Pedestal-Style Cigar Ashtray: Trial and Error Journey

This was my first attempt at making a pedestal-style cigar ashtray. I used wood from a log that had been sitting in the woods (I’m not sure how long). This is by no means an expert walkthrough on how to build one but rather a video where I’m learning as I go. Having some woodworking experience, there were aspects of this project that I was fairly confident about. There were also quite a few moments where I ran into something I’d never done before, so it was 100% trial and error.
I really love this design idea. To have a cigar ashtray that sits beside your seat without needing to place it on an existing surface is pretty cool to me. The idea to make this first one came from the desire to have one that would sit outside at a campfire, so that’s why I wanted it to have a more natural log-style appearance. The look of the practice piece and the size of the main piece was the closest to my original thought.
There are many things I like about these. For starters, I love the way the finished wood looks. I am no expert at identifying wood species, but everything about working with this piece led me to believe it was some sort of maple. The finish I used was boiled linseed oil followed by two coats of a satin polycrylic. For the larger piece, I wanted to use Halcyon by Total Boat, but because I wasn’t happy with the epoxy mess-up, I didn’t want to spend the extra money. The original log seems like it was sitting for some time, resulting in the areas of spalting. I wish there had been a bit more that stayed in the final product, but I’ll take what I can get.
There was so much that I learned from this project. The main takeaway was seeing a firsthand example of wood movement. The checks in the smaller piece were not nearly as bad as the larger one. I think this was due to size difference, the amount of material removed, and the way in which I was removing the material. In my personal opinion, I don’t think the epoxy was a total mistake, just the point at which I added the epoxy was a mistake. I think I should have waited a lot longer for the wood to move and brought it back outside before I started the epoxy. If feasible, it would be a cool aesthetic to fill the checks on top and all the sides with colored epoxy.
I think I could have saved a lot of time on this project if I had more experience with using a chainsaw to remove the excess material. My first attempt on the practice piece was too harsh of a cut, so I didn’t use my chainsaw at all on the second for fear of the same result. Having finer versions of the Kutzall dish would have saved me time as well. Trying to sand the deep scratches leftover from the extreme dish took a very long time. Having two additional dishes, one coarse and one fine, would be more ideal.
I have two more ideas for pedestal-style cigar ashtrays that I would like to attempt. On both, I would orient the wood grain differently to reduce or eliminate the wood checks altogether. I would consider these designs I want to try more of a modern style. I can’t wait to try them and see how they turn out.
Music:
Steven Beddall - Restless Mind (instrumental Version)
Aves - Sneakers