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Cheap DIY Cooltube Pictorial

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Now in technicolor
Veteran
This cooltube uses an hourglass shaped glass tube which served as a decoration piece many decades ago. I don't know where I got it but I did see another DIY tut here where somebody used the same one.

This method uses 3x 4" duct clamps to create the socket and hook mounts.

I use the Vaseline on the screws to figure out where to drill the 2 holes (you'll see what I mean) instead of measuring.

I will add to this next week when the new fan (240 CFM panasonic whisper) and ducts come in.

The diameter at each end of the cooltube is ~4"

Bulb in pics is a 400W MH conversion bulb.

On with the show...

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Dr Dog

Dr Dog

Sharks have a week dedicated to me
Veteran
Looks good, nice tutorial

I would add one thing, a junction box. Your bulb needs to be grounded, and the only place to do that with that style of mogul is to add a junction box

Like this
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without a ground line it because dangerous and a fire hazard
 
disfunktional

disfunktional

Member
sweet pictorial!!! i agree with it needing to be grounded. but isnt it possible to ground it to the hose clamp attatched to the mogul? if so that would be less bulky.
 
jm420

jm420

Active member
Veteran
the glass is from a hurricane lamp can be found at flea markets for short money 1-2 bucks
 
toastfighter2

toastfighter2

Active member
The best places to pick them up that I have found to pick them(the hurricane glass that is) is at a thrift store. They always seem to have at least 2 laying around(if you are not very familiar with machine clamps, get both), and they normally run for about a dollar. The best part about it though is the fact that they are open 6 days a week here.
For the ducting on mine(I was originally going to use 4 inch ducting), I just cut down some coffee cans, soldered the together and sealed it all up with some aluminum tape(the kind for furnaces). I made the whole exhaust out of this and it works great for my cab(the light is hard mounted), but I am sure that you could use just a half of a can to make a collar the hook flex ducting to.
Also,to mount the mogul socket if you don't have a drill, you can pick up some galvanized pipe strap from the hardware store. It has holes in it already that line up with the holes for the screws

 
F

farmerred

Grounding is a good idea. It only is used in the case of a short, which is more likely when you wire things yourself. Be safe, Stay cool.
 
festivus

festivus

STAY TOASTY MY FRIENDS!
ICMag Donor
Veteran
farmerred said:
Grounding is a good idea. It only is used in the case of a short, which is more likely when you wire things yourself. Be safe, Stay cool.
Click to expand...

Use a 3- wire lamp lead instead of the polarized 2 lead chord that comes with your ballast. Connect the green ground wire to the ballast's ground and the mogul socket's ground. Connect the white lead to the ballast's positive lamp connection and the black wire to the ballast's common connection.
Better Safe Than Sorry!:joint:
 
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!!!

!!!

Now in technicolor
Veteran
Finished a run with this diy cool tube and it performed great. Only issue I had was attaching ducting to the tapered edge of the tube. I had to add insulation tape to add an inch thick layer around each edge, where I placed 6" ducting. Definitely a hack job there—Go with straight edge cool tubes if you can find them.

The cool tube lets me place the plants at least twice as close to the lamp compared to a bare bulb, without adverse effects.
 
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