Will regular Cedar work?

[TripleF]

The 20 count humidor I got for my birthday one year ago is just about overflowing and I've got more cigars on the way.....

So I think I need to try my hand at making a coolidor.

I can get a cooler at Wal-mart.

And I have some cedar, not spanish cedar however. My question is will regular cedar work for making my coolidor?

I also know nothing about beads.....sorry to say. Do I need beads?

Hate to sound like a real novice, but that's what I am when it comes to humidifying devices. (I Have been able to keep the cigars I've had in very good smoking condition for the past year with the 20 counter I have).

-

[sailchaser]

Heres a great link that I found when I started researching my projects
http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/spcedarinfo.htm
Good luck with the project ,I've only use spanish in my projects

[Dgar]

when you say " regular cedar" if you mean red cedar, no. The smell would be to strong, your cigars would all taste like, well cedar.

Spanish cedar isnt a neccesity for a cooler. You can use a few empty cedar cigar boxes if you like.

Beads are easy to maintain, you just need something to put them in, tubes, mesh bags ect... I use a mist spray bottle and distilled water.

Coolers are easy.... when you picking out your cooler, you'll see one and think, I'd never need one that big, get the next size up...

[jkorp]

No, do not use any real cedar. Spanish cedar is actually a member of the Mahagony family, and only has an odor simliar to real cedar. Red, White and Yellow cedar are soft woods, and will have lots of sap and fragrance, not good for your stogie storage.

My recommendation would to get some boxes at your B&M and keep your sticks in these in the cooler. If not then buy some of those trays.

[yazzie]

Coolers are awesome, hold RH great, and are easy to maintain. You don't need Cedar for your Cooler although I know a lot of BOTL's here do. It's a personal choice. If you are going to be storing Boxes, you just put your boxes in, add Beads, and maybe a fan or 2 depending on the size of your Cooler. You may also want to pick up a wireless hygrometer so you can see what the Temp/RH is without having to open up the cooler (Although I like to look at all the nice boxes ). I use an Oregon Scientific model although there are plenty others. If you are storing singles, you can pick up some trays or just use some empty boxes.

There are several threads here and posts about Beads, Coolers, etc.....

You will get plenty of sound advice on this and there no right or wrong way to go about how you set up your Cooler. Good Luck

[rumballs]

if by "work" you mean "ruin your cigars" then yes.
otherwise, no

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by mmblz

if by "work" you mean "ruin your cigars" then yes.
otherwise, no

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by jkorp

No, do not use any real cedar. Spanish cedar is actually a member of the Mahagony family, and only has an odor simliar to real cedar. Red, White and Yellow cedar are soft woods, and will have lots of sap and fragrance, not good for your stogie storage.

My recommendation would to get some boxes at your B&M and keep your sticks in these in the cooler. If not then buy some of those trays.

[TripleF]

WOW, thanks for all the help guys. I am grateful.

I think my life would be easier if I bought a 50 to 75 count humi offf ebay.

Any suggestions for a spanish cedar lined humi at around 30 to 40 bucks?

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by fishforfree

WOW, thanks for all the help guys. I am grateful.

I think my life would be easier if I bought a 50 to 75 count humi offf ebay.

Any suggestions for a spanish cedar lined humi at around 30 to 40 bucks?

Why's that easier? Coolers are simple (just add boxes of cigars and beads), low maintenance (requires distilled less often than desktop humis ... especially if you're buying one off ebay), and cost effective ($20-30 rather than $30-40+shipping).

Go for the cooler ... you're gonna need it eventually, anyway.

[mikeyj23]

Originally Posted by Dgar

when you say " regular cedar" if you mean red cedar, no. The smell would be to strong, your cigars would all taste like, well cedar.

At first read that kinda sounds yummy, like "Ooh it'll bring out the cedar flavors in my cigars" but don't. It's gross and it'll ruin your whole stock.

Originally Posted by fishforfree

WOW, thanks for all the help guys. I am grateful.

I think my life would be easier if I bought a 50 to 75 count humi offf ebay.

Any suggestions for a spanish cedar lined humi at around 30 to 40 bucks?

You could spend $40+$30shipping on a 50 count off ebay (that doesn't actually have spanish cedar) or you can make your own coolerdor that'll hold 300 for $20.

[TripleF]

Ok, so now I'm back to the cooler idea.


I need:
one cooler
some empty cigar boxes from my B&M
some beads



And I'm good to go? That's it? No fans. No anything else?

[wharfrathoss]

Originally Posted by fishforfree

Ok, so now I'm back to the cooler idea.


I need:
one cooler
some empty cigar boxes from my B&M
some beads



And I'm good to go? That's it? No fans. No anything else?

add: distilled water, something to put the beads in (mesh fish filter bags, pantyhose, toothbrush containers, there's a sticky in accesories i think that shows how to put beads in a stock humidifier), the fan is optional (like an Oust fan w/o the fragerance)-if you separate boxes top & bottom, they work well for singles trays if ya drill holes in them-hope this helps

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by wharfrathoss

add: distilled water, something to put the beads in (mesh fish filter bags, pantyhose, toothbrush containers, there's a sticky in accesories i think that shows how to put beads in a stock humidifier), the fan is optional (like an Oust fan w/o the fragerance)-if you separate boxes top & bottom, they work well for singles trays if ya drill holes in them-hope this helps

yup. what he said. I've, personally, never used a fan in a cooler.

if you're buying new beads, you can buy the mesh bags for them from the same place (heartfelt industries). personally, I sacrificed a pair of my wife's 'hose. shhhhh ... don't tell.

[jkorp]

Originally Posted by fishforfree

Ok, so now I'm back to the cooler idea.


I need:
one cooler
some empty cigar boxes from my B&M
some beads



And I'm good to go? That's it? No fans. No anything else?

I use a Vino 28 an still have an Oust fan in the bottom. It can't hurt, and for $4-5 you who cares.

For you empty boxes, I would suggest measuring the interior of you cooler. then get boxes that will maximize the space available. For intance, 2 Pepin Blue boxees fit side by side prefectly in my Vino. So I try to get these when ever I see empties at the B&M. All my loose sticks are in these boxes.