CFL Stealth Cabinet Grow

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by Tragidy, Dec 30, 2012.

  1. Hey all! After a long time I am finally in the process of starting my first grow. My cabinet is custom built and is 39in tall, 17 inches deep and 52 inches wide. I will have six bulbs to start which consist of 4 5600 CFLs and 2 2700 CFL. I will begin on a 24 hour time until flower then I will back off to 18/6 schedule. I have a wide variety of seeds en route as we speak. Here's my order:
    Seedsman Seeds Auto Lemon Feminized Cannabis Seeds - 05 seeds SEE2671$41.94
    Freedom of Seeds Guerrilla Ryder Auto Feminized Cannabis Seeds - 03 seeds FREV3691$33.87
    FEMINIZED UFO #1 Positronics Seeds Critical #47
    FEMINIZED UFO #11FREEFreebie/BOGOF
    FEMINIZED UFO #2 Positronics Seeds Purple Haze #1
    FEMINIZED UFO #21FREEFreebie/BOGOF
    FREE Freedom Of Seeds JackAutoFRE9382FREEFreebie/BOGO
    Seedsman Seeds White Widow SMANWW5 / SMANWW2FREEFreebie/BOGO

    I will be doing two plants at a time. I have fox farms ocean forest soil and 3 combo pack of nutes as well. 1.5 gallon pots. Will have two passive intakes at bottom of box and two 140mm fans blowing air through a carbon filter that goes into the drywall and vents into the attic. A third 140mm fan will blow on the lights and plants. What does everyone think? What do you guys think I should plant first? Remember two at a time! Any recommendations? Thanks lots of pics tomorrow!
     
  2. Will there be enough air from the fan to push through the carbon scrubber?
     
  3. I think so because each fan will have an individual scrubber. Each scrubber is going to be home made and constructed out of the pencil holder cups and activated carbon. I will be making light traps and having the fan pull air through them and push the air into the drywall and up into attic.
     
  4. if I were you a would ScrOG it and use many more plants to speed up your veg time. it would take ages for just two plants to fill that space
     
  5. Well these are autos and yes I was thinking of a screen but this is strictly for myself and I don't wanna risk having an army of plants. Two will last me until next harvest.
     
  6. oh right sorry, i didnt realise they were autos, not much point in a screen if using autos, they just dont veg long enough for it. autos are better off with a SOG approach. 2 autos will only cover about 2 square feet so it may be worth sectioning off a 2ft square area with reflective sheet
     
  7. It's better to pull through a carbon filter than to push through it (cant tell which you're planning to do from conflicting posts). I use the small DIY filter made from the atrium grate and a nylon sock, there's a sticky somewhere here for it. It's very similar to the pencil cup one (I couldn't find the smaller of the two pencil cups needed so I just went with the grate idea). Btw if you can;t find the cups at walmart, I've read that staples has em'.

    It has worked perfectly so far, my gf has a nose like a hound and can't smell anything when in the same room as the dresser.
     
  8. I will be pulling through the filter thanks PassionBud. What do you guys think I should plant first out of those seeds? I was thinking guerilla and maybe white widow. Did quite a bit today, put some casters on the bottom so I move it easier. Also, situated door and lock on the front, did some trim and sanding, Tomorrow will be busy, I will be doing all the caulking inside and making it light proof as well as installing the inner core to the door for a tight fit and cutting the passive intake holes and hole for extension cord to the timer system. ;)
     

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  9. By the way PassionBud could you show me a pic or two of that set up for the carbon filter, I am interested, had a new brainstorm about a set up and I think yours might work better than my initial set up. Thanks!
     
  10. #10 Dingus, Dec 31, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 31, 2012
    Hey! My setup is very similar to what yours is, dimensions and the setup. Before you get started if I were you I would make a fixture for those cfls. I went with the y adapters on the power bar thing and those use up a lot of space and don't spread the light efficiently. Assuming those will be hanging downwards, only 1/4-1/2 of the light emitted will be reaching the plants.

