Totally new to this! First grow: Journal

So i've read about this for quite a while now, and the other day i saw some cheap bins and thought **** it, i'll see what i can put together cheap!

So far i've got two 50l bins end to end, spray glue lined with foil, 5 small holes in the top, check.

Hit a famous DIY store and grabbed 10m of thick cable, a big junction box and a load of bayonet sockets and little bits etc...

All 5 wires trailing into the top bin are held by friction right now, i plan to start using buldog clips to hold them in place when i can find some cheap, there are hooks inside to help hold them roughly where i want...

2 of the wires (soon to be three) split into two bayonet fixings inside, there's a total of 6 (soon to be 8 maybe but i doubt i need it vegging) 23W 6400k CFL's, and i've got a 105W and 5x25W 2700k's on order for swapping out later. But as you can see i've got room to grow for up to 8 lights, just in case...

Found an old 7.5v transformer and two 120mm PC fans this plugs into the extension wired into the junction box. Which i'll end up fixing in because right now the temps feel very very high inside and i'll know for sure soon enough when my meters arrive. When i find something suitable i'll put together a little carbon filter too

I've got a 10l dripper bag which i'll hang outside and leave to slowly drain over a day or two then wait and refill: easy hopefully.

Also i'll be making up a 2l yeast and sugar mix and leave it bubbling every so often sitting on top with a small tub feeding in the top.

Bought some SLH seeds and we'll see where this takes me. It's been done pretty much on a shoestring and i have fairly low expectations but i'll document it either way! I can't think of anything i've overlooked obvious, if theres any else i should be doing please feel free to point out! Quick few pics below haven't really taken anything decent yet as my camera battery really is playing up right now....

Read all the stickies i think i need to, and read around a fair amount, so i hope all will go well and i'll see you on the other side! I'll try and update this little thread as i go, documenting my problems and success'

Cheers all!

Pics for now here, seems quite hard to capture bright lights

Ill be along for the ride mate. You are off to a much better start than I was. Check out my grow journal for a fun time. I have heard and was told that foil can create "heat spots" but I think this will probably be negligible with CFLs. I am having a heat problem myself so have no hood at all. Just my white walls. I really like your power adapter. What is it called ? Good luck !

Ah i didn't think about that with foil, well i'll have a 120mm fan blowing upwards from the center bottom, and an exhaust at the top which should really eliminate hot spots i hope! The power adapter is a B&Q 6 way termination something or other, and i just wired everything up in there so it acts like a 6 way split. Basically one wire goes to a 13 amp plug one goes to a 2 gang socket end, and the other 5 go to light fixings, of which some of them are dual light fittings. All wired myself for a few quid Just bolted the junction box to the side now it all looks a little more formal, and still uses only one plug so is basically "portable"

Interesting setup, I like it

EXCEPT THE FOIL, PLEASE GET RID OF IT,

you are gonna have temp issues for sure!

Line it with mylar or simply spray paint the insides flat white (either way done for less than $5)

Be fun to watch

If I were you, I would invest in some 2mm Mylar

Its much better than foil because it doesn't crinkle dramatically and doesn't scatter the light reflected off of it from the lights which can create the heat spots where it burns your plant. Also, mylar is very easy to clean and is the best for reflectivity

randomlygrow said:

Ah i didn't think about that with foil, well i'll have a 120mm fan blowing upwards from the center bottom, and an exhaust at the top which should really eliminate hot spots i hope! The power adapter is a B&Q 6 way termination something or other, and i just wired everything up in there so it acts like a 6 way split. Basically one wire goes to a 13 amp plug one goes to a 2 gang socket end, and the other 5 go to light fixings, of which some of them are dual light fittings. All wired myself for a few quid Just bolted the junction box to the side now it all looks a little more formal, and still uses only one plug so is basically "portable"

Click to expand...

I definitely need to get something like that for myself. this grow may be similar to yours. https://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/184018-trashcan-grow-6.html

you may need to get something to raise the bottom up a few inches and put a passive intake hole in the bottom.

Ok so first thing's first, i can see the foil might be a problem now... Where do i buy this metalized boPET (or mylar), what's it used for otherwise in large sheets?

My 105w 2700k light arrived today, and MY GOD its massive! Hadn't quite realised how big these things are, i already want to buy another now though

looks good im looking at getting some of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EMERGENCY-SPACE-FOIL-BLANKET-Insulated-Survival-Cover_W0QQitemZ190353293382QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Medical_Supplies_Disposables_ET?hash=item2c51f0c046

i c uv got some blubls from tesco how much did u pay 4 the 25w 2700k?

bouche753 said:

looks good im looking at getting some of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EMERGENCY-SPACE-FOIL-BLANKET-Insulated-Survival-Cover_W0QQitemZ190353293382QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Medical_Supplies_Disposables_ET?hash=item2c51f0c046

Click to expand...

Ah that seems pretty cheap yeah I also saw these, which are rolled so i guess less creased. 1 and 2 might be worth a punt still only a few quid.

bouche753 said:

i c uv got some blubls from tesco how much did u pay 4 the 25w 2700k?

Click to expand...

I paid a lot more than the ones for tesco thats for sure. Some cheapish 25w ones i think where maybe £3-4 ish each, and then a super massive 105w one for about £17 i think? All just browsing round ebay. There was the 250w one but i'd rather buy a few smaller and have it all evenly distributed... I think for now at least...

