The Cab Club

[justanotherbozo]

...then there is my budbox running 2x 150HPS in my version
of a cooltube batwing reflector (not pictured, the reflector, lol)

the lights i converted from a pair of VaporTights that, sadly,
are no longer available. i was lucky and bought the pair
for $20.00 each before they were discontinued.

that last pic is the 2 cabs standing side by each, lol.

 

[justanotherbozo]

...and finally, i've built a clonebox to feed my SOG and
my friend's outdoor op. that last pic is a root shot of one
of the plantlets in flower (all kudos to DrBudGreenGenes)

 

[tribe]

Some excellent, well built and very inspiring grows in here!! Disco, nice work with your mr miagee style cultivating, I think I'll be doing some crazy bonsai karate too, as all the seeds I got are all sativa, or mostly sativa hybrids, all predicted taller than my cab hahaha

I'm building a small cab, taking forever! One of those things you tell yourself will be done in a day or two and takes 2 weeks and still counting! haha. Anyway, almost there now, need to get my groove on as the seedlings have been vegging in a pc case for a week or more now, want to switch soon-ish...

so my big Q to all your cab club growers out there.... I've only got 24" (2ft) of height in the flower room (much less elsewhere, a split shelf for veg and mothers of just 1 ft of height each). This is probably a stupid idea, and everyone may tell me it'll cause hot spots or something, but just incase its not completely retarded....

Could I use a mirror as a light reflector above the lights as I'm so limited for space?

 

[justanotherbozo]

Some excellent, well built and very inspiring grows in here!! Disco, nice work with your mr miagee style cultivating, I think I'll be doing some crazy bonsai karate too, as all the seeds I got are all sativa, or mostly sativa hybrids, all predicted taller than my cab hahaha

I'm building a small cab, taking forever! One of those things you tell yourself will be done in a day or two and takes 2 weeks and still counting! haha. Anyway, almost there now, need to get my groove on as the seedlings have been vegging in a pc case for a week or more now, want to switch soon-ish...

so my big Q to all your cab club growers out there.... I've only got 24" (2ft) of height in the flower room (much less elsewhere, a split shelf for veg and mothers of just 1 ft of height each). This is probably a stupid idea, and everyone may tell me it'll cause hot spots or something, but just incase its not completely retarded....

Could I use a mirror as a light reflector above the lights as I'm so limited for space?

just paint the ceiling white man, flat white paint will actually
be more reflective than a mirror.

something else you might want to consider is PLL lights
as they are ideal for vertically challenged cabinets.

here's a link in case you're unfamiliar with PLL's.

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=132787

 

[Disguised]

Hey bozo,

What's the dimensions on that close maid? Where'd you pick it up at? I haven't seen that size at my home depot.

Thanks

 

[justanotherbozo]

Hey bozo,

What's the dimensions on that close maid? Where'd you pick it up at? I haven't seen that size at my home depot.

Thanks

the white clone box? i got it for $30.00 at a local job lot store
and i don't remember the exact dimensions off the top of
my head but i'd bet you could zoom in on the box in the
above pic, lol. it was sold as 'dorm room' furniture originally.

truth is, i'm planning on doing a thread on the build so
look for it soon where i'll be posting all the details
with lots of pics to illustrate what i did to modify it.

lol, now i think about it, i put an addition on the back to
make it a few inchs deeper so you'll enjoy my struggles, lol.

...btw, i just checked the box myself and the original dimensions
were 35Hx30Wx16D.

 

[tribe]

just paint the ceiling white man, flat white paint will actually
be more reflective than a mirror.

something else you might want to consider is PLL lights
as they are ideal for vertically challenged cabinets.

here's a link in case you're unfamiliar with PLL's.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=132787

Haha, okaaaay... that'll be why you can see your reflection in white paint and why they use sheets of white paper in telescopes to reflect the faint light of the stars to the viewer... I know white paint is good, and imo, it looks better, but I' trying to be as efficient as possible and maximize my small space's potential.

