So my idea is to take two $10 tough 20-30 gallon plastic trashcans and stack them. On the top I will fit a 175watt MH lamp. The inside I will either line with car window reflectors, paint white, or buy some type of reflective white lining. Attached is a rough sketch.
my first concern would be how the lamp is attached/ in contact with the bin and what temperature the plastic will start to either warp or start to give out horrible fumes. I have no idea what that temp is, but I know Iv seen bin lids melted by cigerettes being left on them and a lamp is a lot of heat energy that has to go somewhere... might be worth experimenting with that end of things to be on the safe side before you get in to the finer details.
Thanks for your response. That is one of my main concerns as well. I am not concerned with the heat radiating from the bulb but I am concerned with the contact points of the hood and the trash can.
Im sure there are ways of doing it- attaching via a non conductive material with a high melting point, cooling the lamp reflector (to outside the system)... does it need to be stealthy and look like just a bin or does external appearance not matter? I suppose the real risk is if it is a problem does the work around end up making the project cost more than buying a grow tent.
Stealth is only a minor concern. My main drawbacks are available space. I have tons of equipment but nowhere to put it. If a grow tent is easier and cheaper I will probably do that. I am also only going to grow one plant indoors.
How would you gain access to your plant? Take off the top can everytime? I would think plastic cans would be a non-starter.
Well convenience was not put into my concept. But I see your point. If something catastrophic happens like molten plastic falling onto my plants I will have a hard time dismantling it and getting to my babies. The easiest solution I can think of would be to put in a window of plexiglass. But this would also increase costs.
This has probably been said a million times but can you guys point me towards some cheap reflective materials to build a grow tent?
How do you explain two trashcans zip tied together with vents and wires hanging out of it to your guests ? Can you not get a cheap or 2nd hand wardrobe of some sort? even use your own and put your cloths in boxes under your bed , there's always a nosey relative or friend . A modified wardrobe (closet in US) are stealthy and cheap , all the vents go in the back , underneath or on top , wires through the back . Are easy to make light tight and can pretty much be done for the $20 you want to spend . Assuming you already have the light and fan Sent from my GT-I8200N using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I think I am going to build a small grow tent. While I have the lights right now for a indoor grow I just don't have the space, so I am going to make a 3-4feet grow tent and keep them in there for a month then move them outside. Maybe the next plants I grow I will build a dedicated grow cabinet or box. Thanks for the input everyone.
Sick with a tent trust me. I used 3 18gal rubber made tubs stacked. I bolted each lid to the bottom of the containers to stack them 3 high. I run LED light to keep temps down but I did run into a few issues with the setup. It's a cool concept but you will run out of horizontal space very fast specially if you top your plant multiple times. You will hate when the plant grows tall because it's a pain in the ass to get out of the grow box. Also watering is sucky because any water you spill into the box will raise the humidity a shit ton. Remember you are in plastic containers and those hold a lot of humidity. I run 6 PC fans 12v they are very powerful and just got my temps and humidity taken care of Platinumkidd's Running Out of Space Coco LED Grow PlatinumKidd's DGAFF Ultra Low Budget Coco Hempy