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Reader's Gallery

Rosewood and Wenge Humidor

comments (2) March 22nd, 2011 in blogs, Reader's Gallery

Ed Pirnik, Senior Web Producer

10 users recommend

The solid mahogany box is veneered with rosewood on its exterior. Edge banding is of wenge.

The humidors interior is of course lined with Spanish cedar, some of which was brough back from the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio--tobacco country.

The solid mahogany box is veneered with rosewood on its exterior. Edge banding is of wenge.

Photo: Ed Pirnik

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At long last, I’ve finished a new humidor. This one has an interesting twist.

The sides are built from solid Honduran mahogany with a 3/4-in. multi-ply top and a 1/4-in. multi-ply bottom. Rosewood veneer covers the shell. Edge banding is wenge and the inlay is holly. Hinges are of the side rail variety. As for the finish – about 12-15 (can’t remember) coats of lacquer followed by a few coats of paste wax.

Now for the lining – like all humidors, this one is lined with Spanish cedar. The difference is that part of my lining is comprised of cedar I got from Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province. All the liner pieces have had their end grain sealed with a few coats of shellac to limit end grain moisture absorbtion.

I’m about to start work on another model which will incorporate a lid lift cast from cast iron chunks that fellow off one of the 18th century canons lining “El Moro,” the old Spanish fort that keeps watch over the entrance to the Bay of Havana. I’m getting really into the idea of incorporating found objects or objects that have great meaning into my work.

As for the performance of the humidor (anyone here building them?) I got it up to 65% humidity and then took the moistened sponge I had kept inside (to humidify it) out. It’s been a couple of days so far and it’s still at 65% – seems like I’ve got a good seal. At first I thought it didn’t have enought friction when opening the lid (I feared it would lose moisture too quickly) but it seems ok for now.