Light and smell proofing case

[Infected-Mushie]

Hey guys, so my grow build over time has changed from a cupboard grow into a small micro pc grow. I've just started on the pc case and I'm wondering how you guys manage to seal up all the holes. There are so many small gaps everywhere.

This is the case I have

Can caulk seal it up nicely?

Also, I see many pc growers use those car sun shades as their reflective surface. Is this a viable option? I think Mylar/Panda film is going to be a nightmare in a pc case.

 

[heater76]

i use a lot of black electrical tape, works very good, and car sun shades as reflective surface works too.

 

[hazydreams]

smell control is best done with a carbon filter. there are plenty of DIY writes ups on accomplishing this in micro scale... search for pontiacs DIY link o rama for a large scale set up and shrink it down to fit.

 

[Infected-Mushie]

Oh I definitely plan on having a carbon filter, I'm just wanting to make sure I have no other light/smell leaks.

 

[hazydreams]

with a good enough fan you should be able to create negative pressure. I wouldn't worry as much about making it air tight as pulling enough in and then exhausting way way way more out through the carbon filter. that will ensure no stench.

 

[Infected-Mushie]

I plan on using a single 120mm fan running at 160+ m2 per hour (about 94 cubic feet per minute) pushing air into a externally mounted carbon filter.. I think it should be enough

 

[Infected-Mushie]

Update: So now I have some holes taped up and I've cut panels for the reflective surface.

Next plan is to figure out how I will mount my lamps. I'll hopefully be mounting 5x20watt CFL lamps for a total of 100watts and 5700 lumens. Can't get high watt CFL lamps where I am which is a pain. These will be mounted in a parallel circuit hooked up to a digital timer.

Most likely tomorrow I will go pick up the fan I will be using and mount it. This runs off mains electricity. I need to figure out what I will do in terms of passive intake. I might take off a panel cover from the front and install some meshing/filters to block out light.

 

[Infected-Mushie]

Update: I've bogged up some holes in the front panel. No more light leaks out the front. I've also made up a cardboard light filter so I can have passive intake through a 3.5" front panel.

Heres the case so far.

 

[ScrubNinja]

Lookin good mush. Just to revisit the windshield/mylar/specular/shiny stuff issue: I never understood why people would use any of those over flat white paint, if heat is an issue. Being in a computer case, you have the great choice to use that metal casing to absorb some heat and dispel it naturally. When you cover it with anything shiny and insulative you pretty much eradicated that feature and furthermore the heat is just reflected around inside your cab. White paint absorbs the heat and still reflects plenty of light. Everyone gets caught up in thinking they need this extra few percent reflection, it's a forest/trees situation, but alas, at the end of the day,we all get some weed to smoke even if the cab was flat black. Best of luck.

 

[ItGrows]

Hey mush. Looks like you got a good start there. Not sure where you live... but walmart sells at least 42w cfls. I am pretty sure I saw something in the 70w+ range last month too. Besides walmart, any store that has light bulbs would have 23w cfls for sure. They are a standard cfl. I would guess most pc grows use these. I only bring it up because I have never heard of a 20w cfl. And if you found one im sure you could find bigger. Good luck. =]

 

[Mr.Mantooth]

Lookin good mush. Just to revisit the windshield/mylar/specular/shiny stuff issue: I never understood why people would use any of those over flat white paint, if heat is an issue. Being in a computer case, you have the great choice to use that metal casing to absorb some heat and dispel it naturally. When you cover it with anything shiny and insulative you pretty much eradicated that feature and furthermore the heat is just reflected around inside your cab. White paint absorbs the heat and still reflects plenty of light. Everyone gets caught up in thinking they need this extra few percent reflection, it's a forest/trees situation, but alas, at the end of the day,we all get some weed to smoke even if the cab was flat black. Best of luck.

Annnnnd I'm painting my new cab flat white. I never thought of the case acting as a heat sink. Thank you