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21 hours ago, Hutch said:

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This is the model that Bob recently finished for me...just waiting on me to drop by and pick it up. In mine, the bottom portion is one horizontal shelf, as will be the top portion shown in this pic as two slanted shelves. In its current configuration it will hold about 250 boxes flat w/60 in slanted display...7'h x 8'w x 2'd. Were I to change the slanted sleeves to horizontal (quick and easy repositioning of support pegs), I'm guessing that it will hold appx 500 boxes. I'll post pics when I have it stocked.

 

Hutch, this is a really interesting alternative to the MXTPLus and seems to be more along the lines of what I'm looking for. This is similar to the USA's cabinet that I posted in my original post. I would love to see pics of yours. How does the price compare to the MXTPlus? What made you choose this over that model?

 

Thanks

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Since no one has posted the wine fridge option yet, I thought I might show this option. This is the wall of my art studio, covered with our home alarm system. Windows and doors open for great ope

Buying a humidor is not just about space! if it were just about space, you could just put the cigars in any closet. What are you buying in a humidor? Why are you buying it? I think those question

Part of the decision making for me in the size of a humidor I built for myself wasn't just the rough storage capacity.  I wanted room to not only store a lot of boxes but to be able to see those boxes

Ok that makes sense. If you saw the picture I put up earlier, I have several cabs down there and what looked like more width. It doesn't seem like it, but 4" makes a difference. My last artistocrat was a modified plus I got from a friend, Bob built it 'sideways' (doors on side not front) for fitment in his office. It was 22.5" deep. The 26.5" I have now seems cavernous. 

The boxes on the right go back 4-deep with gaps for airflow and they don't hang off the back of the shelf. 

C79BBABF-D161-4F28-9C9B-94DD6BEC3671_zpsnewwo1tr.jpg

 



Oh those monsters


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14 hours ago, canadianbeaver said:

Since no one has posted the wine fridge option yet, I thought I might show this option.

This is the wall of my art studio, covered with our home alarm system. Windows and doors open for great open air smoking or warm in the winter too.

CB

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... I believe the first picture of a (wo)man cave here on FoH... Another first after all these years!

By the way, I wanted to say I liked your artwork for the tobacconist on another thread... Cheers!  -Ray

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On 5/6/2017 at 7:33 PM, Lamar said:

Exactly! You've said it perfectly. I want to be able to see the boxes, check on them, get to a particular box etc. This is why I like the first picture I posted, glass doors, interior lighting etc. Can you elaborate on the solution you came up with? Do you have any pictures?

I did a topic thread on the cabinet  several months ago when I finished it, but this photo of my humidor pretty much shows my feelings on spacing. Lots of room for growth, and for display and play.

20170129_145521.thumb.jpg.89dd2827c36f6c2e0537c6e2f1181839.jpg

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21 hours ago, Lamar said:

To answer Pig and Nanilla, yes the space is a finished basement with full HVAC that will remain stable and I ensure it is "net rH negative temperature controlled" at less than 70 deg F for storage of other sensitive items, therefore I am assuming that for example an Aristocrat with active humidification and circulation will work well for my purposes. Should I be reading between the lines, is there something fundamentally wrong with the way this setup performs?

I tend to tread softly when directly assessing the work of others.

In a net rH negative environment, you choices should be simple. Common popular humidor choices have notoriously poor circulation. That is easily fixed. Instrumentation is often second rate, but since you are not enclosing temperature control, in most cases it works just fine.

rH delta is the only issue. Most makers are aware of this and wood warpage is controlled by using MDF or other wood composite, laminated with pretty (more costly) wood on the two facing sides. In real dry areas, door warpage is a problem. It is tough to keep wood straight when you have 65rH on one side and 30rH on the other. These are facts of life with commonly purchased humidors.

I am not speculating on most of this, as I own a famous maker humidor as well as make my own. This does not in anyway intimate that 'all' humidors, mine included don't have shortcomings. You simply need to pick and choose where you will make your compromises based on priorities.

If I were summing up your situation for myself, I would make a walk-in... I have the abilities and tools to do it. I can easily design it, know how to fit it, control it and buy the right parts. That is just me!

Your choices will depend on your abilities and skills and certainly your budget. If you are not building your own, the a non-cooled cabinet from Bob is likely your best choice. Watch for stratification and stagnation. Try to keep the door sizes smaller and be mindful of warping. Specifically ask anyone that makes a wood humidor what the warrantee is on warpage. Be specific! Define what is warped! This is typically measured in fractions of an inch per foot. Agree on a figure, and a solution before you buy!

