Hazie Clear
New Member
Hey corona. I first tried using HPS in cab. I was not able to keep temps low enough. I recommend doing trials and checking temps often if you go this route.
1st Grow Cabinet
- Thread starter Lost1
- Start date
Hazie Clear
New Member
It actually vents outside through the wall. Box is just to hide. Also put insulation in box to help silence.
Hazie Clear
New Member
I am a cabinet maker. This box is 5' wide x 8' tall x 32" deep. Had to build it in place do to size.
- Thread starter
- #24
Lost1
Active Member
Heat was always a problem even using cfl's. I can only imagine how much warmer it would be using hps in such a small area.
- Thread starter
- #25
Lost1
Active Member
I built something similar. I was able to make small weather striping work by adjusting the hinges in and out. Air tight. I used 2" abs pipe with generic floor vent covers and hose clamps for inlet in back of cab. Two inlets come into the bottom chamber. From there 2 more pipes connect from lower to upper chamber. Works out well. One problem I had using white mellomine is mine is out in a cold shop. When the temps got under 40 I would get condisation sometimes. Caused minor swelling on some door corners. Still works great though. Good luck.
Looking very nice!
CoronaSmith
New Member
Yeah I started out with a 150 watt hps in my first cab which is a closetmaid cabinet. Dimensions are 2'Wx1'Dx5'H. I have a 4" ventech 190cfm fan with carbon filter. I just have a 4 inch hole on the top left of the cabinet with the fan sucking the hot air out and blowing into the filter. Before anyone says that's wrong it works fine for me and the carbon filter would take up way to much space inside. I have a filter on the inside so it filters the hot air before entering the fan. It's not exactly stealth but all I have to do is drill a hole in the bottom of a tote, slip it over the fan and filter & place the lid on top with holes in it and it's hidden by it. I also have anywhere from 4-6 23 watt 6500k CFLs for side lighting. My temps so far haven't been an issue.
I just went out and got another closetmaid cabinet that's 48"Wx20"Dx70"H. I'm trying to figure out how to setup the new cabinet. I also purchased a 600 watt Apollo digital ballast with a bat wing reflector for the new cabinet.
CoronaSmith
New Member
That is a sweet and very clean setup you have there. Very nice.
I've been working up a design based around one of these commercial press-board armoires: Sauder Palladia Wardrobe Armoire 411843
I've got a pretty solid idea about how to make the thing air tight by replacing the crapboard backing panel with a nice 1" board, slathering all inner seams with aquarium leak sealant/caulking, then building an inset inner frame with a ring seal of rubber weatherstripping for the doors, and not using the hinges for them, instead making the door fully detachable and held in place by gravity (due to a 1/2" panel mounted on the inside of the door designed to plug-fit into the opening created by the inset frame) and secured with magnetic latches (designed to keep toddlers from opening cabinets LOL) to keep it from falling out if the cabinet got bumped and also to apply the torque to press the door against the weatherstripping. Kind of complicated to describe, but simple in theory to build.
I was also planning on having the fan blow into the filter and have both outside the box just like you described. I'm no expert, but I figured a 4" inline fan would be overkill for a space that small if it is air tight enough. (in my case the grow space would be something like 19" deep by 34" wide and 46" from the top of the container to the highest point I could raise the light, and I'd be using LEDs, so theoretically less heat).
Anyway, I'd love to see some pics of how you're addressing light/air proofing and any other mods to the cabinet.
Hazie Clear
New Member
Hey boscoe, don't buy aquarium stuff. Extra costs. Just buy 100 % silicone. If that's the way yur goin. Much cheaper same stuff. I've been building cabinets for 25 years. I think, you may want to rethink your set up. I tend to my garden every night, and with easy opening doors it's still somewhat of a pain in the ass. A pull off door will make your grow no fun. Hinge it. Put locks on it. And weather strip. Mine is air and light tight.
Hazie Clear
New Member
Hazie Clear
New Member
Most of these type hinges allow adjustment to move door in and out.
Awesome Hazie, thanks for the info! I'd still have to figure out how to seal the space between the doors though. It's double doors like yours, but there's no center beam to weatherstrip or latch the doors to, and I wanted to avoid putting one in my way because the cab width is only 34". That, and trying to figure out how to seal around the hinges is what led me to the idea of sticking the two doors together and making one piece out of them. So it was a choice between the annoyance of a removeable door panel or having to work around a center beam. 
I suppose I could go back to my initial idea of attaching a thin center slat to one door so the other door seals against it... but then I'm back to trying to figure out how to seal around the hinges. While it looks like they're the same style you show, the doors look to be designed to sit outside the frame, I don't think they can be moved in. I think it could still work with my inner frame idea, but I'd have to cut out a space along the edge and a channel on the face of the frame for each hinge to sink into when the door is shut. I don't have the tools or knowledge of how to accomplish that though. ...Or maybe I do! do you think I could pull it off with a Dremel?
