My new project: the frigidor on the cheap!

[Davejustdave]

So...SWMBO funneled me a little cash and I now have too many sticks on the way for my two small (50-ct) desktop humidors. Nothing special, mostly a bunch of decent $20 closeouts from here and there. I was thinking about making a cooler-dor, but I didn't want a big blue cooler sitting by the desk, and I didn't want to have to walk to the hall closet should I want something other than what was in the desktop. As luck would have it, my neighbor was throwing out a non-functional office-sized refrigerator!

I stopped by the florist today and picked up a a 9"x3"x4" brick of Oasis foam ($1) and called the only old-school pharmacy I know of in town and ordered a pint of propylene glycol ($9) that I'll pick up tomorrow on the way home from work. I robbed our cupboard of a couple of old Glad plastic containers to use as humidifiers. If I'd bought them, I'd figure about $4. I plan on lining it with the tops of boxes and using the bottoms of the boxes for trays. Add in $5 for the glue gun and $3 for a latch (just to be sure it stays shut) and maybe another $20 or so for incidentals, and I've got a relatively decent-looking humidor that will comfortably hold several hundred cigars for under $50!

 

[Sportsdls]

Nice score. Make sure to post pics once you get it stocked up! :thumbs:

 

[smokintexas]

Not to rain on your parade or anything, just wanted to express a few concerns I would have if I were doing the project.

1) The glue from the glue gun: From my experience this glue is very poignant and I would worry about this smell transferring over to the cigars you are storing in the fridge.
2) The Fridge: I would assume that this is just a normal fridge which would lead me to believe that it is a compressor style unit. If this is the case then when the unit kicks on it will suck the humidity out while it is cooling which could cause some serious problems. I would also assume that you wont have much control over the temperature range so it is likely that it will consistently stay at too low a temperature to properly store/age your cigars.
3) The seal: I know you mentioned something about getting a latch, but only having a latch might not give you the kind of seal that you will need to properly store/age cigars.

Having said that, these problems are manageable, I would just take these into consideration when prepping the fridge to ensure that you have the environment you want to store your cigars at. Best of luck in the process and be sure to post up some pictures.

Edit: Just saw that you said it was a "non functional unit" so you wont have to worry about #2, my apologies.

 

[Davejustdave]

Not to rain on your parade or anything, just wanted to express a few concerns I would have if I were doing the project.

1) The glue from the glue gun: From my experience this glue is very poignant and I would worry about this smell transferring over to the cigars you are storing in the fridge.

Non-toxic/odor-free stuff, or so the label reads. It smells like hot plastic when melted, but it's not supposed to "gas" like other adhesives. I fixed a loose liner in a humidor from "Those guys in Tampa whose name evidently can't be mentioned in cigar forums without getting laughed at" with no ill effects. I plan to use it sparingly, just enough to tack the wood to the plastic. I might run a couple of screws in as well.

3) The seal: I know you mentioned something about getting a latch, but only having a latch might not give you the kind of seal that you will need to properly store/age cigars.

I mentioned the latch only because my little "beer" fridge will not stay shut unless it is plugged in and running. The gasket on the donor frig is askew in one corner, which might not be a bad thing. I'm in NE FL where the humidity rarely gets low enough to be dangerous. It was 30F and my barometer was reading 58%.

I welcome any other comments/suggestions and once I get started, I will take and post pics.

 

[fivebyfifty]

I use a small fridge. a pound of beads a few boxes. Works good for me it holds 65-67% rh with 70% beads. I keep my cigars in the box.

 

[Guitar_Gatler]

There's really only a couple of things I would worry about with using an old fridge as a humidor.

1. Clean it out REALLY well. I mean bleach it out and let it air dry for a few days. Fridges can have a nasty tendency to acquire very funky odors over time.

2. The seal. Some refrigerators have an almost perfect seal. This may not sound like a big deal but, for long term aging, you don't want a "perfect" seal. You want to have a little bit of air flow/breathability to let some fresh air in every now and then. Now, if you're going to be opening it all the time, this wont be a problem. Just something to bring up is all.

 

[Davejustdave]

2. The seal. Some refrigerators have an almost perfect seal. This may not sound like a big deal but, for long term aging, you don't want a "perfect" seal. You want to have a little bit of air flow/breathability to let some fresh air in every now and then. Now, if you're going to be opening it all the time, this wont be a problem. Just something to bring up is all.

One corner of the gasket is somewhat askew. I plan on pulling the shelves/insulation from the door and line it accordingly. There will be some airflow.

 

[tmoney2007]

cool idea. I'd spring for beads at least. Its worth it for me to spend the cash on the front end, but your desire is to do something on the cheap, so bravo!