First Grow CFL PC Server Case Grow box (lots of pics)

[Dimethyltrip]

Sometime around January/February of 2009 I came across this page where a user designed a growbox out of his small PC case. I thought the idea was pretty cool so I decided to try it on my own. The best part being I am a computer tech, so having cases and computer parts, fans running, etc is a part of my life. No one would think twice.

I had a tall server case that was just laying around, so I put my mind at work and started the build. Around March of 09 I had the case gutted, a fan installed, and the front inside of the case pretty much finished. I also had cut a powersupply, motherboard, and a modem PCI card to give it that stealth look from behind. I abandoned the project until May of 2010 when I decided to germinate a few seeds for fun. They grew in my window under regular sunlight for about a week until i decided it was time to get my case finished. I had everything I needed stored away in a box. It all came out and things got serious!

Now it is still not 100% complete, and I am toying around with different things as I have never grown before. So far things are going well but as I progress I find new idea's and challanges that I must overcome for the best possible growbox possible. Yes, that is my goal. I want to have the best one there is. When I first had the idea searching google only yieleded a few results. Fast forawrd one year and this whole "pc grow box" idea seems to have picked.

Remember, this is not fully finished nor even close IMO. Only reason I am using it without completion is I have 3 plants growing. These are bag seed grows (I have 4 different seeds) 1 of which is from over 2 years ago, stored in a pillbottle in a dark place. That is the newest one I planted, I am curious to see how it comes along. anyways enough talking lets see the pics!!

Look @ my new computer!! hehe

the case origionally had two huge fans on the side for ventalation. obviously this needed to be removed for stealth and light issues, not to mention they were the loudest fucking fans I've ever heard. I covered up the holes with a thick piece of black rubberish cardboard paper shit screwed in the fan covers, and taped all around the inside to hold it in place. (i had black duct tape over cardboard at first but this made it hard to slide the door on with the reflective material over it.

Also the front has a slide down cover. this is where the case is vulnerable. At first I was gonna put CD/DVD drive covers in this spot, but that didnt work out well. after trial and error It seems I might want to put another fan in that spot. I am also toying with the idea of blacking it out with a piece of plexiglass in the middle for viewing. Or for easy access matinance (kinda small area for that tho) I Might even just glue it so it cannot drop (probably the best idea, esp with a fan behind it. dunno.

at the bottom is an intake fan. this was finished back when i started. it looks extremely clean from the inside (you'll see pics later) and does a nice job of pulling air in. Also the cover does a good job of keeping the light out. Only think i noticed was that when the cover is pulled slightly forward (maybe 3/8ths an inch the airflow is much stronger. dunno what imma do about that.

Here is it when I first moved the plants from the window to the box. As you can see light was escaping, the wires for the lights and the fans were all coming out the side of the case which kept the door from closing completely. Also at this point there were only two fans installed.

first thing i did was take a piece of wood i had cut back when i first started and mounted it up top. I used a lot of duct tape and an 8 outlet power strip with 3 6500k CFL's. This will probably be changed by final completion as duct tape, heat, and gravity are not friends. For now, though it will have to do. here is a pic taken looking through the fan. As you can see there is a fan at the very bottom, which is perfect for a nice breeze, but not good for small plants as the lights are way to high.

This is where I realized I was probably going to need another intake fan up higher and/or a way to lower the lights because raising the plants killed the airflow from the fan on the bottom. I solved this problem by making a vent out of a cardboard box. I lined it up to the fan, and put some mylar (static free bags for computer parts) on the top of the box. the air now directs straight up. Not perfect, but better for sure.

I also added the my favorite fan i had read to use for this grow box. I wired it up and put it on the top of an upside down cup for better air circulation. I have bigger plans for this fan so it was only a temp think. Overall this vent/fan idea seemed to work pretty well!

 

[Dimethyltrip]

It's kind of hard to work on the box while trying to grow, which is the only obstacle I have. I think thats a good think though because I can learn as I go instead of doing something permanent that fucks everything up. After tiring of the escaping light and obvious wires etc. I decided to wait til the night cycle (im running 18/6 currently) and i put the plants inside a dark cabinet and went to work. time to move one step forward to ultimate stealth.

