Just contructed a grow cab

[Dr.Hashman]

I was going to go out and buy a cabinet from Goodwill or Savers, some used clothing and such store but I found one on the way out of my house! I was visiting my mom's house and she has an old white office 2 drawer, 1 file cabinet that is 16"x17"x23.5" inside.

The building of it:

I first took out all the drawers
I took out the drawer mounts
Took the face plates off of the drawers along with the handles
Taped them all the face plates together in a row
Aligned them on a board cut to the inside dimensions
Screwed it on and mounted it


Now I just need to find a way of locking it good. There is a lock on the top drawer that I need to cut a hole for and replace, but it won't be that much work. I just need to find a drill bit the size of the hole (1" or so) to put the lock back on, then I need to find a way to secure it to the bottom. I am thinking about getting a hinge and screwing it on. I am thinking 2 hinges on the bottom.

Another way of locking it would to keep it locked in the front ALL the time. The top comes off fairly easy and I could build a tray that would hold all the pots and lift up easily from above. Lift them all out, water them, take pictures, then lower them back in. I could also lift out all 9 plants individually.


Lights: CFLs... I am thinking about using a 105w CFL with and 2 27w Air Purifying CFLs in it. I am not sure what 105w CFL I am going to get. I'll post the lighting specs on the next post. 10,600 lumens is good for a 16"x17" area right?


105 Watt Compact Fluorescent (http://www.1000bulbs.com/products.php?cat=105-Watt-Compact-Fluorescent)
Air Purifiers (http://www.1000bulbs.com/products.php?cat=Air-Purifiers)

Air: I'm not sure about this but it would be o' so nice if I could vent through the bottom. There is 1.5" of clearance between the bottom and the floor because it has wheels on it too :thumbsup:. I need to figure out a way I can vent hot air out the chamber.

Growing style: Promix with perlite and Super Tea Mix (PSG, bat guano, worm castings) will be my soil, then I will water with a high phosphorus guano mix during flowering. I grow Lowryders so I won't need to do a thing for height! I will just put the smaller plants in the center if they grow too high, I could always LST a bit. They will be in a SOG basically. I am planning on putting 20 plants in until they show their sex (3 weeks) and 9 plants in there for flowering.

[Dr.Hashman]

As you can see in the bottom specs, the 27w air purifying CFL is warm, 2700k. I am thinking that 2 of those then the full spectrum 105w bulb would veg and flower my plants nicely. Which of these on the list would you choose to go with my 2 27w?


105 Watt - Full Spectrum High Definition - 5000 Kelvin - Compact Fluorescent - 105W/SPRING/50K - Eiko #81180 - As Low As $26.67 ea.

Product Cost Per 100 hrs. = $0.27
Manufacturer: EIKO
Manufacturer's Part Number: 81180
105W/SPRING/MED/50K
Life Hours: 10,000
105 Watts
Approximate Incandescent Equivalent: 500 Watts
Initial Lumens: 6,900
Color Rendering Index: 84
Color Temp: 5,000
Warranty: 12 Months
Case Quantity: 6
Catalog Code: FC105/81180


105 Watt - Full Spectrum - 4100 Kelvin - Compact Fluorescent - 105W/Tube/41K - Eiko #81184 - As Low as $26.67 ea.

Product Cost Per 100 hrs. = $0.33
Manufacturer: Eiko
Manufacturer's Part Number: 81184
Description: 105W/Tube/41K
Life Hours: 8,000
Wattage: 105 Watts
Approximate Incandescent Equivalent: 500 Watts
Initial Lumens: 6900
Color Rendering Index: 82
Color Temp: 4,100k
Warranty: 12 Months
Case Quantity is 12
Catalog Code: FC105/81184


105 Watt - Full Spectrum - 4100 Kelvin - Compact Fluorescent - 105W/SPRING/MOG/41K - Eiko #81185 - $26.67 ea.

Product Cost Per 100 hrs. = $0.27
Manufacturer: EIKO
Manufacturer's Part Number: 81185
105W/SPRING/MOG/41K
Life Hours: 10,000
105 Watts
Approximate Incandescent Equivalent: 500 Watts
Initial Lumens: 6,900
Color Rendering Index: 84
Color Temp: 4,100K
Warranty: 12 Months
Case Quantity: 6
Catalog Code: FC105/81185

105 Watt - Full Spectrum High Definition - 5000 Kelvin - Compact Fluorescent - 105W/Tube/50K - Longstar FE-IIIB-105W/50 - $29.90 ea.
This is our Best Full Spectrum Product in our 105 watt Series as far as Longevity, Efficacy and Lumen Maintenance.

