My Self Contained Multi-Chamber Stealth Grow Cabinet Construction Thread

Flowering update 7wks


These pics were taken last Sat 1.12.8 which was 7wks.














This top is burned a bit, it's directly under the light @ about 6". I will be adding a fan to blow along the tops.





Note the seeds @ the lower node:5headache: One of the plants is pretty heavily seeded. It is the smallest of the 5, glad of that but I'm really getting tired of Hermie grows. I did end up ordering and receiving "Reverse" but too late in the game for this round. The current vegging plants will be the test.





Anyone have any insight on curling of the inner leaves? I'm guessing humidity, or rather lack thereof.








Thanks WW! I know I can use it far more efficiently with earlier training, looking forward to playing with that!


Peace All

 

Hey Grat 7 weeks those buds should be bigger . Do you have a fan blowing in you flower chamber. I think it's time to grow some good seeds.-Bud

 

sombud - No doubt.


I quit hopping they would get bigger about 10 days ago. They aren't really that bad considering my previous exp with these seeds, but yes, I need some different genetics. I really wish I could know for sure that genetics was/is the problem. I do need to install a circulation fan @ the top of the flowing chamber.


The flow was great in there when the plants were smaller. The only circ. fan in there now is pictured in this


post, toward the bottom. I have a wooden frame in the bottom now but the placement and orientation of the fan is the same. It's a 5" 105cfm fan.


The Whisperline fan should be installed before the next round gets big, but I'm thinking PC fans along the top.


Trying not to focus on the disappointment.


Two yield influencing factors that I'd like to remember and remind the readers of.


1. It's a 400w but it's NOT an HPS - I don't know how significant that difference really is but I'll keep hoping till I get the HPS.


2. To varying degrees these plants are all hermaphrodites and they are seeded.


Again, I don't know for sure to what extent that would stunt the development but I'm hopping that between these two factors (and a circ fan @ the top of the chamber) are keeping me from seeing the true potential of this setup. Then again, "this setup" will not be the same on my next round, before it's done I should have 6" fan and scrubber, and depending on funding, maybe even the HPS. Also while the next round to flower will still be from these hermi seeds, I have Reverse to try out. I'd kinda like to see what this MH will do if the batch isn't seeded.

 

8wks


Taken on Sat (1/19) which was 56days of 12/12


I gave them rain water with no nutes.


On Sunday I switched the lights to 14 on 10 off. Little Experiment.


The Group.





The rest of the pics are all of the same plant, It's a couple of weeks older than the rest but it's been flowering the same amount of time. I've not ever had a plant turn colors this beautifully before. Note the stripe, kinda cool huh?





leaf tucked back to show stripe.





No flash - then with flash








Stay tuned...

 

9wks


These pics were taken @ 62 days (last night) and I checked the trichs...:hair:


The short plant is showing about 5% amber. All of the others I'd say 0-.05% amber. Mostly cloudy would be my description.


No flash on this one, sorry.











Short Plant





Temporary circulation solution.

 

12 days after the fact...


Hey all - delayed harvest report.


I harvested @ 69 days (Feb 1st).


Seeding wasn't too bad on most but I had one that was all seed.


This was my best yield to date but only by 4g. Seems something must be off.


58g.


Oh well. I've got another round @ 1wk of flower right now. I've improved the circulation some but I'm not done yet. The idea is that I'll install the scrubber and fan during this grow so that I'll have the scrubber in place for stinkier strains to come. Today marks 3 wks since my Seedboutique order was shipped so I'm coming to terms with that $100 loss, not quite a closed chapter yet but I'm just accepting the loss and moving on, if I'm surprised then right on. I'll have seeds by mid March, even if that means going and getting them myself!:qbluewacko: (not joking)


As for the current flowering plants...


4 plants - 3 @ 3gal 1 @ 2gal.


Mixed training. These will not be as tall as the last batch.


More aggressive pruning of lower growth. (way too much pop corn last time )


And...drumroll...REVERSE!


