2 drawer file cabinet - help!

going to be growing in a 2 drawer old file cabinet i had laying in my basement.

was wondering what ppl would suggest for lighting, ventilation, etc?


like pc grows, might do some cfls or 250 digital hps? flowering 12/12 from seed/doing some autos)

Edited by dirtyglove, 09 May 2012 - 06:12 AM.

Are you going to move these outside eventually or what?


Also, have you ever done a PC build? I am building one right now...could sure use some pointers!

Are you going to move these outside eventually or what?


Also, have you ever done a PC build? I am building one right now...could sure use some pointers!

iam not going to move these outside, and only reason i thought of doing this as opposed to pc is for more room but iam sitll looking to also have a pc grow system as well..

honostly ppl have been telling me to just build one, and have given me crude instructions and even some of the journals and threads are hard to understand and read i might just go ahead and spend like $300 on a premade one..

Pc Grow Box - The Veg Box

or until someone on here offers to build one for some money lol..ive asked but hard to find ppl to

I build a Hella dank one for ya if you want....I have plenty of fans and such. Let me build this first one and see how it turns out, then we can work out something maybe;)


Got an engineering degree specifically so I could use it for stuff like this. College= useful who would of thought.

I build a Hella dank one for ya if you want....I have plenty of fans and such. Let me build this first one and see how it turns out, then we can work out something maybe;)


Got an engineering degree specifically so I could use it for stuff like this. College= useful who would of thought.

dudeeeeeee ur my life saver lol.. ill pm u in a sec

UPDATE**

dimensions of 2 drawer file cab are:

18" deep x 15" long x 29" high

the frame of the cabinet without the drawers does not have a bottom

im thinking of cutting the bottoms out of both drawers and leaving them to their normal slide function to still be able to access my plants inside. does come with a lock and key which i have to lock both drawers


my questions?

1. best way to cut the bottoms out of the drawers being thin sheet metal?

2. what lighting to use given the previous dimensions

3. ventilation aspects? 2 pc fans 1 passive air intake? etc?

would love to hear what ppl would do if they had my exact cab??

heres some pics below

2PC will work fine, also, use a dremmel tool to cut out metal...if you're really cheap and don't mind getting cut every now and then take a metal punch(or a screw driver) and a hammer, punch holes an inch apart, then hammer the rest out or use big wire cutters to work your way at it...you have your work cut out for you;)

2PC will work fine, also, use a dremmel tool to cut out metal...if you're really cheap and don't mind getting cut every now and then take a metal punch(or a screw driver) and a hammer, punch holes an inch apart, then hammer the rest out or use big wire cutters to work your way at it...you have your work cut out for you;)

i never thought of that! take the drawers out first right lol? (seriously)..lol


what should i do for the bottom because if im cutting both drawer bottoms out ill have no bottom?

I wouldn't cut your bottom drawer out, hang your lights on very top, put your plants in the bottom drawer so you can pull them out when you want and "do paperwork"....and yes, pull the drawer out first and turn it upside down and poke downwards(so this way gravity helps).

first off subbed'

your probably going to want to start and grow your plant under 12/12 if you plan on keeping the plant low enough to come out the drawer,
i also recommend not cutting the bottom out of the bottom drawer,
personally i would find a way to remove the front of the top drawer and attach it to the bottom drawer or use hinges or some thingthis would allow me the option of slightly taller plants, for instance i have one with a 24" stem that only had 8 days of 24hr light,

first off subbed'

your probably going to want to start and grow your plant under 12/12 if you plan on keeping the plant low enough to come out the drawer,
i also recommend not cutting the bottom out of the bottom drawer,
personally i would find a way to remove the front of the top drawer and attach it to the bottom drawer or use hinges or some thingthis would allow me the option of slightly taller plants, for instance i have one with a 24" stem that only had 8 days of 24hr light,

u mean to be able to open the drawers together?

and yes ill just cut the top bottom out and maybe put it on the floor underneath..

alright after some debate im calling it a day and going with this 200w 2700k CFL w/ light socket/hanger combo from amazon

light
Amazon.com: Feliz 200 Watt CFL Grow Light 2700K with Reflector: Patio, Lawn & Garden

ventilation im going with 3 120mm pc fans however im still trying to find good one on newegg..my preference is low noise level(dBA) - airflow/rpm

here is the 120mm fan selection
Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, Fans & Heatsinks, Case Fans, 120mm

i was wondering if i can use one of these fan controllers?
Newegg.com - Controller Panels, Fan Controller Panels

then ill need a 3 amp 12v DC converter? if so where do i find that?

