Guys, I did a search and didn't immediately find an answer to this, so maybe you can all give me your two cents' worth: While mulling over more permanent cabinet options, I've put together everything for my coolerdor except the spanish cedar lining; if I'm storing the cigars in cedar boxes, is the lining strictly necessary or advisable? Your widom, please. /MH

Your wisdom, as well.

Well as long as all the boxes are made of cedar, you might get away with it. I think the important point is to maintain a relatively stable level of humidity within the 65-70% range. You don't want wild fluctuations, and the increased amount of cedar can buffer these fluctuations by either releasing moisture or absorbing it. I would suggest putting all the boxes in there without the cigars to prime the wood, unless you live in a hellish high humidity area. After the humidity comes up to >65% or so (using a digital hygrometer), you should place some of your cigars in the boxes and monitor it closely for fluctuations and overall relative humidity levels. If it doesn't seem right, you can add blocks of cedar or empty boxes to stabilize or bring it down a bit.

Thanks, I've had empty boxes in there, along with a few inserts and blocks from boxes for a couple of days, and the hygrometer seems fairly steady at 69%, so I'm putting a few full boxes in there.

When I bilt my coolerdor some years back I broke up come cedar cigar boxes and used them to line the cooler. I used brass screws as they do not rust.

quote:

Originally posted by minalpharetta:
Thanks, I've had empty boxes in there, along with a few inserts and blocks from boxes for a couple of days, and the hygrometer seems fairly steady at 69%, so I'm putting a few full boxes in there.

Hey, as long as it stays stable and in the right range, you'll be fine... you can also fine tune it as you go along. I would suggest opening it for 10-15 sec once or twice a week for some air exchange with the outside environment. I think most coolers have an air tight seal, which is not optimal for a humidor, but if opened every once in a while it's not a problem.

Got it, thanks. /MH

What I did was, I purchased a hope chest, spanish cedar strips (after measuring, of course), and a cigar oasis all on ebay. Only took me a couple of nights to make what is now a nice large humidor for a small price, with almost no maintenance necessary.