My Un-humidor

[Nihon_Ni]

My wife recently picked a humidor for me, similar to the one pictured below. I spent about a week seasoning it and once it stabilized I put 4 oz of 65% RH beads in it, then added cigars. Everything was fine for about a month, but over the last week the RH has been steadily headed downhill. When the RH hit 58% I removed the cigars and put in two shot glasses of water. After several days the RH has continued to fall and is now around 51%. This morning I noticed one of the front glass panes moves about 1/8" in all directions.

I'm thinking I need to reseal the window with silicone caulk, but I wonder if there's a way that won't look so ugly. Any suggestions?

 

[Kid Montana]

I wonder if it wouldn't be enough to just shim the glass snug against the outside.

 

[BlindedByScience]

You do NOT want to use silicone calk as it will outgas nasty smelling chemicals for a long time......

What you do want to use is called "aquarium sealant" and as the name implies, is a silicone used to build and repair aquariums. No nasty outgassing after it cures.

Google it up; I found a bazillion places to get it, major pet supply chains included.

Don't need to slather it on...a thin film should be able to seal up the panes just fine.

Cheers - B.B.S.

 

[looking for knowledge]

I'm not an expert, but don't use silicon caulking. There's a serious potential for not good fumes.

I shimmed mine up tight and then used some very soft wax, rolled into thin long rope-like strands, to wedge into the remaining gap. I can't say it is a perfect fix, but it is much better.




edit: BBS bet me to the fumes; and I would follow his suggestion. :thumbs:

 

[2K6TBSS]

I had the same issue a few months ago. I did what BBS said. Went to a local fish shop and bought a small tube of aquarium sealant and used it. It off gassed for about 24 hours after I re-sealed, which is the required drying time for the sealant. Worked like a charm, I also re-seasoned my humi after the fix (just to be safe).

You can also look for any silicone that is "food safe", which means that it will only off gas until it dries. Food safe silicone (along with aquarium sealant) is able to come into contact with food and have no harmful effects.

Not sure how soon you want the humi sealed, but if you shoot me a PM I will send you the tube that I have.

 

[MadMonk]

First of all, you are dealing with expansion and contraction of the wood. If the glass was a perfect fit, it would possibly crack.
True Aquarium sealant will not outgass nasties, but it has no shear strength, so the seal might give if you apply it in on the surface rather than the edges of the glass.
Go to the drug store and get some dental wax. It is used to cover orthodontic braces, and other dental work which irritates the inside of the mouth.
It is perfectly safe. Try to apply it where it gets to the edges of the glass, not the flat mating surfaces (faying surfaces) of the glass and wood.

 

[b.dawgson]

If you use a sealant you should be able to clean up the mess very well using alcohol. Well, silicone cleans up well with alcohol. I would assume aquarium sealant would act the same.

 

[jnknzz]

I used rope caulk...the green box weatherstripping stuff. Dental wax (unscented) will work, too. Silicone scares me...way too unforgiving to apply.

Give it a day to sit open and out-gas. While I had the humi empty I gave the sides a light sanding; not necessary but in my mind it seemed like it couldn't hurt.

 

[Nihon_Ni]

Thanks for all the tips guys! I'm headed to the land of the big PX in a few days so I should be able to find the supplies I need to fix it up when I get home.