I'm making a humidor for my wife.
She has a box of 5 La Arora Preferidos.
She wants to display them in the livingroom.
I have a box made up with a glass front.
The glass isn't exactly air tight, which is good I think.
I put weather stripping around the edges that open up.
They seal nicely.
I believe a humidor isn't supposed to be perfectly air tight.
I put in a small humidifier.
I'm not sure what kind of wood the cabinet is made of.
If I line it with Cedar will it bo OK to keep the cigars in there long term?

Will it be OK if I don't line it with Cedar?

Remember, the Preferidos come in a nice colored tube to keep them fresh.

rob

Rob;

Many people make their own humidors, you won't be the first. Just keep a few things in mind:

Humidors should not be perfectly air tight, if infrequently opened the air will get stale and may promote mold if humidity gets too high. If air tight, it's recommended you open the lid on a regular basis; say every week or so and let some fresh air circulate in the humi.

If as you say, you have a humidifier in there, you should get a digital hygrometer to keep RH at a proper level 68-72% RH is considered ideal.

Cabinets are made of various woods, the important thing is to line the interior with at least a quarter inch thick Spanish cedar all the way around, top and bottom as well (very important; not American or other cedar, Spanish is recommended).

It's NOT OK if you don't line it with Spanish cedar.

Preferido tubes are really nice, they will keep the product fresh only for so long outside a humidor. When in a properly controlled humidor you may want to slightly loosen the caps so that proper humidity may enter. Some people prefer to store their cigars without tubes or any cello wrapping of any kind, it's personal preference.

Hope this will be of some help to you.

P.S. You may want to display the empty tubes as the preferidos are a tasty treat, enjoy!

Why is it so important that it be Spanish Cedar?
I thought...Just as long as the Humididy is kept at a good 72% the cigars should be fine.
As far as I know, Cedar keeps humidity within itself and helps prevent humidity loss and spikes and lows.

I've just been out looking for some Spanish Cedar.

It's hard to come by.
Aren't old cigar boxes made of cedar?

I have some Leon Jiminez boxes and a few Cohiba boxes. Could I cut these up and use them as liner?

rob

Any wood is hard to come by unless you are looking for, oak, pine, or poplar. You'll have to go to a specialty woodshop or mill. Do a google search in your area for a lumber mill, they should have spanish cedar along with some other exotic woods, if not they should be able to help you find some.

quote:

Originally posted by fuzzuki:
Why is it so important that it be Spanish Cedar?
I thought...Just as long as the Humididy is kept at a good 72% the cigars should be fine.
As far as I know, Cedar keeps humidity within itself and helps prevent humidity loss and spikes and lows.

I've just been out looking for some Spanish Cedar.

It's hard to come by.
Aren't old cigar boxes made of cedar?

I have some Leon Jiminez boxes and a few Cohiba boxes. Could I cut these up and use them as liner?

rob

Spanish cedar offers the following advantages (botanical term “cedrela odorata”):

Protection from tobacco worms - through the cedar’s special odoriferous quality High humidity absorption capacity - this ensures that a stable climate will be maintained inside the humidor and mold is prevented. Supports the cigar aging process Positive effect on the flavor of the cigars.

Spanish cedar does not originate from Spain as one might assume but is generally imported from Brazil and other countries of South and Central America. In some individual cases resin may form on the surface of the wood. The risk of resin formation can be substantially reduced by previously drying the wood carefully.

American red cedar is inferior to Spanish cedar in humidity absorption and it exudes a more intense aroma. Some humidor manufacturers use American cedar because it is less expensive and with this wood there is no danger of resin formation. Particularly when storing cigars for longer periods the cigars will adopt a strong woody flavor that is generally not desired.

Honduran mahogany has a humidity absorption rate comparable to that of Spanish cedar and at the same time has a less intense odor. Thus, unfortunately, the deterrent effect on worms and the desired flavoring of cigars is also not as good as with Spanish cedar.
The veneer of the interior wood should be untreated.

For long-term cigar storage those humidors should be preferred, which are lined with Spanish cedar. For cabinet humidors other woods with high humidity absorption capacity can also be used because in cabinet humidors the cigars are generally stored in their original Spanish cedar boxes. A tray made of Spanish cedar is recommendable for storing individual cigars in cabinet humidors.

Source: Humidor Guide

IB

quote:

Originally posted by fuzzuki:
Why is it so important that it be Spanish Cedar?
I thought...Just as long as the Humididy is kept at a good 72% the cigars should be fine.
As far as I know, Cedar keeps humidity within itself and helps prevent humidity loss and spikes and lows.

I've just been out looking for some Spanish Cedar.

It's hard to come by.
Aren't old cigar boxes made of cedar?

I have some Leon Jiminez boxes and a few Cohiba boxes. Could I cut these up and use them as liner?

rob

For less mickey mousing around, why not just buy a lower end humidor with a glass top (if you must have a glass top). They are available for about $100 on-line.

I personally don't like glass at all on humidors, more leakage, more maintenance, particularly if the lid seal is less than tight, trust me on this one.

-IB