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Humidor - all Spanish Cedar

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Ben Brand

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Got my new humidor back from the person who made it, made it completely out of Spanish Cedar. It is untreated at the moment, what do I use on the outside to treat the wood, varnish, wax or oil??
Put some cigars in a week ago and the smell from the Cedar and cigars are amazing, love it. Photos to follow.
 

Smokin Harley

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Re: Humidor

Not sure...Usually humidors are only lined with spanish cedar not the total construction...but I think I would try to use first some kind of 2 or 3 step wood sealer ,like a polyurethane, maybe a marine grade since it needs to in theory keep a level of moisture inside the box. After that I doubt you would need any oils or wax...the first step is a wood grain or sanding sealer, the next step would be a satin or matte finish and the 3rd if you prefer would be a gloss finish with a bit of light sanding between coats . Keep the coats light.
 

Gdaddy

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Re: Humidor

I'd be curious to see what an all Spanish cedar humidor looks like. Any photos?
 

Raodwarior

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Most higher end humidors are made out of 100% Spanish cedar or Honduran Mahogany. Some have a veneered exterior some varnished, for the ones I made I always used carnauba wax. It sealed the pours with out adding anything that could contaminate the cigars some how, and gave it a nice patina. YMMV
 

Knucklehead

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My personal choice would be food grade Butcher Block Oil (or food grade Bar Top oil). It is rated for direct contact with food after 72 hrs. dry time. No smell or taste. I use it on bowls that I turn on the lathe that could be used for fruit, salad, snacks, etc. It will slightly soak into the wood and darken it. It will not soak all the way through. Use it only on the outside, I would think the inside wood would need to stabilize with inside humidity to help hold a steady humidity for longer periods.

I sanded down the bottom of a cigar box to raw Spanish Cedar. Then taped off about half and finished with the Butcher Block oil so you can see what it will look like. Rub it into the wood with a cloth, wait six hours, sand it again with 400 then apply again. Allow to dry for 72 hours. It dries hard and is very durable.

butcher block oil.JPG
 

Knucklehead

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That looks good Knuck! Is it dry in your photo and is that the first coat or multiple coats?

First coat. It's dry enough to handle but not dry enough to sand or recoat (about an hour in). The wood will be that dark or maybe a little darker with multiple coats with a satin sheen. You can polish it to a higher sheen if you want to. It's a thin liquid and is easy to apply with a rag. No heavy wiping or rubbing. Wipe it on, wipe off any excess, wait 6 hours, sand lightly with 400 gr. (or 0000 steel wool), reapply oil. Wait 72 hours and wipe down with damp rag (water) before use. It's tough enough for a butcher block so it should hold up well in Ben's location.
 
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charlie G.

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That looks like a real nice cabinet Ben. Your friend did a good job on it.
I would also figure out a seal for the door or you will never keep a consistent humidity it it.
 

JOE1977

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That looks good! And a small fortune in SC. I attached one that I built from 3/4 stock mahogany. The exterior was finished with a stain and then multiple coats of Sam Maloof poly oil. It is my favorite finish. To hydrate I use a lb of silica beads and a cup of water beads and the thunder has always stayed rock solid in the upper 60's in rh.
 

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LewZephyr

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Both of those Humi's look awesome. I just run my storage with 2 basic ones. a 200 stick one and a glass top 25 stick. Oh and one mini tupador for the few flavored sticks I have. My sis loves the coffee sticks.
 
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