Funny you mention pl-l lights though as I just got some through in the post a few days back for the veg, mother and male room. Thanks for the link though, very useful, had a good read last night! Very nice cabs btw, much respect.

Peace and love,

 

[B-roni]

Haha, okaaaay... that'll be why you can see your reflection in white paint and why they use sheets of white paper in telescopes to reflect the faint light of the stars to the viewer... I know white paint is good, and imo, it looks better, but I' trying to be as efficient as possible and maximize my small space's potential.

Funny you mention pl-l lights though as I just got some through in the post a few days back for the veg, mother and male room. Thanks for the link though, very useful, had a good read last night! Very nice cabs btw, much respect.

Peace and love,

dunno why you would ask a question you apparently think you know the answer to already...but here ya go...a little reflectivity chart for ya

Mylar......................... ..........90 – 98 %
Foylon........................ ..........92 - 95 %
Black/white plastic..................85 - 90 %
White paint......................... ...60 - 90 %
normal mirror........................ ...82 - 87 %
shining white paint....................70 - 80 %
Aluminium-foil (non shining side)...50 - 70 %

mirrors are able to reflect light at certain angles...which....doesnt work for our application unless you wanna burn your plants up....so...you would be wrong with your telescope analogy

 

[pinecone]

I've only got 24" (2ft) of height in the flower room (much less elsewhere, a split shelf for veg and mothers of just 1 ft of height each).

I think with some training and blueish light you should be fine.

Until I started growing very stretchy plants and vegging them a long time I never had a plant that finished taller than 2ft. Even with 3+ month veg times nearly 100% stretchy sativa genetics plants plants stay less than 1 meter tall.

Pine

 

[simon]

Until I started growing very stretchy plants and vegging them a long time I never had a plant that finished taller than 2ft. Even with 3+ month veg times nearly 100% stretchy sativa genetics plants plants stay less than 1 meter tall.

To add, LST really helps. Almost as a rule, I veg for 5 weeks from seed and 3.5 weeks from clone. The plants are flowered at 8-14" with 5-8 main stems. They usually don't exceed 3".

ATM, I'm flowering five MK Ultras. As I was a little shaken up by the height of my last grow, I stated them small. Really small. One pheno, in particular, is only ~14" tall, 8-10" of which are solid bud. I'll take a pic before harvest.

This is a FMS Skunk Special. You can see its scale by the Coke can. I recall being forced to flower the plant before I wanted to, it stayed very short and produced ~3oz dry/cured. It is possible to grow small plants that yield well. It just takes a bit of planning and a lot of light.

Simon

 

[justanotherbozo]

hey tribe, here's an article i found a few years ago that
might help you in choosing what will work best for you.


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Foylon:

A more durable version of mylar, made of spun polyester fabric and reinforced with foil laminate. Foylon is resistant to most solutions, won't tear or fade, and can be wiped or washed clean.

A great solution for growers who are interested in long term use, and though it may be slightly more expensive than mylar, its durability will more than make up for its cost. It has the ability to reflect about 95% of the light and approximately 85% of the heat energy, so a good ventilation system should be used in conjunction with folyon.

A recommended method to attach Foylon to the walls would be using Velcro, as it makes taking it down for cleaning much easier nd reduces the risk of tearing, creasing or bending it. If this is used for your walls, making sure you get it flush with the wall with no pockets of air between it and the wall to prevent hotspots.

Mylar:

A highly reflective polyester film that comes in varying thickness, the most common being 1 and 2 mm thick. The 2mm thick mylar while not quite as durable as the foylon, is fairly rugged. The 1mm thick mylar tears fairly easily, so taking it down for cleaning is quite difficult without damaging it in the process. Both types of mylar are able to reflect approximately 92-97% reflective, giving it the potential to be more reflective than foylon, but because foylon is more easily cleaned without damaging it as well as it being harder to crease, foylon usually ends up being slightly more reflective. Important to note is that mylar reflects radiant heat energy just as well as foylon (around 85%), so proper ventilation is necessary if mylar is used in your grow room. Attaching this to walls can be done in a similar fashion as foylon, and the same caution should be used to avoid creating hotspots in your room. The 1mm thick mylar stands a fair chance of being creased or ripped in the process unfortunately, even if Velcro is used to attach to the walls.

