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 Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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 Building a box 
#17252 - 05/02/08 01:02 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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I've got a few seeds germinating in the windowsill right now. One is about 3 inches tall. My friend has the wood to build a box. How big do I need to make this box? How many different parts? And what all should I put in it? I was thinking about making the whole front open up with hinges.
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 Harry_Ba11sach
cannoisseur
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 11,753
Loc: Nepal 
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#17259 - 05/02/08 01:22 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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That's really all up to you man. Keep in mind a plant will streatch 2-3 times it's size when you put it into flowering, and the larger your plant is= more yield. I'd say make it at least 4-5 feet tall, but you could make it smaller if you're using CFL's instead of HID lighting.
Here's a picture of my box, it's a converted 4 door filing cabinet.
Your main concern with a small growing space like that is adequate ventilation. It's not hard to get enough air flow to keep your plants happy, it's just hard to keep temps down if you're using HPS bulbs (I have a 250W)
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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I'm just going to use some regular flourescent lights. I just found one at the house. It's only 510 lumens, 15 watts. I don't know if its strong enough, but it was laying around. The problem with it being like 5 foot is that it will be hard to get into my place.Unless I just built it here. I was going to use a computer fan for ventilation.
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Harry_Ba11sach
cannoisseur
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 11,753
Loc: Nepal
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#17334 - 05/02/08 02:55 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Why wouldn't you build it there? It's way more sketchy to assemble a grow box somewhere else and move it in than to just build it in your garage and never let anyone else see it.
Also, 510 lumens is going to grow really shitty pot. Get another 3-4 of those and you'll be somewhat closer to true dankness.
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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It's going in an apartment. I might just build it here. So what kind of lights should I get for it? I'd like to use flourescents, because I have read about grows with them recently.
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Harry_Ba11sach
cannoisseur
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 11,753
Loc: Nepal
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#17354 - 05/02/08 03:15 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Just reading about grows using them doesn't automatically make them a good option. I've read about people getting kicked in the nuts, but I don't want to try it anytime soon.
They're not the worst way to grow pot, some people have had very nice yields and quality come from them, but you're going to need a fuck-ton more than 15W worth. If you're buying a bunch more lighting fixtures to house all your flourescents, you might as well just get an HPS lamp and grow the dankest nugs you can. IF you still really want to use Fluoros, you should go the compact route, just so they don't take up too much room in your small space.
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Well, I can get a 400 watt hps..I just didn't know if it would be necessary. I don't want to run up the electricity too much.
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Harry_Ba11sach
cannoisseur
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 11,753
Loc: Nepal
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#17696 - 05/02/08 09:29 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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How big of a box are you building? For anything up to about 3'x3' I would say a 400W is too large. It'll generate waaay too much heat for sucha small cabinet. For example, my cabinet there is 22" by 18" and with a 250W hps and complete air exchange every 10 seconds, I'm still around 85 degrees on average... if I had a 400W my plants would be fried.
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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That's about the size of the box I built. What all will I need in it? What kind of ventilation do you use? I was going to put a computer fan on the side of it and another hole for the air to leave.
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Harry_Ba11sach
cannoisseur
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 11,753
Loc: Nepal
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#26268 - 05/11/08 03:54 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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I have a squirrel-cage fan that moves a little over 100 cubic feet of air per minute. It's way overkill for a box that size in terms of what the plants require, but it's absolutely necessary (and possibly even slightly inadequate) for keeping the temp under control.
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mel_lonta_tauda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 9,407
Loc: the sun
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i think cfl's come in handy for small areas. especially for a box
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Harry_Ba11sach
cannoisseur
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 11,753
Loc: Nepal
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yes, I think they would be a nice alternative for a situation like this. I've heard bad things about bud density and yield, but people with boxes this size aren't growing for record harvests anyway.
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Where can I get CFL's? What do I need to look for? Will the PC fan not be enough?
