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Smokin's basement build log

Thanks man! Wanna get this other rack put together, but I gotta wait for the girl to get home. can't do it by myself, unfortunately.
 
So I did some more thinking.

I definitely need to lower the racks, and will do so. 6" coming off the top 2 shelves. I don't want my bulb that close to the ceiling.

I believe this to be the correct bulb placement for vertical stadiums... correct me if I'm wrong.

eGatnfh.jpg


Would it be more beneficial to lower the bulb inside the "v" a bit more? Just looking at it makes me want to stack bulbs... put some 600's under the 1ks or something to hit the lower plants better.
 
That's actually not too bad of an idea! If I cut these down, I've only got a 36" vertical canopy. I'm wondering if my 1kw's are still gonna be fully useful, vs the 40-42" canopy I'd have as-is.

I've got (4) 600w as well..... but I figured more wattage, the better, right? Or... would the 600's be more efficient given only 36" vertical canopy?

Plus for the size of the room, 5kw is what I need for 50w/sqft. A lot cheaper to buy 1 new ballast than... 4 new 600's.
 

admiralcornport

Active member
I didn't mean to give you a riddle. Im just thinking you need more cross support on the beams going lengthwise IIIIIIIIIIIII and have them extend under the next shelf going front to back and tie them in to the vertical beams.

I'm lovin that lung idea, I havent been around for like years and never heard it called that. Its a great concept to just exhaust that filtered air into a buffer room with the proper ventilation of course.
 
Thanks for clearing up what you were referring to! I'm gonna add some more support beams for sure. It wobbles a little front to back, side to side is pretty solid. I figure a brace along all of the vertical supports (running front to back, diagonally) will stop the front to back wobble.

Either way I walked across all of the shelves, they held my 200lbs all the way across. I just wanted to get em mostly built then see what I can do with scraps for supports. By scraps I mean a bunch of 10ft long 2x6 I got laying around. Along with some more 2x4.

Got my new breaker again today, proper 50a one. I'll finish the 2nd shelf probably tomorrow. Wore out for the day. Got my shelf cut down, which was a complete PITA to do. Spacing is now 15" apart with the higest shelf at 36"
 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
Veteran
Since you`re not havin much luck figurin this shit out , I`ll help cuz you`re one of the good one`s SE.....said I was done , but let`s see if yas can get things under control fairly quick so the trolls don`t chase my old ass...

Bring all fresh air into the lungroom 24/7 IF there`s an upper crawlspace that cooler air can be accessed at all times , and if not pull it from 8pm-8am for the coolest available while runnin lights on at night right ?....now....

ALL exhaust needs ta be sent back to lung room for re-conditioning and constant usage , unless exhausting outside into the neighborhood with scrubbers works if you`re in medville , but even then I`d never take the chance smell could leak out before yas caught it...and....

My rack rooms were 7'6" tall with the angled shelves @18-36-54 and 72" with the bottom tips of the stacked bulbs @ 2-4-6' , and the top bulbs were at shelf height , but ceilings and walls were covered in reflectix , and I assure you the top racks stood tall even though they were angled and pointed at the stacked bulbs....so....

With an 8' span for 1000`s to penetrate the top layer of plants properly 4' away , is a bit weak for lumen penetration/plant absorbtion unless everything that ain`t green get`s covered in reflectix/orca/prodex for that up , down , and all around dispersion/diffusion/most bang for the bare bulb buck IME.....

Air exchange twice per minute with 100 sq ft to the tune of 1300 cfm+/- FTW , so handle it.......ALL environmental equipment is best utilized in the lung area to condition "perfect environment" to be pumped into and sucked out of each bloom area...anyways....

Yas gotta ways ta go Bro.....Holler in PM if yas can`t get it sorted here.....Tryin ta lurk more to keep from cussin young punkass growru`s out in open forum and get banned , but I`m still around.....

Peace....DHF....:ying:....
 
Thanks for droppin' the knowledge, brother!

Definitely will be running lights at night, as no other access to cool air available during daylight hours.

All exhaust back into lung, gotcha. Love the added security measure in case the filters start to fail.... never thought of that added benefit.

Got my shelves at 6", 21" and 36". So from the top shelf, the container is ~12" and then a 18" plant..... leaves 12" of "dead space" at the ceiling for heat collection/extraction.


Good thing about my racks, is they can be moved closer to, or further from the bulb. If it seems that the distance is too far, I can always scoot 'em a bit closer. Too hot? Pull 'em back. That's a big part of why I chose not to build my racks secured in a set spot.

So now that I've 100% decided on running a lung, things can pick up a little bit. Waiting on my 240v ballast power cables in the mail and I should have this running by next weekend. First run will not be a SOG, but using the plants I have available now. They're about 18" tall in veg right now in 3 gal containers.