The first application was this morning, one more in 10 days. Fingers crossed, really hopping. I'll probably start another thread to highlight that and encourage others if results are as advertised.


Phase II is just around the corner.


Peace

 

hhhmm i am very curious to see how this turns out. I mean i know reverse will stop a fem from turning herm. But can it reverse a herm that is genetically meant to be a herm into fem. Because usually if you take the seeds of a herm you grow herms right? I don't have much experience with herms i haven't seed grown too many times. I may be completely off base but that's what makes me interested. Let's find out shall we 1 2 3 3 licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop. DSP

 

Well, it's about time....

 

any update on that Reverse?

 

Here is what I know...


I'm @ about 6wks. I have seen no signs of seeds developing.


I was away from my garden for 16days, they were under attack from aphids in my absence (stress)... I did spot 2 developing bananas that I removed, they were on the same little pop corn bud on the plant that suffered the most from the aphids. I've not seen any other signs of bananas. This is the 3rd (and last) round from the same hermie seeds, every plant grown from these seeds has hermied. This is with out doubt the best round to date.


The biggest sign that something is different, ODOR!!!


As stated, 3rd round, and there is no pretending that I can't smell it.


I was under the impression that I was working with a VERY low odor strain but now I'm thinking that in the same way that the plants don't focus on resin production as a means of "catching" some pollen after they have been pollinated, odor was reduced because they were working on seed production and had no need for an attractant.


I didn't think I'd need a scrubber till my next round which will include The Cheese, but I need one now.


Even if it's (Reverse results) not perfect, as of this moment, I'm thinking $43 well spent.


I'd like to see what would happen if Reverse was applied after the bananas showed up but using it preemptively seems to have the desired effect.


I started a thread specifically for Reverse in hopes that it might be an ongoing documentation of ppls exp. Don't know if it will become that or not but I'll be posting my Reverse updates there.


I will be posting on this thread as I begin "Phase II" of Cab construction. Looks likely to be soon, can't have this odor get worse.


Thanks for the inquiry!


Gratitude

 

Plant update...


Ok so it's not construction and I'm not planning to post pics of all my cab grows on this thread but for now here it is...


These pics were taken on 3-15 @ about 5.5wks I was gone from 2/25 - 3/12 (16days!) and someone else checked in on them and gave them water only during that time, I was just hoping they would be alive...


Biggest plant not quite Jogged, I didn't do the circular thing but bent over the main stem so it has several strong leads. I had to get creative with the Circular Screen...





Same plant top view.





Nice healthy tops...





I can't take a pic like this of my plants in the cab but if I could it'd look pretty close to this, a little tighter.





Group shot profile as if you were looking in the cab doors.





Just for fun:qbluewacko:








I ordered my Panasonic Whisperline fan last night and I'm getting ready to build a carbon scrubber, in the next few weeks there should be some significant construction related updates. :qbluewacko:


Peace all!


Gratitude

 

Phase II!


Hello All :hello:


The last week or so has been research and decision time.


Today I think I completed all of the shopping required to complete Phase II.


I'll do my best to give a final tally of cost. I must say that if someone had given the #s up front I probably wouldn't have taken on such a project...But DAMN I'm glad I did! Sometimes you have to just go for it.


Phase II for those just tuning in is comprised of Odor Control, Lighting Upgrade and any finishing touches for noise reduction and light proofing.


No longer will I be using PC Fans for ventilation, although I must say there is some pride in the fact we (the PC fans and I) successfully cooled a 400w MH.


I say this because I saw a post on cab construction thread where a guy said, "You can't cool a 400W light with PC fans, anyone who says that you can is Canadian!". While I'm not Canadian I took offense, I got a lot of my inspiration from those guy for this cab to begin with. Specifically the light chamber concept/design from Red Greenery on ICMag. I just couldn't figure out how to make those Tubs stealthy, so I went with a cab instead. But that's old news...


The fan arrived!