C3 anti-detection film:

A specialized type of mylar that exhibits the same properties as the 2mm thick mylar, but in addition to reflecting approximately 92-97% of the light, it also is 90% infrared proof, making your grow room all but invisible to IR scanning. This can also be attached in the same manner as foylon or mylar, and the same caution should be used to avoid creating hotspots in your room.

Flat white paint:

Self explanatory; a great option for large grow rooms or for people who are interested in a low maintenance wall. Flat white paint has the ability to reflect between 75-85% of the light, and does not create hotspots. Adding a fungicide is recommended when painting.

Glossy and eggshell whites not reflect light as efficiently as flat white. Semi-gloss paint for example, only has the ability to reflect between 55-60% of the light. Also important to remember when using paint is that any smears or blemishes on the surface take away from how reflective the wall is so care should be taken to avoid marking or staining the walls. Titanium white paint is very reflective; however it is usually only used on reflectors due to its high cost.

Elastomere paint (info by furun)

A rubberized roofing paint with 90% reflection. Good for growboxes. Mildew resistant. Highly reflective.

Kool Seal White Elastomeric Roof Coating ~ $15.00 (1 Gallon)

Ultra high reflectivity
Forms a rubber-like blanket that expands and contracts
Adheres to almost any surface (very good on wood and metal)
Available @ [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Lowe's Home Improvement: Buy Kitchen Cabinets, Paint, Appliances & Flooring[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]

White/Black plastic (also known as panda plastic or "poly"):

"Poly" is useful if you are setting up a temporary grow room or don’t want to damage the walls. Poly is easily cleaned.

The purpose of the black side is to not allow any light to pass through the plastic, which ensures your dark cycle remains dark. The white side is 75-90% reflective. Choose a 6 "mill" thickness of poly for maximum light blockage and duribility.

If this plastic is put too close to the light, you will obviously melt it so be careful!. Panda plastic does not create hotspots. Poly can be attached to the walls by using carpenter’s nails or using tape glue or similar means. This can be used as a cheap alternative to mylar if painting your grow room is out of the question.

Polystyrene Foam Sheeting (more commonly known as Styrofoam):

This is excellent for harsh environment growrooms (your attic for example), provided you have a good ventilation system and a way to keep the temperatures from rising too high (an a/c unit or similar) as it is an excellent insulator.

It is also a great material for use in a temporary setup or for use as a "travelling reflector" on a light mover, where weight is a concern. It is approximately 75-85% light reflective so it is comparable to using a flat white paint. Foam will not create hot spots. Rigid foam can be purchased in sheets, and can be used as a free standing wall or can be taped, glued or nailed to the wall, the last generally being the most successful method.

Emergency Blankets:

These are ultra thin polyester blankets that are sold in most camping stores and are constructed of a single layer of polyester film that is covered with a layer of vapor deposited aluminum.

It is not very effective at reflecting light because it is so thin. Holding it between you and a light source, many small holes are noticed at the intersections of creases and the entire blanket is translucent to begin with, this coupled with the many creases that are in it when you purchase it takes away a significant amount of it reflectivity. It is very easily creased as well which also detracts from its ability to reflect light. And while it is reflects nearly 90% of radiant heat energy, it is only able to reflect around 70% of the light.

The largest advantage of using this type of material is that it is very cheap and therefore easily replaced. Emergency blankets can create hotspots if not attached flush to the wall so it is important that no air gaps exist between it and your supporting wall. The easiest way to attach this is to use tape (Aluminum or metal tape is recommended), as it tears very easily once it is cut or punctured.

