Thanks for your Ammodor DIY Kit ammo can cigar humidor purchase. Below are the basic steps required to assemble one of our DIY Kit ammo can humidors.

STEP ONE: BEFORE YOU BEGIN ASSEMBLY

1. Clean and sterilize your ammo can. We recommend using warm soap and water and scrub it VERY well. Repeat if necessary if remove any odor. You can spray with a vinegar and water mixture as well and/or let sit with some baking soda for several days to remove any lingering odors. Wipe it completely with rubbing alcohol inside and out. Let dry well.
2. Test fit your wood to ensure that it all fits well. It’s important to remember that no two “surplus” ammo cans are exactly the same size. We’re dealing with ammo cans from one of several government contractors, with varying degrees of usage and age – yours could be a year old in new condition while another could be 40 years old and pretty beat up. So, always test fit first!
3. Sand the top surfaces of the wood (if laying down on a table, face up) a little bit to give it a smooth finished texture. This is the face of the wood that will be looking into the interior of the humidor.

STEP TWO: CHOOSE YOUR ASSEMBLY METHOD
Choose between our Easy OR Advanced assembly method below depending on your skill level, available tools and time.

EASY METHOD
This technique for assembling the interior lining of your DIY ammo can humidor is quick and easy as it uses the interior walls of your ammo can to support your wood pieces as you build. Ready for something more professional looking? Try our Advanced Method below.

1. Insert the bottom piece of 1/4″ cedar plywood into the ammo can. Make sure the nicer looking cedar lined side is facing up. You might need to sand the sharp corners to get it to fit.
2. Insert long side #1 into the ammo can on one side with a small amount of glue on bottom and mitered edge sides. Be sure to use a very small amount and keep glue away from the front side of the joints – so any excess doesn’t squirt into the visible part of the box but rather to the unseen back that faces the metal ammo can. The glue will stain the wood. You can apply painters tape to the inside edges of all the 45 degree corners of all the wall pieces of cedar to act as a mask to make sure no glue gets on the interior faces of the cedar.
3. Insert short side #1 with glue on bottom and sides. Be careful to keep it from touching anything as you slide it down and in place.
4. Insert short side #2 with glue on bottom and sides. Be careful to keep it from touching anything as you slide it in place.
5. Insert long side #2 with glue on bottom and sides – rub in the glue by wiping it with your finger. Use an even smaller amount of glue on this piece since it will need to be slid down into place and any excess will squirt out the top of the joint and get messy. This may be a tight squeeze but that’s OK – I even have to gently tap them into place sometimes by placing an block of wood between.
6. You may need to use some scrap paper folded up into a thick shim to place between the wood and metal can to hold all your joints nice and tight while the glue drys. I use knife or a thin metal ruler to insert and push down shims around the edges to keep all the joints together tight while glue dries.

ADVANCED METHOD
This technique for assembling the interior lining of your DIY ammo can humidor is a bit more complicated and may require additional tools or materials. However, in our experience we’ve found it yields a better looking and more durable end result. Watch this video to view this method in action.

1. Lay all the pieces of 1/4″ solid wood cedar on a flat surface face down in order (short side #1, long side #1, short side #2, long side #2). Make sure the 45 degree corners are pressed together tightly. Cover the seams with painters tape.
2. Flip all the pieces over. Near the valleys that each 45 degree corners make, cover the inside part of the wood with painters tape to mask the wood from the glue that you’ll put in valleys next. The glue will stain the wood, so you don’t want it squirting out onto the face of the wood.
3. Fill each valley with glue. Fold all the pieces up to form a square. Tape the two ends together tightly to make a solid, single structure. Make sure this is square and let it dry for at least 24 hours. The first few minutes of this video excellently illustrates this process.
4. Test fit your bottom piece of 1/4″ cedar plywood into the ammo can. Make sure the nicer looking cedar lined side is facing up. You might need to sand the sharp corners to get it to fit.
5. Flip your walls over so the top is down and test fit your bottom piece of 1/4″ plywood. Make sure the nice looking cedar side is face down this time since your whole humidor is face down. Apply a small amount of glue to the very outside edges of the wall pieces. Again, the glue will stain so try to keep it from squirting into the inside of your humidor. You can apply painters tape again as a mask if you need to. Place the bottom plywood piece in place and put some weight on top – a magazine or two should be enough, for example. Let it dry for 24 hours.
6. Now you should have a completed “insert” ready to slide into your clean ammo can. Remove any painters tape. You may need to sand the very edges of the sides where the 45 degree corners mated to fit. If it’s too loose, you can use adhesive caulk on the bottom inside of the ammmo can or any sort of paper folded into a shim and then placed between the wood insert and the metal ammo can to fill any gaps for a snug fit.

STEP THREE: FINAL ASSEMBLY
No matter which assembly method you chose above, complete the follow steps to finish your build.

1. Apply felt to bottom of box. Do a test fit for proper placement. Peel a bit of the white backing off the felt off one side and start it on one end. Then slowly peel the rest of the backing paper away as you place the felt.
2. Wipe down inside of cedar with slightly damp cloth or paper towel of PG Solution to remove any dust and help to season the wood.
3. Apply your Ammodor decal to your ammo can.
4. Season your humidor. DON’T ADD CIGARS YET! You can view our complete guide to seasoning your Ammodor here.
5. Add cigars and enjoy your Ammodor!
6. Be sure to open your Ammodor about once a week to cycle new air in and to check your temperate and humidity levels. Ammodors are 100% air tight so they are very low maintenance – you will find that they hold even the smallest amount of humidity for an extremely long time. But, be careful not to over-humidify or leave it closed for extended periods of time – you will grow mold!

Posted in: Pre-Sales Questions