Apart from the obvious (place to rest cigar and place for ash to fall), what features, materials, size, shape, etc would you want in a cigar/ash tray?

I want them to be works of art, just have to find the best medium for my skills (not many..ha).

I'd want something...

Heavy/stable

Easy to clean (glass, metal, ceramic)

Capable of holding at least 2 resting good sized cigars, 3 or 4 would be better

Able to hold the ash of at least 2 good sized cigars before needing to be emptied

Really not sure what medium I think I could handle. I have seen cement ones that would be cool to make, but those would be a PITA to ship...maybe a little too heavy.

Also thought about working more closely with my cousin that does wood work, but would need to drive 45 minutes there to work on them and still would need to find a good coating that would keep it from burning/melting.

I will make sure to add a little speaker that is linked to a sensor in the bottom of the ash pit to accommodate this. Seems simple enough.

Wood ash trays are fine, and don't burn, at least mine haven't.

But, they don't hold up too well to the elements if kept outdoors, as are all of my ashtrays.

poor puppy dog

Anything left outdoors will NOT fare well ( at least not in semi -cold climates ) Have had a few ceramic ashtrays crack and break apart because yes they took on moisture....and when it turned cold the moisture froze and cracked them to bits. Seems to me it's not that difficult to just put them inside when finished. Dump the ashes in a coffee can and take the tray inside. Easy peazy

driveway/sidewalk/street isn't good enough?

I prefer the bushes since the nitrogen in the ash helps the soil! I supplement my cigar budget with what i would spend on fertilizer.

Yeah I'm bad at that. I store in the garage after use normally but don't wanna bring em inside

Make your holders deep enough so placing the cigar is not such a balancing act.

I'm envisioning cement bowl on teak wood base that makes it table height

Use DiamondCrete. Finishes VERY smooth.