G
Guest
Here is a new project.
This is the second one of these I've built. The idea isn't originally mine, I borrowed it & adapted it to my needs.
What you need:
2 Rubbermaid style tubs (the same size), fairly deep. You don't need the lids.
Mylar or emergency space blankets to line both tubs
A blower or fan for extracting air
A smaller tub for the carbon scrubber unit
Light sockets (I used pre-wired sockets encased in solid rubber)
1 or 2 extension cords for wiring the lights (9' to 15' long depending on how many lights you will be using)
Screw-on type wire connectors; 2 for each bulb + 2 to connect the power cord
"R" and "P" shape rubber weatherstripping
Fiberglass window screening
A piece of thin quilt batting (optional)
Pelletized activated carbon
1" PVC elbows (2 for each passive intake) and about 1.5" of 1" PVC pipe to hold them together
Roll of foil tape
4 ea 1/4" x 1" bolts with nuts
Top Portion of Garden
First, figure out how big you want your garden. My first was made with smaller tubs because I'll be using that for sprouting seeds and rooting clones; I don't need a large or tall garden for that. The second was made with larger tubs that are 15.5" tall each, giving me a 31" tall garden to handle larger plants when needed. The smaller unit will hold 2 shoebox sized Cornerstone brand plastic containers; the larger unit will hold 3.
You want containers that have a flat lip on them broad enough to be able to balance on on top of another. Some brands of these tubs have rounded tops that won't balance together. The Rubbermaid brand tubs I used have a lip that is about 1/3" wide.
In the tub that will be your top, figure out how many lights you want to use. I put them in the front and back staggered so that the lights won't touch.
I find that spacing the lights 6" apart and staggered by 3" works well with almost all compact fluoros.
This is the light socket I use. It is available at Lowes for about $2.75 each. Warning: half of these sockets were faulty when purchased and did not work. I ended up buying twice as many as I needed and returning the faulty ones after I tested them. Test the sockets before you install & wire them in order to save yourself some time & hassle!
After I figured out where I wanted the sockets to be, I traced around the outside of the socket to give a pattern for cutting the hole approximately the right size. Since I traced around the outside of the socket, I made the cut just inside the traced line, not on the traced line. Remember to mount the socket far enough down from the top of the tub that your bulbs will screw in - the bulbs are "fatter" than the socket alone.
I cut the holes for the sockets and then lined the tub with mylar. I used foil tape to fasten the mylar to the tub. Also place strips of foil tape on the mylar inside the tub directly over each hole to strengthen the mylar - you need to slice the mylar open in order to get the sockets through the holes and it will tear very easily if it is not reinforced.
Use a knife and cut the mylar covering the light opening into 8 wedges (pretend you are cutting a pie). Pull the wedge pieces to the outside of the tub. Place pieces of foil tape over the points to secure them in place and smooth the edge of the tape down to the inside of the hole. This will secure the mylar lining and keep it from contacting the socket or bulb.
After you have opened and secured all of the bulb openings, insert the sockets into the holes from the inside. Push the socket as far out as you can, making sure to keep the ground & hot wires lined up so it is easier to wire the sockets when you are finished.
Take the extension cord you purchased and cut the outlet end off - you don't need this. Then cut off a piece of wire approximately 8-9" long to go between each of the lights. In the sample shown, there are four lights, so I need 3 joining wires this length. Strip off about 1/2" of the insulation from each end of the pieces. Use these pieces to connect the sockets.
Start at one end and connect a wire to each of the socket wires using the screw connectors. Pull the other end of the join wire to the next socket, grab another wire so you can connect this socket to the third, and wire the second socket. Where you had only two wires going into each connector on the end light, you will have three wires on the remaining lights. Make SURE you match the wire connecting the ground & hot wires from socket to socket; you don't want to cross them!
If you want all the sockets connected to a single power cord, cut a longer piece of wire to connect to the last light on this side and leave the other end free for the moment.
If you want each side on a separate power cord, then connect the plug end of the remaining extension cord as the "second" wire from the last socket on the side.
