How to Make a Humidor

Despite the fact that I don’t smoke cigars, I relish the construction process behind a solid humidor. Building a box for the storage of fine cigars at a high humidity level poses some serious challenges when it comes to wood movement, but by following a few simple construction guidelines, you can really mitigate all sorts of problems that lesser humidors typically encounter.

Why Spanish Cedar?

Most humidors are constructed of Spanish cedar, with linings composed of the same species. Spanish cedar has a lot going for it when it comes to the housing of fine cigars. First and foremost, it’s an incredibly stable wood, able to stand up to the extreme difference in relative humidity between the interior and exterior of the box. Additionally, Spanish cedar is naturally fragrant, owing to the oils that occur naturally within the wood. There is however, one caveat: this species has a tendency to exude oil from within, and from time-to-time, you may spot a few small specks of sticky oil inside a humidor. The solution is simple, however. You can either wipe the resin off with a bit of acetone or lacquer thinner, or simply sand the small specks away with some 220-grit sandpaper.

For more humidor-building tips and tricks, be sure to watch our video overview of the construction process. You’ll learn a variety of tips including:

• How to properly seal your humidor’s interior
• How to line a humidor
• How to prevent cupping
• How to properly construct and fit the lid on a humidor
• How to choose a quality hinge
• How to charge your humidor with moisture

Want more help with making your humidor? Check out these links:

• Building a Humidor
• Basic Box-Making video series
• 2 Ways to Build a Box
• Making Mitered Boxes
• Mastering the Miter