CSI Stickyicky's Locking Metal Grow Cabinet Build

CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
I didnt like the idea of a tent, because it looks like a tent. My old place had a closet big enough to put the tent in, but the new place is lacking closet space. Plus, it was a big deal to me to have a LOCKING cabinet, and i want something stealthy so even my friends don't know. I also don't want the landlord stumbling on a grow by looking in a closet for whatever reason.

So, for all those reasons, i finally decided to build a locking metal grow cabinet. I have wanted to build a grow cabinet for many years, but i always added up the cost, and decided to put it off. After reading https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/320402-stelthys-600w-hps-project-new.html and seeing how Stelthy built his cab (And what a sweet cabinet) slowly, i decided to take on a slow cab build. It has gone a lot quicker than i expected. I am probably a week away from finishing it, and i'm only waiting on another paycheck.


The cabinet has two chambers, the larger one on top is a 150W HPS, the one on bottom is a 96W T5 HO 2 foot 4 bulb fixture, with 2 flowering bulbs, and 2 daylight, for a mixed spectrum.

The fan is a 191 CFM 4 inch inline, but i plan on adding a fan speed controller to slow it down, for maximum stealth. There is a carbon filter, but it's worn out, and i plan on replacing it.

The interior is wrapped in black and white poly, and i screwed a white shelf to the back wall to screw things into, like the fan speed controller, thermo/hygrometer, and power strips with timers.
 

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CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
So far its gotten up to 78 but i have only run it for short periods to check temps. Its still under construction. I plan on adding some intake fans, so far i've only tried it with just the exhaust fan running. I might cut another hole down low, and do a dual 4" intake system. I'll probably need to cut another hole in the shelf too, to let the air flow from veg to flower more easily.
 
stelthy

stelthy

Well-Known Member
Hi dude. just stopped by to check out ur progress :) Cheers and REP for adding a LINK to my thread in ur 1st post! I like what I've seen so far, I gotta ask though any particular reason your in Soil rather than Hydro? Its usually personal preference, I just think in Hydro everything grows quicker and bigger. Does your Cab have any light leaks? Also I wanted to ask where you have placed the ballast for the 150W HPS lamp?

As for an intake I would probably go with either a 4" Bathroom fan attached to a 4" duct run to a window/wall vent (Filtered) or a single 4" CPU fan on a transformer to control its speed. Also I'd have both your IN and OUT fans on a timer together for the duration of lights on only - You will find that the intake will need some kind of filter on/over it during late VEG onwards. You can get 4" Odor Socs but there are other ways to do this..

Anyhow keep up the good work I look forward to seeing what you achieve next - STELTHY :leaf:
 
CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
I went with soil out of a personal preference. I respect hydro growers, cause you guys are the real deal. You have to be true horticulturalists to take on such a project. For me, it's TOO hands on. I dont want to spend all day measuring PH, changing reservoirs, cleaning reservoirs, and worrying if something isnt exactly right. With soil, i can go on vacation, and they are fine for several days without my interaction. There is a learning curve for hydro, as there is a learning curve to organics. I figure i'll do a DWC someday to start learning my hydro skills, but for now, i have great organic skills. I like my compost tea, mycorrhizal fungi, rainwater, and guanos. I get great results.

The best piece of indoor gardening advice i ever heard came from an astronomer on NPR. Someone asked him about "How easy is it for life to start on other planets?" And he replied, "It's pretty hard to stop life, if the conditions are right"
And so i thought, "My role isnt to grow the plants, it's to provide them with the right conditions. They grow themselves"
Ever since then, i've been doing great with all plants. Plants spent thousands of years in soil, they do great............. if conditions are right.

Long story short= i like organic soil, even if it is a little slower.

The ballast i plan to hang from the roof, over towards the left. Ideally, i'd put it outside of the cab, but i'm trying it this way for stealth.

Light leaks, yes, around the doors. I plan on adding a wood frame around the inside, which i have started, but not finished. I need to make another trip to the store. No light leaks in back, because i covered rear and sides with black and white poly.

For the intake, i have a few 4" inline fans, i was planning on adding one for intake, and one for veg-to-flower flow. I might make it 2 intakes, or even a 6 inch intake, if i have to. I just dont want to have to buy a 6" hole saw capable of cutting through metal; the 4" one was the most expensive tool i bought for this project.
 
stelthy

stelthy

Well-Known Member
CSI Stickyicky said:
I went with soil out of a personal preference. I respect hydro growers, cause you guys are the real deal. You have to be true horticulturalists to take on such a project. For me, it's TOO hands on. I dont want to spend all day measuring PH, changing reservoirs, cleaning reservoirs, and worrying if something isnt exactly right. With soil, i can go on vacation, and they are fine for several days without my interaction. There is a learning curve for hydro, as there is a learning curve to organics. I figure i'll do a DWC someday to start learning my hydro skills, but for now, i have great organic skills. I like my compost tea, mycorrhizal fungi, rainwater, and guanos. I get great results.

The best piece of indoor gardening advice i ever heard came from an astronomer on NPR. Someone asked him about "How easy is it for life to start on other planets?" And he replied, "It's pretty hard to stop life, if the conditions are right"
And so i thought, "My role isnt to grow the plants, it's to provide them with the right conditions. They grow themselves"
Ever since then, i've been doing great with all plants. Plants spent thousands of years in soil, they do great............. if conditions are right.

Long story short= i like organic soil, even if it is a little slower.

The ballast i plan to hang from the roof, over towards the left. Ideally, i'd put it outside of the cab, but i'm trying it this way for stealth.

Light leaks, yes, around the doors. I plan on adding a wood frame around the inside, which i have started, but not finished. I need to make another trip to the store. No light leaks in back, because i covered rear and sides with black and white poly.

