Ice Box Humidor Project

[tmoney2007]

I finally found an icebox that suits my needs (big, cheap, nearby and not needing much work). I had to drive over an hour to get it but I think it is worth it. 95% of it is in great shape, not perfect but structurally sound. Its almost 4 ft tall, so there is lots of room inside and all I have to do is fix a couple things and get it lined in spanish cedar.

The top latch is a little loose, but that is a simple fix. One thing I'm a bit leery about is the veneer on the top door is bubbled pretty badly, but I'm afraid to replace it because I'm not sure that I'll be able to get any finish to match. The veneer on one of the panels on the left side is messed up, but I may just try to stabilize the messed up part.

I am also thinking about insulating it somehow since it gets pretty hot and humid in my part of the country.

Anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? I'll need all the help I can get.

 

[Glennet]

Hello-

Nice humi ! I've been looking for a while for something similar. I just can't seem to find anything for under $300.00. I DO NOT want to spend that much - so I'm seriously considering going the Winedor route. I've got a line right now on a year old 16 bottle Avanti for $50.00.
As to your problem - that is a pretty big buckle in the veneer. You've really got three choices.
1- Do nothing and leave it - it adds character.
2- Try and repair.
3- Replace the veneer and re-stain.

I would think that you need a large amount of concentrated steam in order to make the wood pliable again without effecting the surrounding wood and joints. Take the door off and go see a local cabinet maker or furniture refinisher and see what a pro says. If you do find somebody to give the job a try - I'm guessing it may be cost prohibitive. If you decide to try and replace the veneer section - as you pointed out the problem will be matching the stain. While you've got the door off march down to your local Home Depot, Lowes, or well stocked hardware store. Make your way to the paint aisle and look for a display by Minwax. They offer a wide variety of stains in small 1/2 pint cans. Do the best job you can of matching it up with the color samples - get a piece of scrap oak (your veneer looks like oak) and start some experimentation. I'm guessing you'll be able to find a real close match - and finding a new piece of oak veneer should be no problem.

As to the insulation question - if it were me - I would skip the insulation step. Unless your planning some sort of active temperature control inside the humi - you may be creating a bigger problem for yourself. I would just line the box with the spanish cedar as you plan - and allow the wood to breath.
If you use the beads for humidification - they will also absorb the excess environmental humidity that may leech in. As to the temperature - find the coolest place in your house - park your humi there - and see what happens over time. Further - read some threads here - you will probably want to incorporate a fan or two to keep the air inside the humi moving.

Looks like a really fun project

Good Luck

 

[Ed Monton]

That looks like it is great shape. Any idea of the age? I'm also curious where you found it and how much you paid. Nice piece.

 

[tmoney2007]

Well, it is on the door, so I think I am going to try to get it fixed. Worst case scenario, I can take it off and take it to a furniture restorer without having to move the whole thing. I'd rather repair the veneer that is on there because I think it would be very hard to get the antique look, but I'd go with whatever the professional restorer recommended.

There is another spot with messed up veneer on the side, but I might just glue it down and call it a day.

I found it on Craigslist and it cost me $200, which is a good deal compared to what I have found around here in the last few months. I have no idea how old it is, but I think it is from the 40s at the latest. Considering that, it is in great shape.

 

[Big Mulac]

hey, for what its worth spend a few dollars to get the veneer fixed. If you find a good furniture restorer they can give you an idea on the dollars for just fixing it, or more. I always feltthat the blemishes, dents and dings on these antiques should be left as is, but the delamination is not good and you should get it fixed. I've been working on an 1893 ice box conversion, so check my blog. I lined it with cedar myself, anyways good luck on a good find for $200

 

[Humidor Minister]

I finally found an icebox that suits my needs (big, cheap, nearby and not needing much work). I had to drive over an hour to get it but I think it is worth it. 95% of it is in great shape, not perfect but structurally sound. Its almost 4 ft tall, so there is lots of room inside and all I have to do is fix a couple things and get it lined in spanish cedar.

The top latch is a little loose, but that is a simple fix. One thing I'm a bit leery about is the veneer on the top door is bubbled pretty badly, but I'm afraid to replace it because I'm not sure that I'll be able to get any finish to match. The veneer on one of the panels on the left side is messed up, but I may just try to stabilize the messed up part.

I am also thinking about insulating it somehow since it gets pretty hot and humid in my part of the country.

Anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? I'll need all the help I can get.

If you want to repair the top door, remove the door from the hinge, get a jewelers drill bit. Drill a tiny hole at one end of the bubble and another at the other end. Using a wood workers syringe, inject titebond III glue into one end and work it around by pushing on the bubble. When you get glue coming out the opposite end, Make sure you don't have too much glue or you can run into trouble. Place some masking tape around the holes about 3 inches wide. Next put some wax paper over the whole surface. Now tighten clamps to a block of MDF or plywood over the bubble to make it flat. This should take care of the bubble and keep it original looking. The tiny holes won't even be noticed. Hope this helps.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

That is definately sweet and should make a stunning humidor, good luck with your project my friend!

 

[tmoney2007]

If you want to repair the top door, remove the door from the hinge, get a jewelers drill bit. Drill a tiny hole at one end of the bubble and another at the other end. Using a wood workers syringe, inject titebond III glue into one end and work it around by pushing on the bubble. When you get glue coming out the opposite end, Make sure you don't have too much glue or you can run into trouble. Place some masking tape around the holes about 3 inches wide. Next put some wax paper over the whole surface. Now tighten clamps to a block of MDF or plywood over the bubble to make it flat. This should take care of the bubble and keep it original looking. The tiny holes won't even be noticed. Hope this helps.

Very cool. I'll try it on the back of that door first, it has a bubble too. When you say 3 inches around the hole, do you mean to keep any glue that seeps out off of the wood?

It looks like alot of the glue in the joints has lost grip so I am going to try to reinforce the structure. I don't think it it would survive a move in this condition.