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A well seasoned humidor means the wood inside is close to the desired relative humidity. If the wood is dry, the moisture will migrate to and through the wood. The sealer on the outside of the wood is supposed to mitigate this somewhat. Additionally there is a seal formed when the lid is closed. This is typically a weaker seal and allows moisture to migrate out of the box. Google lid seal for humidor or some such to see remedy for that.

Many here will use plastic storage containers as the leakage is quite minimal and humidity maintenance becomes quite simple. Sistema is a popular brand. Standard picnic coolers can perform this function as well. Another brand of sealed plastic container is Ezy storage, IP67 rated, available at the home Depot. I use these. They come in small to large sizes with the largest a little under $30 I had a lot of trouble getting a wooden humidor to season properly. At this time I actually have three wooden desk top humidors inside larger Ezy storage containers. I know they are well seasoned now because they have been in the sealed plastic containers for over a year and the wood will be at the RH of the container. If I remove them, the maintenance would be much easier because I know they are properly seasoned, but they are happy in there plastic container for now.

There are thousands of helpful posts and videos and commentary around the internet for getting better results from wood humidors. Getting a plastic container (sistema, Ezy, picnic cooler, tupperware) will solve your issue immediately while you work on a solution for the wooden box

1. Take out all cigars and wipe the interior down completely with a damp paper towel. Close it and wait for the wood to wick in all the moisture. Do it again and a third time if necessary all over about 2-3 days.

2. Make sure to really dampen the seal as that is what causes most problems.

3. Boveda packs for a week is the easy way to go for humidity control.

4. Fill the humidor at least 50% full with cigars. More cigars stabilizes humidity!

5. Give it a week and everything will be fine. Then just check it every time you grab a cigar or once every 2-4 weeks until you learn how often it will need to be checked. I probably check every 30-60 days.

6. Keep your RH at 67%-64%, IMO.

GOOD LUCK!!!

EDIT: If the humidor has a lock or clasp, use it!

Jimbo, try beads or Bovedas. Better still, store the cigars at 60-67. My guess is that your humidor is leaking or you are opening it a lot. My big woodies are pretty good at holding the humidity and that's probably because they only get opened once or twice a month. I keep the go to and yard gars in small wooden humidors and add water every week or so. Plastic tubs and cooler often go without adding moisture for as long as a year. Humidity concerns will drive you nuts if you let them.

Ditch the cheap China humidor, get a gasketed tupperware and some boveda packs and call it a day.

Also, you're aiming too high with your humidity. Try 65 or less. Your cigars will smoke better.

I have a 50-cab of cigars that need to age another year or two. Left them untouched in their cab, with the lid shut tight. Tobacco on tobacco. All within a 100% enclosed spanish cedar. The cab is stored most simply in a zip-lock bag with a boveda tucked in the bag, sitting on a library shelf. That's all. I check on it every few weeks or so and they are coming along fine. The others aging are in a spanish cedar humidor in their original boxes, untouched, or are "singles" or multiples stacked into piles. It's that simple, IMO. What am I missing as to temperature control and cooling fans,?

I get a lot of great reviews on Yelp.


Frankie Tripod

The temp control is also good to have if you’re putting the cabinet in a place like the shop or garage or some type of weird man cave set up.

And you can buy Spanish Cedar fines / sheets to line your tupperdore if it matters to you. You can also buy Spanish Cedar insert trays to use in the 236oz tupperdore. I’m no expert but I don’t think that is necessary. I do save the Cedar that comes with some of the fivers I get and they add up before you know it.

Temp control is somewhat important as too high risks beetles and too low messes with RH ( as does too high for that matter)
I’m lucky to live, and in fact, have always lived, in a cigar storage friendly climate.

But there are folks who live in extreme heat and/or extreme cold, and typically do NOT keep optimal temps/RH in their cigar storage rooms when they are not home (work), or leave town for a few days.
That’s when cigar storage issues become more of a chore, and sometimes problematic.
Tupperdores are great, but temperature sensitive, which is why many use coolers instead.

My general advice to noobs is..
Cooler
65RH Bovedas combined with 65RH beads or pure silica KL, trained to 65RH.
If ya wants, throw in some cedar strips.

I've actually made a couple of cheap humidors work with some V shaped adhesive weather stripping. The thin stuff. Padded won't work. But yeah, coolers and tupperware work better. I've got those too.

Yes!

Never had much luck with the gel jars. Two many variables and its not really great at two-way rh control. I'd go with two Boveda packs instead if its a 50 count humidor. In a wood humidor it might be a little lower than whats listed on the Boveda pack but they're pretty accurate. If it still doesn't hold humidity with those than there may be a seal issue.

Was thinking about picking up say five of the sixty gram 65% bovedas off auction. But the current bid is $3.50 per. Add $1 per for shipping and it’s $18 out the door provided the bid doesn’t go higher.

On their website they go for $21 but shipping is free.

Looks like the break even bid is $4.25 per. Anything higher is more than what they can be had for on the company website.

So my question is: does anyone know what the usual winning bid is on them?

Iceberg lettuce for a few days will help the problem.

Iceberg lettuce?!?

About what I figured. Probably just as well go straight to the source instead of waiting around to see if I win. Seems like the price would be about what and what.

Red Romaine looks prettier.

That sounds like a mighty sweet humidor. What did you make it out of? What do you do to keep the humidity where you like it?