Help Needed with Stealth Wardrobe Design and Build

[RobbieP]

Hi everyone , well abit about me ...

ive done 3 grows previously , not very professional at all , just a spare room with some black and white thrown up and a 250 HPS light , got decent yields off the crops and was happy with the results (im not a cash cropper , just growing for personnal use and to save buying all this crap weed thats around at the minute for expensive prices!)

Now though im looking at a more permanent setup , not looking for massive amounts just enough to get me buy with a permanent supply so i dont have to get ripped off !

ive just invested in a wardrobe for a charity shop and ive been doing alot of research on stealth growing and cabinets , im also interested in a SCROG method of growing and SCROG cabinets ...

Below are some pics of the wardrobe and heres the diametres , the top box is separate but i will be screwing it to the wardrobe to make it a more perm fixture ..

Top Box - Hight 12" . width 46" . Diameter 19.5"
Wardrobe - Height 64" . width 46" . Diameter 19.5"



Im looking at converting this over a month or so ive got about 6-7 weeks before ill need to use it so hopefully i can have it running and tested by then.

A few questions ....

Wou)d this wardrobe size be ok for a SCROG ?
Would 1 x 250 HPS be ok in this wardrobe or would 2 x 200w CFLS (one each end) be better ? im thinking about electricity and heat .
in 2 -3 weeks i will be getting a new carbon filter , extraction fan , and 1metre of 4" Ducting (you can view these here >> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250582211963&category=43555&_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

Im thinking about installing the filter and the fan in the top box section and if enough room maybe use part the top section for a cutting area ....

So what you all think ...

Rob

 

[stelthy]

Questions answered

* yes, its fine for a SCROG grow

* 1X 250W MH/HPS will be fine... How many plants do you want to grow ??

* I think if you pretty much copy my cab (LINK below) you will come out smiling from ear to ear before youve even blazed one up



https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/320402-stelthys-600w-hps-project-new.html



Do you want to grow Hydro or Soil?? - STELTHY

 

[RobbieP]

Thanks for the reply Stealthy

Your Cab looks brill im deffo going to use it as my point of reference!

Im going to be growing in soil , i was thinking 2 plants and large buckets ? im not sure , basicly im only growing for personnal so as long as im getting 3 - 3 1/2 oz dry each crop ill have enough for a continuos supply

Also because of the height of the wardrobe how tall would i need to grow the plants before they hit the scrog net ? i know im no where near that stage yet but im just trying to forward plan because if there was going to be a long veg period to get the plants tall enough then id to work out what yield id be looking at to keep a constant supply, i have a cloning box but it only has enough room for plants to grow about 6" so not very big ... maybe i can incorporate a flowering area into the top box or inside the cab ??

 

[CSI Stickyicky]

Good luck, i'm looking to do the same thing, once i get a cabinet. For a tall skinny cabinet like that, and with only growing a few, i'd grow them tall, and stick T5s along the sides. A scrog will work, too.

 

[Captain Jaz]

I think the best way to go for you is vertical growing. Then you can get alot more weed for the space and cash used. With some ingenuity and a hack saw you can adapt your 250w hps to fit inside a 4" glass or polycarbonate tube. (I'm assuming that cash is an issue here and you can't afford to buy a ready made set-up) Then I would get another 250w or even 400w without the reflector and do the same. The cuboard looks quite narrow, so i would have the lights near the doors with mylar taped to the inside of the doors. Mold resistant matt white bathroom paint for the rest of the interior. Use screw in eyes and wire to make trelesses every 6-12" around the inside of the cuboard. The glass tubes will need to be attached to 4" ducting, and inturn attached to a extractor fan. Bathroom extractors are the cheapest, but can be noisy, so look for one that advestises itself as quiet, and muffle it with foam around it, and where it joins the wood. (Professional vent fans aren't that quiet either, unless you wanna spend alot of cash). So anyway, looks like you can get about 8-10 plants in there if you grow vertically, and the way to do it is as they grow, tie down the main stem and also tie the branches out so the plant is basically growing flat against the walls, this maximises the amount of light your plants recieve and the use of your space. Giving you 1g/watt np. Which is a hellofa lot more than u would get if u tried scrog in a closet.
Best of luck. Lemme know if u need more help, did a few of these closet grows before i got a better space to do it in! ;-]

 

[Captain Jaz]

Also, this way height isn't an issue, even if the grow to the top of the cuboard you can just make the grow sideways!