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#27083 - 05/11/08 11:56 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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http://my.neutralexistence.com/images/CFL_sky.jpg
you can get these ^^ cfl's at home depot
http://www.agri-culture.eu/catalog/images/CFL_SB_125W.jpg
you can find these as well, but, i don't think home depot carries them. Probably have to find a specialty shop or order online
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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dutchmushroom
Gratefuly Dead
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 121
Loc: Dodge
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27269 - 05/12/08 03:19 AM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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the box i grow in is like 3 foot wide 3 feet deep and about 5'3 tall
it cost me just under 50 to make, i have it cut in half the top for flower and the bottom for veg, perpetual harvests for the win!!
peace out Dm
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"Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand says: don't you see? Gotta make it some how, on the dreams you still believe, Don't give it up, you've got an empty cup, only love can fill, only love can fill"
"The bus came by and I got on, and thats when it all began"
250w Digital HPS Growlight kit, ballast/lightbulb/reflector +Organic Botanicare Pure Blend Pro nutes Sale or Trade
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Nice. How many would you suggest for the small box im building?
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dutchmushroom
Gratefuly Dead
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 121
Loc: Dodge
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#27339 - 05/12/08 07:59 AM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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i put 8 mini clones in my flower part, and i put to in every two weeks and harvest two every two weeks, but it really depends on how much light and how much room you got bro,
i grow northern lights exclusively, which is a compact indica, and i take clones a flower them after a very short veg, but not a soon as they root (very very good high from this strain, nice and couch locky lol)
i got a 250w hps for flower, but you couldn't fit 8 normal plants under that thing, my plants are really small, but i always manage a nice harvest, always have bud to smoke,
i wouldn't call my grows a see of green because the plants arn't THAT small, plus they arn't really that crampt,
i would recomend you get mylar and cover the walls of your cab with it, that way there is verry little light loss, i have my cab walls coverd with it, and it is so fucking bright in there you can barely see, and even with only 250w for eight plants the buds are always nice and compact and not airy, and i believe the mylar plays a big part in that, i am always very happy with my yeilds, and i have got about .89 grams per watt of light which is pretty damn good for a 250w
peace out Dm
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"Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand says: don't you see? Gotta make it some how, on the dreams you still believe, Don't give it up, you've got an empty cup, only love can fill, only love can fill"
"The bus came by and I got on, and thats when it all began"
250w Digital HPS Growlight kit, ballast/lightbulb/reflector +Organic Botanicare Pure Blend Pro nutes Sale or Trade
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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I mean how many CFL's?
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dutchmushroom
Gratefuly Dead
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 121
Loc: Dodge
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Re: Building a box [Re: Jrsxt]
#27344 - 05/12/08 08:23 AM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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well i use 100w of cfl just for vegging, but if your gonna flower i would have atleast 50w per plant, and since cfl's don't penatrate as good as hps's i would put a couple at the bottoms of the plants, so the buds get light from all directions
peace out Dm
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"Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand says: don't you see? Gotta make it some how, on the dreams you still believe, Don't give it up, you've got an empty cup, only love can fill, only love can fill"
"The bus came by and I got on, and thats when it all began"
250w Digital HPS Growlight kit, ballast/lightbulb/reflector +Organic Botanicare Pure Blend Pro nutes Sale or Trade
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Pipesmoker Elf
Super Coyote
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 37
Last seen: 9 years, 11 months
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Can you post some pics with your grow room?
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Jrsxt
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 134
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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I'm working on building it still. I've got the wood mostly cut out. Just seeing what all I need. I went and got some hinges and a lock for the door. I'm gonna make the whole wall a door, I think. I got some hooks to hang the ballast from. I will probably get mylar or white spray paint to paint it. Once I find a fan im gonna cut a whole for it. I'm still thinking about using a big computer fan. I'm still trying to figure out if it will be enough.
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dutchmushroom
Gratefuly Dead
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 121
Loc: Dodge
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cam is broke and i don't have any spare cahs after a 420 rippoff, plus i am paranoid i am not about to incriminate myself
peace out Dm
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"Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand says: don't you see? Gotta make it some how, on the dreams you still believe, Don't give it up, you've got an empty cup, only love can fill, only love can fill"
"The bus came by and I got on, and thats when it all began"
250w Digital HPS Growlight kit, ballast/lightbulb/reflector +Organic Botanicare Pure Blend Pro nutes Sale or Trade
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araucaria
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 161
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 15 years, 11 days
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i can see you've stopped by my grow log. so yea, i used 2(23w) cfls for flowering those and have been using 4(26w) cfls for flowering, imo it works fine. i'm getting a 400w hps but am worried about heat. so really consider how much heat you will be able to deal with.
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Kids are always honest
Cause they don't think their ever gonna die
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: araucaria]
#27512 - 05/12/08 02:49 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
plus i am paranoid i am not about to incriminate myself
yet you posted the city and state you live in on the other site.....
