Anti's MicroStealth Cab Design (Dr. Bud Method)

[Anti]

Oh Demonsgate:

The sides and top are cut to hang over 1/2" on the front and back. That's so the back panel will sit 1/2" inside the others and eliminate much light leaks. Any further light leakage can be dealt with with small strips of facing or crown molding, mounted to the rear piece but made to overlap the sides. I'll get some pics of my rear panel for you when I do my 1 week flowering pics.

 

[KickNader]

gg mate

 

[DemonsGate]

Oh Demonsgate:

The sides and top are cut to hang over 1/2" on the front and back. That's so the back panel will sit 1/2" inside the others and eliminate much light leaks. Any further light leakage can be dealt with with small strips of facing or crown molding, mounted to the rear piece but made to overlap the sides. I'll get some pics of my rear panel for you when I do my 1 week flowering pics.

That's how I planned things, I had the top and sides cut 1/2" more so that the back panel would fit nice and snugly inside. But due to my elite skillz, I have 1/2" at the bottom for the door panel and more like 1/4" at the top. So my back panel is being a pain in the ass to get situated, plus it is sort of warped which isn't making things any easier . I have weatherstripping and a 4 pack of totlocks that I hope will make things better but I'm not too optimistic. I'm afraid there will be light and air leaks galore due to the door panel. I'd love to see your door panel. Thanks for the help Anti!

 

[Anti]

I'm afraid there will be light and air leaks galore due to the door panel. I'd love to see your door panel. Thanks for the help Anti!

As far as light leaks go, what I did was go and get a couple of pieces of thin wood molding. It's about 1.5-2 inches wide by 1/4" thick and you can get it at home depot and cut it to size yourself. It's about .50 or .60 per foot. I painted it black to match the cab. Then I attached the back of the cab (more on that in a moment. Since the back door sits inside that 1/2" space between sides and top, you can attach those molding pieces directly to the cabinet back so that the molding overlaps the back of the side piece. This is like a double 90 degree turn so light can't make it through.

I'll get some pics for you ASAP.

As far as mounting... here's what I'm at currently. I took some scraps of 2x4 and cut them down to 5" blocks and screwed those into the tops and bottoms of the side pieces. Then I screwed a 3" wood screw through door into that 2x4. I just unscrew the panel once or twice a day to check on plants and then replace it. Kinda a pain in the ass (takes about 1 min to open or close cab), but I'm not worried about light leaks out the back. If you get the tot locks working to your satisfaction, maybe I'll make the leap.

 

[DemonsGate]

As far as light leaks go, what I did was go and get a couple of pieces of thin wood molding. It's about 1.5-2 inches wide by 1/4" thick and you can get it at home depot and cut it to size yourself. It's about .50 or .60 per foot. I painted it black to match the cab. Then I attached the back of the cab (more on that in a moment. Since the back door sits inside that 1/2" space between sides and top, you can attach those molding pieces directly to the cabinet back so that the molding overlaps the back of the side piece. This is like a double 90 degree turn so light can't make it through.

I'll get some pics for you ASAP.

As far as mounting... here's what I'm at currently. I took some scraps of 2x4 and cut them down to 5" blocks and screwed those into the tops and bottoms of the side pieces. Then I screwed a 3" wood screw through door into that 2x4. I just unscrew the panel once or twice a day to check on plants and then replace it. Kinda a pain in the ass (takes about 1 min to open or close cab), but I'm not worried about light leaks out the back. If you get the tot locks working to your satisfaction, maybe I'll make the leap.

Light leaks out the back seem like they'll be fairly easy to fix, especially with the molding trick you mentioned (thanks! I'd rep you some more but it looks like I'll have to wait a while). I'm worried about light leaks between the flower and veg rooms due to a weak seal from the door. I might be paranoid and it may not be a problem. Once I get the door on to my satisfaction I'll have to put my digital camera in there on a time delay and see if there are any major leaks due to the door.

I thought about doing roughly the same thing you're doing about unscrewing the back. I had thought about getting thumbscrews but thought that would like suspicious if someone looked in the back. But normal screws definitely wouldn't and I wouldn't have to worry about messing up the thin plywood by using 2x4. Now looking at some of your pictures I think I see some of the 2x4 you're talking about at the top, where the fans are housed, but I don't see the 2x4s at the bottom. I guess all of these questions and more will be revealed when you're able to post some pictures.

