I can't find the answer

I need some help on this. I have a cabinet 2'X3'X5'high that I want to use as a veg room. I have a bunch of stuff laying around that I would like to use for this but don't know how well it will work.
I have 6 flouro shop lights that I was going to mount vertically, 3 on each side of the cab, and an 8 bulb cfl fixture w/23w bulbs on chains from the top.
This will give me a total of 48800 lumens, which is plenty.
My question comes from using the shop lights. I read that they need to be very close to the plants, which they would be eventually as the plants grow, but at the beginning they wouldn't. The cab is flat white on all surfaces.
Would there be useful light from these side lights at 12"? The cab is light tite.
Where would the light go if not to the plant?
I hope this is a clear explanation of my questions.:smokin:

put splitters on ur cfl fixture and double the amount of cfls so u do not need the flors and u have more room. i run in a 3x3 20 26w cfls on a fixture i made and see ridiculous growth (plants that look like IT from the adams family) i am not sure the lumens though

it is a 4 light fixture with splitters to make it 8. I just wanted to use the shop lights cuz I got em layin around. I do have another 4 light fixture off an old ceiling fan that I could put splitters on to make it 8 light.

ya i feel u on trying to use what you have, but i dont know shit about lighting and cant tell u how effective it will be.

I know the cfl's would work by themselves. I was curious about the 4' tubes. I was hoping Opie Yutts or Physicsnole will see this since they both seem to be expert in the lighting arena.

The supplemental side lighting will of course increase horizontal growth from the plants.

With the CFL's suspended 2'' from the canopy until they are at around 5-8 nodes would be plenty. But the side lighting will trigger the side nodes. It's like LST, without moving the plant, just aiming the light. And if you used those tubes with 2500k's in them for flowering, it really should improve the popcorn nugs down low.

but Opie should have a hella good explanation. I'm no expert.;)

Good luck and Be Safe:jointsmile: