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My Growdrobe, Step By Step


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Well, I finally did it - a year after starting my first grow with info from here, I am now into my second - this time in compost, but my growing location wasn't ideal - and was pretty obvious to anyone who visited - soooooo cometh the Growdrobe!

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Basic Ingredients:

Argos Double Wardrobe

400w HPS Lamp

RVK125 - A1 Extraction Fan

Carbon Filter

Ducting

Homebase 3 corner shelf set (cheap)

Reflectagrow

Thermometer/Hygrometer

Smoke Detector

Anti-Bacterial Oven Hood Filter

Bungee Cords

Aluminium Tape

A bit of Polstyrene

Passive Intakes (at the mo)

Spare Carpet from my new bedroom carpet!

Lots of screws, hooks, no-more-nails and patience

Stage 1: Put up the Wardrobe - not as easy as it sounds when you have a back condition. Took me 2 days and killed like hell!!!

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Step 2 - Aluminium Tape all the edges at the back to stop light leaking through the edges

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Step 3 - coat the growing chamber with reflectagrow - this stuff is awesome, heavy weight, easy to apply and about 20% more reflective than mylar apparently.

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Step 4 - Kneel in Growing Chamber and smash floor - repair as best u can with filler!

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Step 5 - drill hole in upper shelf and fit carbon filter - it's fitted right up against the hole and i put a corner shelf below it to hold the weight. I was amazed at how large this thing was - it's a disposable as finances didn't allow for a refillable!

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Step 6 - fit ducting to air filter and install Extractor Fan

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Step 9 - Saw passive intakes into side and bottom of drobe, cover with oven hood filter and cover (on side). I am aware I don't have enough intake at this stage, but couldn't be drilling and sawing after 6 cos of the nice old lady downstairs!!!

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I broke the anti-fly grill off the cover as it was restricting airtake, and I already have a much finer filter underneath....

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Step 10 - Add Thermometer/Hygrometer, Smoke Alarm and Fan

The Thermo has an inside/outside temperature reading so the probe is positioned next to one of the plants to indicate the temperature on them...

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Step 11 - Add reflectagrow to doors, and fill light leaks

I tried 2 methods here - first of all cutting a strip of reflectagrow to length and attaching a length of carpet underlay I had lying around down the middle to weight the reflectagrow.

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Then in an effort to keep temperatures down, I removed this to allow airflow through the door, but attached a strip of aluminium tape down the edge of the left door - when the doors are closed, this covers the gap in the centre....

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Here it is in the light.... just another wardrobe really, except for the chimney at the top!

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And here it is in the dark - reflectagrow doesn't entirely stop the light leaking out - I am going to use something a little more substantial than tape to stop the leak through the centre - a strip of hardboard probably... when they fix the cutting service at Homebase anyway!!!

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The (almost) completed drobe - switched off

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and switched on

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I am so chuffed with my new growing area - taken me the best part of 5 days cos I can only do 5 mins at a time til I'm in agony with my back, so have to do it in quick shifts...

And don't forget - SAFETY FIRST!!!!

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It's a powder extinguisher - whatever u do, don't get a water one!!!

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So that's it nearly done - I need to get the temperatures down more, so will be increasing the size/number of intakes, perhaps even fitting a PC fan or two blowing at the light....

I also have to pick up my fan controller from the PO tomorrow - stoopid meds makin me sleep through the postie ringing my doorbell Sat morning!

Am so pleased with myself - havent done anything physical for over a year, and despite the pain I've seen it through to the end - I see this very much as an investment rather than an expense, and despite budgetting £250 to it have spent somewhere in the region of £475 building it. Almost half of this was on the 400w HPS and the RVK Fan and Carbon Filter though....

Given my living situation, it's a necessity really in order to remain stealthy! That reminds me - stealth locks to go on tomorrow too!

I'm also gonna get a couple of clip-on fans to get the air blowing about (thanks to PGT for lettin me know about Staples havin em) cos my de-ioniser/fan isn't upto it, and the 12in Fan I have in there right now is too big!!!

What you can see in there plantwise is 6 Bubblelicious, 4 Blue Mystics and 1 Unknown!

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