Thanks again for all your help. I hope I'm able to repay you in kind sometime.

 

[RadaRada]

sick growbox dude haha i thought i made myself a sick setup, definately might try to design something similar to this in the future, really good ventilation system ingenuity. Well done.

 

[Anti]

Now looking at some of your pictures I think I see some of the 2x4 you're talking about at the top, where the fans are housed, but I don't see the 2x4s at the bottom...

Bottom 2x4s are the frame at the bottom of the cab.

 

[DemonsGate]

Bottom 2x4s are the frame at the bottom of the cab.

Ahh that's what I was afraid of, I guess I'm hosed in those regards. I didn't recess the frame 1/2" I recessed the floor of the cabinet 1/2".

 

[Anti]

Show me a pic of what you've done and I'll offer a suggestion. I'm not much of a carpenter myself.

As I said somewhere in the thread and will now repeat for anyone else planning to build this:

If I built it again today I'd start with my 2x4 frame for the bottom, and then add a 1x1 or 2x2 frame of the top section of the cab. That way you have something to screw the plywood into (besides other plywood) which can help to eliminate wood warp gap issues.

I'm sure that you can get around it, though. Post what you've got trouble with and I'll offer any help I can.

 

[DemonsGate]

Show me a pic of what you've done and I'll offer a suggestion. I'm not much of a carpenter myself.

As I said somewhere in the thread and will now repeat for anyone else planning to build this:

If I built it again today I'd start with my 2x4 frame for the bottom, and then add a 1x1 or 2x2 frame of the top section of the cab. That way you have something to screw the plywood into (besides other plywood) which can help to eliminate wood warp gap issues.

I'm sure that you can get around it, though. Post what you've got trouble with and I'll offer any help I can.

Well I found a solution. I decided to get the door cut again but with 1/4" plywood. Now the new door fits perfectly and I've found a way to get it to stay in place. It looks like the totlocks really aren't meant for 1/4" plywood though. Thanks for the offer though. I hope your plants are doing fine, I guess it's about time you can start determining the sex.

 

[Anti]

Happy News! Day 38 from seed (day 7 of flowering)

Happy News! Day 38 from seed (day 7 of flowering)

The very first sprout planted, AK#1 is showing some lovely white hairs from the top node. Magical Mystery Plants #3 and #17 are also showing femaleness.

I got two blurry test shots off of ak#1 before the camera said "low battery" and shut itself off. I'll have to try to get some shots once I get to the store for more batteries.

Anybody wanna give me a quick primer on how to get those killer super close-up shots of their buds? Guess I'll have to do some thread surfing.

 

[DemonsGate]

The very first sprout planted, AK#1 is showing some lovely white hairs from the top node. Magical Mystery Plants #3 and #17 are also showing femaleness.

I got two blurry test shots off of ak#1 before the camera said "low battery" and shut itself off. I'll have to try to get some shots once I get to the store for more batteries.

Anybody wanna give me a quick primer on how to get those killer super close-up shots of their buds? Guess I'll have to do some thread surfing.

Got the new batteries yet? I just put seeds in soil yesterday. I'm a bit further behind than I wanted to be but work, life and the cab door issues set me back. I'll be growing Hashberry, Kalichakra and Thai Haze x Skunk#1. I'll have to post some pictures of the cabinet once I locate my camera. I would still love to see pictures of your cab door once you get the chance.

 

[Anti]

New Batteries and Pics of Back of Cab!

New Batteries and Pics of Back of Cab!

Got the new batteries yet? I would still love to see pictures of your cab door once you get the chance.

Sorry, bro. Here are the pics, as promised:



Last pic is lights out.

The light piece of wood visible in pic #1 and #3 is a piece of scrap that I lay under the cab when I'm taking the door off so that it has something to rest on when it comes off. (Makes it easier to re-mount singlehandedly when I'm done, too.)

7 Plants were removed from the cab today and charged with suspicion of trying to impregnate my females. Sentence was carried out quickly.
One AK is definitely male... he's got a license to live for the moment, though he's been relegated to the "probably male" cab so that he won't do too much damage if he pops off.

Like to keep some of his pollen for planned parenting purposes.

