This is part 3 of a three part series by woodworker Norman Pirollo about "Designing and Building a Humidor". 
                      Please visit this site http://www.fineboxes.com for more information on humidors, jewelry boxes, and 
                      a great woodworking course on CD that was designed and written by the folks at White Mountain Design.

                      Installing the inner liner box of Spanish cedar involves milling Spanish cedar down to ¼ " thick pieces which 
                      form the liner. The top and bottom of the inner box are simply edge glued pieces of 4 or 5 " wide Spanish cedar 
                      approximately 11/2" long. You can either purchase the Spanish cedar in a 4/4 or 8/4 thickness and resaw 
                      and surface it yourself down to ¼ ", or purchase it ready-made. The sides of the inner box are mitered into 
                      the corners at a 45 degree angle. The important point when inserting the inner liner sides is to leave a 5/16 " 
                      lip above the surface of the outer box edge. This is used to create the air and moisture seal. This lip will have 
                      a small chamfer on its edge to enable the top lid to open and close easily. The steps are as follows, the hinges 
                      are removed, the bottom is inserted first, with a 1/16 " clearance on either side to allow for expansion and 
                      contraction, then the mitered sides and back are inserted. It is not advisable to glue any of these pieces in, 
                      except for a small strip of glue along the middle of the side and back pieces. This is to allow for wood movement 
                      of the cedar. Once you have completed these steps, you should be able to close the lid on the box and feel a 
                      nice seal being formed.

                      The next step is to install the Spanish cedar into the top. The procedure is similar, except that the small side 
                      portions are glued into place along the middle of the individual pieces. The edge glued inner top of Spanish cedar 
                      is inserted and the four pieces are glued in. The Spanish cedar side, front, and back strips are approximately 
                      ½ " wide if all other measurements were followed. A handy tip is to create wider pieces for the lower box sides, 
                      back , and front, and to use the cut-offs to line the inner top of the box. This will ensure that the pieces are 
                      the exact length, and the 45 degree mitered corners are accurate. If you do it this way , you will quickly realize 
                      that this technique is excellent and time-saving. It is important to leave the correct clearance for the lip which 
                      rises 5/16 " from the lower box.

                      Also allow for the side, back, and front pieces to expand and contract, a 1/16" gap is sufficient between the 
                      bottom box lip and the lid pieces. You might want to finish sand the interior of the box with very fine sandpaper 
                      at this point. There should be a nice, snug fit when closing the lid now. You can re-install the hinges and test 
                      to see if the lid closes and opens correctly. You can also build a separator for the inside of the box. This is 
                      essentially a strip of Spanish cedar which is snug fit into the middle separating one side from the other. 
                      Make sure to allow enough clearance for the hygrometer and humidifier when closing the lid.

                      The next step is finish sanding and top coating the exterior of the box. After sanding progressively to 320 grit, 
                      you can either use a penetrating oil finish, lacquer, varnish, or finish of your choice on the exterior. When finishing, 
                      it is best to remove the hinges, place the lid over the box in a closed position and go crazy finishing. If you have 
                      used a figured wood for the top, you might want to use a penetrating oil finish to highlight the figure. It is also 
                      more convenient to apply the finish with a brush if you do not have access to spray equipment. I use many , 
                      light coats of lacquer, with rubbing in between coats to develop a very clear, glossy finish. The inside of the box 
                      is not to be finished, since this would defeat the purpose of using Spanish cedar. The inner edges can be finished 
                      before inserting the Spanish cedar. The inside corners of the outside box should be coated with finish to retard 
                      moisture from permeating the wood.

                      The final step is to reinstall the hinges, and install the hygrometer gauge and humidifier unit.
                      Both these units are installed into the inner lid of the box. The gauge is usually above the humidifier. 
                      The hygrometer gauge can be purchased at either Woodcraft or Lee Valley Tools, and is available in two 
                      different diameters. You can mount this gauge into a square block of Spanish cedar for a decorative effect 
                      or velcro it to the inside lid. If using a wood block, epoxy it to the inside of the lid. The humidifier unit can 
                      be purchased at the larger cigar stores and Woodcraft Supply. It is important to purchase the correct size. 
                      The capacity of the box determines the size of the humidifier. Humidifier units can be expensive or economical. 
                      They almost all work on the same principle. There is a small sponge type material inside, which absorbs and 
                      releases water into the box at a pre-determined rate. These humidifier units are typically mounted with velcro 
                      or magnets into the inside lid of the box. The humidifier must be easily removable to replenish with water. 
                      The principle behind maintaining the humidity in this box at 60-72% is achieved through the effect of the 
                      humidifier unit, the cigars, and the Spanish cedar. We effectively create a stable , sealed environment. 
                      The cigars and Spanish cedar interior also assist in the process, by absorbing and releasing moisture.

                      Once the box is completed, all you really need to do before stuffing it with cigars , is to acclimatize it. 
                      All this means is raising the interior humidity level to approximately 60- 72%. This is achieved by placing 
                      a small container with a wet sponge into the box and letting it sit with the lid closed.
                      Of course the humidifier unit will also have been charged with distilled water at this point. After a few days, 
                      the interior should be at the normal humidity level, and your cigars can move into their new home. You can 
                      also remove the container with the sponge. You should periodically monitor the humidity levels in the box, 
                      and replenish the humidifier unit accordingly. Adding four felt pads to each corner of the bottom of the box 
                      is also a good idea, to prevent marring of table tops.

                                                                                                            END OF PART THREE

Purchase all your humidor parts and hardware at:  Rockler.com Humidor Components