I had a piece of wood cut when I first began the project. thats the last step I took before i abondoned my project in 09. I finally cut the wood how I wanted it and set it up and wrapped it with reflective material and cut holes for the parts to be installed. I put my special fan into the hole at the top as an exhust which worked excellent as a light trap because the other exaust fan on the back of the case is positioned lower, so much of the light is blocked. It is not perfect. I put a piece of a cabin air filter behind the exhaust fan(I think this is the same idea as a carbon filter) most of this esp the filter will eventually be reconfigured. But as of now its 10x better than it was as MUCH less light escapes in the dark. Its far from perfect though. Then I took my LCD tempature thing that came off of a hard drive cooler I had. I did not wire this up yet tho.

I cut the hole for the temp thing in a spot so when you look through the fan in the back of the case you would be able to see the temp. I then realized it would look stupid as hell from the inside so I turned it around. I installed the fan and resecured the piece of wood on top with two screws holding the 8 outlet power strip and the lights at the top of the case. That will come with time. (note, all the reflective material came from a car windsheild heat deflector thing. I dont care for the material on the doors and the piece of wood as it is thick. I think the front part of the case has a much cleaner look to it. There are two types of windshield stuff, I like the other better. I dont know what reflects light better though. After all that here is what we have..

Again, its work in progress. I need to get those wires out from the bottom. Im still trying to figure out how the fuck to wire everything to one plug from out the powersupply plug. any help would be appreciated. Idk what imma do about the metal where the cords now come out as i had to twist to fit the powercord through...I had trailer tape there originally (trailer tape for those who dont know is THICK stick tape used to patch holes on the top of the trailers on the 18wheelers) That didnt look very stealth either. Now that the metal is twisted I doubt I can fit two pci slot coveres back into place. we'll see.







All thats left is some more brainstorming and a lot of cauck to ensure every single possible area where light can escape is covered.

ON WITH IT! HERE ARE THE PLANTS!!!

Since i was orginally just fucking around and limted for space I used small cups and put multiple seeds in lol. When i moved them into the box I accidentally dropped the lights onto the one with 4 and i tossed it. The one with two is getting big and needs transplant. I think what Im going to do is take those and put them otuside. I have a brook that runs through my yard, there isnt a strong steady flow of water so I think I might plant them a few feet away and see what happens. I moved the single plant to a larger cup, and I also germinated a new seed from a reallllly old batch of seeds (i think i said that earlier right? Anways that new fucker sprouted in 24 hours with my awesome vent box upside down cup idea!! This is all for fun right now so I don't really expect results or bud quite yet. Not to mention I have more seeds from another batch germinating (dunno what imma do with em its been almost 4 days im sure they are ready lol) okokok here are the pixx! i first planted them in the window 2-3 weeks ago. Im sure with all the movement, environment changes, light during dark hours, and height experiment they are not ideal. That new one tho!! no window growing to start, a bigger cup, and much closer to the lights = step two of my journey as i see how fast that fucker sprouted! OKOKOK i get it!!...pix!!

the newbie 1 day after seed

the twins (3 weeks of trial and error)

the solo (finally transplanted from the tiny ass cup lol) also 3 weeks trial and error abuse

Like i said, I've been running 18/6 light cycle turns off at 7:30 PM and on @ 1:30 AM. (for stealth purposes) I would rather have the light on at night and durning the day rather then after sunset since any activity in dark hours would be between sunset and 12-1 AM. I water each twice a day. 7:45 AM and 5-6 PM.

I know these fuckers if grown correctly are probably gonna get huge and be laughably too big for the case (even just one lol). I plan on LST (i have a piece of criss crossed small shelving I cut that will eventually be mounted)

Like i said, this is just trial and error. I know u gotta keep track of humidity and temp and ph level and all that cool stuff for a proper grow. Im also pretty sure having 4 plants with 3 lights isnt optimal. Im sure they are fighting for the light stunting growth etc. Its all good cuz right now im just having fun.

here is the family!!

well there ya have it! WHAT DO YOU THINK!? Please gimme your inputs. I want this to be the best pc grow box there is. I've already spent a years time working on it...slowly lol. So I am in no rush. Hope you enjoyed my post!

