A few more thoughts:
If you did not use tubes, I can foresee the "two-point" contact provided on the middle racks being a potential problem. Especially with sticks that are smaller than the holes. What happens if each cigar isn't firmly seated, and while closing the lid, the base slips out of the indentions at the bottom. That could result in misaligned sticks that could bind on each other, and result in bent or even broken sticks. I understand why they only have the base (indented) and the middle holes for those three racks, it is for display and ease of removal of individual sticks when the humidor was full. But, unless all holes are filled with cigars, it seems like misalignment becomes a greater issue.
In studying and thinking about it (without the tubes), wouldn't the cigars need to be inserted with the cap end down? Otherwise, the flat foots of most cigars would probably be more prone to slippage, and not fit very securely in the base plate that appears to "dimpled" (with holes for torpedo ended styles??). If inserted cap first, then the bands hanging up becomes an issue as well as much more difficulty in seeing the bands to determine what each cigar was.
How am I doing in talking you out of the project?
