So for a while, my closet was a clusterfuck of individual cfls, and my maxed out aerogarden hood was nowhere near high enough for my poor cramped plant. It was time for a change... Materials: old vcr or similar metal cased piece of equipment 3in half steel tube with tabbed edges(looks kind of like the omega symbol from the side. scrounged mine from an old kitchen fixture, youre gonna have to make it if you cant find one.) cfl bulbs x3 wired bulb socket x3 2'' foil tape (I used 1". Believe me, you want to use 2") zip ties x7 drill or metal punch screws to fit your holes x2 metal wire 3in computer fan with cowl hammer metal shaper block, curve (optional) 12v wall wort plug 3in clear plexiglass tube (optional) high strength adhesive tin snips anvil metal scribe Sorry I dont have pics of me making it, I didnt think itd be as good as it turned out til it was already done. Ill make another improved one later and do another guide. Gather Materials Remove metal case from vcr, discard the rest Bend vcr case flat Hammer out seams, tabs, etc until its really flat Scribe a line down the middle longways, and cut in half with tinsnips If you have the curved metal piece, skip to 8, if not go to 7 Take a ~8in wide piece of metal the same length as the long side of your vcr halves, bend into a rough half-tube about 3in diameter, longways, and use the hammer and shaper block to smooth it out. Bend 1/2 inch of each long edge outwards about 90 degrees. A sheet metal press really helps here. See what I meant about it being alot easier to already have this piece, or something similar? Run a bead of adhesive down the top of the 1/2 inch edges. Be generous, youre going to be covering everything up anyways. Attach the cut side of each vcr half to the half-tube, clamp the ends and run your finger down the seam to make sure its sealed well. After its dried about 15 min, remove the clamps one side at a time, and use the foil tape to seal the top and bottom seams. Replace clamps Let dry another 30 min or so. Flip the reflector upside down, and starting at one of the long sides, run overlapping strips of foil tape until the underside is completely covered. Run strips along the short ends, sticking out halfway, and fold them over so the other half sticks to the top side of the reflector. With it still upside down, mark 2 holes in the center of the reflector, each 4 inches from the edge of the short sides. These will hold the steel cable to support the lamp. Thread 3-5 ft of steel cable through each hole, depending on your needs. Twist them together between the holes, pull tight on the ends, and insert the screws in both holes, from the top of the reflector. Run a piece of foil tape over the wires and screws. Get your sockets, and put the bulbs in them. Lay them end to end inside the half tube part of the lamp, taking into account the fans future location on one end. I put mine on the end with the top of the bulb against it, not the end all the cords come out of. Mark 4 holes per socket, 2 on each side, near the top and near the bottom. Drill out all the holes. Replace sockets, and secure with the zip ties. Place fan on the end you want, and mark 2 or three holes to secure it. Drill and secure with zip ties. Bundle all the cords together, and run them down the edge where the half-tube meets the vcr panel. Run a strip of foil tape over them. Right where the reflector stops, tie a zip tie around the cord bundle. Wire up your fan to the 12v wall wort, if its not already wired. (Optional) Take your 3in clear plexiglass tube, cut to length of reflector, then cut in half longways. Secure to underside of fixture with adhesive, making sure it lines up with the fan. You want this to channel the air over the lights, as well as protect your plants. And there ya go! I also removed my aerogarden fixture and hung it by threading string through the vent in the back, and removing the logo panel in the front and running two through there. Good tip for you aerogarden users, cuz that thing can grow a way bigger plant than the height allows, even with the 2ft extension. Questions or clarification requests, feel free to ask. I'm sure there will be plenty, my explanation combined with a total lack of pics, im sure was not the easiest to understand.
[quote name='"vostok"']Sorry but your setup is so 'er confusing where is the vcr hood?[/quote] The VCR is what you make the reflector out of, you hammer it flat, cut it in half, and cover it in foil tape
As soon as this plant is done, i'm moving my grow to a different spot, and I'll take detailed pictures of the light, may also build another one.
Its plenty for a single autoflower. You can also use larger CFL bulbs, I used 100w equivalent, but I think I've seen all the way up to 250w equivalent.