For the intake, i have a few 4" inline fans, i was planning on adding one for intake, and one for veg-to-flower flow. I might make it 2 intakes, or even a 6 inch intake, if i have to. I just dont want to have to buy a 6" hole saw capable of cutting through metal; the 4" one was the most expensive tool i bought for this project.
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Sounds like you have everything under control :) One thing I would say though is if you only have a 4" Out-take fan then only use a 4" Intake as this will allow you to achieve a negative pressure and thats a good thing if you go any bigger than that on your intake you'll loose power of the negative pressure and the out take will be less effective, apart from that all seems good n well, Does the 150W ballast emit much heat or is it relativly cool? - STELTHY :leaf:
 
CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
There is some heat from the ballast, but it's not terrible. I want to put it so its in the way of the airflow, so it's heat gets removed. Its not digital, its the old fashioned kind. I might have to put it outside the tent, but we'll see. Still a work in progress.

The 4" inline fans are rated at 40 CFM each, and the exhaust is also 4" but it's the impeller style fan, at 191 CFM. Even if i added a 6" intake, i'd still be running half the CFM for intake than for exhaust.
 
Vento

Vento

Well-Known Member
Hi ya CSI :)

Looks great so far ... Maybe build a few ... sell them online :)

One thing i do notice about a lot of stealth builds ... People allways seem to cut the vents in the SIDE ..and not the BACK , It allways stands out to me and totally takes the stealth aspect away lol ... i look at a cab with vents ...i know its a grow box :)... Or at the very least it attracts my attention :) ... Just a thought :)

Here's another thought ... You say your ballast is running hot ( warm ) ... Maybe you can use the heat ?... If you can make a box or a platform down in your Clone veg section and put the ballast in it or under it ... you can use the heat to warm a propagator ?... Like a heat mat ? :)

Anyways ... looks stunning so far and i will be watching to see how you get on :)

Good Luck :)
 
CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
Vento said:
Hi ya CSI :)

Looks great so far ... Maybe build a few ... sell them online :)

One thing i do notice about a lot of stealth builds ... People allways seem to cut the vents in the SIDE ..and not the BACK , It allways stands out to me and totally takes the stealth aspect away lol ... i look at a cab with vents ...i know its a grow box :)... Or at the very least it attracts my attention :) ... Just a thought :)

Here's another thought ... You say your ballast is running hot ( warm ) ... Maybe you can use the heat ?... If you can make a box or a platform down in your Clone veg section and put the ballast in it or under it ... you can use the heat to warm a propagator ?... Like a heat mat ? :)

Anyways ... looks stunning so far and i will be watching to see how you get on :)

Good Luck :)
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Thats a good idea about the heat mat! And, yea, i cut holes in the back. I just want it to look like a locking cabinet. I need super stealth; i need something where a person can be in the same room as the cabinet, and not know.

I totally thought about buying a few of these cabinets and making a bunch of cabinets to sell. This cabinet is used furniture from the US 2010 Census, and the used furniture guy i got it from has about 40 of them in stock. I know several of my friends i'd give them to, if i had money like that. Plus, they make great storage cabinets. I might get another one just for my BB guns, knives, batons, ammunition, and other misc stuff i might want to keep locked up.
 
wyteberrywidow

wyteberrywidow

Global
CSI Stickyicky said:
Thats a good idea about the heat mat! And, yea, i cut holes in the back. I just want it to look like a locking cabinet. I need super stealth; i need something where a person can be in the same room as the cabinet, and not know.

I totally thought about buying a few of these cabinets and making a bunch of cabinets to sell. This cabinet is used furniture from the US 2010 Census, and the used furniture guy i got it from has about 40 of them in stock. I know several of my friends i'd give them to, if i had money like that. Plus, they make great storage cabinets. I might get another one just for my BB guns, knives, batons, ammunition, and other misc stuff i might want to keep locked up.
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sounds good..
 
I

ish800

Well-Known Member
Some rubber or foam weather seal will help in light leaks around the edges. Place them in the inside, and the outside.
 
CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
It's on my Menards list! I am also going to put a strip of velcro around the wooden inner frame i'm making, and then cut a piece of black and white poly to cover the front, and then place it over the entrance to the flowering chamber. That way, i can open the cabinet doors, and do what i need to do to the vegetative plants, and not let light into the flowering section. Or i can dick with vegging plants, without letting out that telltale yellow glow from flowering section. I'll take more pics once that is done, in case my description isnt the best.
 
CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

Well-Known Member
I finally resumed work on the cabinet. I got it so i can run the flowering section, and it's completely light proofed. The vegetative section still needs work.

First, i filled the cracks in the doors with foam weatherstripping

Then i finished the inner door frame, and lined it with velcro. I put up pandafilm with the white side facing in, and this thing completely blocks all light. I like this because i can simply pull back a corner, and look in, and it wont leak yellow light all over the place. (like out my window) And i can open the doors during night cycle without disturbing the flowering plants.
 

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CSI Stickyicky

CSI Stickyicky

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Thanks man. I'm pretty happy with it so far. I think it's really working for me that i'm doing it slowly, and not really giving myself a deadline. That gives me the opportunity to do things the right way, even if it's slower that way.
 
R

Ryan1010xxx

Member
CSI Stickyicky said:
Thanks man. I'm pretty happy with it so far. I think it's really working for me that i'm doing it slowly, and not really giving myself a deadline. That gives me the opportunity to do things the right way, even if it's slower that way.
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I wish i could say the same lol... ive gotta get exhaust hooked up in the next couple days because im going out of town this weekend and i dont want my babies to fry... but i was lucky enough to find an old stanley blower laying around that im gonna use... Saved me some money and kept me from having to wait on shipping.
 
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