Hope that helps... -the Pig

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7 hours ago, PigFish said:

... I believe the first picture of a (wo)man cave here on FoH... Another first after all these years!

By the way, I wanted to say I liked your artwork for the tobacconist on another thread... Cheers!  -Ray

Thank you but other women here long before me. Just posting the wine fridge storage.

And I really don't think it matters if you are m or f. Tell it like it is and smoke good stuff.

CB

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I gutted and converted a 4x3x8 closet for a little under $1,500 but did all of the labor myself. The majority of the cost was the humidity system from Bob and the wine cooler. Hiring a contractor probably would have added another $750+.

One of the benefits of starting from scratch is the ability to customize to your liking. Don't forget to take into consideration interior lighting and additional fans to move the air. LED strips often used for under cabinet lighting are silly cheap these days and very easy to install.

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Buy a cigar shop… problem solved :P

Seriously there is an italian maker that offers elegant, classy solutions for large collections or cigar shops but I can't remember his name… must check my bookmarks…

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I just want to echo the sentiments of my fellow walk-in owners, it's the best. It was worth all the work. I used to have a large tower cabinet, outgrew it, and decided to build the walk-in. The space, ease of access, view, etc. are all really really nice. Best of luck with your decision, I think you'll be happy with a walk-in :D

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Buy a cigar shop… problem solved

Seriously there is an italian maker that offers elegant, classy solutions for large collections or cigar shops but I can't remember his name… must check my bookmarks…


Which is kind of ironic since most Italian Tabacchi's barely have room for a small cabinet humidor. Lol!

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Guest Robo

I've tried searching the internet for "RH negative environment" and all I get is sites about blood and aliens. 

 

Can someone please explain to me what is an "RH negative environment"?  Thanks in advance...

 

Rob

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21 hours ago, landhoney said:

I just want to echo the sentiments of my fellow walk-in owners, it's the best. It was worth all the work. I used to have a large tower cabinet, outgrew it, and decided to build the walk-in. The space, ease of access, view, etc. are all really really nice. Best of luck with your decision, I think you'll be happy with a walk-in :D

 

Leaning towards this myself. Would love to see some pictures of your setup. 

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24 minutes ago, Robo said:

I've tried searching the internet for "RH negative environment" and all I get is sites about blood and aliens. 

 

Can someone please explain to me what is an "RH negative environment"?  Thanks in advance...

 

Rob

It's my understanding that a rH negative environment would be the space where your humidor is kept that has a normal rH below the target rH of your humidor. 

 

For example, if your humidor is kept in a room with a normal rH of 55% (or less) and your target rH inside the humidor is 65%, your humidor would be in a rH negative environment.

 

This is helpful to know when setting up a new humidor. If your humidor is in a rH negative environment, you'll be adding rH to the humidor. If your humidor is in a rH positive environment, you'll be dehumidifying your humidor to maintain your target rH.

 

Make sense?

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Hi.  I have some "hard" numbers on pricing for the materials needed for building a walk in.  I'll put it together for you.

In your finished basement - I think you will get amazing bang for your buck with a walk in versus a gorgeous expensive cabinet...save the money for more cigars. 

 

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4 hours ago, PamunkeyHub said:

It's my understanding that a rH negative environment would be the space where your humidor is kept that has a normal rH below the target rH of your humidor. 

 

For example, if your humidor is kept in a room with a normal rH of 55% (or less) and your target rH inside the humidor is 65%, your humidor would be in a rH negative environment.

 

This is helpful to know when setting up a new humidor. If your humidor is in a rH negative environment, you'll be adding rH to the humidor. If your humidor is in a rH positive environment, you'll be dehumidifying your humidor to maintain your target rH.

 

Make sense?

Bingo!

I have brought a lot of original nomenclature to this discussion over the years. I have tried to move the discussion from meaningless terms to ones of relevance where we all talk the same language. For example, I had never seen a topic of data logging cigar storage prior to my introduction of the topic to this forum. I have written so much about humidor data logging that I have been approached by two data logger producers to write case studies about my use of their data logging equipment as a research tool for cigar keeping and cigar climatology.

Cigar climatology (as an example) is another original term... I introduced it here, and it just happens to be the name of my boutique humidor company!

