Multi-Strain Seed Run

[dr.h00k]

...I have no idea...but pretty fancy gear clamps...cheerz... ...h00k......

 

[Lewydeville]

Just caught up Salt. Brilliant journal mate. Glad I got here in time to see this.

 

[weenmeoff]

Pulling up a chair in the back. Looking good in here!

 

[Dutchman1990]

So what’s this “whatchacallit” device !?

 

[Old Salt]

So what’s this “whatchacallit” device !?

It's a pole mount for a fan. It's made of conduit. The inner is 3/4", the outer is 1". Both are cut in half along their length. Only half of the 1" conduit is used. I'll share more details, and how I made it as soon as it is finished.

I had hoped to finish it today, but my daughter and grand children came for an unexpected visit.

 

[Old Salt]

Veg Tent Update:

Front View: Cream & Cheese (Left) Candida (Right)

Top View: Cream & Cheese (Left) Candida (Right)
​

The Cream & Cheese is a heavy drinker. She wants 50% more than the Candida. She gets 3 cups (750ml) three times per day, while the Candida gets 2 cups or 500ml three times per day.

All but two shoots from each of the main branches were removed. No leaves were taken off today, as they all seem healthy, and are fueling the plant's growth.

 

[Old Salt]

Flower Tent Update - Day 7 of 12/12 Lighting:

Front View: Left to Right Cream & Cheese, Sapphire Scout, Candida

Front View: Left to Right Cream & Cheese, Sapphire Scout, Candida

Male Branches? Left to Right Cream & Cheese, Sapphire Scout, Candida​

I removed all of the off shoots from the main branches. I don't know if the sex reversals worked yet. Sorry for the poor images. I'll figure out the focus by next week.

 

[Old Salt]

Another Kick at the Fan:

After the fiasco with oscillating fans that didn't oscillate, I went on the hunt again. I found these on Amazon for $40.60 CAD, including taxes for the pair:

12V Automotive Oscillating Fans​

The price was right, but there were two problems. That clamp just won't work in my tents, and they're 12VDC. The voltage was no real problem. I just used a wall wart I had laying around to convert my 110VAC mains to the required 12VDC. Now those clamps could prove problematical. This is how I solved it:

Making an Adjustable Pole Mount - Part 1​

Parts Needed: 3/4" and 1" electrical conduit, anti-slip material, butterfly hose clamps, and some nuts and bolts.

Cut the 1" conduit slightly longer than the item to be mounted. The 3/4" conduit is cut 4" (10cm) longer than the 1"

We need to keep the hose clamps from escaping our grasp. I cut two grooves in the 3/4" conduit on my lathe. Another method of accomplishing this is to cut small sections of the 1" conduit and glue them to the 3/4" conduit. You should do this AFTER the next step.

Cut the 3/4" and 1" conduit in half along their length. I used a bandsaw, but a Dremel tool, or hacksaw can be used. I made the test mount (Whatchamacallit) using a hacksaw with the conduit held in a vice.

Drill the holes for mounting the device. Place half of the 1" conduit centered over half of the 3/4" conduit. Drill the small holes for the mounting bolts first through both the 3/4" and 1" conduit. Expand the holes in the 3/4" conduit so it clears the heads of the bolts you use.

Making an Adjustable Pole Mount - Part 2​

Test fit the conduit to ensure the holes in the 3/4" conduit clear the heads of your bolts. Fasten the bolts with nuts for this step. Note that the heads of the bolts should not protrude into the middle of the 3/4" conduit. I used M6 X 1 pan head bolts. For our American friends, a close SAE bolt would be a 1/4" NC.

Clean and glue the half of the 3/4" conduit to the 1" conduit, taking care to line up the holes. I just used the butterfly hose clamps to hold everything together while the glue dried.

Cover the inside of half of the 3/4" with anti-slip material. You may need to cover the other half as well. I used 1/8" (3mm) self adhesive neoprene. A bicycle tire inner tube, fastened to the conduit with double sided outdoor carpet tape or contact cement can also be used.

Attach your device to the mount.

That's it! That's all!

Oscillating Fan Mounted in the Tent​

I don't know how long these will last. They are less than half the price of the small oscillating fans many of us use. There have been a lot of failures reported with those common fans. Time will tell if shopping in the automotive department was a better choice.

