pin holes but I think it would have been too deep. Either way, you don't wind up with a whole lotta room for ashes

[SPEEDRACER]

Here's one from a 1969 Cadillac Coupe de Ville with a 472ci that I blew up 30 years ago:



I thought about cutting it through the pin holes but I think it would have been too deep. Either way, you don't wind up with a whole lotta room for ashes

Nice looking piston-ashtray you got there, CC86! I think when I make mine, I will cut it through the pin holes. I think that will make for some nice cigar rests, I'm not worried too much about the depth, and capacity won't be a big issue, as long as it holds the ashes from one or two cigars. I'll post a pic when it's finished. Gotta find a nice big piston first though... Looking back now, after hearing your story about the Coupe DeVille, I wish I'd saved one from one of the few engines I've blown up! Ha!

[CoventryCat86]

Nice looking piston-ashtray you got there, CC86! I think when I make mine, I will cut it through the pin holes. I think that will make for some nice cigar rests, I'm not worried too much about the depth, and capacity won't be a big issue, as long as it holds the ashes from one or two cigars. I'll post a pic when it's finished. Gotta find a nice big piston first though... Looking back now, after hearing your story about the Coupe DeVille, I wish I'd saved one from one of the few engines I've blown up! Ha!

Yeah, ya know the more I think about it, that's probably the way to go, cut it right through the middle of the wrist pin holes because as you said, it will make for good cigar rests. The way I cut mine isn't exactly conducive to stopping a cigar from rolling off.

Like I said earlier, I made that one 30 years ago when I didn't even smoke cigars so come to think of it, the idea of rests never occurred to me so I have to correct myself because it never did occur to me to cut through the wrist pin holes. I kind of modeled it after cigarette ashtrays (which I never used myself personally since I've never smoked cigarettes) and there are enough of what you could consider "rests" for cigarettes but not so much for cigars.

As far as bigger pistons, you'd probably need to find one from a large diesel engine because I don't think there are automotive ones larger than the Cadillac one I used. The only problem with larger diameter pistons is they get awfully heavy.

Anyway, I think you're on the right track with making the cut through the wrist pin holes.