Cabinet potential

[DoomedGhost]

I'm going to move into an apartment at the beginning of the summer, so I was wondering how feasible it would to use one of those 4-5' tall metal cabinets as an undercover grow scheme? I can draw up a quick diagram of it if needed, and I'm studying to be an Engineering major, so what goes where and how wouldn't be the biggest problem so much as a starting point

I was thinking keep the top drawer in the cabinet to house lighting, the motor for the vent, etc., and drill a hole in that for the light to hang down from. I would attach extra support to the light as needed, since I was hoping to potentially adjust the light's height as the plant grows. I'm not so sure about how to ventilate, maybe exhaust vents behind the drawer that would still be intact and an intake vent in the bottom?(Maybe not whole vents so much as slits for in/out though)

I'm hoping that there could be some kind of filter I could use to at least dampen the smell through both intake and exhaust, but I'm not sure what or how most of them work yet.

For all the other cabinet drawers I was thinking of cutting out the backs of them and attaching each so I could have a lockable but fully removable door beneath the first cabinet.

Any suggestions for types of fans, lights, reflective surface, etc. would be good.

Oh, and feel free to link me to another page for the answer to some of the individual questions, since I know some of them are more than likely dealt with in very large detail somewhere in the site.

 

[DoomedGhost]

Oh, another thing, they're the stereotypical tin or aluminum filing drawers with the lock in the upper right corner of each door. I'm hoping for a four drawer one of those to do this in.

 

[Racefan]

The potential sounds good. You should consider either a small HID or floros as heat is going to be a problem. I suggest you take a look into the galleries and look around online to see how others have put their cabinets together. Exhaust goes high, intake goes low. Carbon filters work great for smell.

 

[Evil Bong]

4' by 5' is pretty good...as racefan said heat is going to be an issue..just get a nice exhaust system in there and keep a thermometer in the box

 

[Racefan]

It's not a 4 x 5 foot box. It's a small skinny file cabinet that is 4 to 5 feet tall.lol Heat is going to be a huge problem. I suggest floros.

 

[Boss]

I also suggest sealing the entire interior with Killz paint, then painting with flat white. This will ensure Rust will not be an issue.

 

[420oclock]

With a small metal cab, heat will be a huge issue. I have done small grows in a clothing cabinet, and even then it was difficult. Check out this thread:
Will this work?

 

[Boss]

I think it would be better to seal the drawer side, cut open the large side, and put it on two hinges at the top maybe. You will have to light proof the opening, but you will have a lot more room to work.

If sealed properly it should be easy to get heat out, just like a computer box, just larger.
The interior will have to be planned for air flow first, then light and plant placement.

The fans will have to be on the inside if you want stealth, but I would put the intake inside and the exhaust outside on a 4" tube with the carbon filter on the end. it could be placed in the top back of the cabinet if you get small enough 150+cfm fans, but the filter is gonna be an issue.

 

[HHGreenHand]

I've finished 2 stealth grows inside similar conditions. Boss's suggestion upon cutting the wall out and putting hinges on is a great idea. You need to be able to get in there and secure lights, rotate plants, water properly, etc, etc, etc....

The interior painting is also a must. It will keep you from losing light and will also help balance that light around the entire plant.

Dependent upon how many plants you plan on fitting inside, I would suggest a small fan near the middle or bottem of the cabinet to circulate air, an intake fan on the bottem in the back and an exhaust fan to remove the air on the top in the back. This will keep the air fresh and constantly circulating. A filter can be attatched to the intake part of the exhaust fan to draw the air through. A variety of carbon filter assemly instructions are floating around.

 

[Lord Jebus]

I just finished designing my new stealth box. Its 1.5 feet wide and long and 4.5 feet tall. Built in exhaust and intake, 2 4 foot fluors 2 bulbs setups - 4 bulbs total. When done will look like a free standing speaker enclosure - with working speaker to boot. I will use this to grow one plant at a time and crop when the plant is around 3.5 feet tall I hope. This is a new design for me, but I think it will work. Anyone wants the plans just let me know.

 

[DoomedGhost]

I was only really thinking of maybe 2 plants at most in that set-up. Really it's just a thinking idea, and I was wondering about the viability of it with all you guys that have experience. I'll look up the products and draw a 3-view blueprint of sorts for it and put it in here or a new forum. Anyways, yeah, it's probably work better as you said Boss and just kill all the cabinets inside and just make one of the sides swing away. I'll get back to all of you when I have the plans done.

Thanks a lot for the help so far, and keep in mind any and all suggestions are helpful since... Well... I'm an absolute newb when it comes to growing