Doortop Stash

Just for appearances, I removed the painted label from my cigar tube. Obviously it’s not strictly necessary for the stash to work.

Put on protective rubber gloves.

Pour out a little Goof-Off in a stainless steel bowl.

Dip a Scotch Brite pad in the solvent and vigorously scrub the cigar tube.

It takes a bit of elbow grease, but eventually the label should come off.

Wipe the tube clean with a paper towel and let it dry.

Mark the center of the cap with, e.g., a Sharpie marker.

Put a small dimple on the mark with a thumbtack, to guide the drill.

Using a brad-point drill, drill a 1/8-3/16″ hole in the center of the cap where marked.

Temporarily fix the 1″ flat washer to a a scrap of wood by driving three small nails around its rim.

Countersink the mounted washer slightly, so your flat-head bolt will sit flush against it.

Remove the nails and recover the washer.

Put the bolt into the washer, and invert it on the benchtop.

Guide the bolt through the hole in the cigar tube lid.

Add the 1/2″ flat washer inside the lid.

Add the split washer above the 1/2″ flat washer inside the lid.

Moisten the threads of the bolt with a dab of thread adhesive.

Finally, thread the nut onto the bolt and tighten down using a nut driver on one side and a screwdriver on the other. Don’t overtighten.

Set the cap aside and let the adhesive dry.

When the adhesive on the cap is dry, screw the lid onto the cigar tube.

Verify that the hardware inside the lid does not interfere with the closing of the lid.

Select a hollow-core interior door to conceal your stash. It should be a door you can access with some expectation of privacy.

Position the stash closer to the hinge than the knob. It will undergo less acceleration in this position, when the door is opened or closed, and is less likely to rattle.

Measure the thickness of the door, and mark the halfway point.

Being careful to keep the axis of the drill plumb, drill a 1/4″ pilot hole, as deep as you can, on the mark. A brad-point bit is less likely to wander.

Using a 1″ spade bit, with the pilot hole as a guide, counterbore a circular recess about 1/8″ deep in the top of the door.

The purpose of this recess is to provide clearance for the washer you mounted to the lid of the cigar tube, so it will sit flush with the top of the door. Thus, you don’t need to counterbore any deeper than the thickness of the washer.

Switch to a 3/4″ spade bit and, using the pilot hole as a guide, drill straight down into the door until your bit breaks through into the hollow space inside. This should be about 3-4″ down.

Use a rat-tail file to shape the opening to fit the tube. If your cigar tube is like mine, you’ll need to expand the opening a bit to accommodate the threaded portion at the top.

The washer attached to the top of the stash should fit flush with the upper surface of the door. The fit should be loose enough to lift out easily, but not so loose as to rattle when the door is moved.

A small magnet can be used to easily lift the stash clear of the door, as shown.