How do I check the seal on my humidor

cphk96

I made an impulse buy of a humidor at my local smoke shop. I do not think it is the best construction of a humidor. Bought it before I started reading all the great info on this forum. I have been reading on other threads about the dollar bill test. Can someone explain to me how to perform this test? I definitely do not hear a "whoosh" when I close the lid.

dtrdwngs

I am somewhat new to cigars and dont know about the dollar bill test. I do know that you can put a flashlight inside and close the lid and turn out the lights and check the seal that way. Don't know how accuarate it is but I have read that it works. Good luck and let me know how the dollar bill thing works.

rmccloud

The dollar bill test is where you place a dollar, half in and half out of the humidor and close the lid. Try to pull the bill out of the humidor. It should be very difficult if not impossible to pull out (without ripping the bill of course). You want to try this on the different sides of the humidor.

kuzi16

exactly.

j0z3r

Also the drop test. Open your humidor so that there is roughly 2-3 inches of open space between the lid and the body on the front....then drop the lid. If the lid closes with a whoosh, as though the drop were cushioned, then chances are you have a pretty decent seal. If the lid slams down, take the humidor back to wherever you got it from and demand a replacement.

cphk96

rmccloud:

The dollar bill test is where you place a dollar, half in and half out of the humidor and close the lid. Try to pull the bill out of the humidor. It should be very difficult if not impossible to pull out (without ripping the bill of course). You want to try this on the different sides of the humidor.

Thank you for the information. Unfortunately, it failed the dollar bill test and when I did the "whoosh" test, it failed for the most part. THe place where I bought it will not let me replace it, since I opened it and seasoned it. Oh well, you live and learn. Is there any way to seal a humidor until I can purchase a better one. Would glueing magnetic strips help in sealing the humidor?

j0z3r

cphk96:

rmccloud:

The dollar bill test is where you place a dollar, half in and half out of the humidor and close the lid. Try to pull the bill out of the humidor. It should be very difficult if not impossible to pull out (without ripping the bill of course). You want to try this on the different sides of the humidor.

Thank you for the information. Unfortunately, it failed the dollar bill test and when I did the "whoosh" test, it failed for the most part. THe place where I bought it will not let me replace it, since I opened it and seasoned it. Oh well, you live and learn. Is there any way to seal a humidor until I can purchase a better one. Would glueing magnetic strips help in sealing the humidor?

I suggested this to another member, and it should work for you. Get yourself some regular scotch tape and put a single strip along the rim of the humidor, wherever the lid makes contact. This will help to close up the gap and should improve your seal.

kuzi16

a very small size weather strip may work as well.

jaytothen

cphk96:

rmccloud:

The dollar bill test is where you place a dollar, half in and half out of the humidor and close the lid. Try to pull the bill out of the humidor. It should be very difficult if not impossible to pull out (without ripping the bill of course). You want to try this on the different sides of the humidor.

Thank you for the information. Unfortunately, it failed the dollar bill test and when I did the "whoosh" test, it failed for the most part. THe place where I bought it will not let me replace it, since I opened it and seasoned it. Oh well, you live and learn. Is there any way to seal a humidor until I can purchase a better one. Would glueing magnetic strips help in sealing the humidor?

test the RH first, a humidor doesn't have to be air tight, just as long as it holds the humidity at 65-70%. Of course a better seal performs this better, but I have several that aren't exactly 'air tight' and serve their purpose fine. It may also take a little more time to adjust after it's open for long periods, just monitor it and see what happens. It's probably fine. If it doesn't hold steady, get the thinnest weather stripping you can find and run it around the seals. I did have one that I had to do this with, now it works perfect.

boydmcgowan

Holy Necro Post Batman . . . .

This is why the forum is great . . . Theres a lot of stuff in here. If my humidity is still low after over saturating my beads, it'll be on to the dollar bill test and the "whoosh" test and then if I need to I can try some tape around the seal. the weather stripping idea is a good one, but that feels too much like humidor surgury and its not that nice of a humi anyway so maybe I could use the excuse to get a new one . . . . who said waxingmoon?

xmacro

Y'know . . . we don't really ration the "new thread" button

The whoosh test is the first test you wanna do; if there's a good seal, it'll whoosh before and after seasoning. If it fails, the seal is bad and it may be best to get a new one if you don't wanna go thru the trouble of finding the leak.

WaxingMoon makes a good humidor, and he'll work with you on the options to get it in the price range you want. Definitely recommend him

On a different note, WHERE THE F*CK HAS HE BEEN?! I haven't seen one of his humi's in forever!!

