Furniture for stealth grow cabinets

[lovelyflowers]

I'm designing some furniture that will look like real functional fine furniture on the outside, but will contain 250-280 watts of HPS lamps in the flower furniture, and about 240 watts of flourescents and HPS's in the vegie furniture. I'll be building the furniture from scratch using some classic designs, for example, a Quaker wardrobe, or a farmhouse pine tallboy dresser, or a series of drysinks, or an island highbar/computer center. In the latter furniture, the word "highbar" is appropriate. ha!

Anyway, I'm wondering a couple things about this design/build endeavor.

1) Is there a market for this kind of furniture?

2) How much air flow is required to cool a 70w HPS lamp in a .6cf sealed sheetmetal hood (11"x11"x8"tall) with 4" openings?

I'm planning to use a number of dc computer case fans that are super quiet, because I want the furniture to be silent if possible, but I don't know how many air changes I need for temp/hum control and for lights-cooling. I think 3-5 air changes a minute will work for temp/hum control, and 20-30 air changes a minute in the light hoods will help control heat in the furniture. Anybody beg to differ?

I'm looking at the vegie furniture to have a grow space of 12cf, and the flower furniture grow space is 20cf.

Besides DC fans and controllers for air-cooling the lights and adjusting the temp/humidity of the grow spaces, the furniture will have these other features:

*air-cooled lights, with warm air helping to heat the room
*grow space temperature and humidity regulated by circulating room air through the space when needed, which is determined by sensors.
*grow space exhaust air is filtered (activated charcoal and HEPA filter) and sent to a plenum where it passes through air enriched with ozone and negative ions before exiting the furniture.
*the fan controller allows adjustment of temperature and humidity settings, as well as fan RPMs for either noise control, or air flow control.

I'm also working on an 8' tall brute that will contain both a vegie and a flower chamber. It would look like a big wardrobe on the outside.

All vents will be hidden in the furniture, with fresh air coming up through the bottom on one side, and hot or exhaust air exiting the bottom on the other side. The openings will be hidden behind the cabinet toe boards.

The lights will have a duct system for sealed cooling, and the grow spaces will have a duct system for charcoal filtering and treating exhaust air with negative ion generator and ozone generator in the plenum.

the cabinet sizes have been determined for a dutch SOG perpetual harvest. the vegie chamber will contain four selected mothers, 16 cuttings from the mothers growing roots, and four plants in vegetative growth, chosen from the previous crop of 16 rooted cuttings.

the flower chamber will receive four new 9" tall plants every two weeks, and once it's going, it will also harvest four plants every two weeks. Both chambers are four square feet, so the cuttings are placed into 3" cups and take up one square foot. the mothers take up one square foot. they are in 6" square pots. All the plants, in fact, are in 6" pots. The flower chamber holds 16 plants.

so what do ya think? will anyone buy one of these from me? I realize I will have to make each one and make sure it works, by growing something in them.

I have no idea how to proceed, though. probably ought to find a pot attorney. probably the only people i can sell this furniture to are those who have a marijuana medical permit and want to grow this medicine in the house without all that stink.

lovelyflowers Reviewed by lovelyflowers on 12-13-2009. Furniture for stealth grow cabinets I'm designing some furniture that will look like real functional fine furniture on the outside, but will contain 250-280 watts of HPS lamps in the flower furniture, and about 240 watts of flourescents and HPS's in the vegie furniture. I'll be building the furniture from scratch using some classic designs, for example, a Quaker wardrobe, or a farmhouse pine tallboy dresser, or a series of drysinks, or an island highbar/computer center. In the latter furniture, the word "highbar" is Rating: 5

[redtails]

Sounds cool. Reminds me of the furniture quality snake cages my fiancée wants. As with those there's a very limited market but whether it's worth your while or not is dependent on how/where/to whom you market it. I say look at what the current makers of grow systems(tents) do to get their products out there and ask your local hydro/grow shops if there's interest in your area...

[LetsSeeYa]

I'm designing some furniture that will look like real functional fine furniture on the outside, but will contain 250-280 watts of HPS lamps in the flower furniture, and about 240 watts of flourescents and HPS's in the vegie furniture. I'll be building the furniture from scratch using some classic designs, for example, a Quaker wardrobe, or a farmhouse pine tallboy dresser, or a series of drysinks, or an island highbar/computer center. In the latter furniture, the word "highbar" is appropriate. ha!

Anyway, I'm wondering a couple things about this design/build endeavor.

1) Is there a market for this kind of furniture?

2) How much air flow is required to cool a 70w HPS lamp in a .6cf sealed sheetmetal hood (11"x11"x8"tall) with 4" openings?

I'm planning to use a number of dc computer case fans that are super quiet, because I want the furniture to be silent if possible, but I don't know how many air changes I need for temp/hum control and for lights-cooling. I think 3-5 air changes a minute will work for temp/hum control, and 20-30 air changes a minute in the light hoods will help control heat in the furniture. Anybody beg to differ?

I'm looking at the vegie furniture to have a grow space of 12cf, and the flower furniture grow space is 20cf.

Besides DC fans and controllers for air-cooling the lights and adjusting the temp/humidity of the grow spaces, the furniture will have these other features:

*air-cooled lights, with warm air helping to heat the room
*grow space temperature and humidity regulated by circulating room air through the space when needed, which is determined by sensors.
*grow space exhaust air is filtered (activated charcoal and HEPA filter) and sent to a plenum where it passes through air enriched with ozone and negative ions before exiting the furniture.
*the fan controller allows adjustment of temperature and humidity settings, as well as fan RPMs for either noise control, or air flow control.

