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NGB MICRO BOX

moonshoes

Member
stevr59 said:
i just got scraps of plywood off a house i was working on. ... best bet would be to hang around home sites there building and get scraps of wood just ask most will let you have it.

"Only suckers pay for wood, we're going to nature's lumber yard!" -Homer Simpson, as he heads to a construction site.

Thanks for the responses, as soon as I get $500 expendable loot, it shall be done and I will take lots of pics so others can build it more easily.
 

stevr59

Active member
saix said:
What tools are needed for the FULL contructions of the box? *building the box, installing lights and cutting and so forth* All I really have in my house are screw drivers, a drill, and wrenches =/

Do you sugguest constructing the box first, then look at things that will work well with it. Because my mind is racing at all this information and what will work and not work.

I would pay a lot for a already constructed box lol!!! :woohoo:
well all you need is a skill saw, drill, hole saw bits, framing square, tape measure
more or less basic hand tools ever one should have even better if you had a miter box table saw routers with bits radial arm saw palm sanders but it can be built with basic hand tools same with the light but i would go back and read all post on the ngb before you decide on how ur going to build it if i had to do it all over i would change a few things but it does work well even as is. i would do a bunch of reading first then make a cut list and if you don't have the saw get home depot to cut it for you. and if ya want to buy my box i will sell it for 10 millions dollars lol
 
G

Guest

stevr59 said:
well all you need is a skill saw, drill, hole saw bits, framing square, tape measure
more or less basic hand tools ever one should have even better if you had a miter box table saw routers with bits radial arm saw palm sanders but it can be built with basic hand tools same with the light but i would go back and read all post on the ngb before you decide on how ur going to build it if i had to do it all over i would change a few things but it does work well even as is. i would do a bunch of reading first then make a cut list and if you don't have the saw get home depot to cut it for you. and if ya want to buy my box i will sell it for 10 millions dollars lol

Do you accept IOU's :sasmokin:
 
stevr59 said:
man i was just looking at ur box and is there any way you can post a better pic of the bottom of the cab not shure what i am looking at there but looks like some kind of controll panel i would love a close up shot of that and any other info on how it made

Hey that control panel as you put it is just a water tight box for ballast etc... I did this as with my old flood and drain system it was built for could actually soak the electronics (It did used to have a plastic cover over the power pionts but that got removed never to return)

Oh the dials are for the 12v fan system speed control and a cF meter coupled with a heater control unit these days

The box was a custom job using marine ply and treated timber and some of the best paints and water proofing mold proofing agents out there ...Its gunna outlast me!!! :chin:

sorry man thats the best it can get with this sites rules

When building get a good drop saw you wont regret the ability to make fast acurate cuts also a good circular saw..

MORE ADVICE:: If you can Nail it you can definatly screw it for a better hold and longer lasting joint plus cordless drills make this even easier then a hammer
 
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I suggest having ALL growing equipment (carbon filter, fans, ducting, lights etc.) on hand BEFORE construction so to prevent your gear from having problems fitting. This way you can enlarge the cab if need be. Also - I suggest the NGB design be about 4-6" taller and about 4" wider to increase the width of the utility/mother rooms. Other than that, it's a great design.
 
I recieved a PM and thought I would answer it here with my 2 cents. Perhaps it could help anyone else thinking the same.

What do you think about a 250 hps in the flower room with a hydrofarm 465 cfm ( controlled by a speed controller ) being located outside of the cabinet, with about 15 foot of tubing between the two. Could temps be controlled to around 72 F with ambient of 70 F?

I've also got one of those 12 x 12 dark room vents. Where would you install it, on the side of the mother / veg room and still ventilate through the flower room and into the utility room? I've got your exact measurements....and I'll play with the increases you've mentioned.

I'll have more utility space since my equipment wont all be in the cab.

