Spinny Thing Shipped & a Question

[Aaron Hamilton]

I got a spinny thing and all the accessories to turn pens on the way from Penn State. I picked up the Turncrafter Pro and the "pen starter kit" and I am pretty excited. I turned some stuff in high school, but I'm ready to see some of those sweet wood shavings again. I'm sure I'll be cruisin' in here for some advice, as I'd like to use this little lathe to get started turning some small bowls (10" and under) and then convince the LOML to let me buy a big mustard manly machine.

I have a quick question related to this: I recently started building humidors and am wanting to add to the "package" a matching turned ashtray. Do any of you have experience making ashtrays out of wood? If so...what is the trick to keep it from turning in to a black, burnt piece of wood? Is it all about the finish? (pictures would be great!)

Man I'm lookin' forward to getting back in the round world.

[Rusty Smith]

Maybe a piece of tempered glass cut the size of the bottom of the ashtray may work. You could also put in a piece of slate or cut quarry tile.

[Burt Alcantara]

Fire + Wood = Bad.

Use the wood as a holder for an ash tray. There are hundreds of plain ash trays that would work for this.