A few Coolerdor assembly questions .

[nhcigarfan]

Fist off, Happy Birthday.

Probably a pound of beads, you can just put them in a small plastic tupperware.

Go to your local smoke shop, mooch some empty cedar boxes, take the top off, drill some holes in the bottom (optional) and there you go for the shelves.

Digital is fine, but the beads should self-regulate.

[Mazeman]

The beads never wear out, but they can break up if moistened too quickly. (They still function though).
I keep mine in one of the porous bags he sells at heartfelt. He also sells aluminum trays. When they need moistening, I spray the bag (using a spray bottle I bought for a buck) and shake the bag up a bit. Some people do the same thing using panty hose.

A digital hygrometer is nice, especially if you can't easily see the beads. It'll tell you when/if you need to moisten them, or dry them out. I have two; one by Don Salvatore, another by Little Havana. Both seem to work fine. I've also seen some at Walmart for under $10, but am not sure how accurate they are.