Air Quality last i will be doing this DIY active charcoal scrubber found roll.. thought it was pretty cool!
http://www.rollitup....art-carbon.html


progress!

Edited by dirtyglove, 09 May 2012 - 08:02 PM.

hi ...some great tip so far...like taking off the face of the top drawer and attaching it too the bottom so they open as one. I've had to cut through some metal like that with really strong pairs of scissors or sometimes you can grab it with some good pliers and kinda twist/rip the metal a little bit at a time.

that light will work fine..you could also add a few more smaller cfls down the road if you want to increase the light. I was gonna suggest a power strip on either side with some 42w cfls

on the PC fans... the noise level is gonna be directly related to how much power it uses...there really isn't a standard cfm/db measurement among the manufacturers so take the numbers they advertise with a grain of salt. Some brands may work better then other but it's really impossible to tell by their claims alone...if anything read into the reviews on newegg, that where I get all mine as well. Personally I use the cheapest fans they have and buy them by the dozen. It's always good to have a backup in case one goes out or starts getting noisy. They will make more noise overtime...I'd guess average life on my pc fans is about 18 months before they either fail or get noisy due to dust or w/e. I use all 80mm fans so that they're interchangeable amongst my boxes and they fit my diy filters perfect. I use 2 of those fans to exhaust about 80 watts of cfls. hmm...actually you might need a lil more power then..rather then hooking up 3 or 4 of them like I would ....when fan shopping though try to zoom in on the actual fan pic and look for the power rating... like 0.35 or .03 or w/e higher number is gonna be more airflow and more noise.

..and HELLL yeh you can use one of those fan controllers! Those things are suh-weet! I have 2 of them...the 'kaze master' and the 'kaze server master' or something like that..last years models though. They have 4 different temperature leads/displays...run 4 fans on auto/semiauto/manual...have a high temp alarm and fan failure alarm (that can be muted ) display in C or F (display can be turned off! ) ...umm yeh, they're badass for the money and the amount of stuff they do. I've said before, micro growers are really lucky to have these available for so cheap! there's no equivalent equipment for larger scaled growers..and if there was it would be 1000$ I run mine of a 2A supply that I got at newegg...make sure to check how many watts the fan controllers can run and match that up with yer fans. As long as you don't get super beefy fans you should be ok. Oh and btw I did extensive research on those controllers and I chose the 'kaze server' because it had the auto temp control feature....other controllers have it but the difference with the scythe/kaze one I got is that when the temps are low it idles the fans rather then stopping them completely..all the other models simply turned the fans off if the temps got low.

Sorry to ramble about those but I feel they're really under appreciated in the micro world (automatic temp control for 30-40$!! )

..oh yeh and the filter...that's the filter I use excellent choice sir.

Edited by Bongsauce, 09 May 2012 - 11:15 PM.

indeed, Bongsauce said it all,
and i meant have just the front of the top drawer, no drawer part at all, then you could even use it as a seperate trap door or attach it to the bottom so it is like one drawer with a tall front,

hi ...some great tip so far...like taking off the face of the top drawer and attaching it too the bottom so they open as one. I've had to cut through some metal like that with really strong pairs of scissors or sometimes you can grab it with some good pliers and kinda twist/rip the metal a little bit at a time.

