A year or two ago, I took the plunge and bought a Stinky Cigar Ashtray. Arguably one of the best, if not the best cigar ashtray out there. I was almost as excited to get it in the mail as some of the sticks that would eventually end up in it!
I made the mistake one fateful afternoon of picking it up by one of the four stirrups where cigars rest.... and SNAP it came off in my hand. I was crushed, but being a somewhat resourceful guy, I decided to put the stirrup in a "safe place" on my workbench, for later repair. A few months passed, and the tripod stinky and I are doing just fine, until I picked up the stinky again, by one of the remaining three stirrups, and BAM. Down to two. Not a big deal, put this one in my pocket, and took the beast in for a quick wipe-down. Apparently my vigorous cleaning was too much for one of the remaining two stirrups, and I am looking at my fabulous ashtray with ony ONE Remaining stirrup.
Time to take action. Off I go to my workshop to find the first stirrup, with the others to fashion a fix.... only to realize that I can no longer remember where the "safe place" on the bench was...... It is Hell to get old! Some of you know what I am talking about.
Anyway, I did eventually find the rogue stirrup, and after failed attempts to re-solder the stirrups, (and one slightly charred finger tip -
OUCH) I found my trusty tubes of JB Weld. Mixed up a small batch, placed a dab under each stirrup, where the welds had broken, turned it upside down for an hour, and now I am back in business!
Good as new, and seemingly stronger than ever. I have been using it after the repair for about two months, mishandling it as ever, leaving it out in the rain, etc, and it remains one of my favorite cigar accessories.
If you do not have a stinky, consider this a strong recommendation to purchase one. If yours should have a problem as mine did, don't panic, the fix is easy and inexpensive.
Happy smoking Brothers and Sisters!