If you find some of these terms in a search engine, they will likely bring you right back here!

-the Pig

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The problem always comes down to storage! You first start with a desk top, then next thing you know you have a ton of desk tops!! Then you go for a wineador, and next thing you know you have a ton of those! Then maybe you go the cooler route, and bingo!! You have coolers stacked up everywhere!! Then you have Bob build you a beautiful cabinet, but within 6 months you out grow that!! 

Personally I would suggest you do yourself a favor and build a walkin. That is if you are planning to keep buying cigars. Bob's largest cabinet holds 300 to 350 cigars but at 9k the cost adds up. They are beautiful but before you know you have a room filled with them! A walkin can be built for much cheaper and gives you all the space you will ever need if you build a decent size one. 

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Wouldn't we all agree that we are always looking to close the door to our storage system (whatever that system is) as fast as possible?

Wouldn't it be nice to "step into" your storage system then close the door behind you....and take all the time in the world inspecting and fondling your stash?

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Build your storage into a corner of the basement.  Preferably have the longest wall run along an outside foundation wall.

Frame as you would for a typical closet.  The interior walls s/b covered with an exterior grade sheathing material that has a moisture barrier (Georgia Pacific DensElement Barrier System) or bathroom green board.  Remember, the interior of the walk in is like the exterior of the house - you are keeping moisture from leaving your room the same as keeping moisture from entering your house...  The exterior of the walk in gets regular sheet rock and can be painted/finished like the rest of the basement.

Use an exterior half glass pane patio door = $400....not a closet door.  Door should open outward - and the door face that would normally be on the outside of the house is inside the walk in.

Interior walls and ceiling get covered with 1/4" veneer 4'x8' spanish cedar.  Cost from Bob is $72/sheet but it really increases shipping $$ - you can get locally.  If your room will be 4'x8' (32 sq feet) you'll need 8 boards to cover all walls, around the door and ceiling.

You will need solid spanish cedar trim, casing, base molding and inside/outside corner covers to seal all the seams from Bob.

3 x 96" door/window casing @ $32/piece

3 x 96" base molding @ $32/piece

2 x 96" seam cover @ $14/piece

8 x 96" inside corner covers @ $14/piece

You can put shelves along the long 8' wall and stainless steel racks along the side walls.  Solid spanish cedar shelves are 12" wide with a 2" lip.  It's 5 pieces x 8' @ $100/shelf.

15 x Adjustable angle brackets/shelves @ $3.50/piece and 3 shelf holders @ $13/piece.

Total was $1500 plus shipping for a MONSTER 4' x 8' room.

Add the cost of the door, the sheet rock, framing materials, flooring and some lighting/electrical for outlet plus +/- $1000 - $1500 for labor...depends where you live and how handy you are...

I was going to use a ultrasonic cool mist humidifier tied into a Spyder Robotics Herpstat 2 Temperature and humidity controller (for reptiles) to report temps and turn on/off the humidifier and control a few aux fans for circulation.  Cost of this part about $300.

All in probably $5000.  That's more space than you will ever need.  Just the 2 side shelves are each 36" wide x 12" deep x 7' high.  That's the equiv of a large tower humi...each rack!  Plus you have the 8' shelves to display all the open boxes on an angle...

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PS: I never did this when the wife found out I was planning to - she kicked my ass....so now I have 1 tower (24"x16"x50"), 2 x 28 bottle winedors and 1 Avallo 1200 cabinet (24"x24"x35")...

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Barry, this is great info, thanks. It definitely adds more to consider in the walk-in vs Cabinet debate. One point that hasn't been mentioned in this debate, is the consideration of moving homes. A walk-in humidor isn't coming with you, and likely won't add any value to the next owner. Whereas the cabinet has lifelong value, can move to the next house, can be taken to an office etc. 

I assume you're secure that your current house is a long term 10+ years location for you and you're not concerned about losing the walk-in when you sell/move?

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As I usually do when my fave FOH brothers talk so fancy schmancy, I like to balance the the scale with my hippy beaver approach to cigar storage. And when you saw my collection, I have a stick or two.

A cup of tap water or two here and there, a couple of those coin shape temp/humidity things, and my super clean humidors are groovy and lovely.

I like smokes with five to ten years on them, sometimes more. If they are really older, they are in sealed plastic or parchment.

I suck at math and science but I like to watch.

CB

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