Stealth Cab build, School locker style cabinet (Pictorial) Stews Guide

Discussion in 'Grow Room Design/Setup' started by Stoned_Stew_UK, Mar 4, 2014.

  1. #1 Stoned_Stew_UK, Mar 4, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 5, 2014
    Hi guys,
    Here we have my pictorial/photo journal of the Stealth cab i have just built.
    There are still a few minor light leaks to fix and corners to tape up, but its otherwise finished now!

    I made and modded a few bits that i fitted in this cab... i'm not going into details in this post, but i have also posted guides in the DIY forum.
    DIY PC fan/filter combo here: http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/1286780-build-pc-fan-carbon-filter-combo-your-stealth-cab-pictorial-stews-guide.html
    Hot-wiring an ATX PC power supply here: http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/1286921-hotwire-pc-power-supply-use-your-stealth-cab-pictorial-stews-guide.html#entry19627723

    1. I found this free to collect online. Turned out to be brand new and unused!
    [edit] dimensions are 370x400x840mm (WxDxH) and stands a total of 1000mm including the legs[/edit]
    image.jpg

    2. Removed the base and back panel.
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    3. Marked out for the intake/extractor cutouts.
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    4. Holes now cut out using a Dremmel like mini drill thing!
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    5. Marking out and drilled mounting holes for 120mm Axial/PC fans
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    6. PC power supply mounted on the base panel.
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    7. I replaced the circuit board mounting screws with longer ones, these were used to mount to the base panel. (this also doubles as the earth connection as the cab is steel!)
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    8. Diamond pattern mylar face, self adhesive backed, foam duct insulation... This stuff is DA-BOMB! (This is 7mm, but also available in 10mm, 15mm, 20mm & 25mm)
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    9. Starting to lay the foam down in the cab. ( Its strong adhesive so be sure to get it cut right and take your time with it)
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    10. Sides and back laid, the fans have been screwed down to pre-compress the foam to make re-mounting them easier when the cab is closer to complete!
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    11. PC fan controller arrived and has been foamed up ready to dry fit!
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    12. Dry fitting of the fan speed controller.
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    13. Now to sort out that lock making it easier for me to make the door light tight.
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    14. Removed locking bar.
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    15. Straightened the bar out in a bench vice.
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    16. Cut a slot out in the door where the bar will now sit.
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    17. Cut a receiving slot out in the cab's frame for the new locking bar position.
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    18. First layer of foam on the door, i have added extra layer of foam to stop the next layer from ressing against the lock.
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    19. Next layer of foam over the entire door. (where the lock is i have left a square of backing paper on the foam to be double sure the lock won't get stuck up!)
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    20. Woo... Here comes the fun... Not!
    Starting to tape up all the seams with Aluminium Ducting tape. (Really good stuff, just a ball ache to work with!)
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    21. Foam strip added to the edge of the door frame, this will become a light seal after its been taped up!
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    22. All taped up except a few corners around and above the Filter/Extractor units. (They will be taped when the extractors are removed to fill them with carbon!)
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    23. Fans all wired up and the psu has been fired up to test everything. (the exposed wire ends have pin connectors so that the extractors can be removed to replace the carbon!)
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    24. Light bar made, wired and taped up ready for install.
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    25. Light bar installed. ( I placed the lights below the extractors so that heat doesn't pool and create a heat bubble at the top... Increases CFL life!)
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    26. Light bar taped up, i have added foam to the gap at the back to stop unwanted airflow behind the light fitting!
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    27. Ta-Da... All done, just about ready to rock now!
    Just a few minor light leaks to fix and the carbon to put in the extractors (the carbon also works as a 100% light trap in the top)
    There are filter covers over the intake fans which have carbon impregnated foam in them (this acts as the light trap for the intake fans)
    The foil wrapped cable wound up in the bottom is a spare 12v line for a circulating fan.
    image.jpg

    One last thing:
    The slots that you can see in edges of the back panel on the first few pics are where the shelf hangers go.
    The way that i lined the sides has allowed me to reuse them for the grow cab and allows shelf adjustment in 25mm increments ;)



    Hope you liked this pictorial/photo journal and that it gives others out there some inspiration!
    Thanks for reading everyone.
     
  2. This is awesome! I am building a very similar cab right now, just a bit larger to fit my 400W.

    Love how clean and professional it looks. Are you running carbon filters on the exhaust fans? Or just as a light trap?

    Sent from my SGH-I747M using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  3. #3 Stoned_Stew_UK, Mar 5, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 5, 2014
    Yep, I'm running activated carbon filters on the exhaust fans for filtration! I didn't go into details about the extractors in this post but you can get a better look at the extractors HERE as i made a pictorial for them too!


    The foam pads on the intake are purely as a light trap! (Them being impregnated with carbon just makes them matt black and more effective light trap... The pads i used on the intake are that old that the carbon is no longer effective!)
     