Model #: FV-20NLF1


Name: Panasonic Whisper Line 240 CFM 6" Duct In-Line Fan


Quantity: 1 @ 126.99


---------------------------------------------------------------------


Order Sub-Total: $ 126.99


Shipping: $ 0.00


Shipping Method: UPS Ground


Tax: $ 0.00


---------------------------------------------------------------------


Order Grand Total $ 126.99


West side wholesale


More than a little intimidating when I first saw it...


No cord/plug. I have to wire it. I knew this before I ordered it but it still seemed weird. I'm not used to playing in the commercial/industrial arena.


I got some plug ends and an 8" 14g cord to chop up @ lowes, ($22.24+tax)


I've gotta say this fan is key to the whole plan. It only uses 57 watts! It's rated at 1.4 sones. It's a squirrel cage fan inside of a sound reducing box.


It's really quiet. I expect by the time I'm done that it will be quieter with the big fan than with the PC fans.


I am building a DIY scrubber and have gathered those components as well.


Lowes;


Hardware Cloth 1/2" mesh 24"x5' - $5.97


6" duct cap - $3.96


8" duct cap - $4.59


6" to 8" duct reducer - $6.77


6" start collar - $3.83


6"-7" worm clamps x3 - $5.04


JoAnn Fabrics;


Polyester Quilt Batting - $5.99


Fred Meyer;


Black Queen sized panty hose - $4.99


E-bay (carbon-eze) Thanks JrM8!


12 Lbs Premium Activated Carbon Charcoal +Filter Mesh 1 $14.99 USD


Shipping & Handling via USPS Priority Mail to XXXXX


(includes any seller handling fees) $8.99 USD


Shipping Insurance (not offered): --


Total: $23.98 USD


That brings the scrubber to $65.12+tax!


Seems high but the prefab ones I was looking at were $100.


And in my case, I can't really use a prefab because they are designed to pull air through and I have to push the air given my cab design.


So, these things are in hand. I knew I couldn't scrub my cab with PC fans so these two pieces had to come at the same time. (or at least the scrubber was waiting for the fan). What I didn't realize at first was that the only way to install the new fan/scrubber combo is to get a smaller ballast. The one in there now is a converted warehouse light, it's big and weighs 35lbs. The fan/scrubber won't fit in there till I get the light which was ordered yesterday.


Scheduled for delivery on the 3rd.


Aladdinslights


Lumatek 400W 120V HPS/MH Electronic Ballast 140.00


201582-1 hydro lamp cord plug 9.90


Shipping 22.31


Transaction Total: 172.21


I'm gonna try to do step-by-step photo's for the scrubber construction but there are lot's of thread out there for this method.


Pics to come soon, I'm just excited so I wanted to update.


Good Growing!


Grat

 

Can't wait to see phase II finshed & some good seeds growing good luck in your future grows. After my wakeup call I ordered a fan & filter Later-Bud

 

To make it white on the inside


I was at Home Depot today and saw this material called Thrifty White, it's a type of "tile board" that people use to refinish bathroom/tub surrounds. $10 and change for a 4ft X 8ft sheet, and it's really light weight. This might help you, you could just cut it to fit what you need and screw it right to your wood cab.. and this stuff is nice and glossy white.


Just an idea! Good luck on your project.


dooob

 

Update - Daddy where do carbon scrubbers come from?


Hey Dooob, thanks for the suggestion. Sounds really close to what I did use. Mine doesn't have the faux tile. The name of the material is Melamine. In my market it's $11.38 per sheet


Starting with the scrubber...


Materials were listed a few posts back...


The tape measure and the standard pliers in the photo weren't used at all and shouldn't be in there!





I decided to shoot for about 12" on the inner core so I made that piece about 13.5" to compensate for the area covered by the duct cap.


I just unrolled and wrapped the hardware cloth around the 6" duct cap to measure length and cut it with about 1.5" to spare. The overlap is very helpful for making a smooth seam. I used a little bit of the wire that the manufacturer used to keep the roll together. Worm clamps next!





Worm Clamps installed (I used a piece of Duct Tape to secure the "tails" of the clamps to protect the hose).


