Large Grow cabinet build

[BluesnChiefs]

So I am building a Medical Grow cabinet in a garage and would like some extra minds helping me think up the best setup as I build it so I don't miss anything.

The cabinet is roughly 8' tall and 8' wide by 33" deep on the inside dimensions.

I was going to build a 8x8 room, but really didn't want to waste the vertical space in a large room, I feel I can control the environment better with this setup.


I will be running (8) Mars TS 600 LED lights spaced evenly, 4 on top, 4 on bottom.


I also will have a 8" adjustable speed inline exhaust fan (720 cfm a bit overkill but id rather run a bigger fan on a lower setting than a smaller on high) with a DIY carbon filter can installed. I will be setting that up on top most likely out of sight in the rafters.
For winter time I will need to setup some type of insulated airbox with a heater in it to be ducted in with the 8" fan airflow with programmable temp and humidity controller.


I originally planned compartmentalizing the two sections in 4 sections 24" wide each, but decided two separate compartments would suffice for now, as I could build some reflectix and velcro divider panels to pop in and out when I wanted to divide or separate males, veg, or flower grows.

Electrical: I have a 20 amp breaker free in my box that I can utilize for this grow and would like to run everything of that if possible. I havent seen how many amps the Ts 600 lights demand. I will be installing individual outlets for each light and will have a bubble cloner setup to plug in as well. So I may have to get another circuit installed before its all set and done.

This will likely be a scrog cabinet in flower and I will be trying to build a bonsai mom catalog to keep the best genetics as small and easily maintainable as possible.


As far as the grow setup, I really like fabric pots and drip systems, or maybe I will try my hand at a hydro Drain to waste arrangement, any suggestions?


I would like a low maintenance and easily set and forget setup to where I am just monitoring and maintaining. I already have 10 gallon fabric pots.



I probably need to protect and paint the wood with a good acrylic Kitchen and bath type paint to resist mold.


Door have yet to be built but I will be running some electrical and sheeting it with osb soon once the mechanical setup is established. I really want to plaster this (with my blown limestone mix Im working on) and carve stone shapes in the plaster when soft to mimic veneer stone, this will add a little style to this grow setup and really make it my stoned oasis.


Any suggestions are appreciated as I really want this to be a dialed in setup, so any helpful hints are cool.


Thanks for reading, I am a longtime lurker here, but Id like to be a productive content provider as well. I hope to show progress in the build as well as my grows in the future.

 

[LostTribe]

Not sure I would go with Mars.

Fabric pots are good for coco but not hydroton IME. Drip/DTW/resevoir grow will require more height than you have if you keep it contained to the cab esp with uncooled leds. This is the issue with trying to stack things on top of each other.

 

[PurplePotion]

Neat project!

People either love them or hate them, but Blumats are a solution to your irrigation desires. If you aren’t familiar just search Blumat and you’ll find a ton of info. It is essentially an automatic drip system that uses a spike filled with water with ceramic cone as a tip to “sense” moisture content and water when needed. They operate off of constant pressure; you can either use an elevated reservoir, mains water with a pressure regulator (soil only), or an on/demand pump feeding from your nutrient reservoir. Oh yeah, best part is no run-off once you have them set right. I’d still be prepared for a just in case moment, but you won’t have 20% run off or whatever every single time you water/feed.

I’ve only used them with coco and an on-demand pump, but I love them. Once you get them figured out it’s hard to beat.

I think the simplest “set it and forget” setup would be organic no-till soil beds with Blumats run straight off the tap (provided your tap water is acceptable for watering your plants). You might not get the yield right off the bat that you would with hydro or coco but I’ve seen some guys on here killing it with the method, and it seems their grows just get better each time as the soil continues to decompose.

I’m not 100% up on all the LED tech, but a user on here, Lapides, posted all the products he used for his diy LEDs. Do a thread search for his name and you’ll find it. You could probably build your own that will be just as good if not better than the name brands for a lot less; especially with the odd-size.