Humidor Leak Issue

[JuJuMan16]

Hello everyone. I started smoking cigars about 9 months ago, and since i was bit by the bug my collection has grown substantially. I started with a 25 count humi, which was replaced by an 80 count, a 120 and a cooler. I bought my current humidors from a local shop for a very good price ($25 for the 80 and $50 the 120) but i am having a humidity leak issue with my 120. When i first bought it the leak was probably there, but it was barely noticeable. However lately i find myself refilling my oasis ultra cartridge every 4 days because it is bone dry. I was able to narrow down the issue to one of the front glass inserts which is lose. My humidor is the kind with a top glass lid and the two smaller ones in the front with the hygrometer in the middle.

This humidor is the one you can call a "melting pot" since it has a little bit of everything, most i have not tried, and is the one i always go to. I thought perhaps this is happening because i open this one more than the other one, but then again i only smoke 1 or 2 cigars a week, mostly on the weekends, and when i open it i already know whats coming out so the most it stays open is a couple of minutes a week.

I did a search here on the forums and i found some similar issues, and the fixes are to use silicone or wood glue to fix the leak. These two will get the job done, but will require re-seasoning the humidor since i might have to leave it open to dry for a couple of days. I was thinking of using a glue gun both inside and out, and cutting out any excess glue with an exacto knife, this way it would require less time to dry / season and would probably have less scent than silicone or glue.

What do you guys think?

I was going to post some pics of the humidor but i don't have 30 posts yet.

[e-man]

If you have gaps anywhere in the lid, then you will lose as lot of moisture, as humidity rises. So, caulking around the glass sounds like a good start.

Lot's of people use hot glue in their humidors without any complaints. I would suggest Hi-Temp glue, as it flows thinner and bonds better than the Lo-Temp glue guns. I also would suggest the clear glue sticks. But, as for not needing to season it by using hot glue...if you're leaking that much humidity, I would question whether your humidor is still properly seasoned anyway.

Caulk, on the other hand, might look much better. You can tape it off before you caulk, so it doesn't get all over. You can also buy clear caulk that is vinegar based and won't have any long lasting odors. Clear glue sticks will still have a cloudy look.

While you're at it, have you tried the dollar bill test? You may need to build up the seal with masking tape too.

[Rookee]

Whats the dollar bill test? Does it have anything to do with strippers?

[e-man]

Originally Posted by Rookee

Whats the dollar bill test? Does it have anything to do with strippers?

Close a dollar bill in the lid and pull it out. If should resist, and possibly drag the humidor around. Try the dollar in several locations along the seal. If it pulls out easily, then you have a sizable gap. You can build up some of those surfaces with some masking tape.

[JuJuMan16]

Yeah i did the dollar test when i bought it, but i just did again just in case. Last night i pressed the glass forward from the inside and tightened the wood pressing against it, it should help until i fix it this weekend.

About the tape, what i did for my 80 count humi to make a tighter seal was to wedge a thin strip of cedar on the joints of the lid, forcing it to come out a bit more. You don't want to force it in where it might break, but with a little patience you adjust them enough to make a better seal. You close the gap and you can break off all the excess, you cant even tell there was a gap, plus it looks better than tape. I used a thin strip from the cedar they put inside cigar tubes.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Ozone89]

The last place I lived had "steam heat" and the humidity warped my Diamond Crown humidor (I'm still pissed), and it caused humidity to leak out of my humidor.

What I did was, I went out and bought " Rubber foam Weatherseal" self stick tape from Lowes, and lined the Top on the inner box of my humidor. Since I did that, I have not had 1 issue, and my humidity leak is gone. This method worked best for me in my situation, as I didn't want to get involved with glues and altering the wood in any way.

I've been meaning to post pics for awhile now, and finally decided to take some pictures tonight.

[TiggaBob]

Originally Posted by Ozone89

The last place I lived had "steam heat" and the humidity warped my Diamond Crown humidor (I'm still pissed), and it caused humidity to leak out of my humidor.

What I did was, I went out and bought " Rubber foam Weatherseal" self stick tape from Lowes, and lined the Top on the inner box of my humidor. Since I did that, I have not had 1 issue, and my humidity leak is gone. This method worked best for me in my situation, as I didn't want to get involved with glues and altering the wood in any way.

I've been meaning to post pics for awhile now, and finally decided to take some pictures tonight.

(weather stripping and humi pics)

Hi Ozone89,

Thanks for posting these pics! I'm worried about the seal on my new humi so I may take your approach.

On most humis that I've seen, the seal is made by a "spine" on the rim of the lower opening, sometimes interlocking with a spine on the lid. Did you place the weather stripping directly on top of the spine? If so, is there a problem closing the lid fully with your setup? I imagine the stripping getting in the way. Thanks!

[Ozone89]

Originally Posted by TiggaBob

Hi Ozone89,

Thanks for posting these pics! I'm worried about the seal on my new humi so I may take your approach.

On most humis that I've seen, the seal is made by a "spine" on the rim of the lower opening, sometimes interlocking with a spine on the lid. Did you place the weather stripping directly on top of the spine? If so, is there a problem closing the lid fully with your setup? I imagine the stripping getting in the way. Thanks!

If you're calling the lip that sticks up inside my humidor the "spine" then YES..I stuck the foam right on top of that. I used a stock photo from lowes to show what types of "weatherseal" I used, as they have quite a few selections there with a different thickness. I forget what thickness I used, but I remember getting quite a few of them to try, since they were so cheap. ($2-$3 a package)

At first when I did it, I stuck the foam on the lower box itself, and it didn't work right. The lid wouldn't close, so I put it on the upper lip. I opened and close the box a few times to let the weather seal form on it's own. The weatherseal might not work for everyone, but it certainly worked for me in my case.

I hope it works out for you, if you go this route.

[rajuabju]

If the weatherseal ends up being too thick to work properly, I recommend trying felt with a sticky back.... i had a similar issue in my humidor with leakage but the weather stripping was too thick and lid would not close. Felt was thin enough to solve the problem

hope you get it solved!