kurie726
10-01-2008, 12:18 AM
Thanks all for the helpful information I have collected from these forums. I spent the last 3 weeks getting money together and gathering things to build a grow box ^_^
I found the perfect box at the Goodwill for 30 bucks. It's an old military trunk. It's about 3 feet tall or so, and maybe a foot and a half deep and wide. What makes it even cooler (for me) is the inscription on the lid.
TO TRANS. OFFICER
RAMSTEIN AB USAFE
RAMSTEIN, GERMANY
I have the box standing upright. I painted the inside with 2 coats of flat white paint from Wal-Mart. Than I cut a hole in the top right corner, and a hole in the bottom right side and installed computer fans. The bottom fan pulls air in, the top fan pushes air out.
On the back wall I installed a thermometer which cost me a dollar at Wal-Mart. I mounted a power strip on the right wall. The cord for this was placed in a small groove cut beneath the lower exhaust fan. The fan was installed in it's slot, and covers the power cord for the strip, which than is snaked out of the way behind the box and plugged into the wall. This one cord powers the whole box.
On the floor in the corner is a tiny computer power supply which is powering both fans. I shorted out the motherboard connector with a paper clip to allow the unit to provide power without being hooked up to a computer. I covered all the exposed wire with electrical tape. This gets plugged into the power strip inside the box.
I installed 3 brass hooks on the top inside the box, and one on the back wall. I have a heavy duty extension cord which is situated on the hooks in such a way that it can be pulled back and hung on the back wall. In this manner, the lights can easily be raised as the plant grows taller. The cord than hangs down from the top of the box. Plugged into this is a heavy duty 3 way adapater, and in each recepticle is a light bulb socket that runs off AC. I got the socket adapaters at Lowes for $2.50 each. I have 3 26 watt CFL bulbs plugged into these. These are the big twisty kind. I bought 6 at Wal-Mart on sale for 10 dollars. The adapter ended up being very heavy with the bulbs installed, so I cable tied it securely.
After much research, I opted to grow my plant in a GH Watergarden. I ordered one online, and it was my biggest investment. It cost about $65 but I believe it will be worth it. It arrived yesterday, and the whole thing was wrapped up in a black trash bag taped tightly to the box. I really appreciated this, as you could not see there was a hydroponic garden inside. It was really easy to put together too. This sits in my box, and the Elite 800 air pump that was included sits on the floor. The garden was much larger than I anticipated though. It takes up about 40 percent of the hieght in my box. I hope this does not cause a problem down the road with the lights I have hanging.
After I finished painting, installing fans and mounting things, I took a can of foam insulation and plugged up the holes around the sides of the fans. This stuff is pretty awesome. You shake it up real good, and shoot the foam in the cracks. After five hours, it's three times it's original size, and is hard enough to use sandpaper on. There is still light coming out of the fan blades though. I will have to devise a tube of some kind before flowering. It's a pretty neat box. You just take the lid off and set it aside. When I'm done in the box, the lid slips right back on and makes it lightproof. Except for the fans at the moment.
Well I have 2 red plastic cups in there with some soil, and I have a seed in each. Realisticaly, I can only grow one plant at a time in the box. I hope for females. I would love to update this with pictures, but money is really tight, and I do not have a digital camers. I have tried to be as descriptive as possible. Any thought or suggestions are welcome.
I found the perfect box at the Goodwill for 30 bucks. It's an old military trunk. It's about 3 feet tall or so, and maybe a foot and a half deep and wide. What makes it even cooler (for me) is the inscription on the lid.
TO TRANS. OFFICER
RAMSTEIN AB USAFE
RAMSTEIN, GERMANY
I have the box standing upright. I painted the inside with 2 coats of flat white paint from Wal-Mart. Than I cut a hole in the top right corner, and a hole in the bottom right side and installed computer fans. The bottom fan pulls air in, the top fan pushes air out.
On the back wall I installed a thermometer which cost me a dollar at Wal-Mart. I mounted a power strip on the right wall. The cord for this was placed in a small groove cut beneath the lower exhaust fan. The fan was installed in it's slot, and covers the power cord for the strip, which than is snaked out of the way behind the box and plugged into the wall. This one cord powers the whole box.
On the floor in the corner is a tiny computer power supply which is powering both fans. I shorted out the motherboard connector with a paper clip to allow the unit to provide power without being hooked up to a computer. I covered all the exposed wire with electrical tape. This gets plugged into the power strip inside the box.
I installed 3 brass hooks on the top inside the box, and one on the back wall. I have a heavy duty extension cord which is situated on the hooks in such a way that it can be pulled back and hung on the back wall. In this manner, the lights can easily be raised as the plant grows taller. The cord than hangs down from the top of the box. Plugged into this is a heavy duty 3 way adapater, and in each recepticle is a light bulb socket that runs off AC. I got the socket adapaters at Lowes for $2.50 each. I have 3 26 watt CFL bulbs plugged into these. These are the big twisty kind. I bought 6 at Wal-Mart on sale for 10 dollars. The adapter ended up being very heavy with the bulbs installed, so I cable tied it securely.
After much research, I opted to grow my plant in a GH Watergarden. I ordered one online, and it was my biggest investment. It cost about $65 but I believe it will be worth it. It arrived yesterday, and the whole thing was wrapped up in a black trash bag taped tightly to the box. I really appreciated this, as you could not see there was a hydroponic garden inside. It was really easy to put together too. This sits in my box, and the Elite 800 air pump that was included sits on the floor. The garden was much larger than I anticipated though. It takes up about 40 percent of the hieght in my box. I hope this does not cause a problem down the road with the lights I have hanging.
After I finished painting, installing fans and mounting things, I took a can of foam insulation and plugged up the holes around the sides of the fans. This stuff is pretty awesome. You shake it up real good, and shoot the foam in the cracks. After five hours, it's three times it's original size, and is hard enough to use sandpaper on. There is still light coming out of the fan blades though. I will have to devise a tube of some kind before flowering. It's a pretty neat box. You just take the lid off and set it aside. When I'm done in the box, the lid slips right back on and makes it lightproof. Except for the fans at the moment.
Well I have 2 red plastic cups in there with some soil, and I have a seed in each. Realisticaly, I can only grow one plant at a time in the box. I hope for females. I would love to update this with pictures, but money is really tight, and I do not have a digital camers. I have tried to be as descriptive as possible. Any thought or suggestions are welcome.