 

[Blirre]

By placing your lights horizontally instead of vertically you will get more space for when the plants grow taller. Sorry to say I don't have a suggestion for you how do that since we don't mount the lamps the same way over here.

You also said that you were watering them twice a day, that is to much! Wait a couple of days between every watering. Right now the look like little coconut palms (no offence )

Otherwise this project looks really cool so far, can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[thehappyguy]

yo man, my first suggestion is nix the intake fan. you keep mentioning stealth, and an intake fan could possibly fuck it up. an intake fan has a possibility of forcing air out of whatever slight leaks you have, therefor bypassing your carbon filter (which i didn't see, that's key to stealth) and having pot smell leaking out of there. so get rid of that intake fan, make your intake 2x the area of your exhaust, and move a fan inside. hang it so it can be adjustable, no more cardboard vent necessary.

second suggestion is stop watering so much. your plants look overwatered. twice a day is totally unnecessary typically; sometimes you won't water for days at a time. the way i test it is to stick a toothpick almost all the way into the soil (about 2"), and if it comes out dry, they need water. i can tell they're overwatered because they're droopy and twice a day is excessive at this stage of their life. they're looking fine other than the overwatering and it looks like they might need nutes soon. people usually start feeding around day14 from what i've read.

what kind of soil are you using? what kind of nutes do you plan on using? do you have a pH meter?

also they are really stretching...make sure you keep them close to the light. when you transplant, make sure to bury almost all of the excess stem. marijuana can grow roots anywhere on the plant as long as it's in soil, so if you bury it, more roots and a shorter stem.

okay i think that's it....

 

[jaysplifferton]

DMtrip

i noticed your light setup, and I think you could free up a lot of case-space and optimize your setup by wiring your own lights. There's a good guide here, a posts down:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=168223

Many props to FreezerBoy. I was very afraid to attempt wiring my own sockets, but I found out that it was REALLY easy. All you need is an extension cord, sockets, and electrical tape.

That said, what you have looks pretty awesome and pro (esp from a stealth perspective). if you had sockets though, you could angle the bulbs to maximize the direct light to your plants; plus, you wouldn't be tied to the electrical strip. srsly tho, awesome work.

I'm working on my setup 4 the fall right now. Having to go stealth sucks, why can't they just legalize it already?

 

[NotsoFla]

that soil mix looks like its horrible. Not bashing, just maybe you should look into gettin better for a nicer product

 

[Fuzz420]

Awesome server cases give tons of room. I would drop the who CFL deal and go 150w hps or CMH. Since this case so tall you will need that extra light penetration that HID's offer. Also the heat shouldnt be and issue with a decent exhaust fan.

 

[LoKey]

for connecting the other cord to the PS its actually pretty easy what you will need to do is take of the cover off the powersupply and look for where the 120v ac line comes in then you just solder the ends of your other wire to those points (you might need to drill a hole in the powersupply cover and first feed through the wire before you solder it)


but if it was me i would just nix the ps all together and use a wall wart for the fans, to save space

 

[Dimethyltrip]

lol of course i read the whole over watering thing right after i bathe the plants in water lmao. oh well. i came home to see my single plant had gotten much bigger. when i snapped the pic (after watering lol) it did seem to droop down a bit. its all good im just havin fun. it does smell like plant material when you enter my room now so I will have to figure something out fast. anyways heres them 2 days after my post. the newbie is comin along nice, the others I just transplanted and fucked up, they will probably die. no biggie plenty of seeds to use. gotta do somethin bout these lights too. thnx for all your input!

they always seem so thirsty haha. (not that i would even know if they were haha)

ill stop watering for a day or so see wat happens.

im using some scotts soil from home depot. no ph meter. dont rly care. im just havin fun. once i get the case all finshed and worked out ill attempt a real grow. for now ill just let these go until i gotta move em. then ill start over!

 

[Dimethyltrip]

6 days after seed the newbie is coming along very nice!!! It almost makes me wanna toss the other plants considering those came from some OK midi's I had recently. The two smaller ones I transplanted don't look so good. Don't really want em anymore stealing energy from my other plants. I will leave them for a bit longer and see what happens.