Krieger

IDK if id put a dollar bill in my humidor. they are freakin FILTHY. why not construction paper or something?

Rhamlin

I'm sure any type of paper roughly the same thickness and pliability as a dollar bill will work just fine.

WinterBoxes

Honestly, the dollar bill test really isn't a great test (nor is the flashlight test)--but they're a start. A good fitting seal on a humidor will still let a dollar bill (or $100 dollar bill!) slide through--because the seal isn't complete when there's a dollar bill in the way!

I build humidors myself (https://www.etsy.com/shop/WinterWoodCo, almost shameless plug) and the tolerances are in the thousandths. A dollar bill is around 4 or 5 thousandths of an inch thick. When you insert that in the seal the simple nature of inserting something in the seal destroys (temporarily) the seal! The lid is slightly askance, and there's something sitting in between the wood seal (the dollar bill). The "dollar bill test" is as much a symptom of the oils on the dollar bill as it is anything else. I sand my cedar to a high grit--so it's smooth. A crummy humidor will have less polished cedar, and will resist a dollar bill's friction better--so is it a better seal? Of course, if the dollar bill has ZERO resistance against it, I think we have an answer.....

Likewise the flashlight test: Most good humidors have a lip around their inside--and any significant lip is going to inhibit or eliminate any light passing around it--just because of how photons work.

The "whoosh" test is a beautiful thing to observe--but what is a "whoosh?" How much "whoosh" is enough, or too much?

There's some value to them both--but don't think that either is a determining factor. A good hygrometer (or monitor) are the best tools--but I get that they take time to assess. And it's actually ok to have just the smallest, tiny teeny leakage--some air rotation is fine--you're doing that every time you open the humidor anyway (which I hope is often!).

Since you're stuck with the humidor, you can try to use any very thin rubber, foam, or weatherstripping to seal things up better. Usually you do get what you pay for--but unless this humidor is in a public place, there's no shame in an ugly--but functional--humidor! Even a Tupperware will serve you well if there's a good seal.

BKDog

Patrickbrick

I agree, there is no better seal than a Colman extreme.

NorCalR1

@Patrickbrick said:
I agree, there is no better seal than a Colman extreme.

Trusted source 💯

Yakster

@WinterBoxes said:
Honestly, the dollar bill test really isn't a great test

Hi @WinterBoxes, welcome to the forum. This question died in 2008, but thanks for your input.

ForMud

Just send me the dollar bill instead and I'll tell you if it's leaking or not.......

silvermouse

If you put your ear down to the crack and hear a barking sound the seal is still alive so there must be an air leak.

VegasFrank

Leave seal checkups to the professionals, please

Yakster

VegasFrank

@WinterBoxes said:
Honestly, the dollar bill test really isn't a great test (nor is the flashlight test)--but they're a start. A good fitting seal on a humidor will still let a dollar bill (or $100 dollar bill!) slide through--because the seal isn't complete when there's a dollar bill in the way!

I build humidors myself (https://www.etsy.com/shop/WinterWoodCo, almost shameless plug) and the tolerances are in the thousandths. A dollar bill is around 4 or 5 thousandths of an inch thick. When you insert that in the seal the simple nature of inserting something in the seal destroys (temporarily) the seal! The lid is slightly askance, and there's something sitting in between the wood seal (the dollar bill). The "dollar bill test" is as much a symptom of the oils on the dollar bill as it is anything else. I sand my cedar to a high grit--so it's smooth. A crummy humidor will have less polished cedar, and will resist a dollar bill's friction better--so is it a better seal? Of course, if the dollar bill has ZERO resistance against it, I think we have an answer.....

Likewise the flashlight test: Most good humidors have a lip around their inside--and any significant lip is going to inhibit or eliminate any light passing around it--just because of how photons work.

The "whoosh" test is a beautiful thing to observe--but what is a "whoosh?" How much "whoosh" is enough, or too much?

There's some value to them both--but don't think that either is a determining factor. A good hygrometer (or monitor) are the best tools--but I get that they take time to assess. And it's actually ok to have just the smallest, tiny teeny leakage--some air rotation is fine--you're doing that every time you open the humidor anyway (which I hope is often!).

Since you're stuck with the humidor, you can try to use any very thin rubber, foam, or weatherstripping to seal things up better. Usually you do get what you pay for--but unless this humidor is in a public place, there's no shame in an ugly--but functional--humidor! Even a Tupperware will serve you well if there's a good seal.

We have a new member suck test, and you failed.

Yakster

I didn't read the whole message far enough to realize our new member was spamming our forum. Flagged the post. Welcome rescinded.