would this set up work?

yes

 

Not enough information. How big are the cfl's? the answer is 'probably not'.

 

you want about 100w per plant

 

The 2x4's are way overkill and too heavy. Use 1x2's or 2x2's. Get the biggest CFL bulbs you can find, I saw 65 watt at Lowes the other day. The light color is also important, but only to maximize yeild. Plain old Lowes 65 watt cfl's will get you started.

gopher it!

 

Bro ive got a powerstrip with 4 30w cfls over my 30 plants and theyre fine. I wrapped the strip to a plastic clothes hanger, plastic since it will keep its shape better, with saran wrap, you could use anything tho. then i made a reflector with cardboard and mylar and thats that. the hanger is attached to a chain which lets me easily adjust height. Except maybe the mylar you probably have all that stuff already.

I mention all that since youll go thru less trouble to make this.

 

Bro ive got a powerstrip with 4 30w cfls over my 30 plants and theyre fine. I wrapped the strip to a plastic clothes hanger, plastic since it will keep its shape better, with saran wrap, you could use anything tho. then i made a reflector with cardboard and mylar and thats that. the hanger is attached to a chain which lets me easily adjust height. Except maybe the mylar you probably have all that stuff already.

I mention all that since youll go thru less trouble to make this.

 

Felt like I needed to jump in and say that 120watts of CFL for 30 plants is just laughable. That is unless they are only small sprouts/cuttings/clones and those are your veg lights til you move them somewhere better.

To the OP: What others have said is spot on. 100w for one plant and then 50-75w per additional plant is the rule of thumb I use. 3-4 plants i'd use about 250watts. If you can order stuff online you can get pretty much any size/wattage/color temp bulbs you can think of.

 

Check your local home depot, they're doing 100w-26w daylight 2 packs for 4.50 atm.

 

Do not take into consideration the incandescent equivalent, that is only there for people replacing regular bulbs with those things so they dont screw up their sockets and shit.

IGNORE THE INCANDESCENT EQUIVALENT.

 

Dude, are you trolling or are those sprouts. 4 30w cfl's is barely enough for 1 plant,.

I have 6 clones sitting under more light than that.

 

Yeah, I would love to see those THRIVING ladies.

Anyhow onto real talk.
Nice try on wanting to have your own idea and all. But its not very practical. The 2x4s are overkill and 4 lights isnt sufficiant. Im sure when you said 100watt bulbs u mean equivalent bulbs. 100watt equivalent bulbs put out about 23-26watts and you would need a MINIMUM of 4 of those for a 2-3ft plant and it wouldnt produce much either.

I personally would suggest 200watts+ per plant.
http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/231455-inexpensive-diy-grow-light.html
Here is a good design, inexpensive and effective. I hope this helps.

 

What he said, the smaller wattage is the one you're looking for. A lot of people quantify by lumens also, I think it's around 5000 a plant.

 

Its all I can work with until I get some real lights. They're <1ft at 3 weeks vegging. I still have to weed out the males.

 

Well maybe I am an idiot but for getting my lights together I was piecing things together and it was getting more n more expensive. Then I ran over to the lighting section and bought one of those 4 bulb bathroom lights that most of us have in bathroom, think it was like $10. Pairing that with 75w daylights. Plan on using for 2 mothers n supplementing as needed. Not exactly sure of how I will mount it but worse case with a clamp and a 2x4 stand if I cant figure out something else that works appropriately.

N if I think that sucks then I will just go to t5's. I really dont want to be running high power every where plus I figure for what $15 bucks I had the 4 bulbs and the light fixture n if it dont work for my mothers then I will just use it for clones or something. Who knows sometimes u just have to try shit...Oops

 

if all u have is a limited amount of funds. you can still make more practical fixtures than the ones bought for bathroom lighting.

I was dead broke and used lumber and sockets that didnt match for my first hood. but at least it looked kinda like a hood. Its more than a look too, its functionality.

Go to my journal and look back in my journal at my old flowering hood made of 1x4s/nails/alum tape.

Ill say again 4cfls arent enough for 1 plant. nevermind several.

A MINIMUM OF 200 watts is needed for a healthy plant.

 

True. Until then, point that out if she nags about not having any bud to smoke