Ashtrays are one of the important things for smokers apart from the lighters, cutters and humidors. An ashtray is a necessity for the smoking lot and the use of which improverise with the passing time. A smokeless floor ashtray can be built with some modifications to an ordinary rubbish bin. Crushing the cigarette butts into an ashtray is not a good idea as it gives out a foul smell of stale cigarettes. You can make an attractive and inexpensive smokeless ashtray of your own having an air purification system to keep the mechanism easy and clean and to avoid the smell of the used cigarette’s butt. This ashtray type is good and useful for outdoor environments.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Time required:
The required time to make a smokeless ashtray would vary from person to person. It would highly depend on the skill set and knowledge of the person to build the ashtray. An expert performer would require less time whereas a beginner would require more time to make the ashtray. The availability of the right resources around are also important in calculating the time to complete making the product.
Resources required:
The things which are required to make a smokeless ashtray are:
- ashtray made from melamine with furrowed center and narrow bottom,
- a square hard plastic tissue box cover,
- superglue,
- 1/2 inch thick foam rubber,
- battery operated air mattress pump,
- drill, 4 inch filter cartridge for reptile tanks,
- drill bits,
- acrylic sheet thinner 1/8 of an inch,
- jigsaw,
- rubber gummy feet,
- 1/8 inch metal channel material and a hacksaw.
Estimate Cost:
The cost of building a smokeless floor ashtray would depend upon various factors. The quantity and quality of the resources would matter as their cost will vary depending on the use for the product. Also the availability of the resources plays a vital part without which building of the product gets difficult or we have to substitute the required resources. Keeping in mind all the factors, the ideal cost of making the ashtray would be anywhere around $10.
Instructions:
Following are the instructions of how to build a smokeless floor ashtray on your own by using the resources which are already mentioned above.
- First of all you need to place the tissue box cover on a flat surface. Put the ashtray on the box cover right away. Now with a magic marker, draw around the bottom of the ashtray tracing the outer edge. By using a jigsaw, cut the plastic along the marked edges. Until the bottom of the ashtray can come to an eighth inch into the opening, cut the marked edges more slightly. Rub any rough edges with a sandpaper or plastic burrs bulging out from the box cover.
- Below the raised grooves, drill various tiny holes into the center of the ashtray and remove any burrs or plastic particles which are making the holes block. Around the perimeter, apply super glue to the box cover opening. Apply pressure to the ashtray and then drop the ashtray into the box cover opening. By placing the air intake valve on the top, put the air mattress pump which is battery operated on a flat surface and then measure the height of the raised intake valve.
- Along the perimeter edge of the pump, place the rubber feet evenly spaced out, making sure they are slightly higher than the raised air valve. Now centering over the intake valve, press a 4 inch cartridge filter into the gummy feet. Lay down a small sheet of acrylic on a flat surface. Place the box cover onto the acrylic sheet with the attached ashtray. Using a magic marker, trace the perimeter around the box cover. Using a jigsaw, cut the acrylic piece accordingly. Now use a sand paper to rub the edges around the acrylic perimeter. By using a hacksaw, cut two pieces of metal channel material respectively. Again with a sandpaper, rub the harsh edges or metal burrs coming out from the channel.
- Keep the box cover on its side which is attached with the ashtray. Put the super glue to the the channel facing the center of the box opening, onto the bottom edge of one of the sides. The process should be repeated for the box edge across from it toward the center of the box opening facing the open end of the channel. Let the glue to dry on its own. Until it completely covers the bottom of the box, slide the cutout of the acrylic through the channels. Rub with the sand paper any rough spots on the acrylic edges until the cutout slips easily through the grooves. Now, on top of the foam rubber, place the acrylic bottom and by using a magic marker, mark the perimeter around the acrylic.
- It is best to cut the foam rubber much smaller than the tracing marks. By holding the filter cartridge and by pumping the air mattress against the bottom of the ashtray, turn the box cover upside down with the ashtray. On the outside of the box, mark the area where the power switch will be placed. By using the power drill and the jigsaw, a small square opening should be cut in the box cover for the switch. On a flat surface put the pump with the filter cartridge centered on the top. Over the pump, put the box cover coordinating with the opening of the switch and then push the foam rubber underneath the pump. Along the metal grooves, underneath the box cover, slide the acrylic bottom accordingly.
Quick tips:
If necessary, you can use thicker rubber foam in the bottom of the box cover to hold the air mattress pump in the right place. The furrowed center of the ashtray denotes the raised, slotted area in which to rest the cigarette.
Things to watch out for:
- You should drill tiny holes in the ashtray so that hot ashes cannot fall through them into the filter.
- Make sure that there is a small amount of room in the box cover so that the valve which expels air on the air mattress pump is not blocked.