Dead Men Walking:




As soon as I can get a decent pic of femaleness I'll post it. Currently, I'm working sans-tripod, so my results at close range are blurry at best.

 

[Eliyaz]

Great design!!!.
One word of advice though, dont use it as CD shelf, but some doors or anything else because CD are very small so it is easy to get suspicious about what is with the rest of it
but this is very nice GREAT JOB

 

[DemonsGate]

Sorry, bro. Here are the pics, as promised:

Last pic is lights out.

Thanks a lot Anti, like I said I owe you. I moved the cab inside today, it's all ready for the plants, if the beans would sprout already. It's been 48+ hours but no sign of life above the soil, I guess I just need to be patient. I've found my camera, I just need to charge the batteries and snap some pics, I should have some for you tomorrow.

The light piece of wood visible in pic #1 and #3 is a piece of scrap that I lay under the cab when I'm taking the door off so that it has something to rest on when it comes off. (Makes it easier to re-mount singlehandedly when I'm done, too.)

You may be interested in switching to a 1/4" plywood for the back too. I did it because I screwed up, but it is a LOT lighter and definitely much easier to work with. I hurt my toes once or twice wrestling with the old door.

 

[JackSkellington]

aye buddy im back haha well i still hvnt got my lights cuz i geuss i jst dont have money but mind telln me wer you got thm sockets??cuz i can find the bulbs but i cant find any sockets like the ones you got....n im knda strtn to get annoyedlol but so i decided wth all the space i got im only guna use a 70 by 40 inch space but...i wana make all the use of the space...hw many 42ers would you thro in ther i still wnt a lil room to move n sht ye kno? thnx

 

[theratings]

nice illustrations!

 

[DonkeyPunch]

Great build, looks well thought out...

One thing I would like to bring up for consideration is this pic.

Look at the utility area - it looks as if light could pass between the veg (24/7 or 18/6) area, and the Flower section, so light from veg, hits the girls that need thier dark time.... It's well blocked in the drying area, but the utility area (where the PC power supply is) is a straight shot for light...

Easy fix - just use more of the black fabric you used to light proof the intakes...

Not a criticism, may not even be a problem, just trying to point out a possible issue.... Please don't take it as rude.

 

[DonkeyPunch]

BTW - I am in the planning stages of a somewhat similar system - I plan to use a total of 880 watts of light (Total grow under 1k of power including pumps and fans).

It will be 16 x 55 watt PL-L lights total.

14 lamps (770 watts) in the flower room 8 lamps on top shining down, and 2 each on each side including the door, shining horizontally, into the sides of plant growth. This room will be 3 foot wide, 2 foot deep, and 3 foot high. 6 square feet with 770 watts from all sides on the plants....

2 Lights on the top in the mother room.

Shape will be closer to an NGB cabinet, as I will not be veging, just going 12/12 from clone.

No dirt, except for bonsai mothers.

An aeroponic system for flowering and cloning. The system will have another lower compartment with a 30 gallon reservoir, and 4x4 fence posts with misters in the flowering room, and of course drainage for the fenceposts to the rez below.

I will take cuts and clone in the flowering system in plain water, then I will add nutes for a grow once roots show up. I know cloning and growing in the mother room will slow things down a few weeks, but trying to keep total plants under 30 this way... Plus the 770 watts in 6 square feet should make up for it in yield...

Think of a NGB cab with the left side being 3 compartments. Mother, Dryer, and Utility. Flower side being a 3Wx2Dx3H flower area with 24 plants in an aeroponic SOG. 12/12 from good rooting. Under all that is a 30 gallon rez for nutes in another compartment. Planned size is around 4Wx2Dx6H.

I wish I could PM here - want to ask Hydro-Soil a few questions - Guess I need to start a thread on this...

 

[Agent-Smith]

Great build, looks well thought out...

One thing I would like to bring up for consideration is this pic.

Look at the utility area - it looks as if light could pass between the veg (24/7 or 18/6) area, and the Flower section, so light from veg, hits the girls that need thier dark time.... It's well blocked in the drying area, but the utility area (where the PC power supply is) is a straight shot for light...

Easy fix - just use more of the black fabric you used to light proof the intakes...

Not a criticism, may not even be a problem, just trying to point out a possible issue.... Please don't take it as rude.

Demonsgate already brought up this problem 12 days ago in post #157........read people