Art Deco Ashtray Stand Restoration Project

[AreBee]

This was a such fun project! I had been on the hunt for an ashtray stand for a few years and never saw anything that excited me. I found this piece at an antique shop about a mile from my house and it just spoke to me! I did some research on it and found it was made by the Alexander Backer Company (ABCO) in NYC in the '40s. The top plate, handle and finial on the post are cast aluminum with chrome plating. The post and base covering I believe are tin. What looks like alabaster or marble at the base is actually plastic which I guess was common back then. I’ve seen some ABCO pieces where there is a wired light under it. The rose colored agate dome on the top was actually a working 120V cigarette lighter, too small for cigars, so I put a battery operated LED in it for aesthetic purposes. You can tell that this was made for cigarettes based on the size of the ash receptacle and the bin with the cap is the perfect size to hold filterless cigarettes (like Lucky Strike or Camel) vertically. It took a lot of elbow grease but I'm really happy with the result. It may not be best used as a cigar or pipe ashtray, but I always use it and it’s a great conversation piece! Hope you enjoy!

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Do you have a night shot with the agate dome lit?

 

[kcghost]

You did a great job restoring and cleaning up this stand!!

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Really appreciate your restoration projects…keep em coming. ️

 

[AreBee]

Do you have a night shot with the agate dome lit?

It was difficult to hold focus with the flash off, but here it is.

 

[orlandofurioso]

I know it is a lot to ask, but can you describe the proccess ?
A lot of Simichrome involded, I guess ?
This is amazing.

 

[irishearl]

Great job. I have a floor-standing metal ashtray with a large, amber colored cut-glass ash tray that I always use when smoking a pipe. Bought it from a Goodwill store many years ago for $5. Had gotten all my wood pipe racks from second-hand stores years ago. Haven't seen much smoking-related stuff in second-hand stores in years.

 

[AreBee]

I know it is a lot to ask, but can you describe the proccess ?
A lot of Simichrome involded, I guess ?
This is amazing.

Thank you and it's not a lot to ask at all!

I disassembled the entire thing and removed most of the surface rust on the post and base with naval jelly and sandpaper. The post came out fairly clean but the base was still really pitted and rusted. I got off as much rust as I could and ended up painting it with a chrome spray paint. I was hoping for more of chromed look, but basically got silver which I can live with.

The majority of the work was polishing the aluminum top and the finial at the bottom of the post. The shop owner recommended the SIMICHROME and with the help of a toothbrush and a clean cloth, it really worked fantastic.

A couple more before shots.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

Nice work!

 

[renfield]

Beauty. What a great piece.

I love that period in design. It looks more Art Nouveau to my eye but it’s a fuzzy line between Deco and Nouveau.

 

[Bbailey324]

Nice work. That looks really good.

 

[scloyd]

Well done...looks awesome.

 

[AroEnglish]

Well that’s a pretty damn snazzy piece and some nice work you put in.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Very nice work! I’ve got a very similar slag glass smoking stand I restored several years ago, love yours!

 

[DesertDan]

That is glorious, Congrats!
I have a deep and abiding love for Art Deco.

 

[AreBee]

That is gorgeous! Great job! That looks like an ABCO as well. Is there a stamp under the top plate with a number? Mine says "ABCO 607."

Very nice work! I’ve got a very similar slag glass smoking stand I restored several years ago, love yours!
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[RustiePyles CPG]

That is gorgeous! Great job! That looks like an ABCO as well. Is there a stamp under the top plate with a number? Mine says "ABCO 607."

Thank you! There were no stamps anywhere on it but I believe it is an Abco.

 

[hall222]

Looks Awesome! Nice job!

 

[Eireprof]

​

This was a such fun project! I had been on the hunt for an ashtray stand for a few years and never saw anything that excited me. I found this piece at an antique shop about a mile from my house and it just spoke to me! I did some research on it and found it was made by the Alexander Backer Company (ABCO) in NYC in the '40s. The top plate, handle and finial on the post are cast aluminum with chrome plating. The post and base covering I believe are tin. What looks like alabaster or marble at the base is actually plastic which I guess was common back then. I’ve seen some ABCO pieces where there is a wired light under it. The rose colored agate dome on the top was actually a working 120V cigarette lighter, too small for cigars, so I put a battery operated LED in it for aesthetic purposes. You can tell that this was made for cigarettes based on the size of the ash receptacle and the bin with the cap is the perfect size to hold filterless cigarettes (like Lucky Strike or Camel) vertically. It took a lot of elbow grease but I'm really happy with the result. It may not be best used as a cigar or pipe ashtray, but I always use it and it’s a great conversation piece! Hope you enjoy! View attachment 300156View attachment 300158View attachment 300160

View attachment 300157View attachment 300162View attachment 300159View attachment 300161

Excellent work!