that light will work fine..you could also add a few more smaller cfls down the road if you want to increase the light. I was gonna suggest a power strip on either side with some 42w cfls

on the PC fans... the noise level is gonna be directly related to how much power it uses...there really isn't a standard cfm/db measurement among the manufacturers so take the numbers they advertise with a grain of salt. Some brands may work better then other but it's really impossible to tell by their claims alone...if anything read into the reviews on newegg, that where I get all mine as well. Personally I use the cheapest fans they have and buy them by the dozen. It's always good to have a backup in case one goes out or starts getting noisy. They will make more noise overtime...I'd guess average life on my pc fans is about 18 months before they either fail or get noisy due to dust or w/e. I use all 80mm fans so that they're interchangeable amongst my boxes and they fit my diy filters perfect. I use 2 of those fans to exhaust about 80 watts of cfls. hmm...actually you might need a lil more power then..rather then hooking up 3 or 4 of them like I would ....when fan shopping though try to zoom in on the actual fan pic and look for the power rating... like 0.35 or .03 or w/e higher number is gonna be more airflow and more noise.

..and HELLL yeh you can use one of those fan controllers! Those things are suh-weet! I have 2 of them...the 'kaze master' and the 'kaze server master' or something like that..last years models though. They have 4 different temperature leads/displays...run 4 fans on auto/semiauto/manual...have a high temp alarm and fan failure alarm (that can be muted ) display in C or F (display can be turned off! ) ...umm yeh, they're badass for the money and the amount of stuff they do. I've said before, micro growers are really lucky to have these available for so cheap! there's no equivalent equipment for larger scaled growers..and if there was it would be 1000$ I run mine of a 2A supply that I got at newegg...make sure to check how many watts the fan controllers can run and match that up with yer fans. As long as you don't get super beefy fans you should be ok. Oh and btw I did extensive research on those controllers and I chose the 'kaze server' because it had the auto temp control feature....other controllers have it but the difference with the scythe/kaze one I got is that when the temps are low it idles the fans rather then stopping them completely..all the other models simply turned the fans off if the temps got low.

Sorry to ramble about those but I feel they're really under appreciated in the micro world (automatic temp control for 30-40$!! )

..oh yeh and the filter...that's the filter I use excellent choice sir.

Wow ty bong sauce! Im dign the cfls on the sides too but once i get things runnin smooth. Ill get the same pc controller as well..what brand of fan do u reccomend ? Also how did u set ur fans to ur controller/dc adapter ac filter?

indeed, Bongsauce said it all,
and i meant have just the front of the top drawer, no drawer part at all, then you could even use it as a seperate trap door or attach it to the bottom so it is like one drawer with a tall front,

I wish i could fully picture what u mean with the drawer..try to explain or show more?? (should change this to the noobs beyond help post lol)

Are you going to use that DIY carbon filter for all 3 of your fans??? :0

Also, out of your 3, how many are you using for intake? Just curious what you have in mind.

I wish i could fully picture what u mean with the drawer..try to explain or show more?? (should change this to the noobs beyond help post lol)

Nah, you're good man. We are all noobs at one point....including me still. I'm learning, you're learning, we're all learning. And he means cut the entire drawer/track off, take a glue gun and glue the drawer face(the part with the handle) on the front of the cabinet house(so it looks like there's a drawer but really it doesn't open)...atleast I think he means that..

Are you going to use that DIY carbon filter for all 3 of your fans??? :0

Also, out of your 3, how many are you using for intake? Just curious what you have in mind.

Idk i was told have 2 intake 1 exhaust and no only exhaust for a/c filter i believe? Im not that savvy wen it comes to that stuff lol

Nah, you're good man. We are all noobs at one point....including me still. I'm learning, you're learning, we're all learning. And he means cut the entire drawer/track off, take a glue gun and glue the drawer face(the part with the handle) on the front of the cabinet house(so it looks like there's a drawer but really it doesn't open)...atleast I think he means that..

this is for the top drawer? I was also told to cut the bottom off the top as well but leave the bottom alone.. But removing the track and physicall inside of drawer, is that better? Im jus getting mixed opinions from ppl and dnt k o which to do :/