Project Information
A repeat client requested a humidor a few years back (I've been busy 8^), so I decided it's about time.
I know about building boxes, but humidors are another animal. I've been reading up on the subject and decided to follow a design of Rick Allyn from a Fine Woodworking free plan and article (Dec 1997, #127).
Plenty of details to consider!
I consider Rick's humidor very basic in that the box is plain and simple, but there are a number of fit and finish areas I wanted to test out before putting my spin on one.
My prototype uses Spanish cedar for the box walls, veneered on the outside with a 1/2" BB ply top and 1/4" plywood bottom.
Rick uses simple lap joints, I decided to spin up my lock miter bit for the extra strength in the corners.
I had some fiddleback kotibe I used for the sides before I realized that the pieces I had were too narrow for the top. Not wanting to spend time with a bookmatch or other techniques at this time, I used some mahogany that matched fairly well.
Something that had me worried was veneer on only one side of the Spanish cedar (warp city), but the article explained that the wood was quite stable so I went ahead and applied the kotibe to some 1/2" material for the box sides. No warping, excellent!
The top was balanced veneered on the inside with some Spanish cedar since I know that the BB plywood definitely could warp without an even balance of plies.
I assembled the box and cut the corners for some 1/4" banding from walnut. I used some ebony stubs at the top corners to hide the end grain versus mitering.
A finish of pre-cat lacquer was applied then chopped off the lid on the table saw for the best possible lid-to-base fit.
No issues with chipping the veneer since the cut was with the grain and the soft cedar cuts smoothly. I had the blade set to ever so slightly lower than the wall thickness. This allowed the box to stay together during the four cuts. An Exacto knife easily completed the cut to free the lid with no drama 8^)
I have a stash of Brusso quadrant hinges from the last time they were on sale so only $24 a set (still about double what I feel I should be spending for a box of this type, but I'd rather use them now than have a relative sell my entire Brusso stash for $0.25/hinge in some future estate sale).
I hate mortising for these things because any errors and the lid will not fit right.
Some careful router table setup and it went smoothly.
The inside of the box was lined on all six surfaces with 3/16" cedar per the plans.
People give me things so I installed a quad Boveda humidifier bag holder on the lid.
MadMark turned me on to the digital humidity/temp gauges which were stupid-cheap. A pack of six all showed the same humidity within +/- 2% and temps were all withing a degree.
I'm not entirely satisfied with my solution for mounting (looks funky), but that is what prototypes are for. Certainly don't want to punch a hole through the box if I make it looking fancy enough.
I just made a slot that it can securely slide into by notching the box divider.
Anyway, It is currently being "primed" to the proper humidity so everything swells and settles and I can tweak the seal on the lid.
I'm plenty happy how it came together and now know what to do (and in what order) when I make one "for real"
Thanks for dropping in!
I know about building boxes, but humidors are another animal. I've been reading up on the subject and decided to follow a design of Rick Allyn from a Fine Woodworking free plan and article (Dec 1997, #127).
Plenty of details to consider!
I consider Rick's humidor very basic in that the box is plain and simple, but there are a number of fit and finish areas I wanted to test out before putting my spin on one.
My prototype uses Spanish cedar for the box walls, veneered on the outside with a 1/2" BB ply top and 1/4" plywood bottom.
Rick uses simple lap joints, I decided to spin up my lock miter bit for the extra strength in the corners.
I had some fiddleback kotibe I used for the sides before I realized that the pieces I had were too narrow for the top. Not wanting to spend time with a bookmatch or other techniques at this time, I used some mahogany that matched fairly well.
Something that had me worried was veneer on only one side of the Spanish cedar (warp city), but the article explained that the wood was quite stable so I went ahead and applied the kotibe to some 1/2" material for the box sides. No warping, excellent!
The top was balanced veneered on the inside with some Spanish cedar since I know that the BB plywood definitely could warp without an even balance of plies.
I assembled the box and cut the corners for some 1/4" banding from walnut. I used some ebony stubs at the top corners to hide the end grain versus mitering.
A finish of pre-cat lacquer was applied then chopped off the lid on the table saw for the best possible lid-to-base fit.
No issues with chipping the veneer since the cut was with the grain and the soft cedar cuts smoothly. I had the blade set to ever so slightly lower than the wall thickness. This allowed the box to stay together during the four cuts. An Exacto knife easily completed the cut to free the lid with no drama 8^)
I have a stash of Brusso quadrant hinges from the last time they were on sale so only $24 a set (still about double what I feel I should be spending for a box of this type, but I'd rather use them now than have a relative sell my entire Brusso stash for $0.25/hinge in some future estate sale).
I hate mortising for these things because any errors and the lid will not fit right.
Some careful router table setup and it went smoothly.
The inside of the box was lined on all six surfaces with 3/16" cedar per the plans.
People give me things so I installed a quad Boveda humidifier bag holder on the lid.
MadMark turned me on to the digital humidity/temp gauges which were stupid-cheap. A pack of six all showed the same humidity within +/- 2% and temps were all withing a degree.
I'm not entirely satisfied with my solution for mounting (looks funky), but that is what prototypes are for. Certainly don't want to punch a hole through the box if I make it looking fancy enough.
I just made a slot that it can securely slide into by notching the box divider.
Anyway, It is currently being "primed" to the proper humidity so everything swells and settles and I can tweak the seal on the lid.
I'm plenty happy how it came together and now know what to do (and in what order) when I make one "for real"
Thanks for dropping in!