I suppose I could go back to my initial idea of attaching a thin center slat to one door so the other door seals against it... but then I'm back to trying to figure out how to seal around the hinges. While it looks like they're the same style you show, the doors look to be designed to sit outside the frame, I don't think they can be moved in. I think it could still work with my inner frame idea, but I'd have to cut out a space along the edge and a channel on the face of the frame for each hinge to sink into when the door is shut. I don't have the tools or knowledge of how to accomplish that though. ...Or maybe I do! do you think I could pull it off with a Dremel?
Hazie Clear
New Member
Yah, maybe with the cab you have, the pull off door may be the easier way to get a good seal. Maybe you could use roller catches to hold door closed. They make different types. My 4" fan creates quite a bit of suction. This helps pull the doors tight to the weather stripping. Good luck to you, let me know if I can help.
Absolutely Hazie! Thank you, I totally appreciate the input! I'm actually designing the thing in Sketchup and nerding out on it big time. LOL
I'm off to see how to post pictures and I'll try to get some images of it up here so you can check it out. I'm on revision 4 right now. The first version was crazy deluxe, but I've been scaling it back so that it's something I might actually be able to accomplish before the end of the year!
My idea was to design a "supercloset killer" that would look nice and be useful for years. -and something I can build armed only with a drill, a jig saw, a tape measure and a meticulous attention to detail. heh heh a fun challenge to be sure.
EDIT: Okay, I gots pictures!
Here's the overview. This unit is not designed for perpetual harvest or commercial yields, it is a hobbyist unit intended to grow a single plant, heavily scrogged. I've replaced the stock doorknobs with easier-to-grip handles and placed them to make the removeable door panel as easy to deal with as possible. You can see the two Mars-2 LED units (chosen because I've seen some good things and because they fit perfectly in the available space), the 4" fan/filter venting out of the top of the box and the slip-fit PVC scrog frame.
Down at the bottom there's the intake filter box, the pot and on the right is the temp/RH meter and the Variac to control the fan speed. Next to that, the base cabinet is hidden so you can see all the modifications I'll be making.
Here's the door concept - The idea is to graft the two doors permanently together. The extra board on the back will allow me to make the door into one solid piece, and also is the piece that will slip-fit into the custom frame to aid light/air proofing and also will support the weight of the door. Hopefully you can see the black rubber weatherstripping ringing the opening in the frame. I will put a second ring of stipping at the far edges of the frame for extra light/air proofing and also to equalize the pressure against the door panel.
To snug the door panel against the weatherstripping and also provide a lock system, I'll be using these magnetic cabinet locks that are designed for toddler-proofing. I'm a little concerned about the cheap-ass plastic construction, but since the weight of the door will be resting on the frame, I'm hoping wear and tear on the locks will be minimal. I've already tested the tolerance for how much wood-depth the magnetic key can pass through, and they are plenty strong enough to reach through several inches of wood. But I decided not to press my luck, so as you can see, the top and bottom locks are offset from center to avoid the thickest parts of the cabinet doors.
Here's the bottom construction of the cab. I decided I wanted the unit to be easy to move, and since I need to build a floor for the cab anyway, I decided to stick castors on it and make it a dolly. This has the added benefit of allowing me to use the decorative cutout as my air intake, and raises it a few inches up off the floor to reduce the amount of crap getting sucked into it. All but about a 5" rectangle will be blocked off. Hopefully that'll be enough for negative pressure to occur. To make it look nicer and to help stop large debris like pet hair from getting sucked in, I'll cover it with speaker grille cloth.
And lastly, here's the intake filter box design. The important thing to remember here is that I have no meaningful woodworking skills, so I have to design this stuff in a way where I can make it using simple straight cuts and stock lumber sizes. I designed it to fit a specific HEPA filter replacement cartridge for an air purifier that I found on Amazon.
The design of the filterbox is a kind of Jenga-like approach. You can see here how I build it in layers from bottom to top. The lid is snugged against the weatherstripping with those metal lunchbox-style spring latches, and has a louver-style vent cover so I can seal off the box if I want to.
So, that's the gist of my current growcab idea. I'd love to hear any thoughts or suggestions about it. I'm not happy about the placement of electrical stuff on the floor of the cab. You can see I've got a little platform that it's on, but it's still not optimal.
I'm also wondering what I should use to seal the wood with. Obviously something that's not going to offgas horrible toxic fumes...
I'm off to see how to post pictures and I'll try to get some images of it up here so you can check it out. I'm on revision 4 right now. The first version was crazy deluxe, but I've been scaling it back so that it's something I might actually be able to accomplish before the end of the year!