While those are flowering I'll start focusing on the clone factory. Gonna need 50-75 clones every month to feed this thing. Plus seed runs in another room.
 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
Veteran
Spend the bucks and cover ceilings and walls with reflectix/orca/prodex , and paint the floor with ultra flat white bathroom mildewcidal paint next run since yas already got it painted once.....

The Ultra flat mildewcidal paint helps to inhibit nasties from excess moisture that hits the floor , or getchas some pondliner and keep it wiped down and cleaned off....now....

Since you opened that can of worms bout bein able ta scoot the racks closer to the lights , go straight to Home Depot/Lowes and get the right size casters/wheel brackets , and turn the racks upside down and mount em so movin plants closer and further away from or to the lights can be utilized.....but....

The racks need beefin up and made more stable as to support 36 plants or thereabouts so they`ll roll well without shit takin a dive.....now....

Do you think that 10-12 lbs from each Harvey is possible from 72 plants , as well as figuring out how long pre-veg from rooted clone needs ta be before pullin the trigger and flippin them bitches 12/12 ?......things that make yas go hmmm.....anyways....

I always rooted couple hundred cuts for the best 64 with 1800 watts by the time they were fully rooted and growing similarly to go into the bloom rooms , so your cloning game needs ta be re-thought as well , but all things in time...as long as yas got enough plants to fill the room , that`s all that matters........regardless....

Hereta help.....DHF....:ying:....
 
I've got 2 rolls of Panda plastic I believe. I know it's not the same, but it is what I have on hand. I'll be upgrading to Orca film in the future, for sure. Had my eyes on it for a while, I've just had this roll of Panda for... 2-3 years now, and someone recently gave me their mostly full roll. Either way, it's going on everything in the room, but the floor.

Thanks for the tip on the paint for the floor. I, once again, just used what was on hand. Flat white ceiling paint.... mostly just wanted to get rid of the red and yellow, already knew from the start I'd likely hang sheets of panda everywhere.

Racks gonna get beefy, for sure. Got about a dozen 2x6 that I was planning on using for more support. Wheels for sure, can't believe I didn't even think about doing that.... despite walking right past them multiple times getting brackets and screws. D'oh!

To be honest, I hadn't even considered harvest weights yet. I've never used a 1000w light before, and have no idea what I'll harvest off of one. I was getting around .8 gpw with my 400's in less-than-dialed conditions. So using that as a base number.... I figure I can pull roughly 1.75 -2 lbs per 1000w, or 9-10 lbs. I'd love to try to push that to 12.

I'm going "overkill" for me because I'm *always* out of herb. Even harvesting every 5 weeks in my last set-up, I rarely had enough to last me until next harvest. Then I end up smoking fresh-dried herb with no cure. In need enough to keep my stock full of CURED bud. But really, there's no such thing as too much bud.

I think my cloning should be okay... just need some more cloners. I can definitely see where the advantage of taking so many extra clones... I spend too much time waiting on the slower rooting clones to catch up. If I'd have that many more, I could just toss the slow ones as soon as the first 72 are ready. Guess I'll be building a clone rack or something too.

Got a feeling the 72 plant count is going to increase. My gut tells me I can put more in there for a fuller canopy, but I'm gonna start with 72. 1 per ft is as good of a starting place as any.
 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
Veteran
Yeah , as you already stated above , waitin on slow ass cuts to root have NO place in a production environment since no 2 even identical cuts root in the same time frame.....but...

If yas can root 3 times whatchas need , and use the picks of the litter that ARE rootin and growing similarly in said time frame , then canopy management has already begun the VERY first day they get flipped 12/12.....that is , in a monocropped room....anyways.....

Use the panda and upgrade as time and budget permit , and keep strokin.....

Good luck......DHF.....:ying:.....
 
Alright, so I need to be aiming for 250 clones. I've got some nice industrial shelving that would work great for a clone area, could probably hold 6-8 cloners and it'd still allow for plenty of veg room.

As soon as my clones are rooted right now, I'll take multiple cuts from all of my keepers to bush out into more moms. Definitely gonna need 'em to be able to supply that many.

Probably won't be running 5kw right out of the gate...don't have enough plants to fill the racks.... only got about 15 girls ready for flower.... but they're about 2ft tall and stretchy girls, so way too tall for using on the racks. Was just gonna toss 'em on the middle rack on both sides, and use however many bulbs is needed.

That gives me time to prepare 300 clones while they're flowering out and get my veg room set-up properly. About to go pick up some more equipment right now, actually. Bought a bunch of used gear off a retiring grower... got an amazing deal on it. I'm getting the last of it today and I know there's some more lights....hoping for another MH. I'm definitely short in the veg light department, but I'll get that fixed quick. Can always get a conversion bulb for my 600s
 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
Veteran
Hang some bulbs , surround em with those 2'`ers , and pull the trigger.....then...

Take mega cuts during stretch for upcoming projects......Increased plant number/SOG type grows aren`t easy , so being proficient at rootin cuts is the ONLY way to stay ahead of your room`s constant needs once each room starts cyclin out perpetually ....anyways....

