Vacation Project
My Cigars Have A New Home!!
I've been keeping my stash of cigars in an old Tupperware sheet cake container for far too long, and this weekend I finally got most of the materials together to make some progress on my homebuilt humidor.
My friend Flygirl gifted me with this spiffy pirate's chest some years back. It was once full of edible goodies, and had recently been serving as my stash box. No, not weed, just my prescription meds...
I've been wanting a decent humidor, and with some minor mods, the chest would suit well in that role. I found a local woodworker's supply shop, and bought $35 bucks worth of Spanish Cedar veneer, and some brass handles for the sides.
The veneer was too thick to cut with scissors, and too thin to cut with a circular saw. I have a coping saw somewhere, but discovered that two or three passes with a utility knife will score the 1/8" veneer deeply enough to snap it cleanly.
Lining the sides:
Can't find your gluing clamp? Use the glue bottle and the pestle from your spice grinder! The black gizmo on the bottom weighing down the veneer is a wrought iron replica of the family cattle brand.
The veneer didn't really want to bend to fit the curve of the chest lid, and it was too thin to cut relief notches and force the bend. So, I glued some strips into place across the top of the lid lining sections, and when they're dry, I'll glue a flat piece of veneer to complete the interior. Once it's all dry & stable, I'll drill & seat the handle hardware, then rough sand the interior to bring out the cedar oils.
I should have enough veneer left over to make a holder for the gel humidifier. I probably ought to rig some sort of way to hang the gel container from the lid, instead of leaving it sitting in the bottom of the chest. I'd be able to store more cigars that way.
Still, it's gonna be a workable humidor, and cost much less than buying one from the local cigar store!
I've been keeping my stash of cigars in an old Tupperware sheet cake container for far too long, and this weekend I finally got most of the materials together to make some progress on my homebuilt humidor.
My friend Flygirl gifted me with this spiffy pirate's chest some years back. It was once full of edible goodies, and had recently been serving as my stash box. No, not weed, just my prescription meds...
I've been wanting a decent humidor, and with some minor mods, the chest would suit well in that role. I found a local woodworker's supply shop, and bought $35 bucks worth of Spanish Cedar veneer, and some brass handles for the sides.
The veneer was too thick to cut with scissors, and too thin to cut with a circular saw. I have a coping saw somewhere, but discovered that two or three passes with a utility knife will score the 1/8" veneer deeply enough to snap it cleanly.
Lining the sides:
Can't find your gluing clamp? Use the glue bottle and the pestle from your spice grinder! The black gizmo on the bottom weighing down the veneer is a wrought iron replica of the family cattle brand.
The veneer didn't really want to bend to fit the curve of the chest lid, and it was too thin to cut relief notches and force the bend. So, I glued some strips into place across the top of the lid lining sections, and when they're dry, I'll glue a flat piece of veneer to complete the interior. Once it's all dry & stable, I'll drill & seat the handle hardware, then rough sand the interior to bring out the cedar oils.
I should have enough veneer left over to make a holder for the gel humidifier. I probably ought to rig some sort of way to hang the gel container from the lid, instead of leaving it sitting in the bottom of the chest. I'd be able to store more cigars that way.
Still, it's gonna be a workable humidor, and cost much less than buying one from the local cigar store!
posted by El Capitan | 11:47 PM
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