About the 250w HPS;
I suppose this could work. You would just want to be damn sure to have it air cooled and well at that. I recently came across acrylic tubing on eBAY that I think could be used to air-cool bulbs. They're available in as large as 6" diameter tubes and as short as 1 foot or as long as you like from what i've gathered. Just do a search for clear tube. There is a fellow with a store that you can purchase from.

It may be possible to achieve without having the cooling air routed outside of the cab, but I would say why not try it. The only issue is that you will no doubt be wasting space if you consider the gram/watt ratio. 2w/g? 1w/g? I don't think it would be that beneficial. I myself use a 175w MH for the veg and first week for flower and then switch to my conversion 150w HPS bulb for the duration of flower. I think the cooling can be achieved, but eventually (with the NGB designed space in the flower chamber), you'll be wasting light/power. I wouldn't bother trying with anything larger than 250 though if anything.

Where do I mount the dark vents;
Well I suppose there would be a lot of places. Assuming it's truly dark and wont leak any light at all, I might add it to the east side of the flower chamber. However, you'll need to redesign the air flow from the mother/veg room. Perhaps vent it separately. I'm thinking that sometime next year i'll redesign the whole cab. If I do - I will definitely provide you all with the measurements so we can all benefit from it.

Hope that helps guys!

~DP
 

stevr59

Active member
if any thing what about 2 150 hps that way you get a bigger foot print in the box not shure if you notice it but there not much light on the sides if one could make the foot print bigger with just one 150 watt why move to a bigger light in this smal of a area. i don't see a need in going to a 250 unless we can control the heat and the cost to run the light but i think we would yield more if we can increase the foot print with just a 150
the acrylic tubing you spoke of. i don't think that would work either becuse most of the acrylic i have seen tends to yellow with age and may be even faster with heat unless that come out with some thing new i don't know about i don't think it will work to good now if its cheap now many we co put it to use.uld
if if where me i would close off the hole from the mother room into the flower room and add a darkroom vent dead center of the flowing room and about 8" off the floor same with the mother room do it spertit that should give us the air flow we need to keep it cool
 

stevr59

Active member
yeah have you look at the light patten coming off the 150 its strong dead center but off to the side its weak and not much penetration may be a 250 would be better as long as we can keep the heat down or may be installing a few 24 watts t5 flos on the side kind of like the photo tron i was looking at my old grow pic and all of them was the same had good growth in the center of the scrog and and weak growth on the side if i can get more light on the side i might be able to crease the yield. wish i had two box's so i could run one with the 150 and the other with A 250 AND COMAPIRE YEILDS.
 
Well the thing about that is the ratio. You can only yield so much per watt. 250+ in the flower chamber quarters is really a waste. I say just line your walls as well as possible with mylar and make sure you have a decent reflector.

P.S. That acrylic is supposedly ok with heat from what I have gathered. I'll have to double check though. Even with a small fan on it, it would be relatively easy to keep a 150-175 very cool. I think reflectivity is probably the most important thing with this ScrOG style setup. In addition to that, I think we all need to find that reflector that NGB used. It covered almost the whole chamber. I think that would achieve the 'footprint' you refer too. :) Anyhow, there's my $.02 cents again.
 

stevr59

Active member
and your 2 cents is all ways welcome.. but yeah a better rector might do the job as well other than losing head room is the only thing that bugs me but then training longer under the screen would keep the grow from over growing the box but i think improving the foot print of the light is the key from the few grow i have done i bet i could may be pull anouter one to two oz more if i could improve the foot print. but i wouild love to run 2 boxes and play with different light and reflector and see how they do ohhhhhhhh i dont think they every had a diy for his hood i did look before og fell but fuck i can make not that dam hard, and i found some thing every one might find very use full made by vbsparkysame one who made the nute cal years back check it out has pic and all that so you can see what it looks like http://www.cannabishounds.com/growbase/
 

minds_I

Active member
Veteran
Hello all,

I would be careful about the acrylic. You may wish to check its properties with regard to what wavelenght pass through and at what percentage.