    Also either get some mylar and staple it to the insides, or paint the inside flat white for better reflection of usable light instead of it just getting absorbed.

    I actually upgraded to a 250w MH high bay light with a DIY socket extension so the ballast would not be inside the box + cooltube.

    Also good idea on sticking with 2 plants per grow because I went with 4 my first time which was way too many. I've only got 1 going right now. If you want some ideas or something feel free to check out my first grow and my current.
     
  11. Thanks Dingus I appreciate the advice man. Yea I have two chains suspended from the air on a couple of half loop metal prongs. It will be adjustable to any height needed from the base all the way to the top. I will be painting the inside and outside flat white to blend with the wall and the inside will be for obvious reasons. I need to do quite a few more details including all the fan and carbon filter installation. I think I have about a week before seeds should arrive. If I'm super lucky it will be before next weekend.
     
  12. that looks great mate, but come on, show us the inside, that's what its all about haha

    if your able to make a fixture to position those cfls horizontal you will get a much more even spread of light, get more of the bulb closer to the canopy and gain more head height

    making hanging reflectors from mirrored aluminum is easy to do...

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Lol I promise more interior pics to come tomorrow. I am off work tomorrow and will be hitting it hard to get everything in at least a semi-complete stage. The mirrored aluminum is cool where do you find that at? Home centers? Speciality stores?
     
  14. a local general hardware store. 25mm x 50mm sheet is £8. two of those reflectors can be made out of the one sheet. I used to make them and sell them on eBay until I got sick of the sight of the stuff
     
  15. Here's the link to the thread on the carbon filter I use.

    http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/273604-small-carbon-filter-diy.html

    Mine is just hose clamped onto ducting which runs to my vortex fan and exhausts out of the back door of my dresser.

    If you need clarification just say the word and I'll try to get a pic of my setup on here.

    Btw, the thread shows a 3" atrium grate, I used a 4" because my fan has a 4" flange and it works the same if not better.
     
  16. Very sorry for the lack of updates but heres where I am at currently. I have almost all the inside painted, both 120mm fans wired up. One is pulling through my DIY Carbon Filter and venting out the rear of the cab towards the wall. The other is mounted on one wall halfway up and has a gentle breeze across the cabinet for cooling as well as helping the stem to grow stronger more quickly.

    The entire outside is painted with two coats. All the edges are caulked from inside. I have the 4 5000k Bulbs and 2 2700k Bulbs in there now and have the ability to increase it to two more of either bulb needed by a secondary power cord.

    I need to still tape the loose wires down, finish painting, make the light boxes (What I am about to do now) and some other minor details and she's ready for business. I will be starting a grow journal once my seeds get in hopefully last this week. I'll link it here and keep you guys posted.

    PS: These 120mm fans I got from Radio Shack are A LOT louder than I was hoping, I was thinking of some kind of insulation, anyone else have any bright ideas besides ordering a power controller for the fans? Also, I have tried to layer caulking and whatever else I can think to get a tight seal on the door, I have seen posts elsewhere I other journals but I cannot find the reference again to some kind of lining that has velcro on it to keep it light proof. Starts with an M? If anyone could get me a link or a place to look i'd greatly appreciate it! God bless :wave:
     

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  17. I use weather stripping (thick black kind) and latches to keep my plywood back on the dresser.
    However, you're opening the front so that doesn't seem feasible..

    I've read of people using inner tube from bike tires to get a seal, or also gaskets. Looks like the tricky part is going to be not having anything stick out and make it more obvious that the box has been modified.

    However, to get a proper seal you're going to need to hold the door against something with give to it. In other words, the door has to be constantly pulled into something with give to it like weatherstripping unless there's something I'm overlooking.

    Sorry if that wasn't terribly helpful, but I had had the same problem and settled on cutting plywood for a back door and latching it against weatherstripping.
     
  18. Well got the front door super tight sealed and ready to go. Installing light traps tomorrow now I just need help with finding a fan controller for my setup. If anyone has any experience with using a fan controller with computer fans in your box please help me out :).
     
  19. how'd you end up sealing your door?
     

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