If you wonder why some parts are only specified using the SAE system, it's courtesy of our US neighbors to the south. They are Canada's largest trading partner, and as a result most of our building supplies are only available in their system of measurement. A weird anomaly is plywood. The sheet size is specified in the SAE system, but the thickness is metric. It's a real PITA to replace a section of plywood flooring in a house built before we changed to the metric system.

 

[Sätkis]

Since I'll be making the STS soon, I thought I'd mention what I use to measure weights and volumes.

Accuracy is very important for growers when mixing nutrients, or making chemical solutions for tasks such as sex reversals. I use weight for most measurements. You can easily measure the volume of liquids such as water by weight, if you know their specific gravity. Specific gravity is simply the ratio of the weight per unit volume of a substance compared to that of water. Knowing that 1 liter of water weighs 1Kg makes this easy.

My personal standard for accuracy of solids and liquids for my nutrient solutions is ±5%. Chemical solutions such as STS require greater accuracy, so my standard for them is ±1%. Because of this, I have a variety of equipment I use.

Weight Measurement:

​

Scale	Typical Usage
50Kg X 10gm	water 2l - 20l for nutrient solutions
3Kg X 1gm	water 250ml - 2l for nutrient and chemical solutions, also larger harvests
500gm X 0.1gm	water 50ml - 250ml for chemical solutions, 50gm - 300gm harvests
100gm X 0.01gm	5 - 50 gm dry goods such as Dry KoolBloom, buds
50gm X 0.001gm	anything less than 20gm (rosin, Dry KoolBloom, chemicals for STS)

Weigh Scales and Their Usage​

Note: Scales are useless unless they are calibrated. I have a variety of calibration weights from 1gm to 500gm. These are used to calibrate the three lower capacity scales, and to make calibration weights for the two larger capacity scales. The calibration weights for the larger scales are a gallon jug, or pail filled with sand, and/or water measured on the lower capacity scales.

Scales interpolate the measurement from the unloaded value to that of the calibration weight. The actual weight may deviate from the interpolated value by a small amount. If you need more accuracy you can put your empty container on the scale, add calibration weights equal to your desired value, and tare the scale. You then remove the calibration weights. Using this method you add material until your scale once again reads zero.


Liquid Volume Measurement:

Equipment to Measure Liquid Volume Directly​

These are what I have to measure volume directly. The most accurate is the volumetric flask on the left in the back row. It will measure only one volume, in this case 250ml. It's accuracy is better than 1%. The graduated cylinders are used when 1% accuracy is not required. The 100ml graduated cylinder is accurate to within +/- 1ml, and the 10ml is accurate to within +/- 0.1ml. An accuracy of 1% is realized at their maximum volumes, but it decreases as the volume to be measured decreases. Both the volumetric flask, and graduated cylinders can be used to determine the specific gravity of a liquid. The syringes are accurate to +/- 2% of their rated volume, so the 10ml syringe is accurate to +/- 0.02ml. I use the syringes to add the nutrients to the nutrient solutions.

Equipment that Should Not be Used to Directly Measure Liquid Volume ​

Although these items have volume markings on them, they are not accurate enough for our purposes. The measuring cups are sturdier than the beakers and less prone to breakage. These are but some of the items that can be used to indirectly measure the volume of a liquid. I use the beakers for chemicals so they don't get mixed up with the measuring cups used in the kitchen.


Indirect Liquid Volume Measurement:

The best way to indirectly measure the volume of liquid is to use weight. Multiply the desired volume of the liquid by its specific gravity to find the weight you need. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, normally water which weighs 1Kg / liter (1000cc).

How to accurately measure out desired volume of a liquid with an unknown specific gravity:
1. Turn on and calibrate a scale
2. Place the volumetric flask on the scale and tare it
3. pour the liquid into the volumetric flask until it reaches the line
4. read the scale to determine the weight of 250ml of the liquid
5. calculate the specific gravity of the the liquid (weight/250gm)
6. place an appropriately sized beaker on the scale, and tare it
7. calculate the weight of the desired volume (volume * specific gravity)
8. pour the liquid into the beaker until the scale reaches the weight computed above.

I would lose my mind with all that equipment! you sure have made it a science! Love it. Grow is looking good and plants are liking all your gadgets!

