Just built this cabinet, tell me what you think

Its finally finished!!! So check it out, give me your opinions, positive or negative doesn't matter I want to hear it. Any advice, comments, questions, tips, etc. much appreciated. Its 5ft wide, 2ft deep, and about 7ft tall. The bottom chamber is for flowering and the top is for starting seeds and clones. I have a separate cabinet for veg not pictured. The top has a 4ft flouro, 120mm cpu fan, and a heat mat. The flowering chamber is equipped with a air cooled 400hps, a dayton 265cfm exhaust with a diy carbon scrubber, dayton 140cfm intake leading to a 7 inch oscillating desk fan and a 12 inch fan that blows air up to the exhaust. I got a CAP AIR3 controller(no co2 yet). Temps are in the mid to upper 70s.

more pics

last ones

Your high school wood shop teacher would be proud! ;)
Seriously that's a rockin' cabinet and my only 2 suggestions to increase efficiency are:
-Get that 400 HPS on a light mover or if you haven't bought it yet, look into a pair of 250s side by side instead to take advantage of the long, skinny space.
-Active intake is shooting yourself in the foot if it is not perfectly matched to your active exhaust. Take the smaller active intake fan, and use it as an exhaust for the 'veg' section, which is going to get HOT when you fire up the HPS downstairs. Allow passive intake through a good-sized hole cut low in each chamber. Run the exhaust on your HPS pulling air THROUGH an air-cooled hood and out- the order will be: Open end in grow room-> through light hood -> through ductwork -> through blower -> through carbon filter. Putting the filter after the blower dampens soud significantly. Also, hanging the blowers free, by soft, but heavy, ropes, dampens the vibration and makes them even QUIETER.
You can easily stuff a second shop light up top for happier seedlings.

Looks EXCELLENT so far. Good luck.

EDIT: Oh shit I didn't see the interior setup. But the active intake/active ehxaust suggestion still stands. I'm impressed by your tidy ducting and all.

Thanks Stinky for your words of wisdom and for your super fast reply! I stole some ideas from Farmer Rich's cabinet (sorry Rich!) I forgot to tell you I have a 6 inch duct fan sucking the hot air out of the reflector, its on the right side. My pics aren't the best I apologize. So you think I should remove the the small intake blower and go with a passive intake? I could cut a 6 inch hole on each side of the back on the bottom half would that be enough?

Do they make light movers that only have a 3 or 4ft track? The ones at the hydro store that I shop at only have 6ft tracks:(

dude that cabinet is sweet. how much did the entire build cost?

Looking at the way you have your ducting, a light mover wouldn't make much sense in that space and it seems your light distribution is a'ight... if you always make sure the shortest plants are UNDER the light, and the tall ones in the corners (=stadium stylee) you're better off.

All you need to think about is how the mismatched blowers are actually working at counter purposes to each other. LOTS of active exhaust CFMs and a passive intake are actually MORE efficient use of your air-moving watt allotment.

love the cabinet......can we get pics of your veg cabinet also?

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

Looking at the way you have your ducting, a light mover wouldn't make much sense in that space and it seems your light distribution is a'ight... if you always make sure the shortest plants are UNDER the light, and the tall ones in the corners (=stadium stylee) you're better off.

All you need to think about is how the mismatched blowers are actually working at counter purposes to each other. LOTS of active exhaust CFMs and a passive intake are actually MORE efficient use of your air-moving watt allotment.

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Sorry to threadjack, but I have a 172cfm exhaust and a 80cfm ductbooster active intake, piped around the plants with holes cut in, along with the end capped. I also have a 6x8 passive intake on the front left lower corner, I just wanted to get fresh air over closer to the plants. Do you think this is a problem, or due to the ample sized passive slot ok to do? seems to be working good now! Oh, and to the original poster...very nice work. I have a similar setup, but used rigid foamboard in lieu of wood, in case it needs to come down in a HURRY! :smokin:

Hey guys thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated:) I didn't add it up down to the penny but I'd say I got about $250 in just the cabinet not including all the goodies that go in it. Still not sure what to do about the ventilation system (Stinkys words burning in my brain like a hot cattle prod though) My veg cabinet isn't anything special, but I'll show it to you anyway.

Good Job on Your Cabinet!!! And Yes they do make 4ft Light Track's..
Like Stinky said, You might have to redo your ducting. If you haven't got the 400 yet, I'm with her, two 250HPS might be your best bet!!
Good Job & Good Luck.....Later

Hey thanks Hatch and everybody else! I originally wanted to put 2 400w hps lamps in there but it just wasnt reasonable. 2 250w lamps does sound better than 1 400w now that I think more about it (light distribution and heat). But I just bought that air cooled reflector specifically for this cabinet and I already had the 400w ballast and bulbs so I just stuck with it.

Hey no problem!!! You will be ok with the light choice you have. You might have to raise it to get good coverage. Good Luck, & fill it up!!!.....Later

Thanks :jointsmile:

sorry chongman, but I'm high and I have just one question for stinky.

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

Run the exhaust on your HPS pulling air THROUGH an air-cooled hood and out- the order will be: Open end in grow room-> through light hood -> through ductwork -> through blower -> through carbon filter.

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If the carbon filter is closed on one end and you have your blower blowing through the filter; how do you expel the hot air from your cab?

I want to run a carbon filter in my cab also and just wanted to know. Thanks :jointsmile:

the air is expelled out the side of the carbon filter, forcing the air through the carbon therefor scrubbing it and making no stink!