DIY: Single CFL Bulb Reflector - So Cheap it's practically free

Discussion in 'Do It Yourself' started by Mystic, Dec 4, 2007.

  1. Ok, so here's the deal...I've been growing with CFLs for a while now and kept getting frustrated with the amount of lost light and reflector options...so being the pot smoker that I am, came up with this idea...may be new, may be old...but regardless here it is.

    What I bought:

    Dixie Paper Bowls
    Foil

    What I needed:

    Scissors

    All I did was experiment with the size of the hole and basically just cut a hole in the center of the bottom of the bowl about the same size as the ballast part of the bulb...I then wrapped the inside of the bowl with foil with the satin side facing out. I then took off the bulb, gently slid the bowl over the ballast...and wha-la...you get what's in the picture...seems to be working beautifully...no more lost light and now my box is ugly as poo...so that's always kind of funny!


    Anyhow, hope everyone appreciates my stoner idea!
    -bonghit-


    Oh and those of you worried about fire, I can hold the bulb in my hand, so we should be ok!

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    The other pictures weren't meant to be uploaded in this thread...sorry.
     

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  2. haha, very very nice bro.. The stoners creativity will never cease to amaze me.. I think i am going to do that w/ my cfls.. Mad props.
     

  3. I'm glad that you like it...I'm sure most CFL users could use this...so i figured what the hell...give it a shot.

    Post some pics up once you get yours done.
     
  4. I realize I am likely just paranoid, but I would be a bit hesitant to wrap any lamp with paper... even if it was covered in foil. All it would take is for that paper to get hot enough in someones small grow cabinet made out of wood...
     
  5. If you can hold a bulb in your hand, there's no way that the bulb is anywhere near the requred 451dF to burn paper...

    Any estimates on increased efficiency?
     
  6. Greetings from Ireland man .i have been trying to deal with the same issue myself and in the end i cannabalised some desk lamps but i think your cheap idea gives a better spread of light .Be lucky !
     
  7. I have no clue man...but you can see a clear difference in the brightness on the leaves...so we'll see.
     
  8. very innovative idea bru, but It really is not worth the effort as foil does not reflect all the colors in the spectrum, and unfortunately those it does not reflect are the ones plants use to synthesise the Co2 into those buds you all have come to love. Rather spray those plates flat white, as white reflects more of what the plants need.

    Still, very innovative man.
     
  9. those are nice looking plants
    I can't believe you can grow such good plants with such small bulbs, even if you are using eight of them! ..incredible!! I'm going to have to try this :D


    I used an old street light for my first grow, yep those things that you walk under on the street!!
    Some guy was getting them free from somewhere and putting plugs on them, all I had to do was plug it in and I was up and growing. It weighed a LOT and got real hot but it worked.

    These little lights of yours look amazing - light-weight, cool and probably not energy hungry either :D


    Where do you buy them from, hardware stores??


    Thanks man :hello:
     


  10. I got these from Home Depot or Lowe's or Walmart or Target or somewhere like that. Sylvania 2700K bulbs for most and then I think there is 2 Helvetica 2700K too. All are 26W which converts to 100W Incadescent.


    RevErenCE - Any idea where you can find the spectrums of light that foil reflects or are you just repeating something you've heard? Because if there is one, it should be a sticky for all those people who use foil to read. I know it reflects the heat alot more than mylar, but never heard this noise about spectrums of light...Do say more...??

    Articles to consider????
     
  11. Those are very time/money efficient. One thing I might suggest is using mylar instead of foil. Foil doens't reclect as well as mylar... not even close actually. Aslo, the ripples and folds in the foil can cause the light to become focused in a beam that burns your plants.

    Using mylar instead of foil kinda kills the money effieciency....but it would make those reflectors awesome.
     
  12. even if it's covered in foil? the foil would flame up just the same.
     
  13. i typed in "reflector" in the search b/c im looking for a REALLY cheap way to reflect light from my cfl's and this was the first thing that came up...perfect! thanks for sharing the idea man.

    p.s. ive seen many, many, many people using foil to reflect light, it cant be THAT bad can it? anyways, the price of fuckin aluminum foil makes up for any inefficiencies it might have
     
  14. i made these and they seem to work pretty good..+rep man thanks
     
  15. I'm glad that they are working for you. I've seen a pretty tight nugget formed under these reflectors so far...I have one that I cut the hole too big and I need to get it redone, but other than that I'm pretty stoked. Glad you are too!

    Thanks for the +rep
     
  16. I always thought you should use the daylight 6500k bulbs to mimic sunlight. :confused: Are you getting good results with the 2700k? I have a few full spectrum fluorescents that get great results however they are not space saving enough for the room..
     
  17. Plants want blue light (6500K) in vegging and red light (2700K) in flowering.
     

  18. YUP...what he said.

    I keep 2 6500K and 1 2700K in my mother/clone room so they have a full spectrum. Roots are stimulated by 2700K, which in turn is one of the reasons for the stretch you see...more roots, more heighth/fullness. Also, 6500K stimulates vegetative growth...IE, more leaves. It's good to have some 6500K in your flower room too, for full spectrum, but mostly 2700K is preferred. I'm personally going to buy a 6500K UV bulb when the store restocks and put that in there, because the UV rays will stimulate more cystal production.
     
  19. Bringing this thread back from the dead!

    Im in the same boat, and like this idea...

    Someone mentioned that flat white would be better, so could you just not use the foil and use the white bowl? Maybe paint the back of the bowl black so it does not leak light? I will probably use left over mylar, but Im not sure how much I have.

    As far as the fire concern, Im thinking I might just rest a CFL on a paper plate on my cement patio, and see if it burns after ten or so minutes. Isn't it safe to say if sitting on it doesnt burn the paper, then it should never catch fire being used as a reflector? What about a plastic plate? Would it melt?
     
  20. I like this idea, but even if you can hold it in your hand, apparently those that say that have never had one burn up and smoke like I have.
    Simple enough to use 2 pop cans with the tops cut off, split down the sides, with holes in the bottom and attached just like your bowls, except that there are 2 of them attached perpendicular to each other, creating a fan like setup that can be manipulated into a small cone or large cone by using foil tape on the exterior (or not). Much better reflectivity than hot spot creating foil.

    That is a creative idea, and only a stoner would think of it. +rep to you, but next time leave the paper out of there, I promise, it can catch on fire.
     

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