Because my UAS was so extreme my collection began to grow like Tribbles.
So here I was with a bunch of ukes in cases and a growing collection of Hercos.
It began getting tiresome refilling humis, moving cases around, picking up and putting away an uke after playing.
Room became an issue.
I thought on building a cabinet to house them all and have it act as a display case too.
The guitar display cases (not the box type that hang on walls) were insanely expensive.
Building a display case quickly became a non-option...too much time...too much work and no workshop to do it in.
I did post the final pictures somewhere around here but that was when the board was in its previous incarnation....not sure where it is now.
So, I looked around for a china type cabinet and found something at Crate and Barrel.
What I did then was build a rack system inside, added some LED lighting (which does not heat up), put in a hygrometer from Radio Shack and voila...an ukulele display case..tenors on top...sopranos and cases on the bottom (and of course more cases on top of the cabinet).
Humidity started becoming a factor. I noticed humming on my new customs. The humidity level was at 35% for a coupe of weeks. I then started adding Chinese soup containers full of water in the back and building various homemade humis that people have suggested and those around the internet.
Still...the humidity was not rising.
I began to get scared for my instruments because it was abundantly clear that the low humidity was taking its toll on my ukes. I thought I would put some Humitrons in each of my ukes...but I never really liked the idea of having something wet inside of my ukes....but I had to do something.
I began to think long and hard. I began to study the properties of humidity. Humidity was always something I tried to stay on top of. I always had one in my case and watered them regularly. But with a new cabinet full of ukuleles and the obvious effect and changes that were taking place to my babies...I had to figure out a solution.
It turned out to be one the best things that happened to me. I came up with a humidifier design for display cases and large humidors that worked beyond my expectations. Currently, I am finalizing a more professional appearance and adding a few bells and whistles and then it's off to get a patent.
Futzing around with a billiondy cases was getting to be too much of a task and clogging up my living quarters.
Watering a billiondy little case humis was doing the same.
Humidity was taking its toll.
Humidity is a MAJOR factor in a solid wood instrument's "health". I found out the essential truth of that matter with my own eyes on my own instruments. While the humidity may be an acceptable level outside that does not mean that the humidty level is the same in your house, room, apartment or closet.
If you have a solid wood uke/instrument..PLEASE take care of it and keep your eyes on that humidity level...from one ukulele love to another.