While I am not certain, I would wager that acrylic would have a greater energy absorbtion then borosilic glass. So, you gain little if not lose any benifit it may provide with regard to cool tube and heat reduction.

As to the acrylic itself- there are many varieties and compound formulations to be specific about its temperature characteristics and light degradation.

Just some thoughts.

Inb addition, seperate vent systems for the clone/ve/mom chamber and flower chamebr- else you "may" have temp issues. I d myself and need to upgrade my cab.

I am seriously considering a 400w hps for the flower chamber and going with a 150w or smaller HM in the veg chamber.

minds_I
 

Merman

Active member
How about 400W in 24"x36"x44" space? The hood takes up almost all the floor space except for six inches at the ends and 2.5 inches to the side.

Its cool as cucumber even when its 109 freakin' Farenheit!

Top view of NGB inspired Bio-Tubes Cab

 

minds_I

Active member
Veteran
Hello all,

Merman, you have your box in a 109*F and you are telling me you are under 80*F inside the box?

Or is your box in the house where the temps are significantly lower then 109*F?


minds_I
 
G

Guest

stevr59 said:
well what’s really needed is a improved ngb style thread I mean this box is good but it could stand some improvments needs to be a little taller a little wider and the electrical box needs a major over haul, I never could get every thing inside had to mount the flo blastats on the back of the cabnet there is no working room inside think next box i will use clfs instead but so far looks like a cheap home made tv stand my gf still dont know whats inside and thats what counts


What kind of noise does it make? What are you running in yours? How loud is a 172 cfm Vortex? Does any one know?

Peacee
 

Merman

Active member
mindsI: Garage attic space.... so yeah, temps outside are high, but the garage is in the shade, so maybe its not actually 109F in the garage. However, this is the outside ambient temp I'm working with. Even when ambient temperatures are high outside, the box never gets too hot (I've never recorded a temp more than 92F in peak summer temps which can reach 109 to 112F during the mid-afternoon). Now, I'll admit I run the lights to minimize the influence of outside temps. Veg 18/6: on at 1800, off at 1200. Flower on at 2000, off at 0800. The cool air at night makes all the difference. I say don't underestimate the degree to which good airflow can reduce temps!

Summertime, the plants drink an incredible amount of water, over a gallon a day. As long as you keep air blowing over them, they will transpire to maintain homeostasis.

I keep a close watch on temps with an Oregon Scientific remote temp/humidity module. Flower box temps with lights on range from season to season. Summer temps average 74-88F and winter temps get as low as 64F. I believe by keeping the res. solution at a steady 70F allows the plants to thrive.

One item the schematic doesn't show is a six desk fan (basic) mounted on one wall of the flower box to maximize air circulation and reduce the possibility of mold. Its quite windy in there!

All I can say is that it works! Check out the NGB link below...

Sorry stevr59, I don't mean to hijack your post, you're doing great work here!
 
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stevr59

Active member
hey merman no worries man sorry i cant to much input way to busy for the next day or two fell free to say what every ya want thats how we learn hey minds glad to see ur input as well wish i could add more tonite but i got to get to bed now so all thake care
 

minds_I

Active member
Veteran
Merman said:
.... I say don't underestimate the degree to which good airflow can reduce temps!


I could not agree more. That is why it is important to draw in the coolest air as possible, if you can draw air for each chamber seperately, you will be running you flower chamber in a much cooler invironment.

I myself have a 5 degree drop when I do not use the lights inteh veg chamber (which is not an option 24/7).

Anyway, my next modification to the cab is to re-route the airflow such that I achive seperate vent systems. Both of which are filtered.

I will post my modifications when I do them (soon).

minds_I
 
Cool. We really need to make some official plans of an NGB that really has it all. A good reflector, carbon filter, and plenty of space to grow.
 

stevr59

Active member
agree we need a super ngb box thread or hell how about a super icmag box but we need to work it in on how to get it to make beer as well or hell,how about a easy bake over cuz i needs some dam food
 
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