A Humidor Build Idea.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Well, the plastic tubes are close to the solution I was thinking of, and probably a lot more practical and readily available. I was thinking about the glass tubes some of my sticks come in! I'd imagine plastic tubes cheaper, easier to find! I'd think simple nylon webbed straps would work fine. Elastic would tend to try to make it close all the time.
main issue is how to get the straps to fold IN, instead of out. Maybe "pre-crease" each one between each tray with a hot iron, in a very limited area, so they would be predisposed to fold inward? Given nylon's melt factor, it probably wouldn't take much heat, and some trial and error should give you the right process quickly.

Ya know, Cliff, you made me think that something like a sink chain would do the trick. I imagined it just like you did, nylon string piling up and getting in the way. Some kind of chain would fall straight down.
I was thinking about this in the shower and the tubes would be fine for a travel humi, but it'd very much cut down on how many cigars a guy could get in there. The cool factor would make up for that, and the extra protection, but I don't know how many tubes would fit in a 12x9x6 travel humi. Not more than 30, I wouldn't think. Maybe less.
I wouldn't be able to resize this kind of setup as easily as I initially thought, either.
Still, the parts and pieces could be easily made on the CNC and I can shorten them to fit with minimum trouble.
It may be worth messing around with, at least a prototype frame. If I can make that work, then I can commit. If it becomes too much trouble, I can toss it all in the trash.

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by shilala

Ya know, Cliff, you made me think that something like a sink chain would do the trick. I imagined it just like you did, nylon string piling up and getting in the way. Some kind of chain would fall straight down.
I was thinking about this in the shower and the tubes would be fine for a travel humi, but it'd very much cut down on how many cigars a guy could get in there. The cool factor would make up for that, and the extra protection, but I don't know how many tubes would fit in a 12x9x6 travel humi. Not more than 30, I wouldn't think. Maybe less.
I wouldn't be able to resize this kind of setup as easily as I initially thought, either.
Still, the parts and pieces could be easily made on the CNC and I can shorten them to fit with minimum trouble.
It may be worth messing around with, at least a prototype frame. If I can make that work, then I can commit. If it becomes too much trouble, I can toss it all in the trash.

The chain makes a certain sense. But, as with the straps, there is no guarantee that the chains would not bunch between the the slats! They obviously have it figured out on the one that is pictured. Maybe the slats do not touch other when they close, maybe enough room exist for the straps to fold between. After further thought, my first thoughts of INWARD folding doesn't seem likely. I'd think they have to fold OUTWARD, not inward. With the pivot point being in the center of what appears to be a 1 1/2 inch (guessing) slat, not much way it could fold inward! Hard to tell from picture how much space exist for them to fold outward. Must be enough, or else the strap is thinner and much more flexible than a web nylon strap would be, which would allow it to collapse down like the chain idea you have.

As to the tubes, I wonder if there are different diameters that would give you greater capacity. But, after I think on it more, tubes would have to be easily removable to get to the cigars. But tubes might result in poor humidity access to the entire cigar. I guess you could cut slots in the tubes, or drill multiple holes. But, then, you are adding lots of work! Best circulation access would be the bare cigars. But then the wrapper damage potential others have mentioned becomes a real issue.

I think the mechanics could be easily worked out, but the cigar safety and access issues (being able to easily remove an individual cigar) might be the bigger issue! The more I think about it, the more I see why you kinda are hoping to be talked out of the project!!!!

[SvilleKid]

A few more thoughts:

If you did not use tubes, I can foresee the "two-point" contact provided on the middle racks being a potential problem. Especially with sticks that are smaller than the holes. What happens if each cigar isn't firmly seated, and while closing the lid, the base slips out of the indentions at the bottom. That could result in misaligned sticks that could bind on each other, and result in bent or even broken sticks. I understand why they only have the base (indented) and the middle holes for those three racks, it is for display and ease of removal of individual sticks when the humidor was full. But, unless all holes are filled with cigars, it seems like misalignment becomes a greater issue.

In studying and thinking about it (without the tubes), wouldn't the cigars need to be inserted with the cap end down? Otherwise, the flat foots of most cigars would probably be more prone to slippage, and not fit very securely in the base plate that appears to "dimpled" (with holes for torpedo ended styles??). If inserted cap first, then the bands hanging up becomes an issue as well as much more difficulty in seeing the bands to determine what each cigar was.

How am I doing in talking you out of the project?