My idea was to design a "supercloset killer" that would look nice and be useful for years. -and something I can build armed only with a drill, a jig saw, a tape measure and a meticulous attention to detail. heh heh a fun challenge to be sure.
EDIT: Okay, I gots pictures!
Here's the overview. This unit is not designed for perpetual harvest or commercial yields, it is a hobbyist unit intended to grow a single plant, heavily scrogged. I've replaced the stock doorknobs with easier-to-grip handles and placed them to make the removeable door panel as easy to deal with as possible. You can see the two Mars-2 LED units (chosen because I've seen some good things and because they fit perfectly in the available space), the 4" fan/filter venting out of the top of the box and the slip-fit PVC scrog frame.
Down at the bottom there's the intake filter box, the pot and on the right is the temp/RH meter and the Variac to control the fan speed. Next to that, the base cabinet is hidden so you can see all the modifications I'll be making.
Here's the door concept - The idea is to graft the two doors permanently together. The extra board on the back will allow me to make the door into one solid piece, and also is the piece that will slip-fit into the custom frame to aid light/air proofing and also will support the weight of the door. Hopefully you can see the black rubber weatherstripping ringing the opening in the frame. I will put a second ring of stipping at the far edges of the frame for extra light/air proofing and also to equalize the pressure against the door panel.
To snug the door panel against the weatherstripping and also provide a lock system, I'll be using these magnetic cabinet locks that are designed for toddler-proofing. I'm a little concerned about the cheap-ass plastic construction, but since the weight of the door will be resting on the frame, I'm hoping wear and tear on the locks will be minimal. I've already tested the tolerance for how much wood-depth the magnetic key can pass through, and they are plenty strong enough to reach through several inches of wood. But I decided not to press my luck, so as you can see, the top and bottom locks are offset from center to avoid the thickest parts of the cabinet doors.
Here's the bottom construction of the cab. I decided I wanted the unit to be easy to move, and since I need to build a floor for the cab anyway, I decided to stick castors on it and make it a dolly. This has the added benefit of allowing me to use the decorative cutout as my air intake, and raises it a few inches up off the floor to reduce the amount of crap getting sucked into it. All but about a 5" rectangle will be blocked off. Hopefully that'll be enough for negative pressure to occur. To make it look nicer and to help stop large debris like pet hair from getting sucked in, I'll cover it with speaker grille cloth.
And lastly, here's the intake filter box design. The important thing to remember here is that I have no meaningful woodworking skills, so I have to design this stuff in a way where I can make it using simple straight cuts and stock lumber sizes. I designed it to fit a specific HEPA filter replacement cartridge for an air purifier that I found on Amazon.
The design of the filterbox is a kind of Jenga-like approach. You can see here how I build it in layers from bottom to top. The lid is snugged against the weatherstripping with those metal lunchbox-style spring latches, and has a louver-style vent cover so I can seal off the box if I want to.
So, that's the gist of my current growcab idea. I'd love to hear any thoughts or suggestions about it. I'm not happy about the placement of electrical stuff on the floor of the cab. You can see I've got a little platform that it's on, but it's still not optimal.
I'm also wondering what I should use to seal the wood with. Obviously something that's not going to offgas horrible toxic fumes...
Hazie Clear
New Member
Sorry for late reply. Looks like you've got it figured out. Should be nice. As far as what to seal the wood with. I'm guessing you mean the outside? You could lacquer, but I would give it a week, before using it. It will stink til then. Inside I would just paint white, and seal all joints with clear or white 100% silicone. Lacquer I prefer is deft simigloss. You can buy in rattle can. Sand with 200 grit or higher, lightly between coats, after they dry. If you can't have odor from lacquer, you could consider using mineral oil. No odor. Gives a descent seal to wood, probably fine for exterior. Cheap just rub generous amount into wood, let soak in few minutes and rub off. Good for restoring wood cutting boards also.
Thanks Hazie! I was thinking more about the interior that will be subjected to light, heat and humidity. Just wondering if I should put some deck sealant or something on it. I'm also wondering if you have a reccomendation for which type of wood I should use?
I'm also thinking about the wear and tear on the door panel and the inner frame. Is there something I can do to protect those edges to keep 'em from getting bumped and rounded off or chipped over time?
I'm also thinking about the wear and tear on the door panel and the inner frame. Is there something I can do to protect those edges to keep 'em from getting bumped and rounded off or chipped over time?
Hazie Clear
New Member
I'm slightly confused. I thought this was a cabinet u were buying, and modifiying. If you are building the entire thing with limited tools, I'm not sure why your not buying cheap white depot cabinet? I say white because that is best for light inside. You can put cam locks on them, by just drilling a hole in the door.
