Applying Finish to a Humidor - Question

[Glen Blanchard]

I'm about done with a humidor that I am making for a friend - this is my first humidor. I hope to be applying the finish (Waterlox - a type of tung oil, followed by the Beall buffing system) soon. The box is made of black walnut with a spanish cedar lining. My questions are:

1. Should the cedar lining be glued to the inside of the box - possibly just
"tack glued" in the middle to allow for expansion?

2. I would think it might be a good idea to apply the finish to the inside of the box - to minimize the effects of the humidity on the walnut. However, if I apply a finish there, I cannot glue the cedar liner to those surfaces. What to do?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Lars Thomas]

I wouldn't put any finish on the inside because it may impart some ‘undesired’ flavor in your buddy’s finest smokes. If you feel compelled to finish the inside, use nothing more than a spit coat of shellac. As far as the lining, cut it to fit nice and tight and use a small amount of glue in the center of each piece – just enough to keep it from rattling.

That’s how I built the following a few years back and it’s holding up just fine.

[Keith Christopher]

Having built a few of these. What Lars said. :)



Keith