Starting Construction

**MrTamborineMan** · 06-22-2009, 02:48 PM

that is a work of art. Awesome, awesome job. I dig the indian.

**DeeDubya** · 06-22-2009, 03:52 PM

Thanks everyone. I value each and every opinion which (collectively) represents literally thousands of hours of cigar experiences. I've learned a lot in this community and hope to contribute a little myself.

**badwhale** · 06-22-2009, 04:15 PM

Beautiful Job!
I kept seeing the thread all day, but images get blocked at work :(

Will

**EGQ** · 06-22-2009, 04:45 PM

It looks great!

**Roger** · 06-23-2009, 03:49 PM

It looks soooooo awesome! I agree that it will be much easier to find stuff. But be careful, you may have to put in another shelf or two! So tell me, will you be smoking in your humidor? I heard that it is not good to smoke inside a humidor, although I have smoked in one at some shops that I have been in.

Let the saliva flow!!!

**DeeDubya** · 06-23-2009, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Roger

It looks soooooo awesome! I agree that it will be much easier to find stuff. But be careful, you may have to put in another shelf or two! So tell me, will you be smoking in your humidor? I heard that it is not good to smoke inside a humidor, although I have smoked in one at some shops that I have been in.

Let the saliva flow!!!

No, I won't smoke in there. It is well sealed and just a few puffs would linger for days. Besides, it smells so good in there right now, I wouldn't want to mess that up. I think that any B&M/Tobacco Shop that allows smoking within the humidor has low standards. I would really have to question other things as well, like humidity control. Normally there is a smoking lounge or well ventilated bar area or even outside tables (my preference).

Came back to say that, actually I can insert another shelf between these. It's hard to tell because of the angle but they are spaced 16" apart. Of course with only 8" I wouldn't be able to open some boxes on the shelf and would have to first remove them to get at a stick. The straight shelves to the right are just as long and I can stack boxes on them. Without the anitques I have room for 300-400 boxes.

**ashauler** · 06-23-2009, 04:10 PM

I still don't see my cot.

**DeeDubya** · 06-23-2009, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by ashauler

I still don't see my cot.

I can see it... but only in my mind. I can smell it too... and it smells like cigar smoke.

**Galvanicfish** · 06-23-2009, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by DeeDubya

. Besides, it smells so good in there right now, I wouldn't want to mess that up.

Isn't that one of the best smells ever?

**ashauler** · 06-23-2009, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by DeeDubya

I can see it... but only in my mind. I can smell it too... and it smells like cigar smoke.

LMAO......you're right, it does.

**sammis** · 06-23-2009, 07:31 PM

Hmmm am I the only one wondering about the Bread box in the Humidor?

You must have some high standards for your bread as well as your cigars.

**DeeDubya** · 06-24-2009, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by sammis

Hmmm am I the only one wondering about the Bread box in the Humidor?

You must have some high standards for your bread as well as your cigars.

That's a box of sourdough robusto's.

**DeeDubya** · 07-07-2009, 01:06 PM

Just 3 weeks and I am already experiencing some algae growth in the humidifier drip pan. And that's with using distilled water! I guess it's really no surprise since the outside temp has been over 100 each day for a month now. The inside temp gets up to around 77-80 max but still kind of warm. It's a perfect incubator for mold and algae growth. I found this first little colony early on when I was making the float valve connection to the unit. I simply removed the pan and washed it. My intentions are to control the algae with a Dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride compound in tablet form. This would provide a biodegradeable, non-corrosive and non-toxic treatment with no detectable odor. The solution does not evaporate into the air but adheres to the pan with somewhat residual protection. Most likely a dose of 1 tablet per week will keep things in check. Mold spores are another problem all together. The damp humidor environment would be a prime breeding ground for black toxic mold. I don't want to ever see toxic mold in the humidor so I will soon be installing an ultraviolet light source (UV-aire) similar to the sterilization lamps used in the medical field. UV in a large dose will kill just about anything. Mold spores passing within 18" of the lamp are zapped dead. The main disadvantage is bleeching. I will have to fan force the air through a metal chamber containing the lamp so as to continuously treat all the air within the humidor over time while shielding the UV light from the cigars. I'm already familiar with this arrangement as we have a larger unit already installed in the central air conditioning return air chamber. It's a bad dude. When first installed we could actually smell the plywood cooking, not from heat but just from the intense UV rays.
Just a little update on progress. Everything else is working as planned. RH is now controlled at 64-66%. Automatic water fill is working. After 2 weeks of storage the cigars are already stabilizing. I had several different brands that were busting wrappers when kept at 70%. Now at 65% they are burning perfect.

**craig** · 07-07-2009, 03:24 PM

Algae? I guess we don't get that here because the water is so frickin' hard (and cold).

It'd be nice to get the temps down ... maybe leave the track lights off most of the time?

Lookin' good!

**DeeDubya** · 07-07-2009, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by craig

Algae? I guess we don't get that here because the water is so frickin' hard (and cold).

It'd be nice to get the temps down ... maybe leave the track lights off most of the time?

Lookin' good!

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, the lights are usually off. I think once we get past these really hot "dog days" things will go better. Actually the humidifier works like the swamp coolers that they use in New Mexico / Arizona. The evaporating water on the filter media really sucks some heat out of the air, but also catches spores which are then washed off in the water pan, where they replicate and grow into large pods of slime. Today, the RH is about 70% outside so it's not even running. That's right, 103 degrees and 70% RH for a heat index of about 110. Good day for a jog!

**craig** · 07-07-2009, 11:19 PM

We just had a heat wave, but it is finally a comfortable 75F at 51%RH here

.

Random thought - maybe charge the humidifier initially with PG solution? It is anti-bacterial, and food-grade. No idea if it makes sense, but if you have some lying around ... http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...932876,00.html 1942(!) article, ref'd at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol

**TravPSU** · 07-13-2009, 08:04 AM

Wow, what a nice room. Makes me wish I had my own house so I can build something like that. Great job!

**MrTamborineMan** · 07-13-2009, 01:06 PM

if your temperatures are that high, don't beatles also become a concern?

**DeeDubya** · 07-13-2009, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by MrTamborineMan

if your temperatures are that high, don't beatles also become a concern?

Hell yes. If I could somehow easily have it cooler, I would. Any kind of refrigeration dehumidifies so opening an A/C vent into the room would simply suck out all the humidity.

That's why most all humidors are a room within a room. The temperature is regulated solely by thermal conduction through the walls/glass. Mine is no different in that it is cooled through the adjoining wall to the house. The prorblem right now is that we are at extreme temperatures with highs at 105+. So, a 20 degree difference is not too bad. I suspect that when outside temps drop to 90 I should be able to maintain 75 or below.

I'm regularly checking for beetles. I keep all boxes closed to help avoid an infestation. A hatch of larvae would occur within a closed box so hopefully I will be able to detect them before they have a chance to pupate and morph into beetles. They would then have to enter another closed box, lay eggs and start the cycle again. Also, I have done much searching for beetle control. If anybody escapes they will suffer the fate of my hammer or possibly some odorless pyrrethrins made just for them.