lilindian
Well-Known Member
Right, lets start with an intro...
So this isn't my first cab. My first can be seen below in all its various stages. Throughout its life it's been tweaked, tweaked, and tweaked again, sometimes adding stuff, sometimes getting rid of stuff.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
^^^^ (cheap reflector, little extraction + intakes - generally not going to work!)
^^^^ (Upgraded to air cooled hood - still using computer fan for intake - still not cutting it)
^^^^ (Upgraded intakes to inline fan, added automated watering system, and added another inline fan to the reflector) - starting to get there
^^^^ (Next came a pull out tray the pots sat on, to make watering easier, inspecting the plants easier)
^^^^ (Still the same cab but messed around with having a veg cab up top, played around with extraction ect, learnt plenty)
^^^^ (Upgraded to a Cool-tube - Testing out CFL's)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's come to the point where i have a pretty good idea of what is/isnt necessary (such as insulation, not necessary!). I've had a few years now to try out different things such as automated watering systems, various methods of growing (training), and different equipment, and i feel its time to build a more permanent bit of furniture.
The old cab was meant to last a couple months, just to get my first grow out the way. It's lasted 3 years, and contrary to what a lot of people might think, i thought i did a pretty shoddy job.
Let me explain.
Although i got lots of nice bud out of it, a few things annoyed me about it since day 1.
Firstly the side panels (walls) were made from wooden flooring underlay, i.e. real thin flimsy, soft sheeting, which could not be screwed into, could not be stuck to anything, and was very fragile.
Secondly, space was not efficiently managed, e.g. the exhaust ducting taking up precious space inside the cab.
Thirdly the mylar (walls) were not flat, and had huge pockets of air behind them.
Forthly, it was super small! even growing 1 plant let alone 2 was quite hard, there was hardly space for fans, the reflector i initially used had to be angled, and yeh, i wanted more space!
Fifthly lots of ideas i had required a new build to allow me to properly execute them, like the pull out tray system thingy.
I'd been waiting and waiting and waiting to finish my most recent grow, took nearly 7 months! So this thread has been a long time coming.
This isn't quite as detailed as i was hoping it would be, but hopefully it'll still help a few people out, inspire a few, and most importantly spread ideas!
If anyone has an input, go ahead, i'm all ears.
Next post is the new build (already 60% done)
So this isn't my first cab. My first can be seen below in all its various stages. Throughout its life it's been tweaked, tweaked, and tweaked again, sometimes adding stuff, sometimes getting rid of stuff.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
^^^^ (cheap reflector, little extraction + intakes - generally not going to work!)
^^^^ (Upgraded to air cooled hood - still using computer fan for intake - still not cutting it)
^^^^ (Upgraded intakes to inline fan, added automated watering system, and added another inline fan to the reflector) - starting to get there
^^^^ (Next came a pull out tray the pots sat on, to make watering easier, inspecting the plants easier)
^^^^ (Still the same cab but messed around with having a veg cab up top, played around with extraction ect, learnt plenty)
^^^^ (Upgraded to a Cool-tube - Testing out CFL's)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's come to the point where i have a pretty good idea of what is/isnt necessary (such as insulation, not necessary!). I've had a few years now to try out different things such as automated watering systems, various methods of growing (training), and different equipment, and i feel its time to build a more permanent bit of furniture.
The old cab was meant to last a couple months, just to get my first grow out the way. It's lasted 3 years, and contrary to what a lot of people might think, i thought i did a pretty shoddy job.
Let me explain.
Although i got lots of nice bud out of it, a few things annoyed me about it since day 1.
Firstly the side panels (walls) were made from wooden flooring underlay, i.e. real thin flimsy, soft sheeting, which could not be screwed into, could not be stuck to anything, and was very fragile.
Secondly, space was not efficiently managed, e.g. the exhaust ducting taking up precious space inside the cab.
Thirdly the mylar (walls) were not flat, and had huge pockets of air behind them.
Forthly, it was super small! even growing 1 plant let alone 2 was quite hard, there was hardly space for fans, the reflector i initially used had to be angled, and yeh, i wanted more space!
Fifthly lots of ideas i had required a new build to allow me to properly execute them, like the pull out tray system thingy.
I'd been waiting and waiting and waiting to finish my most recent grow, took nearly 7 months! So this thread has been a long time coming.
This isn't quite as detailed as i was hoping it would be, but hopefully it'll still help a few people out, inspire a few, and most importantly spread ideas!
If anyone has an input, go ahead, i'm all ears.
Next post is the new build (already 60% done)