Quote:
i'm getting a 400w hps but am worried about heat. so really consider how much heat you will be able to deal with.
Just know this, it's a lot. A 400 watt light will heat up a room to 90+ degrees in under 20 mins EASY without any ventilation. However with proper fans and exhaust set up cooling a 400 watt light is relatively easy when compared to, lets say, a 1000 watt light. As long as you have a place for the hot air to escape to, and a way to bring cooler, fresh, air in, then you'll be ok.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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araucaria
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 161
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 15 years, 11 days
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27514 - 05/12/08 02:54 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
coda said:
Quote:
plus i am paranoid i am not about to incriminate myself
yet you posted the city and state you live in on the other site.....
Quote:
i'm getting a 400w hps but am worried about heat. so really consider how much heat you will be able to deal with.
Just know this, it's a lot. A 400 watt light will heat up a room to 90+ degrees in under 20 mins EASY without any ventilation. However with proper fans and exhaust set up cooling a 400 watt light is relatively easy when compared to, lets say, a 1000 watt light. As long as you have a place for the hot air to escape to, and a way to bring cooler, fresh, air in, then you'll be ok.
my hps just arrived, i'm about to see how hot my 18 x 33 x 60 box will get. i have a cooltube, but my box is in my closet, which doesnt get much ventilation
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Kids are always honest
Cause they don't think their ever gonna die
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Building a box [Re: araucaria]
#27516 - 05/12/08 02:57 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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I wouldn't think you would have much of a heat problem with a cool-tube reflector, but my friend doesn't have any first-hand experience yet.
Araucaria, didn't you pick up a couple in-line fans for ventilation? 
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araucaria
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 161
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 15 years, 11 days
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27519 - 05/12/08 03:11 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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yea, i'm using a 4" duct booster fan @ 80cfm for the 10" scrubber and a 6" one of those @ 250cfm for the reflector, i might just have to lightproof the growhut more and leave the door open for better airflow
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Kids are always honest
Cause they don't think their ever gonna die
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27520 - 05/12/08 03:13 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
I wouldn't think you would have much of a heat problem with a cool-tube reflector, but my friend doesn't have any first-hand experience yet.
A cool tube without ventilation is WORTHLESS. You might was well just hang the light from a socket. The reason they're called cool tubes is because their designed to be cooled by air moving through the tube and out an exhaust port. If you don't hook up and fans to pull the hot air off the light it will just sit there and the temps will skyrocket.
So, just having a cool tube doesn't mean your room will be cooled properly. You still need to ventilate and do it right other wise you'll be battling temps the whole grow.
Quote:
my hps just arrived, i'm about to see how hot my 18 x 33 x 60 box will get
with the ballast placed outside the room and the light running in 1.5 ft deep and 3 foot wide closet i'll place a bet you'll see temps in the 100's in about 10 minutes.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
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Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27526 - 05/12/08 03:23 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
coda said:
A cool tube without ventilation is WORTHLESS. You might was well just hang the light from a socket. The reason they're called cool tubes is because their designed to be cooled by air moving through the tube and out an exhaust port. If you don't hook up and fans to pull the hot air off the light it will just sit there and the temps will skyrocket.
Well of course, but I thought it was implied that there would be ventilation with a cool-tube. 
I guess I wouldn't put it past some growers though, I see them all the time at rollitup. 
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27532 - 05/12/08 03:28 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
I guess I wouldn't put it past some growers though, I see them all the time at rollitup.
yah, that really wasn't directed at you, but for people who really don't know anything about cooling your room. Cool tubes are great, cheap, and effective. But if you don't use em right they're pointless lol.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
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Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27538 - 05/12/08 03:32 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Well here's a question on something I don't know about cool-tubes: Someone on here recently commented that it would be a bad idea to run a cool-tube's ventilation as the same ventilation for the grow room itself. They mentioned something about humidity.
Do you know anything about that? I can't see any reason why one shouldn't run one on the same ventilation in a smaller room (3ft x 4ft x 10ft). 
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27543 - 05/12/08 03:41 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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i think what they were referring too was sucking the air out of the grow room(negative pressure) through the cool tub instead of having air forced through the cool tube(positive pressure).
