Repurposed Antique Cigar Cabinet

[cmcdon0923]

Earlier this year I built some trays to retrofit an antique microscope slide cabinet for Sosius to hold coins.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=94549.0


He also had acquired an antique cigar cabinet and asked if I could convert it to hold some of his Byzantine coins.  The cabinet originally had three trays each capable of holding eight cigars.  I was able to add rails to allow the cabinet to hold six rays for his coins, while maintaining the cabinet's original rails should Sosius ever decide to take up smoking cigars.   

Here are a few images of the cabinet both before (from Sosius), and after......

[Carausius]

Very nicely done. I'm sure Sosius will fill it with some smokin' coins.    Now, modern humidors are designed to tightly seal so that humidity levels can be managed via a chemical solution. An air tight chamber may not be the best environment for coin storage. Does Sosius' cigar cabinet allow decent air circulation?

[JBF]

A very nice box!
but what kind of wood is it?
does it smell like cigars?
how thick are the trays?  They look thick.
and again, as Carausius asks,
does it allow in decent air? (allow _in_ decent, not allow _indecent_ ), although with cigars, it might be the later, not the former.  I added the "in" in, so please don't blame Carausius for the atrocious word play.

[cmcdon0923]

The cabinet and original trays appear to also be made of mahogany.  There was absolutely no detectable aroma of cigars even on the actual surface of the original cigar trays.  

The cabinet is probably from the early 20th century if not even from the late 19th, so yes there is plenty of airflow within the cabinet, as over the years some of the joints have expanded and the lid does not close with any level of "air tightness".  It certainly allows for better airflow than a 2x2 plastic flip would.

Each of the trays is 5/8" thick (the close-up pics are deceiving).  He requested them a bit thicker and with deeper recess depths to hold specific types of Byzantine coins.  It also required this configuration so as not to have to remove the original rails.  We both felt it important to keep them so as to retain the "original-ness" of the antique.  The original cigar trays still fit on their original rails, and if desired the added rails could be removed without too much effort to restore it fully to its original state.

I too look forward to seeing a few pics with coins in place.


Craig

CabinetsByCraig.net

[JBF]

Very nice!
I was right, you're from Texas (cabinets by Craig), I've seen your business card from Nick Economopoulos.  However, having 2 mahogany boxes myself, I didn't need another.  But, it is good to know you are out there.

John

[Sosius]

The cabinet and original trays appear to also be made of mahogany.  There was absolutely no detectable aroma of cigars even on the actual surface of the original cigar trays.  

The cabinet is probably from the early 20th century if not even from the late 19th, so yes there is plenty of airflow within the cabinet, as over the years some of the joints have expanded and the lid does not close with any level of "air tightness".  It certainly allows for better airflow than a 2x2 plastic flip would.

Each of the trays is 5/8" thick (the close-up pics are deceiving).  He requested them a bit thicker and with deeper recess depths to hold specific types of Byzantine coins.  It also required this configuration so as not to have to remove the original rails.  We both felt it important to keep them so as to retain the "original-ness" of the antique.  The original cigar trays still fit on their original rails, and if desired the added rails could be removed without too much effort to restore it fully to its original state.

I too look forward to seeing a few pics with coins in place.


Craig

CabinetsByCraig.net

Just wanted to chime in here to say that Don did a great job of repurposing this cigar cabinet and the slide cabinet.  He is a thoughtful and talented craftsman, and I would highly recommend him!

Sosius