Superbox, Secret Garden or... ?

I have been a grower in years past and I am now out of the military and I am looking to start again. I no longer have the space or privacy to utilize a tent so I have to turn to a box.

I have read mixed reviews on these boxes. I have the cash to pay for one so cost is not of importance but, I need to pull an O each month.

As I said before I am a veteran and will be utilizing Blue Dream for its potential medical benefits of my ailments.

I am extremely mechanically inclined and had even thought about using an ice chest which I can make work but I am not sure about size requirements to reach my O.

Thoughts?

Thank you

Hi
first off, thanks for your service

I've built a variety of different grow boxes for friends and such. I'd be happy to help with design or equipment stuff....I'm not too familiar with prebuilt boxes..but from what I've read people tend to upgrade them or could have built them at home for a fraction of the price.

You could work with the ice chest but it might be difficult to cut in exhaust and intake holes (size? pics?). You could also build a box from scratch or convert a cabinet, dresser or speaker boxes depending on how stealth you want it. ..after that just figure out your monthly yield goals and in turn you can calculate how much lighting and everything else you need. A small, well built system with solid strains can yield about 1-2 oz per cubic foot of grow area, not including containers. You also need additional room for an exhaust fan, filter, lighting, timers and room to install it all. Try to make everything as user/builder friendly as you can so that later repairs or upgrades can be done with ease.

You are most welcome and thank you for the input!

OK I feel as if my suspicions are correct then. Whilst looking into these grow cabinets I was able to come up with a lot of ideas. Here is my favorite:
Now, this would be my version:

Mini fridge: http://www.pcrichard.com/GE/GE-5-6-Cu-Ft-Compact-Refrigerator-Black-on-Black/GCE06GGHBB.pcrp

Lightning: http://www.htgsupply.com/products/growbright-2-foot-4-lamp-high-output-t5

Fan & Filter: http://www.htgsupply.com/products/growbright-4-inch-inline-fan-carbon-filter-combo

I will be removing all of the internals of the fridge and also the compressor. The light I can mount to the top, the filter will fit on the lip inside of the fridge above where the compressor was and I plan on putting the fan in that location. The only thing I don't like about this setup is the fan and filter which is overkill for the box but I can't really find anything else cheaper. Maybe to utilize the heat removal the fan will give me could I work in an HPS?

I would go with something a little stronger then the t-5's. maybe 1 or 2 led panels or a 150-250w hps. Possibly even 1 or 2 cob leds...it all depends on your budget and how efficient you want to get. In small spaces, I personally feel it's alot easier to get high yields with leds...easier to manage heat and easier to spread out the lighting....rather then dealing with a single point of light like an hps. I've also had great results with regular screw-in white led bulbs..just standard home ones ( I did better with those then small hps). I believe @BobCajun has had some great results with screw-in style led bulbs as well.

Do you have the freezer already? if not I would recommend a wood cabinet or wardrobe instead..just my personal preference cuz I feel wood is easier to work with. I like to work with wood Of course use the freezer if you have it or are set on using one

How important is stealth? Those inline fans can be pretty noisy, dialing it down with a speed controller can quiet it a little and allow adjustment of airflow/temps as well....if you need a quieter fan option let me know. It's much much easier to start with a quiet fan rather then trying to make a loud one quieter.

Due to living constraints this thing has to look like it belongs where it is placed. I've decided on either the mini fridge I posted a link to or a freezer. The fridge measures at: 23-1/2" W x 24" D x 34" H for a total of 5.6 cu. ft. (for fan displacement discussion at a later date).

I'm glad you suggested the LED because originally that's what I wanted to go with. I chose the T5 in lieu of LED because of heat or the potential for burning. Is 300W sufficient? I found this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01B4GQ6MO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479971951&sr=8-1&refinements=p_72:2661618011,p_n_condition-type:6461716011&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=led+grow+light&dpPl=1&dpID=41g2qHfa0jL&ref=plSrch

They also make a 600W version but I'm assuming that's too much.

A speed controller you say. I bet I could wire the thermostat switch to the fan...

when looking at led panels go by the true wattage..the 300 you linked is 136 true watts. For those type leds you want roughly 60-70watts per square foot. If those are interior dimensions you listed then that's about 4 square feet, so you want about 300 true watts total. You might be better off with 2 smaller panels then one larger one.

You could wire the thermostat to the fan I suppose...but you might get alot of on/off cycles which might sound like the freezer cycling..but it might be kinda loud too. With a controller you can just dial it down a little bit.and keep the fan running 24/7. It's important to keep the exhaust fan running all the time to make sure you maintain negative pressure and no smells escape. If the fan kicks off for 12 hours during the night cycle due to temps you might need to find another way to cycle the fan to introduce fresh air.

Fridges work well but they are difficult to upgrade or change so you have to lay everything out perfectly first try. dressers are my preference for the size especially since the wooden cabinet helps control humidity
I can pull 2 to 3 Oz per month from my current cabinet .

dym3z said:

Due to living constraints this thing has to look like it belongs where it is placed. I've decided on either the mini fridge I posted a link to or a freezer. The fridge measures at: 23-1/2" W x 24" D x 34" H for a total of 5.6 cu. ft. (for fan displacement discussion at a later date).

I'm glad you suggested the LED because originally that's what I wanted to go with. I chose the T5 in lieu of LED because of heat or the potential for burning. Is 300W sufficient? I found this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01B4GQ6MO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479971951&sr=8-1&refinements=p_72:2661618011,p_n_condition-type:6461716011&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=led+grow+light&dpPl=1&dpID=41g2qHfa0jL&ref=plSrch

They also make a 600W version but I'm assuming that's too much.

A speed controller you say. I bet I could wire the thermostat switch to the fan...

Click to expand...

I like that light i have it

To all threads I'm in I will somewhat abandon after this round harvest to go back underground stealth, I'll be watching and pop up from time to time.