First Super Stealth Grow Cabinet Design

Discussion in 'Do It Yourself' started by stillmorebounce, Feb 9, 2011.

  1. What's up GrassCity,

    I've decided to take the leap and go from growing in a pc stealth box to making a full functioning grow cabinet.

    I'm currently living in my parents house and we have a bunch of storage cabinets in the garage. I want to turn just one of these cabinets into a super stealthy grow cabinet, and I need a LOT of help!

    I've provided pictures of the current emptied out cabinet as it is right now.

    Cabinet's Dimensions:

    Height - 71" (almost 6 ft)
    Width - 48" (4 ft)
    Depth - 20.5" (roughly 2ft)

    First and foremost, I need advice on the layout of the inside of the cabinet. As you can see from the picture, the cabinet is compartmentalized, with two bottom sections and one long top section. Should I just get rid of the compartments all together, or should I keep them and have a separate chamber for vegging and one for flowering, but then I wouldn't know what to do with that top section besides keeping supplies and stuff. If I decide to keep the separate compartments then each compartment would be about 4ft high and 2ft wide. My ultimate goal is to have this cabinet grow at least 5 plants at a time. Is this suitable with this compartmentalized cabinet?

    Also, the back of the this cabinet is just a very thin piece of cardboard, I am guessing that I would need to get rid of that and put a thicker wood board on the backside of this cabinet?

    I am also planning to make this cabinet mobile by putting 4 wheels on the bottom board of this cabinet.

    Then I need help with proper lighting. What types of light would be best for this setup and where would I place these lights?

    Then on to the ventilation. WHat kinds of fans (intakes and exhaust) and where would I place them? Where to cut the holes in the cabinet for proper placing of fans and exhaust?

    Then on to the reflectivity issue. I was thinking of wrapping mylar all over the inside of the cabinet.

    What about lightproofing and sound proofing. As I mentioned earlier, I'm living with my rents and I don't want them to have the slightest idea that one of their cabinets has been transformed into a grow cabinet. So, I need advice on how to make this unit light proof and also sound proof.

    I need some expert advice asap. Thanks.:cool:
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Bad Idea, raising your "rent's" electricity bill AND running the risk of them taking the blame for your grow, not cool dude.
     
  3. better off growing one or two plants to avoid raising electric bill too much, buy a new gaming system and blame electricity on that as well as offering to pay difference.

    you can easily make that an awesome grow cab
     
  4. i would go with either a nice CFl setup of at most 75W per plant.
    So buy like 5 or 6 of the 23W Cfl's And that wont raise the electric bill or generate much heat.
    Your other option is LED which if you decide that is the way, DO YOUR RESEARCH.
    Yes LED's are amazing but alot are scams with alot more of the color's you dont need because its cheaper to add white light, etc...
    or get a small HPS.


    "So to figure out what you are using do the following:

    1: Find the true wattage usage of the bulbs you are running...not equivalent!

    2: Multiply that buy the number of hours it is running. (18h, 20h, 24h)

    3: Divide that by 1000...this will give you kilowatts hour which is what your power company charges by. (This will be usage per day since we calculated what you are using in a day)

    4: Find out what your power company is charging you per kilowatts hour - via your bill or online

    5: Multiply cost per kilowatts hour by your usage. Voila! You have your cost per day!

    6: Muliply that by 30 and you now have cost per month...assuming you do not change anything.

    I hope that helps!"
     
  5. average kilowatt hour is .14 cents i think.
    somewhere around there :D
     
  6. thats an ambitious project dude.

    Reflective mylar is the shit. If you can, use it.

    Sound and lightproofing, good idea.

    The rents thing its a challenge, but thread carefully. A stealth grow cabinet without bill control is tricky at best... Id start by replicating a grow box inside the cabinet and on a monthly basis make it brighter by seting up a new bulb. You have stealth growboxes so you know orshould know how much it costs, how much it consumes and how much it yields. Is it really worth the trouble making the whole cab? Wouldnt that compromise your box if caugt???.

    Cheers.
     
  7. Dude there is a guy on here his grows are epic go find the frig and that will give you a pretty good idea on how to set your grow up
     
  8. lol Yeah I know " that guy" on here dude! lmao

    Funny I'm in the same situation growing in my parent's house. I also just bought a cabinet the exact same as yours from home depot. I have have it already set up in my room just still working on the inside now.

    I took out all the shelves so I have just a box.

    The best advice I can give to you is make sure you light proof it and you should make your own carbon scrubber to go on your exhaust(s) http://forum.grasscity.com/grow-room-design-setup/338351-building-1-3-scale-carbon-filter.html

    Also I suggest a passive intake for a negative pressure box to keep odor in.

    Good luck!
     
  9. #9 NJsteez, Feb 22, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 22, 2011
    Leave the backing just caulk all the edges. Put mylar on all the inside surface area, careful not to wrinkle it. Have your exhaust up top on one side (160CFM in-line duct fan is excellent) and your passive intake hole on the opposite side on bottom. I would take out all the shelves IMO. You want to use CFLs since you don't pay the electric bill. You can buy adapters you can just plug into power strips that have sockets for TWO bulbs; they are great. Weather stripping around the doors for light proofing or something similar and the above link for that carbon scrubber will help muffle the sound of your fan.

    Personally I would grow 2 plants in 5 gallon buckets in this box. Maybe 3 tops? Unless your using smaller pots and doing the SOG method. However with this box you have much more vertical space to a grow nice tall higher yielding babes.

    As I said before I turned my cabinet into all one room so I can grow bigger plants. I plan to turn an extra file cabinet into a mother/clone/early vegetative room.
     
  10. I've been a parent, now a grandparent.

    Unless your parents are completely clueless, they will notice your cabinet.

    Take my advice and consider this before spending alot of money only to have your little project shut down.
     
  11. light proofing these can be a bitch. Find a grow tent that will fit inside is the easiest way imho.
     

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