 

[zem]

a 400w can light it up, i think 250 is not enough for the whole area, you need about 50w per square foot. IMO consider a 400 to use it up. the fan noise is something you need to avoid for stealth. get a higher cfm fan than needed with fan controller and set it on medium, just a thought

 

[Captain Jaz]

Here's a nice example for you - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SEMdTgz9Zw

 

[stelthy]

Thanks for the reply Stealthy

Your Cab looks brill im deffo going to use it as my point of reference!

Im going to be growing in soil , i was thinking 2 plants and large buckets ? im not sure , basicly im only growing for personnal so as long as im getting 3 - 3 1/2 oz dry each crop ill have enough for a continuos supply

Also because of the height of the wardrobe how tall would i need to grow the plants before they hit the scrog net ? i know im no where near that stage yet but im just trying to forward plan because if there was going to be a long veg period to get the plants tall enough then id to work out what yield id be looking at to keep a constant supply, i have a cloning box but it only has enough room for plants to grow about 6" so not very big ... maybe i can incorporate a flowering area into the top box or inside the cab ??

Yeah dude, your cab is set out pretty much the same ... I was thinking, If you only need 3-4 oZ and want to do it as cheaply as possible I think the best way to go Is with 3X 125w ENVIROLITE CFL and just hang them via the cords, Cover the inside of the unit with mylar, you can use a much smaller fan with these lights and again save more electricity and you could even grow a 3rd lady in there as well! Its a good idea to keep the leccy bill as low as possible so with 3X125W Envirolites that is 375W and a couple of CPU fans/Bathroom extractor fans you should be running less than 500W all in, I mean you could run 2X 200W CFL's, or 2X 125W+1X 200W CFL, The moment you start using HID you will have 'heat' to deal with and heat means fans (noise+power) And if you use LED you'll either be ripped off with crap LEDs or have to pay a major price to get some good ones, So baring this in mind I think ENVIROLITES may be your best bet, I've done a grow with them and they work 'Great' If you plan to SCROG the average height toi start training them is between 12&14" tall ...Another option you may want to look into is growing Auto's (Dwarfs) on a 12/12 light schedule...This means you can stage your plants 2-3 weeks apart and do a perpetual grow giving you a more frequent harvest and cos they dont grow all that tall or wide you could have upto 8 plants in your cupboard and harvest every other week This will also give you more variety in your smoke as well a making an interesting journal for everyone to read and follow Also by growing dwarfs you dont need to seperate chambers (veg+flowering) since the plants are on auto let me know what lights you want to use and I can assist you furthur - STELTHY

 

[zem]

Yeah dude, your cab is set out pretty much the same ... I was thinking, If you only need 3-4 oZ and want to do it as cheaply as possible I think the best way to go Is with 3X 125w ENVIROLITE CFL and just hang them via the cords, Cover the inside of the unit with mylar, you can use a much smaller fan with these lights and again save more electricity and you could even grow a 3rd lady in there as well! Its a good idea to keep the leccy bill as low as possible so with 3X125W Envirolites that is 375W and a couple of CPU fans/Bathroom extractor fans you should be running less than 500W all in, I mean you could run 2X 200W CFL's, or 2X 125W+1X 200W CFL, The moment you start using HID you will have 'heat' to deal with and heat means fans (noise+power) And if you use LED you'll either be ripped off with crap LEDs or have to pay a major price to get some good ones, So baring this in mind I think ENVIROLITES may be your best bet, I've done a grow with them and they work 'Great' If you plan to SCROG the average height toi start training them is between 12&14" tall ...Another option you may want to look into is growing Auto's (Dwarfs) on a 12/12 light schedule...This means you can stage your plants 2-3 weeks apart and do a perpetual grow giving you a more frequent harvest and cos they dont grow all that tall or wide you could have upto 8 plants in your cupboard and harvest every other week This will also give you more variety in your smoke as well a making an interesting journal for everyone to read and follow Also by growing dwarfs you dont need to seperate chambers (veg+flowering) since the plants are on auto let me know what lights you want to use and I can assist you furthur - STELTHY

theres a misconception here, you're suggesting 2x125wcfl or 2x200 cfl saying that HPS will cause heat problems... but fact is watt to watt comparision, HPS gives less heat more lumens output that would a CFL. that is a 250w HPS will gve more light less heat than 2x125wcfl same thing for 400wHPS vs.2x200w cfl

 

[stelthy]

theres a misconception here, you're suggesting 2x125wcfl or 2x200 cfl saying that HPS will cause heat problems... but fact is watt to watt comparision, HPS gives less heat more lumens output that would a CFL. that is a 250w HPS will gve more light less heat than 2x125wcfl same thing for 400wHPS vs.2x200w cfl

I disagree a 250w HPS you could never hold in your hand whilst fired up and been running for a couple of hours, A 200W ENVIROLITE you could hold all day long with out even a tiny burn to your hand..

