Micro Stealth Grow - Metal Cabinet

[stu914]

This my converted fridge freezer, give you some ideas...

 

[Hashslag]

Just now, stu914 said:

This my converted fridge freezer, give you some ideas...

 

Dude - that's amazing haha!

[MindSoup]

Sounds like a good plan @Hashslag magnets would be good, also top tip, decent quality sticky back velcro is pretty much light proof. 

[Hashslag]

 

Look forward to your thoughts @MindSoup 

[MindSoup]

Looks like a nice plan dude. Those Secret Jardin Cosmorrow lights would probably be perfect if you've got enough room for them. If not a 100 or so watt quantum board would also be a good option 

 

One issue I can see is the extraction, you really need a proper extractor and Carbon Filter or all stealth will go out of the window and you'll likely have issues with high humidity/bud rot. Me and mullet both used the Ducto 100 from Blauberg it's very compact, has enough oomph and is really quiet, you wouldn't notice it over a PC or fridge. For a CF fox Hydro do a tiny 100x150 CF, they're a budget item but they seem to do the job and last pretty well, keep a spare on hand in case it fails. Obviously they will take up a fair bit of room, but you might be able to mount them externally with a bit of imagination, you don't necessarily have to extract from the top, In fact in winter pulling from lower down might help conserve heat. 

 

You'll need some internal circulation as well a couple of PC fans will be plenty for that, I rate the "eluteng 12v 1a" fans very highly, reliable, affordable, quiet, powerful they tick all the boxes. 

 

Add some sort of heat source like a tube heater or a decent quality heat mat and you'll be off to the races. 

[Hashslag]

@MindSoup thanks very much for the info dude, appreciate your time! I'll certainly take the carbon/extractor info on board and see what I can afford to do. I'm always on an extremely tight budget so a lot of things I do I have to do on the cheap end of the scale. That said, smell cover is pretty important!

 

In terms of lights as well, again I definitely won't be able to stretch to anything costly, and in actual fact I've even considered CFL's just to get something going, and I've read that you can get some good results with them, although they are far from the best option. That said, they do add a little heat as well. LED strips is the route I want to take though, simply because I can run them down the sides as well as in the ceiling to hopefully increase yield a little bit. I'll really have to see what I can afford though and just do the best I can.

 

For circulation I was just gong to use an existing USB fan I have here, but it would be nicer to have PC fans mounted properly... again I'll have to see what I can manage. Lots to think about, and a shopping list to make!

[BilgePump]

Another vote for the cosmorrows , you'd be hard pushed to find better strips for what little they cost.

Fwiw secret jardin also do some natty little CF's to fit their duct kits , might be worth a look.

 

[Hashslag]

38 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

Another vote for the cosmorrows , you'd be hard pushed to find better strips for what little they cost.

Fwiw secret jardin also do some natty little CF's to fit their duct kits , might be worth a look.

 

Yeah, but they're like fifty quid per strip 

 

EDIT: correction, about twenty quid per strip  but even still, that's over a hundred quid on lights which I simply can't stretch to at the moment. I'll keep an eye out though, perhaps I'll be able to get a bargain somewhere!

Edited March 6, 2023 by Hashslag

[Hashslag]

Actually, the Cosmorrow won't fit in the top of this unit, the smallest length they do is 50cm and the depth of this unit is under 40cm. Height would be fine for the sides though. Food for thought, and thanks again for the recommendations guys.

[Hashslag]

Thought you'd find this interesting - basically this is the video that gave me the idea - I was kinda hoping to base my build on this (although those magnetic strip lights aren't available over here and are out of stock in the US anyway!)

 

[MindSoup]

53 minutes ago, Hashslag said:

I'm always on an extremely tight budget so a lot of things I do I have to do on the cheap end of the scale.

 

Yeah same here mate. Just be careful you don't waste money on stuff that isn't fit for purpose, you'd be better of saving up longer to invest in stuff that's going to last and do a good job. 

 

I'm pretty sure both of the setups in those diaries I linked cost less than 250 quid all in, as in seeds, soil, nutes, the lot (I know mine did). Considering some douchebags out there are trying to charge 80 quid for an 8th of "Cali" I reckon that's an absolute bargain and you'll get ROI on your first run if you don't completely fuck it up . If that sort of budget is out of reach right now then keep saving, it'll be worth the wait. 

 

I also considered side lighting at one stage but you do need a fair bit of distance from the diodes or you'll get light burn so keep that in mind. In the end I didn't bother because my space was too tight. For reference my setup got me somewhere around 80g on my best run with the Invisible Sun ISH100, mullet has surpassed that by quite a bit with the same light, your space is a bit bigger, so 1g/watt shout be pretty achievable. So call it 250-300g a year that should be plenty for a light user. 

[Hashslag]

@MindSoup yeah, I think you're probably right mate. Might be a case of buying little bits here and there until I can amass everything I need to do the build. But I'm an impatient fucker and I want it now!

 

If I was able to get that sort of return I'd be laughing

[MindSoup]

11 minutes ago, Hashslag said:

Thought you'd find this interesting

 

Funnily enough I watched that not long ago. Nice tidy set up for sure. Used quite a lot of expensive components though and I'm not convinced about his fan and filter set up. The one I suggested would be much cheaper and more effective for longer, but it wouldn't have the benefit of the fancy controller. You could add a manual speed controller like a wac1 at a later date though if needed.

 

Also IMO those ACI strip lights look quite over priced, the SJ cosmorrow are more affordable and would do just as good of a job, or you could get a lot more watts for your money (than the ACI units) with a quantum board like the ISH100 or similar sized one from Viparspectra. If you're really on a budget and have some time on your hands you can get some amazing deals on lights from Alibaba and AliExpress, but it does take a fair bit or research to pick the right one and delivery can take a while. 

 

I should also mention Adam at ledgrowlights.co.uk you might find cheaper products than he sells, but he only sells good quality stuff that you can trust will stand the test of time. His prices are really good and he offers a discount for members, customer service is also 2nd to none plus your supporting an independent business which is what it should be all about IMO.

Edited March 6, 2023 by MindSoup

[MindSoup]

Just now, Hashslag said:

But I'm an impatient fucker and I want it now!

 

Yeah also same but it'll be worth it if you can find the patience. 

 

Klarna and PayPal credit can also come in handy if likee your crap at saving. 

[Baron von greenback]

4 hours ago, Hashslag said:

 

Yeah, I reckon it could be a really nifty project if I can pull it all together - I've started drawing it out already, I'll post my design up in here when I've finished, then hopefully you good people will be able to point out any obvious pitfalls (if you'd be so kind, of course!) I've discovered that the drawer fronts are easy to remove from the actual drawers, and would be easy enough to affix onto a sheet of thin ply or whatever. I don't think I' be able to do any decent hinges, so I'm thinking a completely removable front panel which attaches using magnets would do the job just as well as a hinged door. Possibly better, since the door won't get in the way when I'm tending to things inside the box.

 

Exciting times! Hopefully this will be a project I see through to completion (I have a terrible habit of not finishing things!)

Sounds good mate