Grow Cabinet.. Looking for Ideas!

Mr.McNooby · Jan 21, 2012

I Have an old TV cabinet I want to make into a grow box. I will be vegging and flowering in this box. Max 2 plants at a time. Pics are posted below.

I was thinking of putting a 150 watt HID and a 175w MH bulb in there at the same time. I'll be vegging and blooming in the same box. And both blue and red are good all thru the grow. But that's not set in stone.

IF this were your cabinet, what would YOU do with it?...

The materials i already have are:

- 250w Power Supply (for a computer).
- 4 x 250mm Computer Case Fans
- 14 Gage wire (max 300 volts)
- Indoor Timer (for Lights)
- $16 Mailbox from Home Depot (to make a reflector hood out of)
- Small chain link to suspend lights.
- And a big old TV cabinet

Any ideas are welcome.. I love to DIY stuff and invent shit along the way..

I have gutted it since this Pic. Total inside dimensions are 30"wide x 38"high x 23"deep.

Mr.McNooby · Jan 22, 2012

wow.. almost 200 views, and no one has any ideas?... :/

I know I've been posting a lot about this.. but if I'm gonna build a grow box, I wanna do it right the first time.. So I'm brainstorming and trying to get all the ideas and feedback i can from the community, who are much more experienced than i, so i end up with a good end product, and so i don't turn around a week later and realize i should have done something differently and have to sink more money into it...

FootClan · Jan 22, 2012

so are you trying to use an old tv cabinet because you want it to be stealthy or something?? Is this in a house? apartment?? renting?? home owner?/ whats your budget it sounds like you have no budget really.......

Mr.McNooby · Jan 23, 2012

LOL.. yes.. IT is for my parents. I am trying to help them out. They are SUPER paranoid that anyone is gonna know they are growing.. this is the only thing I've been able to talk them into.. they only want 2 plants max. They aren't willing to use higher than 150w HPS and a 175w MH.. I tried talking them up to a 400 HPS but they complained that it would raise their electric bill too much.. So it'll be in their basement. And yeah, budget, my mom is self employed, and my dad just had an aortic aneurysm and survived and had to get a triple bypass and an aortic valve replacement.. and i just got layed off and the company I worked for moved to Mexico.. not kidding :/.. so we are really short on money.. but on the other hand I also like to invent shit.. I look at a sun systems grow light and i see a little sheet metal, a fixture, a ballast, and a bulb. And I think to myself Why pay $150 for something I could make just as easily?...

I kinda hate consumerism actually.. If more people recycled and built their own things, we'd have a lot fewer junkyards out there.

fir3dragon · Jan 23, 2012

Mr.McNooby said:
LOL.. yes.. IT is for my parents. I am trying to help them out. They are SUPER paranoid that anyone is gonna know they are growing.. this is the only thing I've been able to talk them into.. they only want 2 plants max. They aren't willing to use higher than 150w HPS and a 175w MH.. I tried talking them up to a 400 HPS but they complained that it would raise their electric bill too much.. So it'll be in their basement. And yeah, budget, my mom is self employed, and my dad just had an aortic aneurysm and survived and had to get a triple bypass and an aortic valve replacement.. and i just got layed off and the company I worked for moved to Mexico.. not kidding :/.. so we are really short on money.. but on the other hand I also like to invent shit.. I look at a sun systems grow light and i see a little sheet metal, a fixture, a ballast, and a bulb. And I think to myself Why pay $150 for something I could make just as easily?...

I kinda hate consumerism actually.. If more people recycled and built their own things, we'd have a lot fewer junkyards out there.

build you a cab and paint it.. i dont think anyone would question it with it being in your basement.

Shane1661 · Jan 23, 2012

i would gut it out make it nothing but a box and make it a cfl grow , line the inside with mylar put u 4 23w cfl in there no more then 2 plants , thats what i would do anyway

Black Uhuru · Jan 23, 2012

I like the second one better the big part can be where you mount the hid fixture. the side slots you should use to house all of your electrical neatly. power strip and timer mounted to the board and wires tucked neatly. The second pic is best.

Mr.McNooby · Jan 24, 2012

Here's some newer pics, It has been gutted, much more room now..

I bought some white and black paper from the local hydro store.. i grabbed a 150w HPS and a 175w MH.. I got 4 pc fans and a power supply for those to blow out heat, not sure if i should put one fan on each bulb and two exhaust?.. or to make all 4 exhaust fans?.. don't wanna burn my plants... Also you can see some ducting on top i am going to make a reflector hood out of.. I brought the mailbox back, i found a simple DIY Reflector guide made with a heating duct tube. The ballasts and sockets i gotta wait to be delivered in a few days..

scroglodyte · Jan 24, 2012

nice-lookin' box. that'll work. small fridge/freezer will always be my first choice. + rep for effort.

Mr.McNooby · Jan 24, 2012

THANKS!.. I will be posting pics of the end result and crediting all those who've assisted me throughout the process as well..

scroglodyte · Jan 24, 2012

i'll subscribe to thread......

Mommy box......free Craigslist maple. vent/cord piece in red cedar. needs a little more work

Mr.McNooby · Jan 25, 2012

I'll iffy to use Craigslist or buy anything for weed online.. But today my ballasts and sockets came in at the supply depot. So i'll be rigging everything up over the next few days.. Pics will be coming soon!

mrmadcow · Jan 25, 2012

only downside to DIY when it comes to lights is in the event of a fire, your homemade light doesn't have a UL tag. homeowners insurance will get flaky if they can blame the fire on your rig.