I stopped watering so much. I watered all four plants wed. around 6pm. These pix were taken today friday @ 8 am.

The newbie seed came out of a pill bottle of at least 3 year old seeds I had. I tried germinating 5 or 6 but only one worked. I can't remember where they came from but I don't save seeds often so they must be from something decent. Anyways, 6 days after seed already showing purple. I know that probably doesn't mean anything. As far as I know thats either genetics or something wrong with the grow. Anyhoo a purple weed plant is cool in my book.


my baby is the mutation on the left bad?

The three other plants still seem droopy. When do I know its time to water again?

the single and biggest so far

the runts

 

[Dimethyltrip]

also, I haven't really had time to make any changes to my box. all your inputs are appreciated!

 

[Dimethyltrip]

06/13 DAMN this newbie grows fast!!!

my other ones..man IDK!!

these aint lookin so good

dying?

why is it so droopy? I've been watering it very seldomly now. skip a day, still seems droopy? Looked better 2 days ago.

and my baby, growing FAST!!

the healthy family

 

[BC Chronic]

Hey!! Nice box!!
Couple of things though...
other members are right about losing the intake fan and mounting lights horizontally...there would be more room...plants should be close to the lights for sure..
what kind of soil is that? should have more perlite for drainage..
watering should be done only when the top half inch to inch is dry and not much when plants are so small..what nutes are you using??
we are only trying to help you build the best box you can bro!! looks really nice...check out my thread sometime.its below..I have a tower case too!! LOve them!!
keep on asking questions!!!!
great job bro!!


http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=171185

 

[Dimethyltrip]

the single

I thought i was gonna lose ya buddy!!

i put em too close to the bulbs the other day and gave em all a good burn. i know i know turn them sideways. still gettin to that lol. prolly some nitrogen shit too right? my buddy insisted on mirical grow. he gave me a bottle and he's an idiot. no chemicals for me.

 

[archer66]

reeeaaly nice PC case

reeeaaly nice PC case

i wish i had that case . If i may give you an advise, as someone before said, remove the intake fan and start thinking of a way to fit a bigger bulb in there.
For an example i have a 70W hps in a standart middle tower, without cooltube , but with 2 fans blowing at it and a glass deviding it from plants. Temps in that case are 3-4 degrees C above room temps , and with your case you will manage it better.
Happy growing and best of luck!

 

[christoph'sbud]

definitly better, and yeah, fan has to go, positive pressure in the case is a BIG no no. it will cause it to heat up dramatically.

i think your plants are showing some signs of nitrogen for sure. the lower leaves are all turning about the same degrees of yellow? must be nitrogen deficiencies, as long as all your babies are in the same soil, getting around the same watering regime. you can assume things very easily. a great tool as a beginner grower i found, was this thread!

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=11688

also, i have a similar PC case, maybe a bit shorter, and you should have a look at how my case is setup, its not all the way complete, like yours, but its doing pretty well, and you can see what kinda plants you can have in yours!

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=166146

hope to see you on my thread, ill help you however i can!

christoph.

 

[Dimethyltrip]

changed out the soil since it seemed the plants ate up all the nutrients and the soil was dry as hell. i snapped a pic this morning. its been roughly a week since the transplant. i wish i had more room as its pretty obvious the one in the soda bottle is growing strong (thats the newbie btw!) dunno what imma do about the others. i wish i knew sex so i could get rid of some.

move the lights...i know i know.. eventually lol

my fucking camera broke so now i cant take nice pix!

 

[weedies]

Cool. How much weed do you expect to get out of one of these things?

 

[Dimethyltrip]

WOW things are apparently picking up on the newbie! i posted the picture above yesterday. here it is today!!!

I really gotta get those other ones out the the cups and into bigger things like the soda bottle.

______________

question...can i move them into something like this

or is it bad to have multiple plants in the same thing. (obviously its bad if one turns male and pollinates) I can only fit 3 of them in there with the small cups and less with something larger. whatever ones I pull i will plant outside and see what happens. I need to transplant the 3 cups that other one shot up when i gave it more room to grow lol. he's like 3-4 weeks younger than the others lol

 

[SmilinBob]

Yea you can plant them into the same container. You'll face problem if the container doesn't have enough room for all the roots though.