Legs cut off! One is rolled... I'd recommend taking this step a little more seriously than I did. Roll it well, and roll it all of the way to the end. I ended up with a bunch on the bottom of the inner core and would have liked to have a bit more at the top. Not a deal breaker by any means but I couldn't fix it without getting more hose.





Hosed! Literally





Put the reducer on the ground big end up. Place the core in the reducer ensuring that it is seated well. Then flip it over and tape! Best to put the tape on in strips that are opposing as you go (think lug nuts when you change a tire), it makes a difference!





I unrolled the batting around the core to size it and then cut it off about 4" wide, then crammed it in to the area that won't get airflow and so won't need carbon.





That the point of this step. Nothing magic about the batting. It's light weight easy to work with, doesn't significantly restrict airflow and takes up space. Fill it till you get to the point where the collar or duct cap ends on whatever end you are working.





Flip it again! Set the 6" cap end in the 8" cap and "measure" the length for the outer wall.





Outer wall cut, wrapped and wired. I couldn't find any worm clamps big enough to fit the outer wall. I'm sure they exist but my local Lowes is clearly the crappy one in town.





Flip it again! Time for the other leg, this was a bit of a challenge which I suppose is why I didn't take of pic of that process. There is one thing that I wanted to share visually but will have to be content with writing it. You want to start unrolling the second leg at the reducer end leaving only a little bit of hose not stretched out. The 6" core was a tight enough squeeze but man that 8" out wall was tough! Really the worst part is getting it started and if you didn't have the 6" reducer end I don't know if it could be done w/out ripping the hose. As is you still have the jagged edges of the hardware cloth to deal with. As I was sitting there struggling with it the idea occurred to me to place the empty bag from the batting over the hardware cloth seam temporarily (just long enough to unroll the hose). It worked like a charm. After I got the hose unrolled I just pulled the bag out, no runs! If you are actually trying to do this you will appreciate this part. Just remember to stop right at the top but not over the cap just yet.


OK, now it's time to remove the 8" cap from the bottom end and fill your scrubber. I used a 2 liter bottle with the bottom cut off as a scoop and it worked pretty well.





Time to cram some more batting in, re-cap and unroll the hose the rest of the way!





Flip it yet again! Final step. Just cut the toe off of those hose and stretch it around the reducer mouth like so!





Not in the cab but I had to hook it up and try it right away!


Square included for scale (Std. 16"x24" square)





The scrubber also acts as a muffler!


More to come, but not tonight...


Peace All!


Grat

 

Very good job there Grat. I see you went with the sexy black hose. :dom:

 

Ballasts - Old and New


I didn't have room in my ventilation chamber for the new fan and scrubber with the old ballast... Converted warehouse light (400w MH)


The difference is Dramatic! Not just the space in the vent chamber but the light! It's undeniably brighter! And if it's more efficient then Damn, more light for less $$! (in the long run anyway) - Lumatek 400w MH/HPS (electronic)














Digital Ballasts Rock!

 

Thrifty White


Grat, you're welcome. The stuff I was talkin about came in just plain flat white board, and the faux tile pattern. I bought a couple sheets of the plain flat material to build my grow cab with :qbluewacko:

 

Great post Grad nice detail on the filter-Bud

 

Thanks guys.


AB - I most certainly did, I didn't really even consider any other color.:qbluewacko: Fishnets would have been preferred aesthetically but a little lacking in functionality, so often true in fashion... :laughing5:


Dooob - I used it for the back on mine because it came with cardboard. The melamine really helped/s add stability. Good luck with your project, I'd love to see some pics!


sombud - Thanks man, it took a while. I wish I had a few more pics to fill in the gaps but I got most of it documented and pictured. I also am using different photo software and have been playing with the pics a little bit more and I think I'm getting better detail.


As has been the case in the past, progress on the cab is farther along than the thread shows. I'm a little slow to get the pics xfer'd etc... But more is coming soon!


Additionally the plants in the flower side are @ 9wks today, I'm gonna let them go another week or so, this is the first time since I built the cab that I'm not under the pressure of my vegging plants needing to flower...


Thanks for staying tuned all!


Grat