I am considering retrofitting a large drawer in my office rolltop desk as a humidor. I plan to remove the oak fascade and replace the actual drawer with solid spanish cedar 1/2" stock and attach a hinged lid of solid SC also. then put the drawer face back on the new humi-drawer, mount it on full extension slides so that it will open far enough to allow the lid to operate clearly. My question is this, If the entire drawer is constructed of spanish cedar, can the outside be stained and clear coated without affecting the moisture properties of the cedar?
Humidor drawer
- Thread starter Fireman
- Start date
cigartexan
Evolving Lead Gorilla
I think it would affect it IMHO. If it were me I would leave it bare. You are going to just reuse the same face plate from the old drawer right?
Great idea, but IMO, Jack is right. Theoretically, any humidor you create should be hermetically sealed, but the fact of the matter is: any stains or polys you put on any facades are incredibly invidious and will invade your smokes. If you must stain or poly, I recommend doing so WELL in advance and letting the stains or polymers "cure" for a minimum of a month before making them a part of your drawer 'dor.
On a further note, I don't know what you plan on keeping in your desk drawer, but IMO too much cedar can be a real negative when it comes to ISOMs. Unless they were carefully boxed--and even then--I wdn't dream of keeping my ISOMs in an all cedar environment. Good luck and send us a picture!
Brit
On a further note, I don't know what you plan on keeping in your desk drawer, but IMO too much cedar can be a real negative when it comes to ISOMs. Unless they were carefully boxed--and even then--I wdn't dream of keeping my ISOMs in an all cedar environment. Good luck and send us a picture!
Brit
cigartexan
Evolving Lead Gorilla
I found this, you may just take the easy route, buy one!
http://www.cigar-humidors.com/Drawhumidor.html
http://www.cigar-humidors.com/Drawhumidor.html
hot4stogies
ChestBeater
I think that it might be fine unfinished BUT I would have concerns if the SC you use is not very thick. It will breath quite a bit with no finish so you may have to get a beefy humidifier.
I have a well constructed (appx 8"x4"x3") 3/8" thick SC box (old antique) that was never meant to be a humidor and sealed the lid. That thing would never get over 50% even with 3 Humi-tubes and it had a single coat of varnish.
My advice would be to just give it a shot unsealed. If it won't hold up then slap a few coats of Minwax Poly on the outside of it. One way or another you can get it to work out.
I have a well constructed (appx 8"x4"x3") 3/8" thick SC box (old antique) that was never meant to be a humidor and sealed the lid. That thing would never get over 50% even with 3 Humi-tubes and it had a single coat of varnish.
My advice would be to just give it a shot unsealed. If it won't hold up then slap a few coats of Minwax Poly on the outside of it. One way or another you can get it to work out.
hot4stogies
ChestBeater
IMO = In my opinion
IMHO = In my honest/humble opinion
IMHO = In my honest/humble opinion
cigartexan
Evolving Lead Gorilla
Luci I'm home, Donde little Ricky?
Brit-
I have never heard anything about too much cedar for Havanas. Would you mind sharing more about the subject, I'm very interested to hear your opions/experiances on this. Have you used Mahogany or some other woods? I have always read and heard the only two woods that have 0% negative effects on cigars are S.C. and H.M.
Reading your post got me thinking, the interior of my humi is 55% Spanish Cedar 35% Glass and 10% Honduras Mahogany.
Lusi said:
Brit-
I have never heard anything about too much cedar for Havanas. Would you mind sharing more about the subject, I'm very interested to hear your opions/experiances on this. Have you used Mahogany or some other woods? I have always read and heard the only two woods that have 0% negative effects on cigars are S.C. and H.M.
Reading your post got me thinking, the interior of my humi is 55% Spanish Cedar 35% Glass and 10% Honduras Mahogany.
Jack--
I have an uncle in Florida who's been collecting Cubans (real ones, not Florida ones) forever, and he keeps them in a number of old desktops that are 100% cedar (I assume Spanish, but don't know for sure) on the inside. Every time I light up one of his old stogies, I get inundated with the taste of cedar that IMO really interferes with the cigar's natural flavors. I've heard from a few other folks who've had similar experiences, so I'm just a little weary, as I like the smell, but not the taste of cedar.
(An extreme, non ISOM example--the Don Melo Centennario line makes pretty good sticks, but they pack them in these cedar trays--I tried one of the Liga T's I'd had for abt 2 years, and ALL I tasted was cedar. I've since removed the trays).
I should stress that my uncle's 'dors are all desktops; the cedar is solid (no slats) and there's very little room for any kind of circulation in them. I have a large end-table style humidor with roughly the same proportions of wood and glass as you, and I've never had a problem. Plus, virtually all my Habanos are stored in their boxes, if that makes a difference, which is contested, but I think it does.
Talk to you soon, Brit
I have an uncle in Florida who's been collecting Cubans (real ones, not Florida ones) forever, and he keeps them in a number of old desktops that are 100% cedar (I assume Spanish, but don't know for sure) on the inside. Every time I light up one of his old stogies, I get inundated with the taste of cedar that IMO really interferes with the cigar's natural flavors. I've heard from a few other folks who've had similar experiences, so I'm just a little weary, as I like the smell, but not the taste of cedar.
(An extreme, non ISOM example--the Don Melo Centennario line makes pretty good sticks, but they pack them in these cedar trays--I tried one of the Liga T's I'd had for abt 2 years, and ALL I tasted was cedar. I've since removed the trays).
I should stress that my uncle's 'dors are all desktops; the cedar is solid (no slats) and there's very little room for any kind of circulation in them. I have a large end-table style humidor with roughly the same proportions of wood and glass as you, and I've never had a problem. Plus, virtually all my Habanos are stored in their boxes, if that makes a difference, which is contested, but I think it does.
Talk to you soon, Brit