Grow cabinet build log with pics

Yea they are vented, but the vents face down and aren't really designed for letting heat from a pot growing bulb out of the closet. I can't do change that much, mother cannot find out. When the humidity has gotten up to 56% the temp has gotten down to 79, one degree cooler than the ambient. I'll post the temps when I have the reptile fogger in there.

If the door is vented and it has a gap at the bottom like most doors u can do this. Build a small box the same dimensions as your vent on the door. figure out how to attach this box to the door. On this little box you can mount a fan that draws cool air into the closet. Hot air should be pushed out under the door if the fan is strong enough.

For anyone that has been following my grow cab build, here is an update of my progress with pics. The HPS is soooo bright inside the box. This little box makes a 150 watt HPS look like the sun is rising in my grow cab LOL. If I can keep temperatures under control once I have a plant in this; then, I should be able to grow some super dank in no time. I was thinking I might need to add a couple of 2 foot T5 fixtures in the corners, but now that I have seen the HPS running inside this thing, they are definately not needed. In fact, I could even say that this light is too bright for such a small place. What the $%#$ am I talking about? Your grow light can never be too bright!!

A pic of some more parts I am using is included. I goofed on buying the continuous hinge for the door, and its too long. That goes back tomorrow for 3 small hinges. The weather stripping is how I plan to light proof the door and make it airtight also. It will also help seal the top of the box to create a vacuum with the fans. I'll be installing the door tomorrow and adding more white paint to this; then, it should be done.

Anyway, take a look, all questions and comments are welcome!

damn that all is so clean looking. how long did that take you to build? does light not escape through the fans though? or is it minimal?

<stealthgrowing> said:

Well, inside, at the top of my box, beneath true top I have installed another piece of plywood. So, this partition of sorts is a like a shelf inside the box that seals off the very top 4 or 5 inches of the box. T he fans are mounted on the top of the partition and the light is mounted on the bottom of it. Here is some pics. I've been delayed in finishing it because of some classes I am taking and work, but I will have it done by my next day off on Monday of next week.

Don't be hasty in your design. If you design the box well, it will serve you well. Its important not to drill any holes that poke through to the outside without caulking them in the end. Your corners need to be good and clean. A jigsaw is a necessity for doing something like this well. If you don't have one, then pick up one for $25 at walmart.

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just saw your updated pics. gotta say wow, you are really thinking of it all, while showing me the little details i havent even considered. i got a long flight back to the states coming up and i thin i will spend a decent time really figuring this out.

question for ya. not including the light or powerstrips, how much did it cost to buy all the materials and build this guy? i would like to build a cabinet that i can keep for a while, but i dont want to spend more than ~$60 on it

I made the box from a solid sheet of DVM particle board. The single sheet cost me between 12 and 15 US dollars. So, yes the box could be built for less than 60 dollars exactly the way I built it. The light cost $84, the DVM cost $12-15, The fans cost about $30. The whole thing can be duplicated for well under $200 I think. Where you see the fans will not be visible once I put the top on the box. I'll put the top on after I cut about a 2 inch gap along the back/top of it. this gap is where hot air will exit from the fans. Light leakage should be minimum, but if its more than I want then I will devise a fix for it. Pics of the finished product coming soon. I just put the door on today and I will light proof the door later tonight. As far as time goes I honestly don't know how long I have worked on it. Some days I worked on it more than others. I have spent couple of hours on it here and there when I had time. It was not an easy build. Its not something you could do in one day. It has to be measured out and assembled and then painted. any accsesories have to come after paint has dried. I used two coats of Behr ultra white semigloss everywhere. I am somewhat experienced with carpentry so I enjoyeed it. I think a less experienced person may hit a snag trying to duplicate it. but, if you feel that your skills are good then I say give it a shot. I think this box is going to serve me very well for several years.

Btw: I built this box from scratch, in my bedroom with a 6x6 area to work in. LOL

One bad ass set up.One quick question,how big do you think the plant(s) will be,not a whole lot of top space.

luvvin growin said:

One bad ass set up.One quick question,how big do you think the plant(s) will be,not a whole lot of top space.

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This is the question that has been my mind all along... What will I grow in this little box??? I could do a mini scrog, I could LST a single plant or 2, or I could just grow the largest plant that will fit into the box and not bump the light. I'm sure I will try all of these ideas. I could also re-vegetate the plant after I harvest.

What I will do first more than likely, is grow a seedling of White Widow up good & thick while I prune and top to create more nodes. Hopefully the clone I take from her will be past incubation and grown a bit once the mother has finished flowering. Then I will just repeat the process again with another clone. My goal is to buy seeds only once, but grow with them for a really long time. I'll use only feminized White Widow.

I'll be building a clone incubator out of a Antec computer case after I move. the PC case and this box will sit together in a closet growing bud.

+ rep me if you like what you see. I wanna be in the Rollitup.org hall'o fame

Sweet,I like the ieas,keep up posting,I would like to see how things turn out,that box is BRIGHT AS HELL,that's the kind of lumens I'm trying to put out!

luvvin growin said:

Sweet,I like the ieas,keep up posting,I would like to see how things turn out,that box is BRIGHT AS HELL,that's the kind of lumens I'm trying to put out!

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Ya its just a 150 watt HPS doing that. I guess the reflector is a good one, its all dimpled.

I guess so,it looked like the sun was in that box.Keep up the great work.

luvvin growin said:

I guess so,it looked like the sun was in that box.Keep up the great work.

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You know I will man... I just ordered my 5 pack of feminized White Widow from Nirvana. I want something that can mature well and get very dense around 1.5 - 2 feet tall. I debated on the AK48 for a moment, but White Widow won me over.

really nice choice,but I love the White strains,I just got some White Rhino myself recently that I can't wait to germinate!

nice cab...gl with the grow

nice cab.. only prob I can see is it may be about a foot or a foot and a half too short.

3 Feet
-1 foot pot/res
-1 foot light/distance from light
_____________________________

= About 1 foot of actual plant height..



ouch

420OldSchoolDJ420 said:

nice cab.. only prob I can see is it may be about a foot or a foot and a half too short.

3 Feet
-1 foot pot/res
-1 foot light/distance from light
_____________________________

= About 1 foot of actual plant height..



ouch

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Many cabs are taller, but this will work fine. I am using it to support a LCD television also. It will be in plain sight in my room, at the front of my bed.

I considered using Hydro, and doing so would limit the amount of height my plant could achieve, if I did not know what LST was. However, I probably will not use hydro the first time. I'll more than likely, end up using soil with a short and wide pot, probably a large Rubbermaid container wrapped in silver tape. The container will be at most 5 inches tall.

So, in actuality, My plant will have more than enough vertical space. I will LST it until it touches the sides of the box, and I will FIM for more bud sites... A short but wide plant can yeild just as much as a skinny tall one. also, the 150 watt HPS really doesn't get that hot. with the upgrade I am planning for the ventilation, heat should be a minimal concern. Air coming into the box will be cooled by a small window unit in my room.

No ouch here, but don't take my word for it. Just subscribe and check back when I start growing with it. I'll show grow pics here and in a journal I'll create then.