Yeah HPS gives out more lumens I agree, but alot of the spectrum is not needed for the plants photo-period etc.. The Envirolites have a higher PAR rating which is 'All' needed by the plant.

Now I am not a die hard CFL fan or anything...I have used them before BUT I am using HID now, not because of the lumen rating or anything I just designed a different set up and wanted to test it out

So Yes HPS/MH WILL give you more light and lumens But also alot more heat! and alot of the light output IS wasted!

So

ENVIROLITE CFL run the same watts or there abouts..run cooler and make up from lack of lumens by 100% PAR although the intensity is no where near as strong as HPS!

So IMO Envirolites are more cost effective for a small hobby grower, and alot easier to maintain a 26oC room temp with opposed to HPS where a high CFM fan will be needed to maintain 26oC

I've used both types of lights and CFL definatley run cooler - STELTHY

 

[CSI Stickyicky]

I've used both types of lights and CFL definatley run cooler - STELTHY

I respectfully disagree. Only because the ballast of the CFL, and the bulb, is inside the cabinet, but with HPS, you can mount the ballast outside and only the bulb is inside. A cooltube or other air cooled reflector only reduces heat inside tent even more.

Also, since HPS is more intense, you need less wattage than CFL for the same coverage/intensity. Less wattage means less heat.

In my experience, the CFLs heat up my tent way more than HPS.

 

[stelthy]

I respectfully disagree. Only because the ballast of the CFL, and the bulb, is inside the cabinet, but with HPS, you can mount the ballast outside and only the bulb is inside. A cooltube or other air cooled reflector only reduces heat inside tent even more.

Also, since HPS is more intense, you need less wattage than CFL for the same coverage/intensity. Less wattage means less heat.

In my experience, the CFLs heat up my tent way more than HPS.

Hmm... Interesting point!

However..If you mount the HID/HPS lamp etc.. in a Cool-Tube a worthy fan will be needed to cool the tube and add extra watts to the electric bill, baring in mind trying to keep costs down on this one)

As far as ballasts go you have that correct CFL ballasts are built in and do add to the heat of the bulb, I would still like to say the combined heat given off is still touchable by hand unlike HID bulbs.. But 'IF' you were to put a CFL of simerlar wattage into a cooltube you could cool the lamp/s with a smaller wattage fan (running less watts).

I am still convinced temp wise CfLs including ballast's run at a lower ambiant temp than any 250W HID lamp (without cooltube) - STELTHY

 

[RobbieP]

I think the best way to go for you is vertical growing. Then you can get alot more weed for the space and cash used. With some ingenuity and a hack saw you can adapt your 250w hps to fit inside a 4" glass or polycarbonate tube. (I'm assuming that cash is an issue here and you can't afford to buy a ready made set-up) Then I would get another 250w or even 400w without the reflector and do the same. The cuboard looks quite narrow, so i would have the lights near the doors with mylar taped to the inside of the doors. Mold resistant matt white bathroom paint for the rest of the interior. Use screw in eyes and wire to make trelesses every 6-12" around the inside of the cuboard. The glass tubes will need to be attached to 4" ducting, and inturn attached to a extractor fan. Bathroom extractors are the cheapest, but can be noisy, so look for one that advestises itself as quiet, and muffle it with foam around it, and where it joins the wood. (Professional vent fans aren't that quiet either, unless you wanna spend alot of cash). So anyway, looks like you can get about 8-10 plants in there if you grow vertically, and the way to do it is as they grow, tie down the main stem and also tie the branches out so the plant is basically growing flat against the walls, this maximises the amount of light your plants recieve and the use of your space. Giving you 1g/watt np. Which is a hellofa lot more than u would get if u tried scrog in a closet.
Best of luck. Lemme know if u need more help, did a few of these closet grows before i got a better space to do it in! ;-]

This is something im interested in and something i have been looking at but i dont think i have the knowledge to convert a HPS bulb without burning my cab down lol ... but its still something im going to look into

 

[RobbieP]

