Computer case setup in progress.

[greenblood]

So I've been working a bit on this old mac case for the past week and I've made a little progress. There's still much to be done. I've just been taking snapshots so bear with me on the pics

First I finally cleared out everything from the case. It took me a minute to figure out that I was supposed to drill out the divots.






I have four computer fans now, but only had 3 when I took this shot:




Due to where I store this Mac, maintaining the stock look on the front is important (as opposed to the back or sides), so I took the faceplate off of the zipdrive and glued it back to the inside of the case.








Next I thought about my lights. I am working with a budget but I want to use CFLs and be able to raise and lower the lights, so I used these weatherized sockets and attached strong bar magnets to the back of them. The system is stronger than I had hoped, it is actually kind of difficult to move the lights up and down.










Next you can see where I installed two fans, one intake on the lower left and one outtake on the upper right of the box. I also started doing some light sealing with electric tape but there's a lot left to be done. I also am probably going to need to rework my fans because with just the lights and fans in the box, temps are about 83. I also just bought some heat shrink tubing and weatherstripping to try and quiet the fans down, they are somewhat noisy and that's worse than leaking light as far as my stealth is concerned. I have them running on a 12 volt charger and might try switching to lower voltage to see if that helps with noise, but only if I get some good temps with the new fans.






Oh yeah, and this is where I installed a very cheap thermometer. Haha.




As I said, I've got more I need to do...after I finish lightproofing it I want to do something to the walls to increase reflectivity, except that I don't want to interfere with the magnets on the back wall of course. I'm thinking with my budget in mind. I need to quiet the fans and I also need to figure out a nice sized (perhaps custom made) container that can maximize my space and remain as low as possible. I still need to get soil too of course. I am thinking scrog might help so I want to make a screen. I'm still reading about all that but the basic idea is great. And so much more...

Well thanks for checking it out and I'd appreciate your input! Have a great buzz!

[spike69]

looks good bro,should be fun to watch.

[MeanBean]

I'm thinking you might have better luck with epoxy than super glue.

[Doctor Dread]

Great setup man! I too have a pc grow box, although you are spending alot more time on the planning and design than I did. I sort of just threw mine together, lol. Great work man + reps. I cant wait to see what else you come up with... Keep the creative juices flowin!!

[norcaliwood]

This will be intesting. I'm going to watch.

[greenblood]

Sorry I don't have more to update, but I've been preparing for halloween festivities too ya know! My undead lady and I joined our zombie brethren for a walk through Manhattan on Sunday night...lotta fun...

Anyway, I did get around to adding the heat shrink tubing to the screws holding in my fans. I was surprised at how much difference they made! Unfortunately, the larger of the two fans is still noisy. I checked and it's noisy even when isolated from the case completely, so I think I would need to lower the voltage of the charger in order to make any more difference in the sound.

[MeanBean]

Dude, get a massey fan, they are quiet.

[greenblood]

Thanks for the tips, Bean, you know...I have epoxy. Duh. That fan looks nice too, but how big is it? And thanks to you guys, spike, dr.dread, and norcali for your interest and good wishes!



UPDATE: I installed the third and largest fan. I used the heat shrink tubing on the screws again, I also used felt insulation between the fan and the wall. I did that for the medium sized fan, too, the small one does not touch the wall so it didn't need it. I think overall I am pleased with the results. I determined that the small and large fans are very quiet themselves, it's just the medium fan that makes most of the noise.

With all three fans and all four lights running for one hour, my temp is 77 degrees and humidity is about 48%. That sounds OK to me, so I am now starting to think about getting my soil and my container. Tonight will be devoted to more reading, so if you have any advice on soil (Fox Farms anyone?) I am all ears! Especially if it has to do with budget friendly solutions or organic alternatives...

[MeanBean]

4" but about 5.5 with the shroud.

[greenblood]

Today I didn't spend too much time on my box, except to add some reflective material to the sides. What did I use? The inside of a bag of dog food, thanks to a thread located on this forum:

What reflective materials can i use in my grow room

I feel a little funny admitting I used the dog food bag, but it did accomplish a few things for me: it adds reflectivity, it covers some wires and electric tape, it helps with some of the light leaks, it does not interfere with the magnets holding my lights, and most importantly I didn't have to pay anything for it!







Unfortunately, the temperature rose to 86. I am thinking of switching the small fan from an intake to an outtake to see if that helps, since the largest fan is an intake, and I will also try removing one panel of dog food mylar.

[MeanBean]

LED = no heat.

very little heat...

[StonyGeoff]

Awesome - I love stealth grows!

Out of curiosity, what are the inside cabinet dimensions?

Perhaps a SOG might be a good option for such a confined space.

[greenblood]

Hey Stoney...the inside dimensions are really really tiny! Floor to ceiling is only 13", the width is also 13" and the depth is only 6.5".

SOG sounds like a good idea to me, too, or SCROG. I am playing around with the idea of using this box from start to finish the first time around, just to do it, but if it's something I begin doing continuously then I am thinking of using this box just as a space for a little mother plant. I have another build in mind for a little down the road which might give me enough room for two clones to grow with a little more space.

MeanBean, I like the sound of LED's but right now prices seem a little out of my budget... So far on this build I have kept my expenses down to about $35. Also, I think if I do invest in led's in the future, that I'd want a bigger box and bigger return...

I just read somewhere yesterday about using MH bulbs in the flowering stage as a way to increase potency at the expense of a smaller yield. Any thoughts on this?

[StonyGeoff]

Wow that is tiny! Where are you keeping this box?

Have you considered what you'll do about the smell?

MH is better for grow, HPS to flower.

[greenblood]

I'm keeping this box in my bedroom right now but I think I am putting it in the utility closet once it's going. I'll do a little cleanup and put some other items in there too, for camouflage.

For the smell I was thinking of getting ONA gel. I've heard nothing but great reviews and since I will have such a small plant I probably don't need much more. Some smell will be allowable, too, as I pretty much smell up the place all day long anyway. The need for stealth here is just b/c the wife might not approve, at least until she sees the final product. A taste might change her mind! Maybe then I'll graduate to a decent sized solution!

Of course I agree MH for grow, HPS for flower...that info is everywhere...but I've been following Mesrone's grow (HERE) and the link goes to a page where he discusses how he's going to use both lights during his flowering stage. He's read somewhere (I'm looking for it) that using MH to flower yields 5-10% less but increases potency. Sounds interesting, at least.