The tent I just got in is just an inch or two too tall to squeeze into my area. How would I go about cutting the poles down to fit? I'm not the most educated when it comes to tools. Also is there a place I can go to have this done instead of buying an expensive tool such as a dremel?
Buy a metal pipe cutter like this. You can find them at almost any hardware store. They're usually $10-$20 and you can probably return it after if you'd like.
With that pipe cutter you tighten a blade against the pipe (or pole), work it around a few rotations so it cuts in at a shallow depth, then tighten slightly and work it around a few more rotations, and so on until you get a nice clean cut. However, your tent is designed to be a height matched to those poles, if you cut down the poles you will end up with a sagging tent. If you run good negative pressure inside the tent (which you should for odor control) then that extra material will billow inward, so that from the inside of your tent the walls will be sucked in, cutting down on your available space.
[quote name='"dragonmantek"']I don't think an inch or two would be detrimental to the design.[/quote] I hope not. I trimmed the poles but haven't set it up yet. The lights went out last time before I had a chance to set it up and move everything over. Tonight I'll be able to tell. Worse comes to worse the tent sags slightly. Oh well :/ the ad said it was 76" but when I got it it was 79"
[quote name='"toastybiz"']With that pipe cutter you tighten a blade against the pipe (or pole), work it around a few rotations so it cuts in at a shallow depth, then tighten slightly and work it around a few more rotations, and so on until you get a nice clean cut. However, your tent is designed to be a height matched to those poles, if you cut down the poles you will end up with a sagging tent. If you run good negative pressure inside the tent (which you should for odor control) then that extra material will billow inward, so that from the inside of your tent the walls will be sucked in, cutting down on your available space.[/quote] Damn, I'm really hoping it's not too bad. If it is I'll have to figure something out like holding the canvas material tight with a chip clip/binder clip or something of the like. I've upgraded from a 2.7x2.7 to a 4x4. So if it does suck in a little I'll still have more space than the last grow. Well see tonight I guess
Toasty has a good point and my walls all come in a couple inches x 4 its a lot. but to rectify that when ya get it together try to get the excess from the walls bunched to the floor line it with a board so its flat again and then the tent liner. Should work fine.
terrible advice... toasty obiously gave the best response and you spit in his face. don't cut the tent down OP.. make your own grow space
personally i think i would have tried a hacksaw or pipecutter, two of the most OBVIOUS options before coming online and searching for a way to cut something
[quote name='"Clidefr0g"']personally i think i would have tried a hacksaw or pipecutter, two of the most OBVIOUS options before coming online and searching for a way to cut something[/quote] I didn't have a hacksaw handy and have never heard of or seen a pipe cutter until mentioned here. I figured a hacksaw would dull down or break before I could cut four steel poles. Thank you for chiming in tho. The pipe cutter worked wonders thanks to the advice given here. The tent doesn't suck in because I have bunched some excess at the base. Things are much better now, much larger space to work with I'm excited to scrog this r.p headbad and dinafem white widow.
Hack saws are designed for cutting steel, just an FYI. ive cut a 5" solid block of hardened steel with a hack saw.