Yeah dude, your cab is set out pretty much the same ... I was thinking, If you only need 3-4 oZ and want to do it as cheaply as possible I think the best way to go Is with 3X 125w ENVIROLITE CFL and just hang them via the cords, Cover the inside of the unit with mylar, you can use a much smaller fan with these lights and again save more electricity and you could even grow a 3rd lady in there as well! Its a good idea to keep the leccy bill as low as possible so with 3X125W Envirolites that is 375W and a couple of CPU fans/Bathroom extractor fans you should be running less than 500W all in, I mean you could run 2X 200W CFL's, or 2X 125W+1X 200W CFL, The moment you start using HID you will have 'heat' to deal with and heat means fans (noise+power) And if you use LED you'll either be ripped off with crap LEDs or have to pay a major price to get some good ones, So baring this in mind I think ENVIROLITES may be your best bet, I've done a grow with them and they work 'Great' If you plan to SCROG the average height toi start training them is between 12&14" tall ...Another option you may want to look into is growing Auto's (Dwarfs) on a 12/12 light schedule...This means you can stage your plants 2-3 weeks apart and do a perpetual grow giving you a more frequent harvest and cos they dont grow all that tall or wide you could have upto 8 plants in your cupboard and harvest every other week This will also give you more variety in your smoke as well a making an interesting journal for everyone to read and follow Also by growing dwarfs you dont need to seperate chambers (veg+flowering) since the plants are on auto let me know what lights you want to use and I can assist you furthur - STELTHY

CFLS where my original idea but i was thinking using 2 x 200w CFLs one each end of the cabinet then sitting a extraction fan and carbon filter in the top box and drilling a hole from the top box into the top of the cabinet for a duct !

Auto flowers are also a great idea and one i have been thinking about only problem with Auto's is that you need to constantly buy seeds as far as im aware you cant take cuts of auto's or am i incorrect ?

I think i might invest in a few CFL's if im using 2 (one for each side) ill need 2 x blue and 2 x red , correct?

im also thinking about converting 2 shades by adding a extra E40 lamp holder to each one so i can run the red and the blue CFL's togethor (one of each in each shade) so then i dont have to swap bulbs half way through ... good idea or bad ?

Electricity is a big factor as im on a top up card meter so cheaper the better. Im not for scrimping on money for design but ever little helps with the electric

 

[RobbieP]

Heres my design idea for the cabinet , inlet at the bottom , with the plants in a shelf with 4 PC fans blowing air up from the inlet , 2 x CFL lights and ducting going into the top box going into the carbon filter with the outlet fan blowing it out. Im crap on paint and designing in general so id like to know what you think ... this idea would be for 5 Auto's , i was thinking planting them all 2 weeks after each other for a constant supply every 2 weeks ....

 

[Captain Jaz]

This is something im interested in and something i have been looking at but i dont think i have the knowledge to convert a HPS bulb without burning my cab down lol ... but its still something im going to look into

Basically all you need to do is remove the reflector, and find a heat resistant method of attaching it to the tube that still allows the air to circulate past it.

 

[Captain Jaz]

Heres my design idea for the cabinet , inlet at the bottom , with the plants in a shelf with 4 PC fans blowing air up from the inlet , 2 x CFL lights and ducting going into the top box going into the carbon filter with the outlet fan blowing it out. Im crap on paint and designing in general so id like to know what you think ... this idea would be for 5 Auto's , i was thinking planting them all 2 weeks after each other for a constant supply every 2 weeks ....

View attachment 1336374

Autoflowering plants aren't bad idea for you if you haven't got a seperate veg space, cos although your yeilds would be alot lower, you would get them more often. Though I would plant them all at once so they are the same height and you make the most out of you light buy having all plants as close to your light as possible. Vented lights are also good for this, as you can get the lights 30cm away instead of 50cm. Although I would say get 2 dual spectrum 250w or one 400w vented HPS instead of cfl if you want decent yeilds.

 

[zem]

cfl's can give you a couple buds with same wattage, hps will rock. you need 400w. i shrink my room to vent it better, your space is not small. you can listen to the pros. cfl is for small pc boxes and shit, anything more than 3sq.ft is better lit with hps. cfl's cant penetrate a canopy, lost energy

 

[Griffta]

I dont know if its cool to ask questions in someone else's thread, but this one is v.similar to things i need help with too. So I've 'scribed it (first time ive done this as Im a total newb to this forum). I'm on a mission to convert a wardrobe into my own grow cabinet too, and that looks v.similar to the space I had planned for mine.
Ive read (most of) stelthys 2 threads & all I can say is that kind of end product cab is an absolute dream. I gave you rep for them, without even knowing what that means lol.
Anyway, I need my cab to be stealth as poss and was thinking Id have to go down the LED route as I like the idea of low fire risk, low 'leccy bills & great end product (amongst other things). but whats the deal with the envirolite CFLs? Whats the downside? Does their lack of intensity effect quality or yield? maybe these would be a cheaper & simpler option for me (especially as its going to be my 1st grow) but I dont want to get them if the end product isnt that good.