NEW PLAN (ready to start buying):
BOX:
4'x4'x6' Dimensions
lined with 2mil mylar
build with 4x (2"x4"x10") lumber
(keep in mind real dimension is 1½"x3½")
the 4x 1½"x3½" left over pieces will be used to brace the
4 stud pieces together for strength at the bottom
(i'll have to by an additional 2"x4"x4' for the top brace)
and using 4x (4'x8'x¾") boards for walls, floor and celing
using the boards to make 4x (4'x4'x6') walls will leave 4x (2'x4') pieces left over
which joining 2 of them together and cutting notches for the studs will make the floor
and once again with the other 2 pieces for the top.
I may just buy an extra 2"x4"x10' (vs a 4' as mentioned above) and use the extra
6' to make an additional brace on the bottom, since it will carry the weight.
and use the remaining 2' to form a latch for the door.
the door just being the wall panel cut down the middle and 4 gate hinges later (maybe 6 depending on weight of the panel) will make the door im not sure what you call it but i plan to make the closing mechanism just a bar across to pockets (1 on each side) like a castle door, this seems like the most logical way to keep the door completly closed tight without spring loading them (and if that doesnt work the same as the above except with the pockets comming off of the side walls which will require more wood but will keep the door better closed if required.
to keep the light inside I was thinking of putting some kind of weather stripping along the door joints, any reccomendations welcome.
LIGHT:
600w HPS (with MH conversion bulb for vegging) digital ballast and a plain reflector that is just mounted over the bulb and socket, no kind of box or anything ballast is remote from the light and socket assembly, planning to have it sitting on the roof of the box and having the plug run down to a timer switch on the side.
the light, hanging from 2" chains will hang 10" down from the celing
im not sure but I think the min distance to keep between lamp and plants with this wattage is ~20"?
AIR:
inside the box will be a temp/RH controll switch for the fan (~330cfm 6" vortex fan) which will be attached on the side of the box near the top and a short right angle of duct hose connecting it to the box at the top, from the output of the fan is the 6"x10" Carbon filter which has a lower cfm rating than the fan (about 250cfm) but I plan to use a fan speed controller to slow the fan down a bit, for the cfm difference but also just to cut down the noise a bit, dimmer will be mounted beside the temp switch. will just use an HVAC mold/pollen etc... filter over an intake hole near the bottom.
Plants:
will plan to use 16x (10"x10"x10.5") (in 4x4 grid, obviously) pots leaving about an inch between each pot and to the walls so as to be able to pick them out with ease, if you think that is too many plants for the space or light i'll prob just do 3x3 pots unless that would still be too many.
because of the 10" of the hanging light and what I believe is a min 20" safe distance between the tops and the light and the 10.5" of the pots and soil (total 40.5" or just under 3½') this leaves [no pun intended] 2½ feet for the plants to grow this seems a little short maybe I can use smaller plants for each pot, let the plants get closer to the light, or just prune the top brances to keep within the correct space from the light (not sure if this would kill the plant or affect the other parts of it) and if nessisary can just build the thing taller but max height is basically 7½' only giving my an extra 1½' for a total of 4' grow height (even more depending on light distance) which seems adequate but would have to mount the ballast on the side and attach the roof from the inside requiring the purchase or some angle shelf bracket things as well as say 2 more boards to make the braces since there wouldnt be any extra pieces in that case.
not sure what kind of soil to use yet, the only thing i haven't checked out yet (as well as a seed shop, but thats obviously the last step) and also if I should by extra perlite (even for a soil that has some?)
for nutriends i'm also not sure, haven't looked into it.
also planning to get a ph/tds meter that will have probes that go into a water barrel for feeding water with the nutrients and a circulation pump to keep it mixed, and possibly some kind of small fishtank like air pump to airate the water (if that is worth doing or even makes sense?)
i'm planning for conditions as such:
19-20c lights off temp
25-28c lights on temp
60-70% clone/veg humidity
40-50% flowering humidity (think I can keep it below 50 without any special stuff)
200ml water per plant w/ nutes per day for the veg and same every second day for first 2 weeks flowering
300ml water per plant w/ nutes every other day for weeks 3-4
400ml water per plant w/ nutes every other day for weeks 4-8
and nothing for 2-3 days after that.
hopefully thats not too f*cked up but your help is appreciated if it is.
MISC
I'll also need all the little things:
-foil tape (to attach mylar, or cover up the cardboard/staples that i might use)
-cloning gel
-tarp (for making a catch basin for water that might go through pot drain holes)
-watering jug or water hose / pump with spray garden nozzle thing
-water spray bottle (to mist water onto plants, to raise humidity if required to for just a little extra shot of water to the plants, if thats a good idea?)
-duct tape or clamps
-misc hooks (mount light)
-misc screws (mount timers, fan, ballast etc...)
- Junction box (might use instead of running cord from temp switch to fan through a hole, and for a small fan on the inside for air movment)
e.g. will use say a 4 plug junction box and use 1 wire comming in as AC to 2 outlets on the inside for supplying the fan controller and inside fan and using the 3rd outlet to run power outside to the exhaust fan and have a 4th one for possibly a future CO2 system
-staple gun
-drill
-circular saw
-jig saw
-sillocone
-wood glue
-paint (might paint it the same color as the walls to not make it look so out of place, or use some wood vineers and stuff to make it look like a big dresser or something)
I've priced most of it out and so far it's looking like it will run about
: $1800 (with $100 seed budget and assuming I cant get a csaw,jsaw,drill,staple gun,calking gun, screws, hooks, water jug and sprayer etc... from someone to borrow/use)
I plan to do the first run from seeds and than as they are growing build a small veg box to hold 16 clones (or 9 depending on grow configuration) and maybe 3 mothers (3 different strains or if you can't clone a plant in the final stages) which would run on just a few cfl's or something this box is a new project like my first set of questions for the big one so any advice on this is appreciated, I was wondering if you can clone a plant at the end stages of flowering (most of the time seems ppl do it within 3-4weeks of flower after sex is determined) this way I would not need to keep mother plants and not need to run that box 18/6 or 24/0 for most of the time and only do it for say 4 weeks (whatever a good root growth / vegging time is) before the harvest of the flowering plants that way I can start a new grow or out of the 16 use this
method and have it split up into 4 groups of 4 for a harvest of 4 plants every 2 weeks which would be every payday and after selling to friends/family/co-workers have enough left for myself all the time, as well as having a couple extra buck from the sales to cover the cost of electricity/consumables as well as the original construction cost over time... once I get my money back white widow for $100 an oz for all my buds (pun intended)
...sweet
