Q:

I have a humidor that I built and lined with Spanish cedar. The trouble is, the cedar leaks sap, which then collects on the cigar boxes. Every six months, I remove the sap with acetone and resand the cedar, but the sap always returns. What can I do?

John Vance, Kirkland, WA

A:

Unfortunately, there’s no good way to draw the sap out of Spanish cedar. Replacing the lining in your humidor with clean pieces of cedar is the best option.

Just be very picky when you buy it. If it’s not bleeding in the lumberyard, you shouldn’t have a problem later.

If the current lining must stay, there are a couple of ways to deal with the problem. As you’ve found, wiping the sap away with acetone lasts only so long. Heating the cedar, such as with a heat gun, may draw some of the sap out but won’t get all of it.

The simplest solution is to seal the humidor’s interior with shellac. However, while that will end the sap problem, it will also eliminate the cedar’s mild, spicy aroma and reduce its ability to help regulate the humidity level.

From Fine Woodworking #198

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Ridgid R4331 Planer

Priced nearly $300 less than the DeWalt 735X, the Ridgid R4331 is an excellent value. Its three-knife cutterhead left wonderfully clean surfaces on plainsawn white oak and white pine. It did not perform nearly as well on curly maple as the 735X.

Buy at Amazon

AnchorSeal Log and Lumber End-Grain Sealer

Good for both sealing the end grain of freshly cut logs and boards, this wax prevents end-grain checking and saves material

Buy at Amazon

DeWalt 735X Planer

At high speed, the planer works fast and leaves a smooth surface. But the slower, finish speed produces an almost glass-smooth surface. Knife changes are easy.

Buy at Amazon