Aluminum Foil:
Aluminum foil is no more than 55% reflective - if used, make sure that the dull side is the one that is used to reflect the light. When it becomes creased its reflectivity is even lower (around 35%.) It is also very dangerous to use because it creates hotspots easily, is electrically conductive, and is a fire hazard when it is in close contact with HID lighting. Attaching this to walls is a pain and usually using aluminum tape or glue is the best way. This should only be used as a last resort, and even then its usefulness is questionable.[/FONT]

 

[Tatz]

Thread dead ? Wassup ??

 

[Pinkladyeater]

Thread dead ? Wassup ??

I hope this thread isn't dead; I was really getting a lot of good information from it.

 

[gdbud]

I hope this thread isn't dead; I was really getting a lot of good information from it.

I would be interested in how your are putting all of this good information to work for you?

I have just finished doing some up grades to my cabinet getting it ready for my next grow. Would you be interested in them?

 

[justanotherbozo]

all and sundry man, i'll be doing an upgrade to my budbox
soon but it won't be until next month before i have any cash
to invest so scopin' yours out would be cool.

btw, i'm lookin' to upgrade to a 400CMH with a proper
reflector, just don't know which reflector, lol.

also switching to Air Pots and maybe some kind of passive
hydro, coco or somethin'.

anyway, that won't be 'til next month like i said so let's see yours.

 

[simon]

Not much going on with my boxes, as I've been using both to start flowering plants and gain a little time in the main room.

Gear-wise, I've been very impressed with Plantmax 400HPS lamps. They can be had for the cost of a pizza and they've generated the most vigorous veg growth I've seen.

Simon

 

[B-roni]

nada mucho in this cab...just bein patient...did some supercropping to max out these plants till my alpha diesel mothers are ready for cuts

middle of week 4

 

[Pinkladyeater]

I would be interested in how your are putting all of this good information to work for you?

I have just finished doing some up grades to my cabinet getting it ready for my next grow. Would you be interested in them?

I have everything but the air-cooled reflectors figured out. The shortest air cooled reflector that I have found is the 19" Cool Tube by Hydrofarm.
[URL="http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=3759 Anyone"]http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=3759 Anyone[/URL] seen a shorter air-cooled reflector? please let me know.

I have seen a few cab growers have their reflectors on a diagonal angle instead of squared up. I may have to do the something similar as space is limited. Anyone know of a shorter air cooled reflector?

There was a post from icough2getoff, that had an Uninterruptable power supply in it’s configuration that gave me an idea. What kind of interruptible power supply would be required to power an entire grow cabinet during a power outage and for how long?

This is something I will do a little more research into because the idea is intriguing and something that I think a lot of cab growers would be interested in. I think of computer server racks and I think we’ll be able to figure out the minimal requirement for full redundancy.

justanotherbozo's post about the different types of reflective materials that was very beneficial as it answered a couple of questions I had about the subject.

I promise when I'm finished with my cab I'll contribute to this thread. All of the cabinets shown in this and other threads have set the bar fairly high. Good job everyone who has posted; please continue to share your successes and failures in this thread and others because it does really help a lot of us newer folks out when starting our Cannabis independence freedoms.

Like as Moonchild stated who had stated earlier in this thread because the other “Mills Pride” thread had ended and there are still a lot of us rookies who are just getting into the whole cabinet growing arena? We can learn a tone of information from growers who are fortunately and willing shared their knowledge and experiences with the rest of us newbie’s.

This is why we have to keep this thread going. Thank you to Moonchild for starting and keeping this thread relevant to the ICMAG community. I and others just starting out really appreciate all of the first hand experiences’ and that you provide us.

 

[gdbud]

I have everything but the air-cooled reflectors figured out. The shortest air cooled reflector that I have found is the 19" Cool Tube by Hydrofarm.
http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=3759 Anyone seen a shorter air-cooled reflector? please let me know.

That is the same cool-tube that I got and the actual length was 19 3/4". I know that the extra 3/4" does not seam like much, but it made think out-side the box in order to make the light sit the direction I wanted it to.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=13031&pictureid=384794

 

[cody2white]

The bake a around pyrex tubes are 14 in long. Its a diy cool tube but it's workin. EBay has them