If you are building from scratch. I'm not sure what way you should go. I chose 3/4 white mdl. (mellomine). So I would have good reflective inside (important). And not have to paint, or use Mylar. You could use this for the box and maybe build a wood frame. Wish I could tell you more, but I'm not sure why you are going with wood. Give me some feedback.
If you are building from scratch. I'm not sure what way you should go. I chose 3/4 white mdl. (mellomine). So I would have good reflective inside (important). And not have to paint, or use Mylar. You could use this for the box and maybe build a wood frame. Wish I could tell you more, but I'm not sure why you are going with wood. Give me some feedback.
Yeah, I'm buying a cabinet then building all the framework and stuff that you can see in the images I posted, to make it light and air tight. The first image even shows just the modifications with the base cab removed so you can fully understand what parts I have to build. Sorry I wasn't clear about that.
For easy viewing, I colored most of the parts I have to build in brown woodgrain (Except for the dolly). The actual cabinet is all the dark cherry wood.
So yeah, I'm building a dolly, a frame around the door opening and around the drawer opening at the bottom, I'm blocking off most of the opening I'm going to use for the air intake, and building a little box to hold a hepa filter.
I chose wood because I've never heard of Melamine and have no clue about building things. ANyway, I need something I can get in 2"x3" or 2"x4" studs so that I'm just making simple cuts for length. The fewer cuts I have to make, the less likely I'll screw something up. Melamine could definitely be a good solution for replacing the crap-board backing on the unit though.
I chose the cabinet I did because it perfectly fits the space I have, matches my bookcases and honestly, those white cabs are full-on fugly. Fine if you're hiding it in a garage, but I don't want an eyesore like that in my room! LOL
For easy viewing, I colored most of the parts I have to build in brown woodgrain (Except for the dolly). The actual cabinet is all the dark cherry wood.
So yeah, I'm building a dolly, a frame around the door opening and around the drawer opening at the bottom, I'm blocking off most of the opening I'm going to use for the air intake, and building a little box to hold a hepa filter.
I chose wood because I've never heard of Melamine and have no clue about building things. ANyway, I need something I can get in 2"x3" or 2"x4" studs so that I'm just making simple cuts for length. The fewer cuts I have to make, the less likely I'll screw something up. Melamine could definitely be a good solution for replacing the crap-board backing on the unit though.
I chose the cabinet I did because it perfectly fits the space I have, matches my bookcases and honestly, those white cabs are full-on fugly. Fine if you're hiding it in a garage, but I don't want an eyesore like that in my room! LOL
Hazie Clear
New Member
I get it. So I took a little more time looking at your illustrations. It should be a cool setup if you pull it off. As far as the magnetic locks, I hope it works. I've used similar ones in different applications. I have found with the brand I use, that these need to be almost perfectly aligned, and if there is stress on the latch, that magenet may not release it. I wouldn't use these to hold the door in place, but simply for the locking function. I would secure door with a roller catch, or plastic clips, I can't think of the name of them right now, I'll try to find. I would then just maybe use one lock on each side. The more you put on the more mag keys you have to put on the door, and better chance of one not releasing.
As far as the interior of the box, I would just put a few good coats of white paint. Even on the crap board. Mellomine is crap board, it just has a water proof coating over the surface. Again just make sure to silicone every joint.
For building your frame and other wood parts, good paint grade woods are poplar, alder, maple. Maple much harder than other two. And little more $. Any of these would work fine. There is a lot of other woods you could use too, as long as you get enough paint on them.
If you get a parts list together with all your exact sizes, I would consider going by a small cabinet shop near you. You may be surprised how quickly they could cut them for you, and most likely have extra material in their shop. Depending on the person, they might do it for very little. If not try another one. If you go this direction, I would also think about designing your parts out of 3/4 thick material, as most shops, will have much more 3/4 than other thickness. Whatcha think?
As far as the interior of the box, I would just put a few good coats of white paint. Even on the crap board. Mellomine is crap board, it just has a water proof coating over the surface. Again just make sure to silicone every joint.
For building your frame and other wood parts, good paint grade woods are poplar, alder, maple. Maple much harder than other two. And little more $. Any of these would work fine. There is a lot of other woods you could use too, as long as you get enough paint on them.
If you get a parts list together with all your exact sizes, I would consider going by a small cabinet shop near you. You may be surprised how quickly they could cut them for you, and most likely have extra material in their shop. Depending on the person, they might do it for very little. If not try another one. If you go this direction, I would also think about designing your parts out of 3/4 thick material, as most shops, will have much more 3/4 than other thickness. Whatcha think?
Hazie Clear
New Member
So the catch I'm thinking of is called a kaico clip. But fir the life of me can't find it online. I'm sure I'm not spelling it right. But the closest thing I could find is the bulldog catch, seems like might work well for your app. Google , bulldog friction catch.
