Grow cab. Need Critics please asses.

SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon

Well-Known Member
So i am going onto my second grow. i have decided to build a cab for them. I have watched FullMetalJacket build his cab, and am feeling a little in adequate.

I have come up with this drawing. I want to construct out of wood do to cost and ease of manufacturing.

I would also like to use some of the equipment i already have.
My carbon 33 filter
465 cfm blower
Blue end spectrum 125 cfl
Odor sok (don't have to use, but i have it)
400watt HPS (which i might put a switch in it to make convertable to MH)

I would like to make sure that i can still move it, so it will have to be on wheels. Also it has to be movable by two people (unloaded).

I was thinking about buying a reflector with cooling ducts and getting some small muffin fans to blow the air through. I haven't quite figured out what to do about the cloning room and mother room for air circulation. I was thinking about making the shelf that divided the two areas out of wire racking so that there could be one chamber for ease of ventilation. I was thinking of buying another CFL for the mother. Also i would like move the shelf in the flowering side rather then moving the light. This would keep the ducting neat and tidy. i would have to remove the plants to move the shelf up, but i think it won't be bad. I had hoped to keep the blower in the cab. But after drawing it up, i couldn't figure out where to put it. So thought i would mount it on the outside of the cab suspended by rubber rings. This cab is 4' wide and 5' tall.

Please let me know what you think. All criticism will be useful as changes are easier to make now on paper.

thanks :)
 

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FullMetalJacket

FullMetalJacket

Well-Known Member
Nice man... Really like the fully contained mother/veg/flower cabs.

Some food for thought, you may already know all this and have plans to take care of these already... just must opinions.

-That fan is going to be loud outside the cabinet unless it will be in an attic or other room or something
- The can filter 33 is rated max 200 cfm so you will need to dial down that fan to eliminate the smell.
- 3 Muffin fans for intake may be overkill and i wouldnt think they are necessairy with an exhaust fan like that..may have sound issues with all of them and problems blocking light.
-I wouldnt have an intake in the flower chamber as most air will come in through it as it is that path of least resistance unless your whole between the veg/mother and flower is large. That may interduce lighting blocking issues as well.

Obviously all these unique cab designs are great because they all can funtiion well just differently. I am in a cab build now with a similar set-up as you. Link is in my sig..
 
FullMetalJacket

FullMetalJacket

Well-Known Member
You know i would even consider just using the can filter 33 and big ass vortex for the flower cab and a passive intake. That way you can control the two sides independently. In the veg/mother/clone side maybe use the odor sock with one of those muffin fans assuming it is strong enough. I know those odor socks resiste alot less air than a carbon filter, and the air wont smell as bad so it should work fine. Five feet height for veg and mother is alot so adding that odor sock would not kill your space...

The two seperate exhaust fill also let you turn the big one down further reducing more noise. If you ever wanted to add CO2 in the future you wouldnt need to modify anything, it would all be in place already.
 
NLXSK1

NLXSK1

Well-Known Member
It is all wrong unless you are growing sunflowers...

Marijuana has long spikey leaves and does not have a big round flower on top. You need to work hard on how the plants look.... j/k

Looks good, you took your time thinking about things. That will save you $$ later.
 
Picasso345

Picasso345

Well-Known Member
What is your situation? Stealth must not not be much of a concern if you can mount the blower outside the box?

Also, I'm not a big muffin fan guy. They have their place being cheap and noisy, but I would think about cutting back on them and adding a bigger inline fan. In the main area, the intake is under the shelf/movable floor? The floor must be kinda loose to accommodate air needing to get by? And that muffin fan will have to be lightproofed somehow as well.
 
SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon

Well-Known Member
Hmmm, very good. Thanks guys i will make changes and post.
No stealth isn't really an issue for me. Its in a room downstairs and none of my friends go down there.

As to the fan. You would be suprised to find how quite it actually is. Before i mounted it in the box it was loud, then i put it in one and hung it from bungees and it got really quiet. Currently i have it on a rheostat, but have heard that it might not be good for it. I was thinking of either building a insulated box or covering my existing box with acoustic tile.
 
Picasso345

Picasso345

Well-Known Member
SimpleSimon said:
Hmmm, very good. Thanks guys i will make changes and post.
No stealth isn't really an issue for me. Its in a room downstairs and none of my friends go down there.

As to the fan. You would be suprised to find how quite it actually is. Before i mounted it in the box it was loud, then i put it in one and hung it from bungees and it got really quiet. Currently i have it on a rheostat, but have heard that it might not be good for it. I was thinking of either building a insulated box or covering my existing box with acoustic tile.
Click to expand...
I believe that fan is nice and quiet, I was more worried about the muffins.
 
SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon

Well-Known Member
So after a revamp i have made some changes. I am going to try and fit the blower behind the can filter. I have to make sure that both will fit in a 24" wide space. I was thinking i could house it in there and even run the other sok filter and the Light exhaust into it. Being that its 465cfms It should be powerful enough to handle all that. Dampers on the light and veg/mother room could be opened and closed for circulation. Making all intakes passive (as suggested) would mean that i could run this box off of one can. At 3.3 amps, that would keep my energy saving down too. Need to measure some stuff. I don't want the cab to exceed 24" before doors are mounted. 24 and 3/4 w/doors.

Also i am worried that i wont have enough room for my flowers. Does anyone know how close the light can be with an exhausted lamp? 400watt. Currently mine just has bat wings and 18" is about close enough. In this box i'll be pushing 12" Anyone know?
 
NLXSK1

NLXSK1

Well-Known Member
I have heard that with a properly exhausted enclosed lamp you can get the plants to within 6" although that may be pushing it.
 
FullMetalJacket

FullMetalJacket

Well-Known Member
I didnt see how many inches you fan is but I have the can 33 and the 8 inch fan fits it nice and tight without and flanges. So if yours is 8" maybe that will help you get within that 24".

I like tall flower chamber and the can 33 is a square foot. I felt having it over my light was wasting my height so i reduced the size of my veg chamber and put the filter on that side so not to reduce my height.

You fan probably is strong enough to do everything at 465 cfm. But with that filter you are going to want to figure max 200cfm. If you feel 200 cfm is suffecient in cooling you 400hps sealed light i say go for it...

Looks good bro..
 
SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon

Well-Known Member
I have a new config. I have decided to vent the whole cab with one fan and one filter. I am going to put dampers on each side to control air flow and make the cab a foot higher. Going to draw it up tonight.
 
W

whutsupevry1

Well-Known Member
Hey Man about 400 watts in the seemorebuds video it says a 400 watt can be 2 inches from canopy if exausted properly But I keep both of mine about 8 inches above and dont burn anything
 
FullMetalJacket

FullMetalJacket

Well-Known Member
FullMetalJacket said:
I didnt see how many inches you fan is but I have the can 33 and the 8 inch fan fits it nice and tight without and flanges. So if yours is 8" maybe that will help you get within that 24".
Click to expand...
Sorry if i confused people with this, it appears i may have. When i said within 24" i meant 24" the width of the cab so he could utilize the entire height. NOT light distance from the plant. I run my 600 in my cab within 2-3 inches w/ no issues. I have even had a bud laying up against it for like 12-24 hours and it was not bad...
 
SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon

Well-Known Member
FullMetalJacket said:
Sorry if i confused people with this, it appears i may have. When i said within 24" i meant 24" the width of the cab so he could utilize the entire height. NOT light distance from the plant. I run my 600 in my cab within 2-3 inches w/ no issues. I have even had a bud laying up against it for like 12-24 hours and it was not bad...
Click to expand...
oh cool. Okay. thats what i gotta do. I need to find some time to re draw this thing. I am out of town working on a project.
Besides FMJ if you confuse us its only because we are trying to keep up with your intellect.
 
SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon

Well-Known Member
full/m Did you use some sort of Noise dampering on your cab? I was looking around a little. I might get some sort of acoustic foam. Is that flatmat that your using a noise damper?
 
B

bfq

Well-Known Member
minor little thing... your light exhaust is running backwards... you are pulling the intake from high and exhausting low... work with physics and reverse that.

another thing, by making your intakes active (putting fans on them) you are actually raising the air temperature as it flows past those electric motors... a properly exhausted system does not require intake fans.

i like it, Sunflowers and all ;)
 
FullMetalJacket

FullMetalJacket

Well-Known Member
SimpleSimon said:
full/m Did you use some sort of Noise dampering on your cab? I was looking around a little. I might get some sort of acoustic foam. Is that flatmat that your using a noise damper?
Click to expand...
Yes i am; its called fatmat, i really didnt need it though everything is pretty silent.. I spend 260 on it. If i had to do it again i may just have done my utility chamber housing the fans.

I am now in the process of moving the plants back to the closet and ripping down the panda paper. I am going to paint it with Kilz 2 primer and Kool Seal rubberlike paint. It is supposed to be >90% reflective and dampen sound. I cant imagine how much sound but if you do 3-4 layers the stuff is as thick as a quarter and can probably dampen high frequency sound. It is also easy to clean and looks better.
 
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