Posted 7 years ago
PhilDMorris
(223 items)
Airplane Ashtray Stand With Pipe Holder, by Metalcraft Mfg. Co. Ltd Circa 1953 _ The last photo shows the first ad in an Eaton's Spring and Summer Catalog of 1947, which I own, showing their first airplane advertisement, or at least one of their first advertisements. Pictured with it is what they called a twin light smoker !
The 2nd Photo were some parts that I mentioned I bought at the auction with the 14K gold pin.
The first pic is dated 1986 or so, when I also had an apt in Regina, even though I had one in Saskatoon also. The First photo shows the Very Rare Airplane Ashtray with the pipe holder still in perfect shape - usually they are broken or chipped and luckily this was my first time I bought this and it was not broken. If it was broken you would have to get another different tray as there are so few of this particular tray ! This one has extra height and is about 40 inches high. The white onyx glass cone shape is rare also as they usually only come in green, and though I have seen hundreds of these parts, this is the first brown striated one I ever have seen. The onyx/glass slag glass is of the best quality and all parts light up. The airplane has a red bulb in it also. This very ashtray was photo'd for the first book on smoking/ashtray collectibles in 1989, !!
I know a lot about the history of the company - founded by the Shapiro family in about 1946 or 47, right after WW2 ! Some are marked Electrolite, but that must have been a subsidiary of Metalcraft, and I have talked to owners, son/grandson and the name Shapiro is the same so it had to be the same company. Lots of help there were 7 sons in the family and all worked with the same father on founding a wonderful family company !
The person (son) I talked to last was born after the company closed so he still thinks that Electrolite was a separate company, but there are too many similarities and also a rare fact known is that first and last name people worked at both companies. The floor ashtrays were only made in Toronto in North America. At first they were made in all chrome as the last photo shows, but in about 1950 they started adding some beautiful slag glass parts (glass/onyx) which they did a simple lighting effect. I have learned how to even solder light bulbs together with no bulb holder, just so they will look incredible !!~
At Christmas time the owner let the employees have a free one,, and they could design their own with the best parts the company made if they wanted to. I have been lucky to find more than several of these over the many years I have collected and worked on more than 50 of them, with added height and gorgeous ashtray parts, the best of the best !~
This airplane was in storage for many a year, since I moved to my new home and only now am I going to undertake the task of rebuilding them, as they have been stored as parts for just over a decade and it is time for their moment in the sun again !~
Really gorgeous ashtray stand, and what a history!
Thanks for sharing the pictures and information Phil. A wealth of knowledge you are.
Roy
The ashtray stand is great PhilD, but I really really love the greyhound lamp, it is wonderful!!
Thank you Nfld, most appreciated !~
I love your airplane ashtray and stand ! It surely is one of the finest I ever saw . Your collections continue to amaze me . xo PS don't forget the eggs <smile>
Excellent styled ashtray and write up
Very interesting write up Phil...always .ove your ‘stuff’.. I hope we get to share the moment in the sun..xoxo
Thank you nutsabot for the encouragement !~
I love these....such a Flow to them
Thank you Caperkid, Roy, I always remember my delight to see one of these at my first auction in 1978 and the 5.00 price tag. Such good memories !~
Hi PhilDMorris, would you happen to know where I could find the swivel mechanism, the tops of the cig. containers (mine are dented) and also the round flaps which cover the opening of the ashtrays. I recently bought one of these ashtrays. It had been sitting in a garage for the last 50 years, had some rust on the tubes and props (which I believe are original). The rust was 99% removed with SOS pads - actually it looks much nicer! Mine is the version with the two piece alabaster off the base (no light in the base). The wiring was cut off years ago, but I rewired and kept the original bulb / socket inside the plane. Also, there seem to be several versions where the light switch is located in different places. Either at the base, at the bottom of the plane or on the right side of the plane, the switch coming out one of the windows. Mine has the switch in the window above the wing ( a friend told me that someone had drilled out the window and that it was not the way it originally came) - who knows! I can't seem to find a single good source on these ashtrays. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gary
