Decision is made--some help please!

[smokelaw1]

In discussion with my innermost moral guide, I have decided to not buy an Aristocrat Cabinet Humidor, and instead to donate that money to Katrina relief through a friend's agency (or perhaps start bidding......)
So, I am going tonight (hopefully) to buy a coolerdoor to start that project.

I know someone will have advice as to which model is best. I am hoping to stand it on end with shelving like a humidor. Is there one that handles this better than others? Perhaps with built in "guides?" How do the coolerdor experts add stability when standing it on its side?

Please help. I want to make sure I do this quickly before I change my mind!!!!

 

[Swissy]

Hey...
above all, if you want shelves, make sure whatever cooler you buy has the ribbed sides inside. They make for PERFECT shelves... look inside some coolers and you'll see what I mean. Some are perfectly smooth inside, some are not.

I have a 100qt and I wish now I had gone bigger, so go as big as you can! Costco/Sams club both have been selling 150qt sizes with the shelve ribbing. They stand on end with no problems- the handles do not seem to get in the way! And, there is now spray paint that adheres to plastic if you want to paint to match your walls or other items.

some guys use cedar for the shelves, or wire racks. I made mine with wire racks from Home Depot-nothing more than closet racks cut to size. just use some old cigar boxes and you won't need to worry about lining with cedar inside.

Also, get the beads- they are the best thing going for stabile RH!

 

[smokelaw1]

Swissy--yours looks great. I see you have an oasis as well as beads? Is that neccesary? Are the beads suffiicient, given the lack of air-flow?

 

[Swissy]

Swissy--yours looks great.  I see you have an oasis as well as beads?  Is that neccesary?  Are the beads suffiicient, given the lack of air-flow?

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Actually, no it's not needed. It was given to me by a friend and I just put it in since I had it. The beads are MORE than adequate,and simply opening the door every so often generates all the airflow I think you need. The Cigar Oasis is handy if I don't want to open the door, but then again I find myself just opening it up to take a deep breath! It smells soooooo good!

I did go with more beads than is called for (i did 1 pound for 100qt which by their calcualtions is just shy of twice what it needs) but that just means I can go longer before I need to add distilled H2O! I put my beads in plastic trays (from wal-mart!)- 2 trays, one top and one bottom of the cooler- and then sacrificed a pair of my wifes (new pair...) panty hose... I cut off the legs and put the bins of beads in it and zip-tied (wire ties) the ends closed...that way if the tray gets knocked over no beads will spill out. And it is still easy to add the distilled H2O and it has no effect with regulating the RH.

I'd say I don't have over $75-100 in the whole thing - with the exception of the cigars of course! (not including the cigar oasis...I din't buy it!)

I'll see if I can add a current photo of it... this one is right when I was making it- I can't stuff hardly another cigar in it now!

 

[symyn]

Definately snap some pics

 

[smokelaw1]

OK, hopefully last question before I go out and buy the thing tonihgt. Say I find the one with the "ribs" inside that I can put shelves on...where/how did you find shelves that fit so perfectly? Good call on the beads, twice as many and split up. I was thinking of doing the same.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Cheeze]

Home Depot or Lowes will cut them to size for you so no worries!!