The problem with using negative pressure comes from the size of your fan and your cubic footage of grow space. for instance a 4x4x7 room is 112 ft^3. If your fan rates below that and your using negative pressure you're not moving enough air through your grow room. This lets the temps rise, which increases plant transpiration, which will increase RH for a bit then rapidly decrease as the moisture is evaporated off completely, and does not provide enough FAE for your plants.
If you use a high rating fan, like a 256 cfm fan, your room will have the ability to move the old, stale, air out and let the new, fresh, air in. So at that point since your fan is rated high enough, it won't matter if you want to use positive or negative pressure to exhaust your air.
Personally i use both! I have a 4 inch fan pulling air off the cool tube from the grow room with another 4 inch fan blowing fresh air into the grow tent. This helps regulate temps and keeps the plants happy with as much fresh air as possible. My RH is pretty stable as well at 40%, before in my old apt i was lucky to see the RH go above 25%. Now that i have this new fan setup my plants aren't losing water as rapidly and are able to keep a constant RH and aren't burning to death from high heat and poor air exchange.
Also, keep in mind, you should have at least one circulating fan in the grow room to blow air over the plants. Helps promote thick stems, keeps the air circulating, and prevents mold problems (of which im now battling thanks to the increased RH, FUCK YOU MILDEW).
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27548 - 05/12/08 03:48 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thanks for illuminating upon what they were probably referring to. Makes sense! I can't recall the specific calculations I did for my friend, but essentially the in-line fan he is intending on using is more than adequate for the space of his room. I'd do the calculations again to run them by you right now, but it involves a conversion from cubic meters/hour to cubic feet/minute and my eyes hurt as is.
He's definitely planning on an oscillating fan to keep ample ambient wind going on. 
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27557 - 05/12/08 03:56 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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calculation shouldn't be hard, take the CFH and divide by 60 to get CFM
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27626 - 05/12/08 04:31 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yeah but first you have to take the meters times thirty-five or so (actually, Google the volume converter since its easier  ) and also find the link to the fan page to get the initial number and etc.
I just figured it out now and the fan he's looking to get is 215 ft3/minute and the room is 106 ft3. That should definitely manage it, eh?
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27647 - 05/12/08 04:47 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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should do just fine, general rule of thumb is you want your fan to move twice as much air as the ft^3 of your grow area. so 106 ft^3 * 2 = 212 which puts you right at the edge. If he's unable to control temps using that fan, or, is having problems related to air circulation, you can go to home depot and buy an inline duct fan for like 30 bucks that will increase the CFM of your exhaust fan.
Similarly he can go to home depot and pick up a stanley blower for like 40 bucks and modify it to move air. It's easy to do, cheap (ducting is only 10 bucks for what you need), and the fan pushes 256 cfm (ignore the numbers on stanleys site, they're fabricated). A lot of indoor growers on budgets use these, the best part about them is they're cheap and light so you can stick them almost anywhere. Downside is they get kind of noisy so if that's a security issue for your friend, he'll need to insulate it to hide the noise.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#27700 - 05/12/08 05:09 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Ahh, that rule of thumb is new to me (was under the impression it was the same amount of air in less than five minutes, not sure where that came from ).
At any rate, he can double or triple the amount of air the in-line extractor fan can move with thirty to sixty more euros with no problem.
The Home Depot idea is a really good one but they don't exist here. 
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Building a box [Re: Sirius]
#27747 - 05/12/08 05:49 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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The five minute rule is probably something that you want at MINIMUM. However 5 minutes is a long enough period of time to let heat develop. Plus the more fresh air your plants have the happier they are.
Like i said he'll probably be ok with that one fan, but it's never a bad thing to add a little extra just in case.
Quote:
The Home Depot idea is a really good one but they don't exist here.
Ah, thought you were stateside.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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Sirius
Saturn Ascends
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 1,540
Loc: The Milky Way
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Building a box [Re: coda]
#28357 - 05/13/08 02:33 AM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
coda said:
The five minute rule is probably something that you want at MINIMUM. However 5 minutes is a long enough period of time to let heat develop. Plus the more fresh air your plants have the happier they are.
Like i said he'll probably be ok with that one fan, but it's never a bad thing to add a little extra just in case.
Makes sense. He'll double the volume of air that it can move. Hopefully that one comes back in stock within time or he'll have to triple it.
Quote:
Ah, thought you were stateside.
I was at one time. 
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