I remember years ago I was finding the swivel attachment in a lighting service store which sold them. They also sold switches if the original is shorted, that was when they had only the lamp and one small piece of slag glass. Some of the pieces I did complicated lighting. The dented containers you should eventually possibly find in ashtray parts on ebay, IF you are lucky. There are 2 different parts fitting 2 different trays, not a one size fits all. The round ashtray container pieces you might have to get a metal worker to make for you, or get a bunch made in China if you want to sell some. Years ago I bought extra ashtrays to get the pieces. I usually rewire my ashtrays so there are up to 3 or 4 addition of lights at the bottom. For instance in the 3rd photo I will have to drill 2 more holes in the threaded rod to illuminate all the slag glass parts ! I had made some props years ago with a mould and sodder. I think the original airplane props are quite thin, otherwise I see several on line. Another thing to note is rechroming. I am not sure which province has good rechroming places - I got one in Ontario who knows also what I know about the air ash but they charge from what I estimated was about 500 for the rechroming !! I only had some rechroming done about 25 or 30 years ago, and I believe that was from Edmonton and forget which chromer that was. At that time they did a great job on my lamps and ashtrays, company started with an F. I used to paint the bottom(silver rub or paint) of the ashtray and cig containers since they never originally chromed those parts. A lot of the airplanes WERE drilled in the fuselage windows and that can be O.K. and some of those holes can ruin the airplane's looks as far as I am concerned, big time ! If it does not have any holes I would strongly advise not to drill. Most of those holes were drilled by idiots, big time. Since my airplane ashtrays have multiple parts to light up I just add a switch at the bottom on the long cord so I can light it all up at once. In the airplane fuselage I like to use a red bulb, yrs ago I used to find an attachment which made them blink which I liked.
I remember chroming one whole air ash which I sold for 350 and the buyer, a pilot, told me it was too expensive. I usually kick them out as they don't know how hard to have one that will knock your socks off and the money you have to spend to get all the parts and then rechrome, especially if you have the most beautiful bases on the planet. My mom owned a beautiful ashtray from Metalcraft with one of the bases which was on the airplane ashtray, her metalcraft lamp, and some ashtrays. They made some very beautiful parts such as the base, and some which I consider "starter" or basic !
Thank you Tassie, I most appreciate the comment, I bought the greyhound for less than 20 dollars.
Thank you Manikin, appreciated xoxo !~
Love these!!!
Thanks Tom for the love, much appreciated !~
Thank you roddyq, much appreciated !~
Yes Roy, I am still collecting and trying again this month to start work on some of them again.
Beautiful piece of history. I will keep my eyes open for more of these for sure Hope all is well PhilDMorris
Hi Phil. Would you be able to email myself at kaccook@sasktel.net
Tks if you can, Respectfully,
Dean.
Hi Dean, you can take your message off with your
email if you like. Phil
well this is a series collection ...well done Phil......
I recently purchased the 1947 version (mint condition) of the airplane ashtray pictured in the advertisement. Can anyone tell me if the planes made of pot metal? I’m surprised if it is, that it shows no signs of pitting or wear.
Yes, they were made of pot metal. If people never abused them, they often are found in good condition. I remember seeing a man's collection in Regina and he had about a hundred of them, but even in the later seventies all of his were roached pretty bad.
I'm still trying to find a nice one!!
Hi Phil. Have you seen any airplane ashtrays for sale at all? Tks
Dean.
I have to put them together again if I can get help from my caregiver and with my health and short time, I think I have 7 or so of them, I will have to disperse of them if I get over the last fall !~
Thanks Mani, and all others who commented and loved this post. The ashtrays here look like goggles over the eyes and the wings a good smile. Thanks Cooker for giving me ideas to work on them and I guess wiring them would be more helpful if I would ship them taken apart. With them being ultimate show pieces it would be best to have them together, but shipping with the added extra weight gives me pause!~