Another option to think about , is to use 2-10x10 areas for big plant rooms and constantly be vegging , pruning , and shaping teenagers waiting to go into the bloom rooms straight 12/12 , and you`d only be tending 30-40 plants at a time for the picks of the litter , and easily pump out 2+ lb`ers , maybe even 3 once strains and environment`s dialed.....

HL45`s got 4 plant 5 light rooms that were approaching 11-12 lb yields last we talked , just gotta find the right hybrid to exploit and dial accordingly....

His were Sore Diesels IIRC.....anyways.....thoughts to ponder , and I`m just letting yas know there`s options for the amount of sq ftg yas got ta play with....and....

Whole lot easier ta manage less plants than more , trust me....Takes maybe a month or so longer ta set perpetual big plant rooms up , and once the ball`s rollin , it`s just rinse and repeat......easy peasy....

I was a paranoid insomniac for 20 yrs and dealt with increased plant numbers cuz I couldn`t afford to run as much total wattage at each location , so I HAD to be up on my cloning game or production stopped dead in it`s tracks....and again....

Not tryin ta tell yas what ta do , just offering options from all them yrs of doin this shit...I`m sure it`ll be easier for yas to keep clones in line if you`re on-site if that`s the route you stay with....

Good luck....DHF...:ying:....
 
Alright, the room is pretty much together. It's light tight, racks are built and reinforced, panda is on the walls.

Next up will be setting up ventilation, and then lights.

Tried to get supplies to build more cloners today, unfortunately Lowe's is no longer stocking the sturdy black/yellow totes, they're on clearance and there was only one left... with no lid. I'll be ordering them online somewhere. Can afford to build 4 of my 6 needed cloners, but it's still 2x the # of clones I need. and I'll get around to the other 2 with my next harvest.

1JmLVFm.jpg
 
Put the 2' plants in there around a 1kw lamp. Still got a few Lady Cane plants about ready to flower, think they've got a little K deficiency I need to fix first. They'll be following these in, along with another 1kw lamp in a week or so.

xik4sst.jpg



Also, this Hortilux bulb? Is the fucking shit. My Ushio HPS bulbs are a LOT more orange in color. This photo is pretty close to actual color - I didn't touch the white balance like I have to with my Ushio or Son Agro HPS bulbs.

Also my magnetic ballast will need some replacement parts. It ignites the bulb, but doesn't run it NEARLY as bright as my digital ballasts. Even with a good warm up period, it still stays in "warming up orange glow" color, where my digital turns it into bright white light within a few seconds. Just gotta figure out which part is the problem and get it replaced. Pretty sure I only want to use the ballast in veg, with a MH anyway.
 

HunterJ

Member
Looking good ... The racks look better but before they are loaded I'd brace every support from front to back, just in case, and put them on lockable wheels/castors (as mentioned) - that's just me.

Have you ever seen a wooden house frame going up, they usually have a cross/diagonal brace to keep them from collapsing to one side or the other. I'd run a brace from tucked in behind the lower shelf up under the middle shelf to as far up the rear upright it will go and screw it to each timber = 4 screws to each brace.

I couldn't find much to illustrate but here - http://image.shutterstock.com/displ...s-of-empty-wooden-stadium-seats-128866945.jpg - you can see the idea employed. If there were no diagonal/cross braces this structure would be inclined to collapse backwards and fold under weight, like an empty cardboard box.

I'd probably put more bracing on the length of it too, just in case ... :watchplant: - :respect:
 
I need another 10ft of 2x4 but planned on adding some front to back braces as well. I tied the bottom rear together and put angled braces so it doesn't move an inch long ways. Also put in front to back supports along the bottom, tying the uprights to the bottom board running along the floor, wobbles much less but does still have a little play in it. It'll be another couple months before I fill it completely so I wasn't rushed about getting the final 4 braces on.
 
Absolutely no intrusion, man! The more people that speak up on things like that, the more successful this will be.

Anyway, I've been gone a bit on vacation. Jamaica is a BEAUTIFUL (but very poor) country. Had an absolute blast, but now it's time to get back to work.

I know this is a build log, but I don't have anything to add to that part. Just ordered my fan (no filter, yet) and the cords that I need to convert to 240v along with 3 new 1kw bulbs. Gotta get a new Capacitor for my magnetic ballast and I'll be ready to rock 3kw. Then upgrading to 4-5kw after next harvest.

Anyway, plants stretched a bit while I was gone, for sure. I'd say these are about 3.5', so that's about 18" of growth in a short amount of time. A couple were completely dehydrated when i got back, but all recovered well.

YRzF6rW.jpg



And the girls in veg healed up nicely. They'll be going into flowering as soon as I get the bulbs in the mail next week.

UL4zNVg.jpg


Here's a Larry Smurf plant (trichome jungle seeds):

Wbomg2m.jpg
 
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