 

[StoneOtter]

HI Salty, congratulations on making male parts! Fun place you have here, awesome mount too.

 

[Smokiemcpot19]

I'm here now @oldsalt looking good In those tents! I don't have floralicous, what's that one supposed to provide?
I have diamond nectar wbu? And I have liquid Kool bloom but haven't used it yet cause I thought it was for flower.

 

[Old Salt]

I'm here now @oldsalt looking good In those tents! I don't have floralicous, what's that one supposed to provide?
I have diamond nectar wbu? And I have liquid Kool bloom but haven't used it yet cause I thought it was for flower.

I suspect Floralicious is a molasses based formulation from its color and texture. It was hard to find here in Canada last year, so I have the Grow and Plus versions.

I found a feedchart back when I started that used liquid Koolbloom right from the start. I doesn't seem to be hurting anything.

For my first grow I ran at 75% of these numbers or 25% of the recommended strength. I have pushed it up to 40%, but got nute burn, and backed off.

 

[irie lion]

Veg Tent Update:

Super healthy girls in veg!

Flower Tent Update - Day 7 of 12/12 Lighting:

Looks like they're loving the TS2000 and whatever you'ere doing to them!

Making an Adjustable Pole Mount

Love the ingenuity Salt, damn that's cool! Looks like it works perfectly.

 

[Old Salt]

Love the ingenuity Salt, damn that's cool! Looks like it works perfectly.

It works with the TSL-2000. It's not so good with the DIY COB in the veg tent as it shades the light. I'll have to come up with something else for that.

 

[Old Salt]

Here's a quick pic to show what I meant above.

Fan Mounted in the Tent with DIY COB Light
​

I wanted the fan up higher, out of the light beam from the COB. The center of the COB is 6" (15cm) from the back and side of the tent. Putting the fan higher on the pole will increase the shadow, while lowering it will place it under the canopy. I'm looking for another solution that will let me put either this fan, or one of a different design close to the light, out of the beams from the cobs.

 

[Old Salt]

Veg Tent Update:
There was an explosion of growth in the veg tent this week. I need to do some pruning, so these are the before pictures.

Front View Cream & Cheese on the Left, and Candida on the Right​

You can see the darkness under the canopy. I'll first prune away unwanted branches, and then have a go at the leaves.

Top View Cream & Cheese on the Left, and Candida on the Right

​

There appears to be some clorosis showing on the leaves. I'll take a picture in sunlight to be sure before making any changes to my nutrients.

 

[The Bard]

Hey Mr. Salt...

Finally got by to catch up. Lots of great stuff to see here. Plants look so healthy! Hope the problem you are eyeing turns out to be nothing, or easy to fix. Love the fan-mounting gizmo, very clever.

On the fan-placement with respect to your COBs... Just an idea/suggestion. What if you moved the fans way down towards the bottom, and up-ended them so that they point up? I have mine placed that way, and they blow a nice current of oscillating air across the bare branches at the base, and up through the canopy. I imagine you have already considered this, so just raising it as an option. Good luck!

Edit to add visual aid...

 

[Old Salt]

Veg Tent Update - Post Pruning:
I needed to do some pruning, so these are the after pictures.

Front View Cream & Cheese on the Left, and Candida on the Right

Top View Cream & Cheese on the Left, and Candida on the Right​

I opened them up by bending the main branches out, after pruning.

 

[Old Salt]

Hey Mr. Salt...

Finally got by to catch up. Lots of great stuff to see here. Plants look so healthy! Hope the problem you are eyeing turns out to be nothing, or easy to fix. Love the fan-mounting gizmo, very clever.

On the fan-placement with respect to your COBs... Just an idea/suggestion. What if you moved the fans way down towards the bottom, and up-ended them so that they point up? I have mine placed that way, and they blow a nice current of oscillating air across the bare branches at the base, and up through the canopy. I imagine you have already considered this, so just raising it as an option. Good luck!

Edit to add visual aid...

I may give that a try. I have a ZooMed Hygrotherm as a humidifier. I could run the hose behind the fan to move the humidified air around.

 

[The Bard]

I may give that a try. I have a ZooMed Hygrotherm as a humidifier. I could run the hose behind the fan to move the humidified air around.

Sounds like the would be a good set-up, and might help with your shadow challenge. Let us know how it works out.