I'm also working on an 8' tall brute that will contain both a vegie and a flower chamber. It would look like a big wardrobe on the outside.

All vents will be hidden in the furniture, with fresh air coming up through the bottom on one side, and hot or exhaust air exiting the bottom on the other side. The openings will be hidden behind the cabinet toe boards.

The lights will have a duct system for sealed cooling, and the grow spaces will have a duct system for charcoal filtering and treating exhaust air with negative ion generator and ozone generator in the plenum.

the cabinet sizes have been determined for a dutch SOG perpetual harvest. the vegie chamber will contain four selected mothers, 16 cuttings from the mothers growing roots, and four plants in vegetative growth, chosen from the previous crop of 16 rooted cuttings.

the flower chamber will receive four new 9" tall plants every two weeks, and once it's going, it will also harvest four plants every two weeks. Both chambers are four square feet, so the cuttings are placed into 3" cups and take up one square foot. the mothers take up one square foot. they are in 6" square pots. All the plants, in fact, are in 6" pots. The flower chamber holds 16 plants.

so what do ya think? will anyone buy one of these from me? I realize I will have to make each one and make sure it works, by growing something in them.

I have no idea how to proceed, though. probably ought to find a pot attorney. probably the only people i can sell this furniture to are those who have a marijuana medical permit and want to grow this medicine in the house without all that stink.

I would market them for your everyday veg grower. Advertise it as to get a head start on thier garden. People would figure it out fast im sure, but you could also market sites like this one:rasta:

[Phunnyman]

As a professional business guy, ( I teach economics and political science, have a marketing degree) begin by understanding your market. Are you providing a solution that is cost effective for the intended market? Are you able to do an honest swot analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the business), what overhead will you need, materials, fixed costs and variable costs, how will you attain materials, pay taxes, ship, warranty items, advertise, market, sales, accounting, finance, will you employ people, produce a catalogue or online only?

These are all things to consider and barely begin to touch on the idea of starting a business. Not even trying to rain on your parade, but sharing what I study, teach and have done several times successfully (starting a business). Personally, I think that it would be very cool if there was a quality furniture maker with covert growing in mind.

Best of luck to you and hope you follow through with your dreams.

G

[spambox]

Hello Lovelyflowers,

I'd be interested in helping you with this. I'm always looking to invest capital in interesting concepts. Send me a PM with your contact info. Do you have a business plan and P&L statement?

Thanks!

[redtails]

Hello Lovelyflowers,

I'd be interested in helping you with this. I'm always looking to invest capital in interesting concepts. Send me a PM with your contact info. Do you have a business plan and P&L statement?

Thanks!

Yo spammy, no pm's

[mainegrown]

the idea is one my roommate and i have been kicking around for a long time.. but we were thinking more along the lines of couches dressers and wardrobes. i like the bar idea and i will look into building one for the kitchen.. shouldn't cost us more than a hundo dollas..
will let you know and take pics. i HAVE the materials and supplies already. hit me up if you can think of any problems and/or solutions..
pace
-J

[Micsog]

i'm a carpenter/structural steel fabricator by trade and i like the idea i built a couple things for friends in the past like a functional tv console that had tricks to open certain panels that went behind the speakers and all with way up to the top the unit but it was big and dark cherry and extremely heavy 3 pieces took 4 grown men to carry made my work van drag the ground i can't remember the board ft but 8'w X 8't X 30" deep fits a flat panel tv lol! and everything from cd's to vhs but i didn't plumb it all for him so i don't know what fan or blower exactly but both side has 4" fans and it's super quiet hepa filters on the cabinet in and carbon on the exit

[Phunnyman]

Everyone here has some really great ideas for stealth furniture. I would suggest that to start a business or even to test market some pieces, start with writing a business plan. There are literally thousands of formats and sites that outline this, with thousands of books written on the subject.

If you're serious about it, I would first design a few pieces on paper ie; what materials, templates, costs, manhours, etc... it would take to make each one.

Then make one or even a few different ones and test market it to some folks on here who might be interested in such a product. find out what their desires and needs are, are these being met in your design, can you adjust your design for those needs?

Is it cost effective or in other words is it worth the time and money to you to make these?

I would then look and see if there is anyone else out there who is making the same thing or who could make the same thing. This is a swot analysis. (strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats for and to the business)

Write this out; what are you going to make, how are you going to make it, what is going to cost, is there a market for it, who is this market, is there room or growth for expansion of that market and your product, what does it cost you to make it, market it advertise it and sell it?

What are you going to to sell it for, what is your profit margin, how much should you profit from your work, talent, etc...? What kind of customer service will you provide if any? Are you going to design a website featuring your products?

How will you finance it? Is this money from your pocket (owner equity), investors, bank loan, etc? How will you pay taxes> (trust me, if you have any income at all, even if its illegal you have to pay taxes...Al "Scarface" Capone was busted on that very issue)

The most important part of this is to write it down. This is your road map to starting your business. You're going to rewrite this and expand it several times to find a draft that serves your purpose.

Just my two cents, and I hope that you can make something like this work. I'm all for people starting their own businesses, that is without doubt the backbone of the American market economy. If I can help by answering any questions for you or helping with marketing or economic information, please let me know.

[spambox]

I'm an investor and the idea seems intriguing. However, the business plan would have to be solid.