As a manufacturer of custom, large capacity (100+) humidors for almost 20 years, I would agree that the information from the Fine Woodworking video mentioned above is pretty solid. Sealing with shellac would be preferred, since shellac is thinned with denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol) which is much safer than lacquer, which is thinned with acetone and other petrochemicals. It's the thinner that contributes mostly to the residual smell, so I prefer shellac with denatured alcohol. As far as making the unit too air tight, I wouldn't worry about that. The tighter the box, the less humidity loss. We use a proprietary silicone seal on our units to make them as tight as possible. Every time they are opened, there is an adequate change of fresh air. Now, I suppose if the purpose of your humidor is for long term storage of months, or years, then supplying fresh air should be addressed. We only used electronic humidifiers, sized for the particular humidor. They are extremely accurate, reliable, and not very expensive, considering the value of the contents of a humidor. If your unit is small, say 50 cigars or less, than a passive humidifier would work just fine. Just be careful that the humidifier doesn't get too close to any of the cigars, as it can over humidify them if too close. Also, a digital hygrometer, to measure the internal humidity of the humidor, is essential. I have yet to find an analog hygrometer that was as accurate as a digital unit. These too, are relatively inexpensive. Lastly, any humidor should only be lined with genuine Spanish Cedar, which technically is not really a cedar at all. Don't use cedar fencing or paneling, and definitely stay away from Aromatic Cedar, which is cedar closet lining.
octavup wrote:
