Stealth grow cab discussion/invention/innovation

How goes it, friends?

Before I start this thread, I'd just like to give a short introduction. In a month or so I'm moving to Alabama, to live among the hillbillies and rednecks whom I don't really know. Except family rednecks and hillbillies (no offense, gotta love the conservatives for the entertainment they provide us). Anywhooo, I won't have anyone to supply me with any herb. SO, this brings me to the discussion that has hopefully brought forth the best minds on the internet dealing with this topic (have I flattered anyone yet?). Here is my goal:

1. Create a mom-proof grow cab
2. Develop a method that allows for the quickest harvest/mod. yield
3. Have some bud by January of 2011.

Okay, and before everyone sighs and says "Go read stuff in the newbie section, blah blah," Well I understand your frustration, but this is kinda a thread for not only discussion but also innovation of marijuana cultivation as well as construction of the artificial environment.

Again, to kinda clear up my intentions; as we all know, outdoor season has left me behind cause I have bad timing I guess (damn lease). So I will make it known that as soon as the conditions in Alabama are right in 2011, I'm going to plan a moderately scaled Guerilla grow. However, I like bud, so I'm going to try and create a grow cab in my room.

A lot of you are probably thinking I'm a kid for living with my mom, you are partially correct, but I am capable of critical thinking and that's why I want all of you to contribute whatever info you have for myself and others who want to make the best stealth cab for (let's not get too hardcore) $100-200.

Last but not least, here are some examples of things to bring up and discuss since I don't have any reason to buy this stuff now.

• hps vs cfl
• ventilation/fans
• carbon filter (I already saw one in a sticky that just needs to be customized for whatever grow cab design it utilized)
• hydro vs soil
• veg/flower cab vs veg cab & flower cab
• cheapest sources for materials (e.g. Target for a grow box (links are a +))
• camouflage/stealthiness

You've got quite a few options. You could purchase a grow tent, they vary from $200-$700. I've heard you can find a good deal on ebay or craigslist. Another option would be to purchase some building materials, plywood or that weird shit made from glue and sawdust, and build a box. Or you can always go to Goodwill, or the Salvation Army and look for a wardrobe. If stealth is your concern, an actual wardrobe, cabinet, or closet would be the way to go.

Lighting:

I'm not the most experienced, but if I could only roll with one light, I'd take an HPS.

Fans:

If you get an HPS, depending on the wattage you'll need an active intake fan, and an exhaust fan. I recommend a squirrel cage fan. I go with one that blows 465 cubic feet per minute, total overkill for my space, but it keeps the temps down and circulates the air well.

Carbon Filter:

DIY, a millions ways to do it.

Hydro or Soil:

Hydro seems to be more sophisticated and expensive, go soil. I suggest a Fox Farm blend.

Cabs:

If you're on a low budget, go with a single chamber and hope for 3-4 good harvests a year.

Materials:

Larger hardware stores have better deals on building materials than locally owned ones.

Stealth:

Depends on where you get your air, where you exhaust your air. Also odor will become an issue, but that is another fish to fry. Good luck, you seem ambitious and as if you have a bit of knowledge. Look at my GROW JOURNAL, my setup is similar to what you're describing. Check it out, hope it helps.

Thanks for your post, bud. I have a little experience (I grew a successful but VERY-low yield NL grow in my closet during my first semester of college). I think you're right about the soil, I would rather have something simple anyways (just didn't know if there have been amazing advances in the ease of hydro since the last time I've hit the forums). And here is kinda where I have no clue what to do, mostly because of indecisiveness. I want the yield accompanied with HPS, but if that means extra money going for fans, and a ballast (which is the main reason I have stayed away from HPS, but I plan to read about wiring, ventilation and that technical stuff once I have a cab. In addition, it probably would be a better idea to stick with one grow box (see? I already was getting greedy wanting a veg and flower cab haha). So I guess this brings me to my next concern, the dimensions and "object" (by object, I mean if it looks like a dresser, filing cabinet, etc) of the grow box.

Concerning the dimensions, this is where I could really use some input from people who use both CFLs and HPS. I guess it kinda needs to be at least 4 feet tall, correct? Assuming I do a 1-2 month veg. So I need something that somewhat resembles a dresser. However, like I said, I reaaaally want this thing to be stealthy as hell. So here are some things I've been thinking about in the last half hour since posting:

• filing cabinet; Not only does this convey privacy to others, so they won't snoop around in it, they come in different sizes, like 1-,2-, or 3-stacks. A 3-stack would eliminate any height concern I have, but I would have to find a way to get around drilling into metal (I have no power tools...yet). But, so far it's just an idea.
• Goodwill/Scrap parts: Probably the best option for cost, and at Goodwill, you can usually find filing cabinets and dressers and other good structures to customize.
• Target/Wal-mart: Although I can probably avoid shopping at a retail outlet for the grow cab, I go on their sites every now and then and look at their 30 dollar pieces of furniture and think to myself.. "I want to grow some weed in that..." So these are the 3 options I'm considering.

Okay, so that kinda covers my idea for the grow cabs. I guess the next thing I'd like people to discuss (you can talk about whatever you damn please, I'm just trying to direct towards a certain topic) is the pro's and con's of HPS vs CFLs in the types of grow cabs I mentioned. Peace!

Pick up four of these totes, which can be found at any target or wal mart, but fuck wal mart. They're about 2.25 ft tall, about 3 ft wide. Make two stacks of two, and set them side by side. Insulate the inside so it doesn't glow. Develop a good ventilation system. Two bathroom fans would work well in this setup, from what I've heard they can move 100 cfm. Now for the good shit, lighting. What I plan to do in my box, which you've seen, is make it into a dual chamber. The lighting for the veg chamber will be around 300-400w. What I plan to do is to use a couple of CFL's (which I have zero knowledge about and need to look into before investing) on the walls to encourage side growth. The CFL's will be the bulk of the lighting. Now install a 50w metal halide at the top. However, this I'm unsure of what type of lamp to use, but I'm trying to unearth the solution. If my assumption is correct, a standard socket will work for both a 50w metal halide and HPS.

So tube CFL's on the side and a 50w HPS/MH at the top, primarily for spectrum purposes. Whatever you do, be sure you do it close to a window so you route your exhaust outside. Along with the setup I described, some well utilized mylar and some well-placed boxes and articles of clothing, to camouflage the rubbermaids, you could be in the clear. But the key with this setup would be proper ventilation and temperature control. If you couldn't keep it cool it would melt down. I'm from Kentucky, I know how hot it gets down there.

Now, for your options above. A filing cabinet would be difficult. It would get really hot and it's tough to work with, especially if you don't have the tools. It is hard to find an ideal cabinet at Goodwill ( I tried). I found things that would almost work, but in the end, I believe it boiled down to luck. I encourage to hit up Goodwill and whatever thrift stores are nearby, but don't be disappointed if you strike out.

As far as wiring, get a good surge protector, one that is capable of supporting what your running. It should run you about $20-25, and a 14 gauge extension cord. And if you cab grow, plan to keep your ballast outside of the cab, it gets too hot.

haha It's funny you mention the rubbermaids; the one in the picture is basically a replica of what tubs I used for my first grow. To be honest, rubbermaids are the greatest containers for cheap grow cabs! Look at me getting all excited. BUT, with that in mind, I did have SOME trouble keeping my temps below 80 degrees in the middle of the light cycle, but the computer fans saved my ass. Yeah, after I started thinking about the filing cabinet I was like.. "shit's gonna get hot. and not really light-proof unless I do something to it. and metal." haha
I think I'm going to go for what I know best: CFLs. I might try to be a little adventurous with MH/HPS but I'm not totally sure I will be able to have it positioned next to a window, but I will have two windows. And CFLs drastically relieve the stress about temps since this way I don't have to worry about heavy duty fans (I only used computer fans for my rubbermaids, they were extremely weak too, I forgot what strength they were (yes, I forgot the acronym for fan strength haha). I'm getting ahead of myself. I basically want to avoid tubing or fans connected to the window if I can help it. Which I'm pretty sure I can, this thread has 'Innovation' in the title Dammit! Oh yeah, fuck Wal-mart indeed!

I was also thinking about using the 2 ft CFL tubes for the walls of the cab. I'm not sure, do those fit well in the rubbermaids? The things is, if I get rubbermaids, it's not quite as stealthy, so I would have to create an elaborate camouflage or something else in my room that's noisy and distracting (my mom isn't really invasive or anything, but apparently her boyfriend moved in, so who knows how nosy this guy will be haha).

Okay, so unless I find an adequate dresser-like apparatus, I will probably go for a 2-stack rubbermaid design (actually, a really cool stealth cab would be hollowed out bass speakers, or whatever is big enough, if you have power tools you can cut out the bottoms, stack em, and who's going to look inside your speakers? But again, just a random thought).

So to sum up for people who don't like the details:

• Rubbermaid vs dresser unit
• CFLs and 2 ft CFLs (2 ft CFLs okay for rubbermaids, anyone?)

Things I'm contemplating:

• LST, topping, SOG, SCROG (again, anybody know what is best for a fast grow?)
• Strains that grow fast (fast as in, from seedling to harvest, would love some input for this too)

Consider Autoflowering seeds/strains/hybrids
-Fast to flower(smoke) ~2 months from seed to weed
-Smaller size ~2 feet at max
-Flexible light schedule = no 12/12 needed = many plants of different ages for a sog effect.
-Less yield but yield/months is probably near (for closet grows)

Buy a small fridge at walley world. Instant cooling, white interior and you can put a lock on it. $ 40-50 bucks

karr said:

Consider Autoflowering seeds/strains/hybrids
-Fast to flower(smoke) ~2 months from seed to weed
-Smaller size ~2 feet at max
-Flexible light schedule = no 12/12 needed = many plants of different ages for a sog effect.
-Less yield but yield/months is probably near (for closet grows)

Click to expand...

I forgot about autoflowering! Thanks man!

unclebobbyb said:

Buy a small fridge at walley world. Instant cooling, white interior and you can put a lock on it. $ 40-50 bucks

Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea, but I'd be concerned about two things: height and lighting, I don't think the standard lighting that comes in the fridge would be enough, plus I'd have to play operation with some wiring probably. I won't throw away the idea yet. Thanks bud.

Check out this link. I think this is ideal for your situation and price range. However, the only problem would be the odor.

closet soil grow with cfls, cheap and effective, mylar walls ,computer fans passiv intake ,ona block/gel for smell

autoflowring feminised 18/6 all way ,9 weeks to harvest ,start a new seed every 3 weeks = harvest new bud evry 3 weeks all in same closet

good luck

daviaces said:

closet soil grow with cfls, cheap and effective, mylar walls ,computer fans passiv intake ,ona block/gel for smell

autoflowering feminised 18/6 all way ,9 weeks to harvest ,start a new seed every 3 weeks = harvest new bud evry 3 weeks all in same closet

good luck

Click to expand...

I'm almost positive about getting fem auto seeds. ALSO, I'm seeing if I can make a seedling chamber so I can start a new grow every month or so. Thanks man.

dubwooze said:

Check out this link. I think this is ideal for your situation and price range. However, the only problem would be the odor.

Click to expand...

You're totally right. It's pretty damn cheap too! But today I was thinking how for now I can't really budget for a lot of stuff right now, so I'm finally starting to think about random junk I have that can be innovated and recycled into my grow box. Then I looked at my bookshelf... It's about 40"x26.5"x11.5". And I think I have definitely decided that I'm going to LST my plants. I've been scribbling it on a sheet of paper wondering about the ideal number of pots I can put in there. Since I wanna do LST I'm thinking they have to be at least 10" cause forget about transplanting! no me gusta! But, since LST eliminates height concerns (especially with autoflowering! BOOM!) I think I MAY have extra room for a seedling chamber on the top shelf. I'm going to include PICTURES soon! I know people are getting bored with nothing colorful to look at haha.

On another note, here is what I'm thinking about getting: http://www.nirvana-shop.com/en/autoflower-strains/short-rider-feminized-autoflower-5-seeds.html

I'm starting to feel the possibility of this "low-cost, ultra-stealthy grow cab" becoming more plausible each and every day I think about it. Also I have to use my carpenter skills to fashion a door for my shelf now. It's a completely black shelf unit, but since the inside will most likely be emergency blanket from wal-mart, my main concern will be making sure that this shelf is light-proof. It will be harder where the fans are located, but conveniently with autoflower plants the lighting can be flexible (to what extent, I must investigate further) and I won't worry about beams of light lighting up my room at 2 in the morning. AND, since I have to make a door, I'm going to go ahead and attach a padlock thingy. Hopefully tomorrow or the day after I will have those pics up, I'll discuss the lighting and seedling chamber more, and a ventilation system that creates a 78 degree atmosphere. PEACE.

Hey guys and gals (mostly guys),

So, last night when I was considering adding a seedling chamber on the top shelf where my mini book collection resides, I kinda got scared that it's too much shit and that if I added it then my chances of getting caught would double. So, I told myself not to get greedy and just be thankful for small amounts of weed.

But, In a way this gave me a better opportunity to make this baby stealthy. If you guys look at my lil drawing I have some skipping lines on the top shelf; that's going to be a fake wall. I'm going to use that area to put the surge protectors, timers, carbon filters, and whatever else I'm forgetting about.

I'm considering making two carbon filters rather than one, here is my reasoning:

• two small carbon filters require less noisy fans than one big one I'm guessing.
• two exhaust fans are better than one.

Also in the drawing, you guys can see the letters A, B, C. Here is my plan since I scrapped the seedling chamber. I'm going to grow my first plant in the C position, 3 weeks later I will move C to B and grow a new plant in position C. 3 weeks after that I will add my 3rd plant to the C pos, C will go to B, and B will go to A.So, if this works the way I want, after my FIRST harvest, I will have anther harvest every 3 weeks. So now that I have something to work with, my goal is one oz from each plant. I'm putting the oldest plant in the middle for a reason:

• 4 CFLs will be on top
• 4 CFLs will be on BOTH sides, increasing the amount of light hitting the sides.

As you also can kinda see I have 4 fan squares in kinda random places. I'm not sure that is where they will be yet, but my placement will try to be a few inches under the general light position so any heat from the CFLs will hopefully be blown away. I'm going to have one surge protector dedicated to the lights so I can have it on one timer, and the other surge protector that has a timer and controls the fans. At the moment I'm trying to find out what fan would be the most efficient for two carbon filters. I'm still probably going to use another odor control product just to be extra safe. Let me know what you guys think! Any constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks guys!

Looks like you've got a plan, but you live with your mom right? If so, what do you do when she comes in and ask what's in the box? My parents were cool, but when they wanted an answer, they were incessant. I'm on my second grow, the first where I'm in the driver's seat. I, like you, decided to go the high route and got seeds from Nirvana (heavy recommendation). I'm pretty sure you mentioned them earlier. I just started the fourth week of the veg cycle, and there has been an aroma for at least 10 days, not strong, but detectable. I've heard you should always have no less than two odor fighting weapons, you should go three. Also, emergency blankets aren't 100% lightproof. I'd go mylar, or flat white paint. You can get a decent size sheet of mylar for $20. Oh, props on the Tolkien, Dostoyevsky, Kafka and Vonnegut.

dubwooze said:

Oh, props on the Tolkien, Dostoyevsky, Kafka and Vonnegut.

Click to expand...

haha thanks man, I'm finally starting to culture myself after 20 years of life.

I'm going to be moving in with my mom in a month or so. Well, I'm pretty sure I could say it's private stuff or my files or my private drawings hahaha No my mom respects my privacy thankfully. But you might be right about going for 3 different odor control products. Better safe than sorry indeed. I might consider asking her if I can put a lock on the door so it can only be opened with a key (hey mom, can i still feel like i live in an apartment?). Well, maybe I could still paint the inside of the shelf (which maybe I should do before I move over there) and use the emergency blanket on whatever areas that need some fixing up. But the only part of the box being lightproof that I'm concerned about would be the door. I know some light will shine from the fan intakes but that will be against a wall or at least out of sight in my room. But, if I'm not confident that I can make this thing 90% smell-proof I'm just going to bite the bullet and wait for the outdoor season.

How's the planning going? Have you made any decisions?

Hey dub,
So I found out a better idea of when I will be moving so I can have a better idea of when I can get this thing running. I'm proud to say that I have 5 fem. auto Bubblelicious seeds on their way as of 20 minutes ago. I still need to make some do-or-die decisions with the grow box. I'm not really pleased with my options for fans and odor control at the moment. I have decided that I will at least buy an ona-gel product in a month or two. However, to make this simple, I may just go with one bigger fan for exhaust, a decent sized carbon filter attached, and see what the temperatures will read when it's closed off. I'll be moving in 2-3 weeks, so I will hopefully have this grow started in another month or less, and I will start a grow journal and post the link in this thread. Peace.

I'll try to help as much as possible. What is your budget? Congratulations on the seed purchase. When I was building my box, and making preparations, I kept telling myself it wasn't "real" until the seeds arrived, which they did.

dubwooze said:

When I was building my box, and making preparations, I kept telling myself it wasn't "real" until the seeds arrived, which they did.

Click to expand...

haha, you're so right, man.

My budget is flexible actually.. I found out last week I have a job waiting for me (2nd time it has paid off to have a scary, rich uncle). Had to put the seeds on the credit card unfortunately, but hopefully I'll have a paycheck in a month and some money from selling my car in a few weeks.However, I don't know if I'm going to bring my shelf when I move cause I might be flying on a plane and just take whatever I can (wah..) in boxes which means I-need-a-new-grow-box. So, waiting for more news on that. Looked at some fans on amazon.com today, think I'm going to order a 200mm fan rated at 166cfm and use that for my exhaust fan for the carbon filter for about 15 bucks plus shipping. If I had the tools I would totally just build a custom box with fan holes cut out and everything. Maybe the "perfect" box will be my goal after I have some bud growing.

Alright guys, I have some bad news.

I'm going to be moving via airplane now. So that means no shelf unit will be coming with me. So this means imma start looking online at Target and Wal-Mart or Ikea for something that can be converted into a grow cab. I didn't want to have to spend money on this part, but since I can be more creative with it I might as well find a nice one perfect for what I want to use it for. I hope my mom has some power tools.. Something tells me I'm going to need to drill some holes and knock out a few holes in whatever I get. I'll post a few pics of the cabs I'm looking at soon. Peace, guys

Okay, went browsing online for a grow box. Lots of options, no cheap ones really (not free anyways).

This is my favorite one if I were to keep the same grow box and not build anything afterwards. It's a whopping 150$ at Wal-mart, but it seems sturdy, has amazing shelf space, comes with a lock (I wonder if it locks both doors or just the right door, my guess is both) and comes with plenty of holes for shelf customization. If I have the money I will be purchasing this.

This is my 2nd favorite of about 5 I looked at seriously. It has plenty of space, 4 cabinet doors so I can have it somewhat opened and not have anything suspicious showing. I probably wouldn't even have to worry about mylar if I don't want to just because it looks shiny as hell.


The pic in the attachment is one I no longer want because the middle shelf is fixed. It could be done, but it's not for me.

So, that's where I'm at. I'm going to come up with an inventory so I can estimate how much more I have to put into the basics. After the box is completely built I'm going to have an epic post with the complete how-to on a stealth box, and a link from my first post, so if anyone wanted to see the active construction of this box, sorry it's going to be a 2-month escipade, but I will make sure it's worth it for those who read every post (somehow.. pictures of cute kittens maybe). Peace