Blynx's 1 sqft CFL cab & other CFL micro cabs

blynx · Oct 3, 2010

Even tho I do run HIDs, I still love running my small CFL micro cabs. My main micro cab is my 1 sqft CFL micro cab, but I do have others that I use and will show off the results in this thread.

Here's what my 1 sqft CFL cab looks like. It has 5 x 23w CFL bulbs, a strong dayton blower and a homemade carbon scrubber.

Here's the results of all my runs to date (except the 5th run).

Run 1 (This run only used 70w cf; 5 x 14w)

Run 2 (This run and all runs since have used 115w cfl; 5 x 23w)

Run 3

Run 4

Run 5

Not documented

Run 6

Run 7

Current CFL cabs contain; 8th run in the 1 sqft CFL cab, single C99 in an 11"x11" CFL cab and two Sweet Widow Lavender's being scrog'ed in a 20"x11" CFL cab.

blynx · Oct 3, 2010

Here's my 11" x 11" CFL cab. It has 115w of CFLs (5 x 23w) with a carbon scrubber for odor. These pics only show 4 lights in the box. I added a fifth light hanging down in between the two Y adapters.

I started with a used cabinet I picked up for 5 bucks. I added a base made from 2x4s to raise it off the ground for ventilation. Cut some holes in the bottom for air intake, added some black painted pvc elbows to the vents, and wired the box up with lights.

I really liked the small profile of the box and wanted to try to add a scrubber without changing the footprint (other than height).

I also found an old super quiet bathroom fan that happened to be enclosed in a box the same size as this white cab and it would sit on top just right.

I cut the top off the box

I made a carbon scrubber 'sandwich' out of 2x4's, hardware cloth, furnace filter and activated carbon.

The scrubber sits on top of the cab and is held in place with foil tape on all four sides. This holds it tight, yet allows for pretty easy removal to change the carbon in the scrubber.

Here it is all put together

I ran one round earlier this year in it, I'll show some pics from that in another post.

Currently there is a C99 BX1 in this cab about 20 days into flower.

StealthDragon · Oct 3, 2010

awesome stuff blynx. you have the best updates n stuff I've ever seen.

:lurk:

Marijuanasaur · Oct 3, 2010

Ooo la la, I can't wait to see the c99 bx1 pictures. I'm on board

b00m · Oct 3, 2010

Awesome work blynx thanks for sharing with us all your cab designs :biggrin:

I like your fan and scrubber build, nice and simple and looks like it does the job just right

Nicoli · Oct 3, 2010

Sweet stuff as always man. :rtfo:

diamondmine · Oct 4, 2010

Nicely done update! Thanks, a great reference.

blynx · Oct 4, 2010

Here's the CFL cab that currently has two Sweet Widow Lavenders scrog'ed and just starting to flower.

This cab was made from a recycled cabinet I picked up for $7. I raised it off the ground with some 2x4s, added vent holes with black painted elbows, wiring and a screen for the scrog. The screen is height adustable.

The exterior of the cab is 34" tall, 21" wide and 13" deep.

The interior growing area is 21" x 11" for a total of 1.6 sq ft.

I have 3 x 42w cfls and 2 x 23w cfls for a total of 172w.

This gives 107.5w per sq ft, which is slightly lower than what my other two cfl cabs put out.

There currently is not a scrubber on this cab, it's unfinished in the scrubbing/venting area. I currently am running a cheap inline fan to move the air through the cab. I plan on upgrading to a more powerful blower, adding a scrubber and enclosing that stuff in a box on top of the cab.

Nicoli · Oct 4, 2010

Ohhh can't wait to see the scrog.. !

Keif · Oct 4, 2010

THANK YOU BLYNX!

Very happy that you decided to show off your micro grows.

Great job on the designs, they all look very clean!

Strangely · Oct 5, 2010

This is like a 'Best of' Blynx or compilation album! Good stuff.

blynx · Oct 5, 2010

Here's the beginning of the 8th round in the 1sq ft cfl cab.

I had a bunch of slightly overgrown plants in 3" pots, so I chose some to throw into the 1sq ft cab, and here they are.

I transplanted them to larger containers

Day 00 Veg

The plants were vegged for 4 days, then thrown into flower

Day 00 Flower

blynx · Oct 5, 2010

Here are the plants after a week of flowering. They are really starting to throw out lots of new growth.

Day 07 Flower

Since the plants were decent sized to begin with, the new growth is already up to the lights, so I had to supercrop all the plants.

Here they are after supercropping.

Day 07 Flower (after supercropping)

First week down, nine more to go!

PanchoBuddah · Oct 5, 2010

Great workmanship with the micro cabs blynx!! I love seeing peeps building useful and rewarding growing cabs out of used, recycled cabinets... Much kudos!

sideshow1 · Oct 5, 2010

2 questions:

1. How does venting in from the bottom work? I was thinking about doing this, but also was thinking that putting the pots over the holes in the bottom would greatly reduce airflow. I am also considering SoG so this may either help me or hurt me if I choose to vent from the bottom.

2. How big of pots are you using? I am working in a semi tight space and like the looks of your pot size. They look homemade though. Enlighten please?

Good stuff.

blynx · Oct 5, 2010

sideshow1 said:
2 questions:

1. How does venting in from the bottom work? I was thinking about doing this, but also was thinking that putting the pots over the holes in the bottom would greatly reduce airflow. I am also considering SoG so this may either help me or hurt me if I choose to vent from the bottom.

2. How big of pots are you using? I am working in a semi tight space and like the looks of your pot size. They look homemade though. Enlighten please?

Good stuff.

There is a fan on the top of the cabs. This draws air in through the holes in the bottom, passes it through the cab, then out holes in the top of the cab, to the fan/blower.

I use screen/wire cooking racks, to raise the pots off the floor of the cab. They are not sitting on the holes blocking airflow.

I mostly use 1 gal cardboard goldfish cracker boxes. If you tape up the edges and seam, they last many rounds. If you don't tape them up, they are good for a round, but I wouldn't use them for a 2nd round.

The C99 BX1 I have going is in a 2gal nursery pot.

Ernie420 · Oct 5, 2010

I see you have a cab about the same size as mine. I hope a get yeilds like yours.

Anyways I see you have used LEDs , Did you like them ? Will you use them again? Sorry if youve already answered these questions.

Im going to have to try the goldfish container , I should be able to get more in the cab with square pots.

coloradomedical · Oct 5, 2010

Good stuff mate, great ideas for all around in the micro section.

blynx · Oct 5, 2010

Ernie420 said:
I see you have a cab about the same size as mine. I hope a get yeilds like yours.

Anyways I see you have used LEDs , Did you like them ? Will you use them again? Sorry if youve already answered these questions.

Im going to have to try the goldfish container , I should be able to get more in the cab with square pots.

The LEDs were ok. I use them somewhat to veg. I still plan on making a scrog for the cab the unit is in and running another round in it. Just haven't gotten around to it yet, prolly this winter sometime.

blynx · Oct 5, 2010

Here's the C99 BX1 that I've got going in the 11"x11" cfl cab.

She went in at this size and got no veg time.

I didn't document the beginning, but I had to do a lot of supercropping because the C99 grows so fast in early flowering.

Here she is 2 weeks into flower

C99 Bx1

Day 14 Flower

Here she is a week later at the end of three weeks of flowering.

C99 BX1

Day 21 Flower

She appears to be done stretching and now the buds should start filling out.

Blynx's 1 sqft CFL cab & other CFL micro cabs

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