Portable Cabinet

[JD1stTimer]

I am wanting to build a portable cabinet either from scratch or starting with something already made (IKEA possibly?).

I am just wondering if others have built their own cabinets and how well your ideas worked out, any mistakes or pitfalls with methods, and whether you would go with the same basic plan again.

I have a very limited budget for time and money, and I honestly can't afford to do a lot of experimentation. I need to do this just once and have it work. Buying ready-made systems is definitely out unless it could be had for less than $200. (And maybe not even then, I would have to cut my food budget to nearly zero and my gasoline to work only, no extra driving)

If anyone has any suggestions for plans that worked and which ones didn't, I would surely appreciate you.

[JD1stTimer]

I guess we can't edit a post? Anyway, I have built my first cab. I used a Sterilite cabinet, cut a square hole in the top shelf to drop a bathroom fan into, cut a round hole in the back to duct the exhaust and run the cords out of, hung hooks from the second shelf and suspended an "Exo Terra" three-lamp cfl hood with reflectors from chains. I also cut a hold in the center of the second shelf, and one at the bottom rear of the cabinet for air to come in. I have two daylight lamps at 23 watts each and one Repti-Glo 10.0 26w lamp which supposedly is blue-spectrum with loads of UV-B. I think this should work okay with scrog or sog if I keep the lights within two or three inches of the plants. I'm just wanting to produce a little smoke for myself, so if it's a failure I only lost about $37.00 (The cost of the Exo-Terra Hood). I will still use the cabinet but with a small HPS or MH floodlight, or if I can't get that, maybe four of the Exo-Terra two-lamp units would fit in my cab. I'll post pics as soon as I get some. Also I think a good upgrade would be to build my own fixture that could handle as much as 65w CFL lamps. Somehow I just have a sneaky feeling HPS is a serious fire hazard. I have this idea that if your cooling system fan were to go out and you were asleep your cabinet would catch fire. All in all I got out with around $100 in expenses. I will start with bagseed and see what I can get from that before I would ever spend the money and take the risk of ordering genetics. Beans are already in soil.

[SnSstealth]

I'm just wanting to produce a little smoke for myself

All in all I got out with around $100 in expenses.

OUTSTANDING! you should do fine with ur setup. dont know much of cfl's but ive seen many a grow with nice results, so if that top quote is true, you seem to be all set.

BTW, your first success in growing will make you happy as hell. no matter what the genetics, when you hit that first stuff you grew yourself, youll know its the best ever and you will not be able to remove the smile from your face:D

db:smokin:

[JD1stTimer]

Okay, here's the pics. And this isn't my first ever grow, once I did a girl under a few flouros in my closet, just the flouros in a pendant lamp and the flowerpot on the shelf. When it came time to flower, I took a few clones which did root, and for 12/12 my only option was to wrap my plants in a black landscaping fabric, then take it off again. LOL sometimes I forgot, and the light was very weak, but I did get some flowers. I got about 11 g of very loose, airy, not very potent (had to smoke three bowls just to get a buzz) buds. Then I got about 2 g from one of the clones I took from her. I'm just glad I can bring the plant through a full life cycle and make successful clones. I got the skills, I just need the money and the facilities. Oh and I'm in my own place now, no parents, no landlord, so it will be much easier this time around. Anyway, here's the pics. I'm thinking about coating the inside with black paint and then maybe a flat white so it won't let light in, but it's going into a dark room anyway.

[JD1stTimer]

The last pic:

[reworgallirog]

smoking Marijuana is not addictive but growing is." when you hit that first stuff you grew yourself, youll know its the best ever and you will not be able to remove the smile from your face" -SnSstealth

[jordas]

That is a nice little cab.....

[JD1stTimer]

Thanks, Jordas. :) I just can't wait for my seedlings to get big enough to take cuttings. Right now they are about four weeks old and they are very tiny still, but healthy looking. I planted seeds in four small pots, and only two germinated, I usually get about 90% germination and much faster vegetative growth so I don't know if my seeds are bad or if it's because I used old soil in old pots to plant them in. I usually sterilize my pots in the dishwasher and use fresh soil but I didn't have any soil available and I just couldn't wait to plant some seeds. Mushrooms popped up when I watered the soil the first time. :eek: They don't seem to do any harm though.

[JD1stTimer]

I took a clone from each of my two seedlings, within one week the roots were coming out of the peat pellets and now they are in flowerpots with miracle gro potting mix. Once I see that there is no transplant shock they will be moved to my cabinet and I will keep you guys posted. I don't know their sex yet, but I have a feeling they are both females. If they do well I might finally order some genetics instead of just playing with bagseed, but whatever, I might get lucky and find an excellent mother some day. I'd rather not mailorder, I always use cash for unusual purchases, except once or twice I have used a cc to purchase cc magazine. BTW Cannabis Culture seems like a much more thoughtful magazine than High Times, IMO. Pics to come Wednesday.

[JD1stTimer]

I put them in the cabinet on the 9th. The sex is still rather ambiguous. How long should it take for clones in flowering to show sex? I have light leaks and I didn't keep the cab in a dark room like I thought I would. Ooops. What have you guys found works well for sealing the door hinges from light? Weatherstripping? I also need to cover it with black paint. I have something called "Rubber-Cote". It's a black layer of rubber in a spray can. Does that sound like a good covering for a cab? What makes a good covering for an air intake hole? A dryer vent cover? It's funny how much stuff you can not notice when you try a new project for the first time. :) That's how the game is played though. BTW I'm high. Here's some pics: :stoned: :rasta::bonghit::S5: :rastabanna: Oh, ooops, you were expecting pics of my cab and my clones. Okay, here ya go.

http://boards.cannabis.com/attachments/indoor-growing/198156d1219277464-portable-cabinet-imgp0710-modified-gimp-image-editor-.jpg

[attachment=o212110]

[attachment=o212111]

[attachment=o212112]

[attachment=o212113]

[attachment=o212114]

[JD1stTimer]

I think they are both males. :( What do you guys think? I've never actually seen a male plant before.

[JD1stTimer]

I guess it's time to start a grow log for my next batch of seedlings. Im gonna get rid of these two before they start dropping pollen and get rid of their mothers also unless someone posts on here telling me one's a female.

[stickyichy]

they look hella male to me.

[JD1stTimer]

Yep I trashed them the next day after that post. I just put some seeds in soil Sunday and half of them have germinated. Hopefully my luck will be better this time.

[JD1stTimer]

I started clones from the seeds I planted April 29th. Some of them are way too small, I don't know if they will take root. Also I have never put multiple clones in one tray before, I have always used a beer glass for each jiffy pellet.

I have covered the cab with black trash bags. Here's pics!