Woodturning Epoxy Ashtray

Quick Overview

The creator builds a unique, square-shaped ashtray by casting epoxy resin around a central piece of rough wood in a custom mold, subsequently turning and shaping the block on a lathe and finishing the piece by sanding and buffing the resin and wood to reveal a glossy, multicolored final product.

Key Points: The project begins by preparing a square mold lined with plastic wrap and placing a piece of rough, irregular wood inside. Multiple colors of pigmented epoxy resin (red, blue, purple, green) are carefully poured around the wood piece in layers to create a multi-colored effect. After the resin cures, the resulting block is mounted onto a lathe, where a chisel is used to rough shape the exterior and hollow out the interior bowl area (0:03-0:06). The shaping process involves significant material removal, leaving white plastic shavings visible on the lathe and the operator's hands. Once the initial shape is formed, the piece is sanded aggressively, first with tools in the lathe (0:06-0:09) and later by hand with a power sander to refine the shape and remove mold lines (0:06-0:09, 0:51-0:57). The final steps involve applying a finish, likely oil or polish, to the cured resin and wood, resulting in a highly glossy, deep burgundy/purple ashtray with a contrasting natural wood center (5:57-6:30).

Context: This video demonstrates a DIY woodworking and resin casting project focused on creating a custom ashtray. The process combines the technique of woodturning with epoxy casting, utilizing colored resins and natural wood inclusions to achieve a decorative and functional object. The creator builds a temporary mold from chipboard, lines it, sets the wood insert, pours the resin, and then uses woodworking tools like a lathe and a router/sander to finalize the complex shape.

Detailed Analysis

The video documents the creation of a custom resin and wood ashtray, starting with mold preparation. A square mold, seemingly made from particle board and lined with plastic sheeting, serves as the casting container. A piece of distressed, irregular wood is positioned in the center of the mold (0:19-0:27). Various highly pigmented epoxy resins—including metallic red, blue, purple, and green—are mixed and carefully poured into the mold sections surrounding the wood insert (0:00-0:05, 0:28-0:37). After the epoxy has fully cured, the resulting block is removed and mounted on a lathe where the craftsman uses a turning tool to shape the exterior and hollow out the interior into a bowl shape (0:03-0:06, 0:57-1:03). This process generates significant white plastic shavings. Following the rough turning, the piece is further refined using a random orbital sander on the lathe (0:06-0:09) and then by hand sanding (0:06-0:09, 5:13-5:57). The final stage involves detailing the inside of the wooden recess using a router (0:49-0:55) and then applying a finish, likely oil or wax, to the cured piece, which reveals a deep, glossy, marbled burgundy/purple resin surrounding the warm, textured wood, resulting in a finished ashtray displayed against a brick background (5:57-6:30).