  4. That's what I thought. Wicked set up and pretty much same concept as my previous and upcoming grows.

    I'm going to use that idea for my intakes as well since I have a bit of a light leak around my 6" pc fans. Just looks a little fishy seeing a redish light come out from behind mt dresser lol

    Sent from my SGH-I747M using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  5. Just curious as to how well that carbon filter works for you? Is there no noticeable smell, or should I invest I'm some ONA just in case?

    Sent from my SGH-I747M using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  6. What about the blue lights during darkness?

    Sent from my SCH-I535 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  7. #7 Stoned_Stew_UK, Mar 7, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 7, 2014
    The filter is very effective, the air is passing over the same amount of carbon as it would in a big canister filter, just make sure your exhaust fans are running more volume than your intake, if you get possitive pressure in the cab air will get out of any small gaps!

    It wouldnt hurt to have some ona handy anyhow!

    Lol, yea about those ( i presume you mean the ones on the speed controller?) I didnt know that it had them until i tested the fans lol!
    Its not a problem in darkness, the fans arent running then!
    The passive airflow through the cab from thermal convection (warm air rises and pulls cold in through the bottom) is sufficient at night as there is no heat source that needs actively cooling when the lights are off!

    But still as a precaution, i have made a little flap that folds down over it since the cab has been installed, as i may need to run the fans at lights off as the ambient temp rises through the year!

    [edit]
    Just as a final thought about the blue lights from the speed controller, because it was niggling at me!
    The LED that is used in there wont have any effect on the plant as it isnt the correct blue spectrum.
    Further more it is only an smd led, probably less than 0.1w. (Which wouldnt have any effect if touching the plant)
    This combined with the distance to the foliage using the inverse square rule and that there is an obstructive shelf and pots inbetween means no usable light will make it to the plant.

    After checking it out whilst test running the cab, in reality it means that the light from the speed controller is barley bright enough to light the base of the cab!
    [/edit]
     
  8. About that blue light...
     
    if you're planting Northern Lights autoflowering seeds, then correct me if I'm wrong... she's gonna flower regardless if any light seeps through, right.
     
    Is that what y'all are talking about?
     
    I think the "no lights AT ALL during the flowering stage is for sativas and indicas, not hybrid autos.
     
    The reason I'm asking is because I'm waiting on my order of White Widow seeds to be delivered so I can start my first auto crop.
     
    *Subject change*
     
    Wanna know what I love to see and read about   -  people who have the passion to build their own grow closet/cab/room. The time and effort you spent in building this grow space of yours is simply awesome, seriously. I agree too with DazedAndStoned "Love how clean and professional it looks"
     
    :smoke:
     
  9. Well since it is currently my first grow i used bagseed (of unknown origins) and regular non fem, non auto seed, all i did was to cover up the controls with some foil tape as it quickly became apparent that i had no need to adjust fan speeds whilst i had 500Ws of CFL making the cab act as an Easy bake oven lol.

    Now that ive changed to LED lighting the cab temps are now in check and require some 'fine tuning' to get a comfortable temp for the plants.

    Yes autos will flower regardless of light, hence the name.
     
  10. Hey was wondering where you can get a hold of that mylar diamond face self adhesive ?? Thanks man
     
  11. I got it off ebay!
    I just searched around for 'self adhesive foil insulation' or something like that.
     
  12.  
    Very professional build, some companies charge $1500-$2000 for metal grow lockers with half the lighting.
    How are your temps with everything running?
     
  13. #13 Stoned_Stew_UK, Aug 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 13, 2014
    Lol, in the cold winter weather when the cab was first set up the 500W's of CFL were fine... As soon as it started to warm up it was regularly hitting temps of 30-34C during the day and 26-28C at night!

    I swapped out the CFLs for a 150W reflector panel LED from TopLED... (I would have edited the pictorial with a note not to exceed 200W of CFL in a cab this small but its been too long to edit the original post!)
    Its been running a dream ever since swapping to LED!
    Day temps between 26-28C even on a warm day and night temps between 16-20C
     
  14. That's a really nice cab, I love the workmanship, looks professional. Makes me wanna go out and build one.
    I had to come check out your stuff here. DIY's are the best. 
    You growing in it? let's see pics. 
     
  15. Sorry, i know this post was a long ass time ago now...

    I was 3 weeks into my 2nd grow in this cab with a Northern Lights Auto in a bubble bucket fem when the **** hit the extractor fan so to speak!
    A relative turned up unannounced and i had to pull the plant as he's lawenforcement related, and didn't want him in an awkward position if he was snooping around!

    Then other things happened and havent had the time to get on with another grow, but im slowly getting ready to make a new grow, fingers crossed starting around May time this year with a mk2 stealth cab i am building ready!
     

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