OK, someone set me straight here. I've NEVER seen it discussed, which makes me think there's a damned good reason why no one is doing it.

Why can't you take a used Lane cedar chest, add a gasket on the lid to get the seal good and tight, and then use that for a cheap cedar humidor?
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Wrong kind of cedar. It is way too aromatic typically. Humidors are made from Spanish cedar.
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Because it is Red Cedar not Spanish Cedar. Spanish Cedar is a member of the Mahogany Family and Red Cedar is a whole different family and not ideal for cigars.:-)

Spanish cedar does not originate from Spain as one might assume but is generally imported from Brazil and other countries of South and Central America. In some individual cases resin may form on the surface of the wood (See also humidor is secreting/resin). The risk of resin formation can be substantially reduced by previously drying the wood carefully.

American red cedar is inferior to Spanish cedar in humidity absorption and it exudes a more intense aroma. Some humidor manufacturers use American cedar because it is less expensive and with this wood there is no danger of resin formation. Particularly when storing cigars for longer periods the cigars will adopt a strong woody flavor that is generally not desired.

http://www.cigaradvisor.com/general/...-cigar-humidor
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Where is a good place to get Spanish Cedar??? I was thinking about playing around with some wood work.
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Woodcraft.com, I think is the site.
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Woodcraft is very expensive for spanish cedar, bound to be some better sources but I don't know who they may be. Bet somebody on here does know some though!
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I would befriend a local craftsman or furniture maker, they often know GREAT sources.
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ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :-)

makes perfect sense.

But technically you could sorta do it if you happened upon a chest that has already lost most of its aroma.... interesting.... probably too risky though!
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Except for the fact that in a humidor, the cedar is doing the bulk of the work on keeping your sticks at a moderate RH. American Red Cedar isn't so great at that, and I'm fairly certain that whatever wood is in a chest isn't kiln dried.... So it wouldnt do all that great of a job keeping your sticks humidified. The cedar is what helps keep your RH from dropping and spiking everytime you open the lid.

I say sell the chest, and use the proceeds to pick up a Vinotemp or Cooler, and go from there.
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Maybe drop Chasden a pm....I would be willing to bet that he could point you in the right direction.
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Don't have the chest, but was shopping for one for a different purpose and though "hmmmmm, what if I......?"

Sticks are in coolers right now.... works well enough I guess, just thought a cheap chest would be even cooler :-)
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If you're not too bothered about appreance would you not be better making a cheap plastic tupperdor and adding some thin slices of spanish cedar from old cigar boxes or tubo's to absorb/ balance the moisture?
I made one once using an old plastic tub and a calibratred reptile hygrometer. It may not have looked great (in my sock drawer!) but it held the humidity level perfect, it never drifted more than a few percent after being opened.
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why not buy a wooden chest big enough to fit a cooler in? That way you know your cigars are safe but yet you have a nice wooden chest in your livingroom instead of an ugly plastic cooler.
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If you really like the cedar chest idea you could coat the interior of the chest in several coats of thick poly. Give the poly plenty of time to air out and then add your own spanish cedar to the interior. Probably would be a hassle sealing the thing up but it should lock out the unwanted smell of the red cedar.
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+1 My wife has suggested that to me on a number of occasions. Her father is a great carpenter, I'm trying to get him to put something like that together for me, too.
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Interesting idea Don...... We'll see if the chest I end up with is big enough :-)
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