New Vino Thread.... Pics & ???s

[thebayratt]

O happy day, I have made a few plunges into the cigar lifestyle. I got a small 50ct humi, then a 100ct, found out what the "Devil Site" is, and today I got my new Vinotemp 28! I live in the south and it gets pretty hott here and can not afford to run the AC constantly. I bit the bullet and grabbed one using my employee discount @ Lowe's.

I know you have all read and seen the Vino threads, but I just thought I'd post some pics of mine and ask some questions before I do anything stupid and waste $280 on the Vino and countless $$ on the cigars. I don't mind spending the time to do it right. Money is somewhat an issue so any cost-cutters you could pass on I'd greatly appreciative of them. But I don't want to short myself on a quality job.


Straight out of the box. I opened it up for the hours I was at work. Got home, pulled the metal shelves out, and placed it into the spot I wanted to put it in to make sure it'd fit. I plan to let it air out a few (more) days to get the "smell" out. If still noticable, then I will clean with mild soap or baking soda.


I deffinatly plan to run a fan to help the humidity consistency. So I had some never used (14 or 16ga) speaker wire that I got to fish through the drain at the bottom. Ran plenty inside to connect the computer fan and plenty outside to connect to AC/DC connvertor & timer.
Question #1: Do I need to seal the drain? Or should I leave it alone? If so, what type of sealant? Pros/Cons??

The wire fits pretty snugly and I plan on using a pound or two of 65% beads; so I may just go without sealing unless I get bad reviews on this.



Question #2: Whats the best/easiest/ most practical way to catch the moisture that would usually run to the drain?
I see a "ramp" and tupperware container on most pics, but whats the "ramp" made of?

Question #3: Is it better to recycle the collected moisture back into the beads or just to collect/throw away?

More pics and posts to come as progress comes and reponses read.
~Thanks upfront for all your help~

[hangnail]

subscribing to this one, this is a route I am thinking about doing

[thebayratt]

I plan on being very descriptive in anything I do on this project and post as many pics as I can. So anybody else heading down this route will have a good basis pics. Deffinately NOT knocking the Vinotemp 101 thread by no means. I have gotten alot of great info from those pages and encourage everyone even thinking of a Vinotemp Humi to check it out.

[edogg]

Definitely want to see more

[audio1der]

Looks like you're eright on track!
#1) I would plug the drain with some latex (not silicone) as it has no odor.
#2) If you have moisture accumulating in your humi, you're doing something wrong. there should be no moisture to catch. The only "moisture" in the humi is the water vapor in the air.
#3) Non-issue (see #2 above)

If you use a ditial timer/ac voltage regulator together to power your fan(s), you can vary the fan speed by adjusting the input voltage to it, as well as how often and for how long the fan will cycle on for. Good luck! Feel free to pm me with any questions. I've been super happy with my fridges for 3+ years now with this setup.

[bartolomeo]

Just bought a Vino today online and will pay close attention to this thread

Bart

[Strick]

IMO you don't need an extra fan. The fan in the unit will circulate the air just fine since the fan itself runs the majority of the time even when the unit is not in cooling mode.
A piece of black electrical tape will cover the hole just fine.
Put a bag of beads over the hole and let it go. If any moisture does drip down to the beads it will be absorbed. I have never had to change or dry the beads and it has been over a year since I set it up.
This is how I have my 28 set up and the humidity top to bottom stays at 66-67 RH. I used the metal shelves with boxes until I got my custom drawers and shelf for the bottom to stack some boxes.

[thebayratt]

Thanks for the info! I am going to buy some spanish cedar from a local furniture company or woodcraft store. They are both about 30mins away so no biggy.Then, me and a co-worker are going to make a few shelves. I am going to try and get a few double drawers from Chasden. The shelves don't seem too had to fab up and my friend has numerous wood working tools, skills, and machines. I may or may-not run the fan yet, some use an extra, some don't. If I do, I deffinatley plan to run a timer. I am going to get a few pounds of 65% beads and maybe fab up a catch built into the tray at the bottomjust in case there is any moisture to catch.

Pics will be posted when progress is made.

Currently still making sure to clear the air (pastic smell) in it. Would wash it out but an old friend invited me over for a few smokes that he "aquired at the IPCPR (i think thats what it was) this past weekend. So I can't pass that offer up by no means!

[WaxingMoon]

I drafted up something like this for the V12. Maybe a couple of these would slip right in there..... Or, you can just apply the same principle. This one is a drawing.... but it measures 11" across the front and 9-1/2" across the back - 11" deep and 7-1/4" high. Drawers work out to be 1-5/8".

Have fun! Can't wait to see what ya come up with!

[thebayratt]

Here is where I am at so far........ Waiting on payday to get wood for shelves. That and the Devil's site keeps hittin me up for money. So I put both my humis inside the Vino, once the plastic "smell" left it after being set open for several days. I did this just to get thier (Cigars) temps down (the whole reason I got the Vinto). I got the temp set at the max temp and it says "67" on the door and my hygrometer inside the Humis reads 69-70 with humidity stable at 65-68. After I buy the lumber, I plan to purchase 2lbs of 65%beads and keep on posting up progress.

[zeavran1]

This is really cool. About how cigars can you pack into this thing? Do they come in different sizes?

[ca21455]

Thanks for sharing your project with us. Very interesting so far!

[thebayratt]

Originally Posted by zeavran1

This is really cool. About how cigars can you pack into this thing? Do they come in different sizes?

Search on Puff for VINOTEMP. This should bring up a number of posts with pics of full Vinos... ask the member who posted the pic how many they have in it. It will take me a LONG time to ever fill mine up.... but thats half the fun!

Here is a few prior threads, there are many more also.
Pics of my just-completed and stocked-up Vinotemp
http://http://www.puff.com/forums/vb...emp-101-a.html
http://http://www.puff.com/forums/vb...s-trays-5.html

[thebayratt]

Here is a question. I plan on running a computer fan to disperse the humidity evenly throughout. I have my eye on Newegg.com - MASSCOOL FD08025S1M4 80mm Case Fan - Case Fans Inexxpensive and seems reliable from the reviews. And plan on using a AC to 12V 3/4pin Molex adapter or possibly a "universal adapter modified with the Molex plug.

The fan shows the Molex connector (red &black wires) and another smaller connector with a yellow wire.
Do I need the smaller connector/yellow wire? Or can I cut it off the fan and let it be? What is it for (during "usual" computer operations)?

[htran1023]

Originally Posted by thebayratt

The fan shows the Molex connector (red &black wires) and another smaller connector with a yellow wire.
Do I need the smaller connector/yellow wire? Or can I cut it off the fan and let it be? What is it for (during "usual" computer operations)?

Typically, the third wire on a 3pin connector sends the RPM signal to the motherboard. This allows for software monitoring and speed adjustments.