Product Cost Per 100 hrs. = $0.37
Manufacturer: Longstar
Manufacturer's Part Number: FE-IIIB-105W/50
105W/Tube/50K
Life Hours: 8,000
105 Watts
Approximate Incandescent Equivalent: 400 Watts
Initial Lumens: 6200
Color Rendering Index: 82
Color Temp: 5,000k
Warranty: 12 Months
Case Quantity is 12
Catalog Code: FC105/FEIIIB105


27w air purifying CFL

Compact Fluorescent - 27 Watt - 27W/Fresh 2Ti/Air Purifier/27K - Technical Consumer Products 28927MF2 As Low as $9.69 ea.

Manufacturer: Technical Consumer Products (TCP)
Manufacturers Part Number: 28927MF2
27W/Fresh 2Ti/Air Purifier/27K
Life Hours: 10,000
27 Watts
Approximate Incandescent Equivalent: 100 Watts
Initial Lumens: 1,850
Color Rendering Index: 82
Color Temp: 2,700K
Warranty: 12 Months
Case Quantity is 12/48
Catalog Code: FC27/28927F2

[Dr.Hashman]

Anyone have any suggestions on what light or how to vent hot air?

[Dr.Hashman]

Anyone? Anyone? bong time.

[divestoned]

low watt cfl's and computer fans?

Dive:stoned:

[Dr.Hashman]

I need to have my fans on the bottom of the unit. I was trying to think of a way to vent hot air from above to down below out the air vent. I was thinking of a cool tube type design. If I can isolate my heat (light) from the grow chamber, I can cut down heat by ALOT. I was thinking I would use tubing and such to create a passage for the air to flow through. I don't know if I want a passive intake since I need it to be lightproof, so I think I might run a very quiet 80mm fan as an intake then have the 120mm exhaust fan be connected to the cool tube type setup via pipes. I would leave some room around the cool tube open for an intake for the exhaust. So that is my plan. Got any suggestions?

Like the picture except with a 80mm intake fan on the bottom.

[Dizzy1]

Cool box idea. :)

As for the computer fans... I've been messing around with venting ideas myself and have come up with this.
120mm Fan, 4" ABS coupling. I have some strips of thin sheet metal that I've bent in a way where I can bolt the fan up to the coupling. I used some rubber gaskets and trimmed them so there isn't any gaps between the two. Now you can glue the ABS coupling to ABS pipe and run it how you want to run it. Or you can hook up a dryer vent.
I'd take a picture of it right this minute, but I'm down stairs and the camera is upstairs... and I'm comfy in my chair. ;)

[Dr.Hashman]

Thank you very much. I was thinking about using a PVC (ABS) pipe but didn't know how to mount it!

Thank you Dizzy1, I think I will do that (It will create a light trap too!

[Dr.Hashman]

I found a great way to cool my grow area. I am going to construct a cooltube type setup for the light, but the thing is, that the CFL is about 4.5" wide.

Overall Length 11.3 in
Diameter 4.41 in

What I am thinking about doing is getting a 70w HPS and using that with a 4" pyrex bake-a-round tube. The 70w light is like 3.25" so it fits perfectly. The 70w HPS with 1 odor emininating light is what I am going to use to start. I am going to try to fit a little yeast CO2 system in the corner of the box, maybe 2 small ones in opposite corners. Then I will have the cooltube intake be passive and be in the right corner close to you, then have the passive intake in the bottom of the grow box in the back left corner. I think I can easily supply my habbit in the grow box but I think I am going to make this a full seed run because I am heading off to college and I also don't want to get caught by my parents. I have my whole life to grow pot, I can learn to grow other things well in the mean time. I think I am going to grow some lettuce SOG style for now.

[Dr.Hashman]

I am also thinking about a 150w HPS if I can vent it. Would a 150w HPS in a cooltube connected to a 115cfm computer fan be too hot?

[JackdaWack]

you would be ok with no filter. Thats kinda pushin it tho.

[Dr.Hashman]

I will be growing lettuce in it if you didn't read 2 posts up. Not rasta lettuce, like romane lettuce as I am going to postpone growing cannabis until I move to a medical marijuana state and get a card, or until I am living on my own. So no filter, but 1 odor eliminating bulb will be in there just incase.

[whitestalkslongwalks]

that's just a very small space; how much light do you need? how much heat do you want to deal with? i don't think i'd want to deal with an HID in that space

[Dr.Hashman]

70w HPS and maybe a deodorizing light bulb would be no problem in a cooltube. 150w is pushing it... I don't know if the 70w will provide enough lumens though. 1.8 square feet and I will be using it all with plants. So around 6000 lumens from the HPS, then 1600 from the deodorizing light bulb, so that would be 4222 lumens per foot, that is acceptable.