That greenlamp off ebay is *bright*

Right so, lets start again, i'm currently unwiring all my lights taking the out of the little bin, and trying to remove my glued foil, as best as possible, and all the other little things stuck inside now, ready for a roll of reflective mylar to arrive (1m x 1.4m) asap, that won't totally fit my build, but it will do 90% of it, so i'll just make sure the top 90% is reflective. Cheers for pointing that out guys. Seeds arrive soon too, so i hope this all fits together whilst i'm germinating! Ha

what seeds have u gone 4? where did u get them from?

Super Lemon Haze, and only because they won the CC, i haven't *any* experience with these either, as i said *everything* is new to me Erm think i bought them from pick n mix i'll check my emails in a second, i did throw in another seed of two other strain i can't even remember, but really this is about SLH

Riiight so spend the last hour-ish dismantling it all again, fun times. The foil was a MARE to remove, but 99% of it has gone now, leaving me with a fresh start. While i was there i felt the need to unwire all my lights again in prep for the mylar, repositioned my junction box and strapped my wired extension to the top. I've also found a position for the 120mm fan, it's currently bolted in place with two bolts but i've not got the balls to cut a hole juuuuuust yet.

I'm trying to figure out a sensible way to have that as an exhaust fan with a nice small but perfectly formed carbon filter. Found the pencil holder one and it looked decent, seems a good idea, so i'll probaly work on something like that.

For the second fan i plan to have it on the floor at 45 degrees towards the side hopefully creating some kind of vortex up to the exhaust at the top. And depending on if i need it or not i'll put a few small holes all the way around the bottom as intakes

Right photo updates for today now i've got round to uploading...








So i managed to fit the exhaust fan it seems pretty good, except its backwards right now , i'll add some duct tape now i'm happy and properly seal it as well...

The stirrer i feel is too big for this build not too sure what i'm gonna do here, maybe heighten its angle to lose the floorspace it takes up, i'll think about that later down the line.

Thoughts buzzing around my head, and i was thinking or whipping up a pretty simplistic temperature control with a thermistor, so i can kick the fan in and out and keep the ambient temperature in there around where i want it

I'm fidgetty waiting for ebay arrivals now, and i have a feeling the postman HATES me!

Haha. You weren't kidding that cfl is a beast! I thought it was a bottle of water at first. I am going to try and get a power cord setup like yours. Did you see plans for it somewhere? I have seen simple splitters but nothing like yours.

No plans nope, i'll open it up now and take a picture for you of my wiring inside, its all relatively simple though, basically as fiddly as wiring your own light socket...



Basically, all live's to 3 terminals, and all neutral's to the other 3, then connecting each of the 3 separate terminals in their own way to each other with little joining wires inside. hard to explain but if you can't work it out from that photo then i'll whip something up in paint which will make it easier no probs man...

thanks for opening that up. I will head to a hardware store soon and see what I can find.

Right huzzah! I'm on the go, twice the amount of mylar i ordered arrived today, i've relined the whole two tubs and its all looking amazing. Fans are in and setup so when the lights are on the fans are on, not sure on temps yet i don't have a reliable enough thermometer ones still in transit somewhere from china They seem sufficient if a little chilly which is easy enough to solve!

Seeds arrived the other day as well, so only thing i need for the grow centre now is some aluminium mesh to craft some kind of carbon filter and some kind of ducting to shield the frankly rediculous light output from the top fan.

Now i want to get started as quickly as possible, *BUT* i'm driving home on sat/sun for easter with the rents and i might end up staying for a few days since i haven't seen them in a while. I really want to germinate my seeds but i don't want to lose them. If i put them in their little germination thing i bought for a few quid in a little peat bag and leave them for upto a week, could i lose them? They're all i've got right now and one side of me is saying please just wait an be patient but the other is saying i'm going to have to wait a good 2-3 months growing them as well get a ****ing move on! Its a weed its fairly hard to kill right?

I'm off to a wedding tomorrow, but i'll try and get some updated pictures, nout much has changed really just little things, bringing it all together...

Cheers all for advice

randomlygrow said:

Right huzzah! I'm on the go, twice the amount of mylar i ordered arrived today, i've relined the whole two tubs and its all looking amazing. Fans are in and setup so when the lights are on the fans are on, not sure on temps yet i don't have a reliable enough thermometer ones still in transit somewhere from china They seem sufficient if a little chilly which is easy enough to solve!

Seeds arrived the other day as well, so only thing i need for the grow centre now is some aluminium mesh to craft some kind of carbon filter and some kind of ducting to shield the frankly rediculous light output from the top fan.

Now i want to get started as quickly as possible, *BUT* i'm driving home on sat/sun for easter with the rents and i might end up staying for a few days since i haven't seen them in a while. I really want to germinate my seeds but i don't want to lose them. If i put them in their little germination thing i bought for a few quid in a little peat bag and leave them for upto a week, could i lose them? They're all i've got right now and one side of me is saying please just wait an be patient but the other is saying i'm going to have to wait a good 2-3 months growing them as well get a ****ing move on! Its a weed its fairly hard to kill right?

I'm off to a wedding tomorrow, but i'll try and get some updated pictures, nout much has changed really just little things, bringing it all together...

Cheers all for advice

Click to expand...

I germed my last ones for 4 days and they had completely kicked off the shell and were about 4 inches long. I have head that you only want them to start poking out a quarter inch. I dont know how much it makes a difference but a week would probably be risky. and seeds aint cheap bro.