DIY HH/Homebox ideas?

[Mr Celsius]

Hey, Kinda thinking about utilizing some space I have, problem is that it needs to be custom in dimensions, otherwise I would just buy the real deal. Mind you, I like the real deal and want to emulate many of the qualities they have, they're just not an option.

So the main feature I like about the tents are that they are an easy strike down if need be. A matter of 30 minutes and the whole thing is gone, simple as that. I don't really like to work with wood, as it doesn't break down quickly, is heavy and loud in construction.

With all that said, the qualities I would be looking for are:
1) Fairly quick building, even quicker strike-down
2) Air, light tight
3) Doesn't require loud tools to construct
4) Materials that don't cost an arm/leg

So the material the "walls" would be made out of, would obviously be panda-poly. Doubled up tarp zippers would be the "door/s". Now the hard part is what to make the frame out of. I would like to be able to hang things off of the frame that have some sort of rigidity. PVC comes to mind, however I believe the only way to make it durable would be at least 2" and then it can get quite costly. The other option is metal poles... I don't know much about cost or suppliers. I do have a sawza with a couple metal cutting tips... but I'd much rather the place I buy it from be able to cut it on the spot for me (one nice advantage about PVC).

So if anyone has any ideas/tips/suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows the costs of PVC vs Metal poles, that would also be great.

Thanks

 

[Mr Celsius]

I just thought about it a little more and I was thinking 3/4" PVC filled with concrete. Do you think this would work? Does concrete expand when dry and would it make the pvc inflexible?

3/4" x 10' lengths of PVC are about $3 and bags of concrete are very cheap as well.

 

[Sammet]

A frame like this with some lightproof white plastic sheeting would be a cheap alternative to a tent - think you could get your hands on some poles? The pvc with concrete sounds like a bad idea to me.

 

[Mr Celsius]

A frame like this with some lightproof white plastic sheeting would be a cheap alternative to a tent - think you could get your hands on some poles? The pvc with concrete sounds like a bad idea to me.

I agree that, that type of frame would provide optimal stability. Why would the pvc with concrete be bad?

 

[eurogro]

Maybe plastic furniture pipe?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pr...SPlastic&category_name=28611&product_id=11939

It seems that it would be a little stronger than normal PVC.
I don't know this from experience, just a guess.

 

[BudLove]

Hey Mr C,

I have a little experience in this area as my initial build on a grow area was an enclosed box similar to what you're talking about. I built several of them ranging from PVC to metal piping as well as wood frames. Here is my experience.... They all pretty much sucked, each for their own reason.

PVC - This is tough to work with even though one would think it easy. The PVC by itself does not have the power to hold up a decent light. Also, if you dont glue the pieces together the tent tends to be rather rickety. Trying to put concrete into this structure is kinda over-thinking what you need. It will increase the weight of the tent by ten fold and will easily come down when lights are hung (as the PVC integrity will be at risk due to the filling).

Metal - This was one of my more successful builds, however it was HUGE. I modeled it after a typical greenhouse structure, only down to the size I needed. Needless to say the local scrap yard ended up with some free trash... The design was too hard to work with, couldnt offer the kind of support I wanted without a huge footprint, etc.

Wood - Most of us have probably worked with this. It's cheap, easy to mold and can fit most areas. However, the weight of the completed structure was pretty heavy as I was not using the typical particle board used in HomeDepot cabinets... using solid wood provided me the structural integrity I needed for a 400w/fan/etc but again, was heavy as fuck.

I think when all is said and done one must consider why you are looking to use these types of enclosures vs just mounting items to your existing walls. Why would you need to break down the unit within 30 mins? I mean if a raid is coming, or it's fear of being busted, break down should be the least of your worries - as LEO can take your equipment even though it's not currently setup and in use...

Long story longer... I ended up using my existing wall structure (closet, room) for growing. I used velcro and panda paper to shield off the doorway, hung the light from the ceiling and was off n runnin!

BL

 

[Guest]

I've thought of using 1/2" metal electrical conduit for making various frames for non growing purposes. The problem is finding "corner" connectors....unless I'm not looking in the right place. I'm no electrician.

The type of fittings on my HydroHut are available to buy someplace.

Maybe someone more industrious than a stoner like me will find out for us?

pedro

 

[Mr Celsius]

Budlove, some people rent, and landlords give a you 24 hours.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

Budlove, some people rent, and landlords give a you 24 hours.

If I may, I realize that the cost factor is an issue but I feel that the only thing that meets most of your criteria is a tent. Either HH or secret jardin, etc. Killabrown has a great tut on the DIY page for building a "tent" of sorts. If you decide it's for you, just ask the people where you buy the materials for your "portable/knockdown darkroom" to cut them for you (have specs handy). So all you will have to do is run a drill for holes and screws. Hardly a major noise pollutant.

But here's a thought. A couple of years ago, I changed out the front door of my house and added a new handset. Took the old handset and fitted it to my 4X2X8 closet growroom door, cut a 1X4 piece of wood and ran it from door stop to door stop of the door frame and applied petroleum jelly to the inside and outside edges of the door (and across the bottom where it would meet the caulk) and ran a good sized bead of caulk to the door stop part of the door frame and along the top of the front of the 1X4 and closed it. Three days later a lockable growroom with a light proof seal. Just buy a new handset ($10-$20 US) and change out your entryway handset and do NOT give the landlord a copy of the key. Unless you signed a lease (and even if you did read it closely) there may be little if anything he can do about it.

After all that though, it is my strong advice that you look into "Renters Rights" in your city/county/state/country. It pretty well spells out just what your landlord can and cannot do, and a violation of those rights sometimes can and do lead to monetary judgements against said landlord. Most landlords know the laws and just bluff their way through "evictions."

Namaste, mess