The Gun Counter

A couple of months ago a friend of mine asked if I could make an ashtray. I told him I would see what I could do.
Here’s what I came up with. He smokes the smaller cigars and cigarettes.
I took a Hickory branch that had a crotch and turned it. I left the bark on it and put the rest slots at each branch end. I then got to thinking that there wasn’t a big market for cigarettes ashtrays, but I know a bunch of people that smoke cigars. I figured that I could make and sell some cigar ashtrays.
I ordered a 2x5 blank of Ebiara, also known as Red Zebra wood, and made this ashtray. One of my friends that smokes cigars looked at it and said that it was nice, but I should make them bigger. So I ordered a few 7x2” blanks of wood. I figured these would be big enough, but not to big.
Here’s the first one made from Curupau. It’s a very dense wood, heavy but easy to work with.
I sold this one to a friend and she gave it to her husband for Christmas.

My friend said that the size was nice but the rim should be a little wider so, I gave it another shot.
This one I made from Padauk. It’s an easy wood to turn, but makes a mess and everything gets covered with a reddish orange dust.
I had this one sold before I finished turning it. I then made two more, one from Maple and one from Ebiara. They sold within a couple of day after I finished making them. So I have decided to keep making cigar ashtrays. To keep things interesting, I’m using different types of wood and have stared working on a square ashtray.

got a smoking business plan there. /rimshot/

I keep thinking that two ready made simple products if I ever manage to get a machining center are cigar ashtrays and cartridge trays for reloading.

I order most of the wood I use. It’s not like I don’t have any wood on hand, I’ve got stacks of logs of 8 different spices and plenty of it cut into turning blanks, but it has to dry.
Most of the wood here in the US is light in color. I have found that people like darker color wood. So I order a good bit of wood that comes out of South American and South Africa.
Here’s an ashtray I made from White Limbs. You don’t normally get as much dark streaks in White Limba.
I’ve got some Black Limba coming in. I hope it pretty.
I’ve got blanks of Zebrawood, Black Walnut, Padauk, Red Elm, Purpleheart, Curupau and Maple waiting for me to turn into ashtrays. I’m just waiting on some more slate to arrive.