How to Make a Homemade Humidor

Author: Walter Gibbs

The best way to maintain a cigar's freshness is to place them in cigar humidors. In fact, if you are really are a cigar enthusiast, it is best that you invest in a good cigar humidor. They can be a bit expensive but they are worth every penny. However, if you really can't afford a cigar humidor, you can opt to make a homemade humidor. You can either use a cooler as a humidor, or make your own homemade humidor using your own woodworking skills.

You can substitute a cooler to use as a homemade cigar humidor, thus the coining of the term, coolidor. A cooler is an effective tool to replace a cigar humidor as it performs the role of a humidor; it traps in the moisture and regulates humidity.

However, a cooler is not enough. You need elements that will help you add moisture in the cooler as well as regulate them. You can easily purchase a humidifier from the retail stores and you can even use a wet sponge. If you really want to maintain humidity in your homemade cigar humidor, then you should invest in a humidifier. If you like to use a sponge to maintain the humidity, you will need time to learn the right of amount of water you need. Keep in mind that you should only use distilled water, because other water may damage your cigars.

To make sure that you have a controlled level of humidity in your cooler, you might want to invest in a hygrometer. A hygrometer will tell you the exact percentage of humidity inside the cooler. Keep this level at around 65%-70%. If it falls below these levels you might want to increase the amount of distilled water inside your homemade cigar humidor.

One you have ensured that the humidity level is regulated you can now start adding your cars. You can opt to place them as loose cigars or you can place entire boxes in the homemade cigar humidors. You can keep these boxes opened or closed, it doesn't matter. This is because the moisture will move through the boxes even if they are closed. To make things more organized, you can add shelving to your homemade humidor. This is especially helpful when you are placing loose cigars. The best kind of shelving to use is made from Spanish cedar.

If you are a bit more skilled in woodworking, you can opt to make your own homemade cigar humidor instead of using a cooler. This is especially important if you are concerned with the aesthetics of the homemade cigar humidor.

Constructing your own wooden humidor gives you the freedom to choose the design of your homemade humidor. Whatever design you end up choosing, it is important that you keep the seals as tight as possible to keep most of the moisture in. although the humidor can be made with any kind of wood, you should always line the interior with Spanish cedar. Homemade humidors are the best option when you are looking for cheap alternatives to cigar humidors.
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About the Author
The author is a cigar enthusiast and has written extensive guides on such products as the Homemade Humidor, an inexpensive way to store cigars, and tips on making the best Coolidor. Also, see some of his latest guides on the Palio Cutter