Electrical Tape and Humidors

[Bazillions]

So I recently got a Chinese made Lauderdale end-table humidor. Of course it was leaky. I was able to find the leak through trial and error using electrical tape. The humidor is almost done seasoning and now holding at 75% RH as opposed to the leaky 65-67% RH (with 5 sponges).

My question is... can I leave the electrical tape there to hold the seal or should I just go out and buy sealant? The humidor doesn't smell funny after a week of having the tape in place. The thing that's keeping me from doing it the "right" way is that I just seasoned my humidor over 3 weeks. If I buy sealant, I'd have to leave the humidor open for around two more weeks, and then re-season it again (1st world problems).

Can I get away with being lazy or should I go the extra mile?
Any help / suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[Boudie]

So it's something besides the door/cover seams that are leaking? Any electrical tape I have used eventually loses its adhesion so you may not have a long term solution

 

[jasonatjl]

My dad always told me that if you’re going to do something, do it right. Seasoning aside, get in there with some silicone and fill those air gaps, solving the problem more permanently.

 

[Bazillions]

It's leaking in the bottom left corner on the door, opposite the hinges. I don't think it's a full blown seal problem; something more like the door being positioned off center. I'm not handy enough to work around hidden hinges. The tape is high quality if that means anything. It's really stuck on there. Looks sloppy as hell, but at least it's functional.

My dad said something along the same lines, "To do a job once is to do a job right". Now I just gotta figure out "if it's not broke, don't fix it".

 

[deuce]

I wouldn't risk having the tape come off and you not notice til after your sticks dry out. I say seal it up proper and do it right now and not have to worry again.

Good luck

 

[jasonatjl]

It's leaking in the bottom left corner on the door, opposite the hinges. I don't think it's a full blown seal problem; something more like the door being positioned off center. I'm not handy enough to work around hidden hinges. The tape is high quality if that means anything. It's really stuck on there. Looks sloppy as hell, but at least it's functional.

My dad said something along the same lines, "To do a job once is to do a job right". Now I just gotta figure out "if it's not broke, don't fix it".

Most cabinet doors have a screw set to adjust the depth and angle of the door. Take some photos and let us see what’s up, and we can try to help make some recommendations.

My thought would be, if you can it adjusted, maybe you can make a gasket out of some weatherstripping to fill the gap so it’s near airtight.

 

[Bazillions]

Thank you all for your advice!

Unfortunately, my camera has been busted for a while. I'm not buying a new phone just for a camera, lol.

I went to Home Depot today for sealant. I asked an associate where I could find it. He asked what I needed it for and I told him it was to seal a humidor. This struck up a very unexpected conversation. Turns out he's a cigar lover too. He suggested before I go for the sealant, try water resistant closed cell thin foam tape. It was cheap and I was not looking forward to using sealant, so I thanked the old guy and took the size he suggested and gave it a whirl.

Fits like a glove. You can feel the air when you close the door. The tape was sticky as hell and I don't really understand the sizing of it, so I was extra careful with it, but I feel obliged to bring the guy a smoke as a thanks.

Not quite sure if this was the right move, but I will agree that it's better than electrical tape.
Thanks to all again!

 

[Boudie]

I think if you hold humidity you made the right decision

 

[Bazillions]

Thank you!

 

[AdamJoshua]

Foam tape for the door. For the rest of the box, as in every single joint, anywhere wood is jointed grab some food grade silicone. Look for the stuff that isn't too smelly, smear it in, let it air out and you are golden. I've been through the same thing with the same exact humidor. the silicone ended any hesitation on my part... i should say it sealed the deal

 

[Bazillions]

LOL i see wut you did there