Quick Bonsai Mum Cab

[kydub]

I'm about to be picking up some clones soon and whipped together this little cab to get ready for 'em.

Bought two 65w CFLs for 10 bucks each, some nylon rope, and dug up a few hooks and rings to mount in the reflectors. The bulbs are 6500k with 4550 phototropic lumens each, lighting up space about 2 by 2.5 feet or so.

Unfortunately when I closed the door the temps shot sky high immediately (of course, no exhaust yet) so I think I'm going to move the board the lights are mounted up a rung higher, drop the ropes down a bit and try and mount a big pc fan up behind the lights, and one down below pulling cooler air in from the bottom. Will that work out for a small cab like this, or am I going to be forced to pull air in from where the shirts are hanging - or cut an exhaust hole in the board the lights are mounted to? The back of this thing is just cheap thin cardboard I can cut with a knife, and don't really have the tools to do anything thicker at the moment.

This is just random bagseed I threw in for the helluva it to see how they'd react once it went under 24/7 light. 3.5" square pots, and moonshine mix for the soil.

 

[TheGoodStuff]

I'm just starting to grow myself, but here goes. I think if you cut an exhaust fan into the top shelf supporting the lights, and then left a space between that and another fan cut into the side of the wall (the right wall) it might work.

For an intake vent you could cut through to the shirts etc and then just leave the door ajar.

Or cut straight through the right wall a few feet up.

 

[icough2getoff]

hey kydub. What you're talking about would definitely help with your current temperature problem. What are you going to do when they get bigger though? You can raise the shelf another notch like you talk about but it might just be a better idea to raise it as high as you possibly can, and then install your fan.

It also might be a good idea to install the fan on the ceiling instead of the back. There would be less air restriction and it is easy to hide with a cardboard box or something. Airflow always travels the path of least resistance so having your intake and outtake on the same wall isn't exactly ideal.

You also might look into installing darkroom louvers for your intake. Most people just have passive intakes. Less fans, less noise and hastle. A general rule of thumb is to have your passive intake about 1 1/2 to 2 times the size of your outtake. If you use darkroom louvers I'd go with the largest you can afford and install. Make sure to cut your holes just above the top of your pots so the pots don't restrict your intake. I've always installed mine in the back of the cab and I get great airflow. I just give the cab some space from the wall, but not enough to make it look suspicious, about 1 1/2".

Where did you get those CFLs? Home Depot sells similar lights for a lot more.

 

[kydub]

Thanks for the advice, and I believe I'll definitely be going with the darkroom louvers in the back... and cutting a hole in the ceiling board to pull air right off the tops of the reflector. If I do that with passive intake I'll need one more fan towards the front doorexhausting out somewhere right above the tops of the pots to keep air moving around there as well, won't I?

 

[icough2getoff]

If I do that with passive intake I'll need one more fan towards the front doorexhausting out somewhere right above the tops of the pots to keep air moving around there as well, won't I?

I'm not quite sure I follow you, but a small fan to help mix up the air in the cab would be beneficial.

You only need one exhaust, and you'll eventually want to hook up a carbon scrubber to the exhaust so it doesn't stink, unless for some reason smell is not an issue for you.

 

[SweetNightmare]

They'll just be bonsai's I doubt they'll stank too much yea should be aight with a good cpu fan pulling air out and just have another fan for circulation so the hot air doesn't get trapped... can't wait to see the lil moms!