150w HPS 4'x2½'x2' Cab Plans

[Nesnarb]

Hey,

I've got the plans here on the cabinet I'm planning on building. I've posted it cause i'd like all the brilliant people here to tell me how it could be better. Once I actually build it I only plan on growing one plant at first. I know it's possible to do more but i'd like to focus my attention on one at first. I'm only growing for my lovely lady and myself and one at a time should do us for now.

The dimensions of the frame aren't exactly what I said in the title its about an inch higher and deeper the reason for the odd measurements is that I can use exactly four 8' 2x3's. I'll be taking advantage of LST and a smaller 2 gallon pot to keep the height under control. Here are a few details of what exactly I plan on doing.

1. A hunk of wood to mount my fan switches, thermometer display, etc...
2. 150 watt Digital ballast.
3. Ventilation using a 12v 120mm 68.9cfm computer fan that blows into a part of a funnel and into a pringles can with drilled exhaust holes and filled with a carbon filter. A genius on another forum invented this and it worked great for him on a slightly smaller scale but I'm willing to try.
4. 150 watt mh/hps w/ reflector on yo yo's.
5. Painted matte white inside.
6. The same fan as above blowing into the box (i'll work out a light trap).
7. White waterproof vinyl fabric on the floor and up the walls a bit.

If anyone has good link on how to make a remote ballast that would be really nice and I don't know if because the ballast is digital it would make any difference in making it remote.
Thanks so much for any input and thanks for everyone who has ever posted threads here or elsewhere. If it wasn't for these forums I never would have made it this far.

 

[eScott]

+rep points for awesome design work!
What is that, Sketchup, Autocad....?
As for the poll, I'd wait until after the construction on that question as theirs mo' better, mo' newer strains coming out all the time.
By the time that beauty is built and dialed in, your current choices may be yesterdays old news

 

[Nesnarb]

thanks E. Scott FitzBongloads! author of The Great GatsBong and Tender is the Bong hahaha just kidding but seriously thanks and yeah i never thought by the time i get all this stuff together and runnin smooth [which could be a while since i'm broke as a jokeasaurus rex] there will be a whole new exciting batch of strains. i used sketchup and i can definitley say it saved me some headaches cause i'd have fucked something up fo sho if I didn't. Still might...

 

[Setting Sun]

Nice design work!

Looks very workable, although you never really know about temps until you fire things up. You may have to make some adjustments if things get hotter than planned.

Digital ballasts still get quite hot and you don't want them inside your box, both because of the heat they radiate to your plants, and they will last longer if they are in a cooler remote location.

I like to keep my ballasts off the ground but low on a milk crate. It's cooler down near the floor of the garage, and setting it on a milk crate provides air circulation all the way around it.

regards,

SS

 

[Nesnarb]

hey setting sun thats a hell of an idea with the whole milk crate thing. I definitely think I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna make sure i've got the heat under control before i put any plants in there well at least important plants i may give it a test run with a pepper plant for a day or something. thanks for the great idea!

 

[Wolfbuddie]

I love the artwork of your design. I tried to use sketchup, but I am just not patient enought to learn a new software just to design a box.

Just a couple of thoughts, Make sure that you take into account how to close the front door so that it is tight. You may want to add some thick weather stripping to the door frame to make sure it is light proof.

BTW if money is tight, you can go with CFLs or T5 flourescents for the lights. Many people use them and they work fine. And since they produce a lot less heat, you may be able to get away with a passive air inlet and a exhaust fan for air removal. But that's completely up to you.

Best of luck on your build and don't forget to post pictures.

peace smiley

Grow box construction by a newbie

 

[Mr Smith]

I would use flouro tubes or bulbs like what wolf says. I only say this because I have a veg cab that I use a 250w metal halide and using a dayton 4 inch squirrelcage fan as a intake and a 4 inch inline vortec for exhaust my temps were close to 83f in the cab and the cab is in a environmental controled room set at 75f. Each one of my fans are 150cfm and they are not as loud as a vaccuum cleaner but they do make wind noise because of the airmovement and I havn't had time too make baffles or buy mufflers to difuse noise.. I switch to flouros and temps are only 2 to 5 degrees higher than the room it is in. Heat is hard to control in small areas so don't skimp out on the fans. Odor socks work well with small setups because they go on the exhaust side of the exhaust(after the fan) and can be outside the cab to work and they are cheap or you can do a diy carbonfilter but it might cost more to build than it does to buy a sock. A normal carbon filter goes on the intake side of the exhaust(before the fan) which means it has to be inside the cab and they take up space. Nice sketch work but a working model would be better and then we can see it get tested. I do love watching good microgrows. Even tho my veg cab is bigger and my light a 100watt more, its close enough that you might have the same heat issues I had. By the way a remote ballast means a ballast that is not in the reflector or near the bulb so you would be able to keep the ballast out of the cab. My 250 watt has the ballast built into the reflector that would add more heat to the cab.

 

[Nesnarb]

Wolf - your cabinet looks incredible. hope you plan to do a journal. skecthup was cool but a bit of a pain in the ass cause it was running really slowly on my computer but using it really helped me work out a lot of kinks. i was thinking of using a latch and i'll definitely have to get some weather stripping and maybe some dap for the other holes.

Smith - Man you've got some impressive grows happening. I definitely am going to get the working model going as soon as possible and plan on getting the heat issues taken care of before I plant anything. I'm gonna get that ballast out of the box and i'm gonna make some modifications to the fan design. I've been thinking of putting a smaller computer fan with about half the cfm on the top of the filter (along with the bottom one I planned) to give some pull, fill the can entirely with the spongey carbon filter and not drill any holes in the can so it will be air in the bottom and out the top after passing through the filter and hopefully it works. Also i think i'll give passive intakes a try first and put the other 120mm fan inside for air circulation. I like the idea of the socks. I googled it but all that came up were actual socks for feet that combat foot odor. Sounds like a good idea, is that what you're talking about?

Thanks for your time guys

 

[Mr Smith]

Here's a link to give ya a ideal. There are many places you can buy them on the net including ebay all day.
Sunlight Supply: OdorSok 4 inch x 12 inch 140 CFM [700800] - Air Filters & Purification, Odor Control, Bug Nets, etc. - Environmental Controllers, CO2 Generators, Fans, Blowers & Duct, Air Purification - Horticulture Source

 

[eScott]

hey setting sun thats a hell of an idea with the whole milk crate thing. I definitely think I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna make sure i've got the heat under control before i put any plants in there well at least important plants i may give it a test run with a pepper plant for a day or something. thanks for the great idea!

Another alternative and stealthy...
I've seen guys stuff 2 ballasts inside a regular PC case with lots of pc case fans for coolers. Effective and a bit more subtle visually.

 

[Nesnarb]

i'm officially begining building this SOB tomorrow

 

[Wolfbuddie]

Well good luck on the build. Remember, measure twice, cut once.

 

[Nesnarb]

thanks wolf i will. I better wait to smoke cause all we have is some indica and I doubt it will help me in any way. I'd constantly forget what I was doing.

 

[Nesnarb]

I started building this thing and you can see the progress here ---> Building my 150watt 4'x2½'x2' Cab