Repeat the wiring process on the other side of the garden. If you chose to use a single power cord, bring the two longer connecting wires together on the side of the box and connect them to the remaining portion of the extension cord that has the plug on it.
It is a very good idea to cover all connections with electricians tape to help water proof them (this has not yet been done in the photo below). For safety, I taped the wires out of the way to the tub.
Bottom Portion of Garden
Put the containers you plan to use to hold the plants in and see where you have space to insert the PVC elbows for ventilation. I fit two on each end of the garden and two on the front and back between the containers; a total of 8 holes. I traced around the outside of the elbow the same as I did the outside of the light socket.
If you will be using bubblers or a system that needs to have air or nutrient/drain lines installed, figure out where the holes for these need to be and cut them out, too. Line the tub with mylar as you did for the top. Reinforce anywhere there are holes with foil tape and cut/secure them as for the light holes. Small holes (such as for air lines) don't need to be secured; just pierce through the mylar & tape.
Paint the elbows black so they can't pass light through to the inside of the garden (this is only necessary if you will be flowering inside the container). Insert one elbow through the hole in the container from the inside. Put the 1.5" piece of pipe inside the second elbow and then push it into the elbow that is protruding out from the container. Twist the elbows so the inside one is facing upward and the outside one is facing sideways or down (depending on how close the hole is to the bottom of the container). I use a piece of duct tape or foil tape to hold a circle of fiberglass window screen over the opening on the outside to keep pet fur & other solid debris out of the garden. (Clean this off every so often to keep free air flow going.)
That's it for tonight. I'll post directions on building the air scrubber and finishing touches to the garden later - it's after 2 am and I want some sleep. Yawn!
This is the second one of these I've built. The idea isn't originally mine, I borrowed it & adapted it to my needs.
What you need:
2 Rubbermaid style tubs (the same size), fairly deep. You don't need the lids.
Mylar or emergency space blankets to line both tubs
A blower or fan for extracting air
A smaller tub for the carbon scrubber unit
Light sockets (I used pre-wired sockets encased in solid rubber)
1 or 2 extension cords for wiring the lights (9' to 15' long depending on how many lights you will be using)
Screw-on type wire connectors; 2 for each bulb + 2 to connect the power cord
"R" and "P" shape rubber weatherstripping
Fiberglass window screening
A piece of thin quilt batting (optional)
Pelletized activated carbon
1" PVC elbows (2 for each passive intake) and about 1.5" of 1" PVC pipe to hold them together
Roll of foil tape
4 ea 1/4" x 1" bolts with nuts
Top Portion of Garden
First, figure out how big you want your garden. My first was made with smaller tubs because I'll be using that for sprouting seeds and rooting clones; I don't need a large or tall garden for that. The second was made with larger tubs that are 15.5" tall each, giving me a 31" tall garden to handle larger plants when needed. The smaller unit will hold 2 shoebox sized Cornerstone brand plastic containers; the larger unit will hold 3.
You want containers that have a flat lip on them broad enough to be able to balance on on top of another. Some brands of these tubs have rounded tops that won't balance together. The Rubbermaid brand tubs I used have a lip that is about 1/3" wide.
In the tub that will be your top, figure out how many lights you want to use. I put them in the front and back staggered so that the lights won't touch.
I find that spacing the lights 6" apart and staggered by 3" works well with almost all compact fluoros.
This is the light socket I use. It is available at Lowes for about $2.75 each. Warning: half of these sockets were faulty when purchased and did not work. I ended up buying twice as many as I needed and returning the faulty ones after I tested them. Test the sockets before you install & wire them in order to save yourself some time & hassle!
After I figured out where I wanted the sockets to be, I traced around the outside of the socket to give a pattern for cutting the hole approximately the right size. Since I traced around the outside of the socket, I made the cut just inside the traced line, not on the traced line. Remember to mount the socket far enough down from the top of the tub that your bulbs will screw in - the bulbs are "fatter" than the socket alone.