Mr.McNooby · Jan 26, 2012

Here's some updated pics of the process!

I will attach the back panel once i finish mounting the other two fans and complete their wiring. The reflector hood just need to have the sockets mounted and some holes drilled for some hooks to go in.

I'll have the Box completed tomorrow about 30 mins after the hardware store opens.. lol.. Will post the results then.. and a little eye candy too!..

Mr.McNooby · Jan 29, 2012

Sorry for the delay. Life gets busy!

After weeks of brainstorming and bugging the hell out of the good folks here on Rollitup for advice and ideas, I have finally completed my first ever Grow Box. All DIY, for under approx. $200.
It needs a bit of tweaking; longer cords to the ballasts, a better housing for the ballasts. etc.. But for now, it's up and running and my girl is loving it

Special thanks to dr2brains, Mr.Hollywood, and mrmadcow for their valuable info. And to the rest of the community for all the support and likes!

And now here's the pics!

There's four 12mm computer fans attached to a power supply on the back of the box to cool it.
The reflector hood has two sockets (one at either end), so a 175w MH and a 150w HPS light can be used at the same time or separately.
I lined the interior of the box with Thermoflo Black & White Poly Sheeting (http://www.thermoflotech.com/products/Black-and-White-Poly-Sheeting)
My current plant is really tall because I was using fluorescent bar lights so it was always reaching for more light.. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to keep them short and bushy

Beta420 · Jan 29, 2012

Mr.McNooby said:
Sorry for the delay. Life gets busy!

After weeks of brainstorming and bugging the hell out of the good folks here on Rollitup for advice and ideas, I have finally completed my first ever Grow Box. All DIY, for under approx. $200.
It needs a bit of tweaking; longer cords to the ballasts, a better housing for the ballasts. etc.. But for now, it's up and running and my girl is loving it

Special thanks to dr2brains, Mr.Hollywood, and mrmadcow for their valuable info. And to the rest of the community for all the support and likes!

And now here's the pics!

View attachment 2025347 View attachment 2025348 View attachment 2025350 View attachment 2025351 View attachment 2025353 View attachment 2025354

Nice set. Some comments from a fellow cab grower
-Wipe down the outside to clean it up and keep pests and mold away
-Get the elec off the floor especially near that water heater. Very dangerous.
-Wrap your wire nuts in elec tape. If they bump off you'll lose a light or god forbid a timer and stress your girl
-Your might burn up that baby so close to your light. Keep an eye on her
-Heat is a cab growers number one issue. Make sure you have plenty of air movement and a plan to exhaust the heat (and stink). Some good threads here on homemade carb filters and scrubbers. I made mine with galv wire rolled to a 6" diameter, zip ties and fit over a inline duct booster. Wrapped with activated charcoal furnace filter from hardware store. My girls just starting to give off odor so haven't fully tested how it operates under bloom conditions yet
Good luck bro.

Mr.McNooby · Jan 29, 2012

Hey man, thanks for the advice.. I am planning to build a more permanent metal ballast enclosure and reconnect the wires on a terminal strip.
And yes, I am watching her very closely.. I have moved it to the far side of the cabinet and I give her a quarter turn every 3 hours, so she gets 3 hours light on each side..
And the 4 fans move lots of air.. I have gaps in the bottom where cool air gets pulled in off the cement floor.
As for the smell, this plant has been particularly skunky since it was a baby. However, as you can see in the pics, all i do is tape bounce sheets over the exhaust fans. I don't secure them down, as that reduces air flow. I leave them to flap in the wind. And they cover the smell completely.. the whole room reeks of bounce.. I simply replace the 4 bounce sheets once a week. Easy as pie.

gatekeper · Jan 29, 2012

well i called sears and asked then for a duble stove box turned out great keeped it worm and dark and it was easy to hang lights from top of box. and instaled two fans 1 for intake and 1 for exhaust/ it worked fin till plants out grew the box.try it happy growing

Beta420 · Jan 29, 2012

Mr.McNooby said:
Hey man, thanks for the advice.. I am planning to build a more permanent metal ballast enclosure and reconnect the wires on a terminal strip.
And yes, I am watching her very closely.. I have moved it to the far side of the cabinet and I give her a quarter turn every 3 hours, so she gets 3 hours light on each side..
And the 4 fans move lots of air.. I have gaps in the bottom where cool air gets pulled in off the cement floor.
As for the smell, this plant has been particularly skunky since it was a baby. However, as you can see in the pics, all i do is tape bounce sheets over the exhaust fans. I don't secure them down, as that reduces air flow. I leave them to flap in the wind. And they cover the smell completely.. the whole room reeks of bounce.. I simply replace the 4 bounce sheets once a week. Easy as pie.

Bounce sheets. That's what those are. Lol Couldn't tell from the pic. Nice!

Mr.McNooby · Jan 30, 2012

gatekeper said:
well i called sears and asked then for a duble stove box turned out great keeped it worm and dark and it was easy to hang lights from top of box. and instaled two fans 1 for intake and 1 for exhaust/ it worked fin till plants out grew the box.try it happy growing

Yes I had a similar box rigged up, I had two large boxes, one fit over the other, so i could raise and lower the top of it via pulley system.
It worked nice, but was very obvious and being made out of cardboard, i was hesitant to use higher powered lights such as HPS and MH.
That box grew this plant up to this point.. We'll see how she likes the new lights, hopefully all these white hairs will turn red soon

Here's some pics of my previous cardboard grow box.

Grow Cabinet.. Looking for Ideas!

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