I cut the holes for the sockets and then lined the tub with mylar. I used foil tape to fasten the mylar to the tub. Also place strips of foil tape on the mylar inside the tub directly over each hole to strengthen the mylar - you need to slice the mylar open in order to get the sockets through the holes and it will tear very easily if it is not reinforced.
Use a knife and cut the mylar covering the light opening into 8 wedges (pretend you are cutting a pie). Pull the wedge pieces to the outside of the tub. Place pieces of foil tape over the points to secure them in place and smooth the edge of the tape down to the inside of the hole. This will secure the mylar lining and keep it from contacting the socket or bulb.
After you have opened and secured all of the bulb openings, insert the sockets into the holes from the inside. Push the socket as far out as you can, making sure to keep the ground & hot wires lined up so it is easier to wire the sockets when you are finished.
Take the extension cord you purchased and cut the outlet end off - you don't need this. Then cut off a piece of wire approximately 8-9" long to go between each of the lights. In the sample shown, there are four lights, so I need 3 joining wires this length. Strip off about 1/2" of the insulation from each end of the pieces. Use these pieces to connect the sockets.
Start at one end and connect a wire to each of the socket wires using the screw connectors. Pull the other end of the join wire to the next socket, grab another wire so you can connect this socket to the third, and wire the second socket. Where you had only two wires going into each connector on the end light, you will have three wires on the remaining lights. Make SURE you match the wire connecting the ground & hot wires from socket to socket; you don't want to cross them!
If you want all the sockets connected to a single power cord, cut a longer piece of wire to connect to the last light on this side and leave the other end free for the moment.
If you want each side on a separate power cord, then connect the plug end of the remaining extension cord as the "second" wire from the last socket on the side.
Repeat the wiring process on the other side of the garden. If you chose to use a single power cord, bring the two longer connecting wires together on the side of the box and connect them to the remaining portion of the extension cord that has the plug on it.
It is a very good idea to cover all connections with electricians tape to help water proof them (this has not yet been done in the photo below). For safety, I taped the wires out of the way to the tub.
Bottom Portion of Garden
Put the containers you plan to use to hold the plants in and see where you have space to insert the PVC elbows for ventilation. I fit two on each end of the garden and two on the front and back between the containers; a total of 8 holes. I traced around the outside of the elbow the same as I did the outside of the light socket.
If you will be using bubblers or a system that needs to have air or nutrient/drain lines installed, figure out where the holes for these need to be and cut them out, too. Line the tub with mylar as you did for the top. Reinforce anywhere there are holes with foil tape and cut/secure them as for the light holes. Small holes (such as for air lines) don't need to be secured; just pierce through the mylar & tape.
Paint the elbows black so they can't pass light through to the inside of the garden (this is only necessary if you will be flowering inside the container). Insert one elbow through the hole in the container from the inside. Put the 1.5" piece of pipe inside the second elbow and then push it into the elbow that is protruding out from the container. Twist the elbows so the inside one is facing upward and the outside one is facing sideways or down (depending on how close the hole is to the bottom of the container). I use a piece of duct tape or foil tape to hold a circle of fiberglass window screen over the opening on the outside to keep pet fur & other solid debris out of the garden. (Clean this off every so often to keep free air flow going.)
That's it for tonight. I'll post directions on building the air scrubber and finishing touches to the garden later - it's after 2 am and I want some sleep. Yawn!
Defintely - it's a great way to get some stuff rolling, adaptable to suit any users needs! I would have rather used coil type CFLs, but stealth was really important for me and the coil type took up too much room in a single rubbermaid with a lid, so that'swhy I went for the low profile fixtures on this lid. In my example it works perfectly for clone mothers. Heck, I could even stack another Mothership unit on the one I have now and I would be able to hold 16 mothers! 16 mothers in a small space like we are talking about is pretty damn good I think. LSTraining manual required of course... 
.....these threads with step-by-step plans are truly valuable to the IC community and one day when you have compiled many of these kinds of threads we should string them togerher and create.....
