I've grown so weary of the very poor quality of "herbs" to be found around my area that I decided to build a little self-contained grow-cabinet and grow my own.
Being a professional cabinet-maker, I realized that I would never live down a sloppily-built cabinet. My friends would point and ridicule me!
I decided to go for a classic pyramid-shape partly due to the shape of the inside being ideal for focusing the light beams from the HID's directly downward to the plants where it's needed; but mostly because I can, he he. Perhaps some of the "magical power" of the pyramid configuration will have some unexpected and positive outcome!
The pyramid is divided into two separate entities that are easily divided for ease of service to lamps or fans. The lower portion of the hood holds a 250Watt MH and a 250Watt HPS, each with a hole directly above it to ensure a constant convection airflow, which is aided by the suction from the fan above it in a separate section. The inside is covered with ceiling isulation which is very shiny yet somewhat uneven, giving a nicely diffused reflexion. The upper section holds a fan to extract the heat from the lamps. The holes between the two upper sections are offset and painted matt-black to prevent light from spilling out from the fan-hole.
The mitre-cuts on each separate section allows them to fit into each other naturally, without any additional brackets. Black draught-excluding tape is used to prevent light leaks.
The two upper hood sections are divided from the main grow cabinet by a piece of tempered glass. This feels completely cool to the touch underneath and completely eliminates any possibility of plants being burned if they suddenly grow too much, while I am unavailable to tend to them. (I am looking forward to try and see if I can somehow train some plants with the aid of the glass pane, similar to "scrogging)".
The rear of the cabinet features a frosted glass panel with a removable cover to allow some of our lovely South African sun to do it's thing during day-time. (No point in wasting millions of watts of free energy I figured). This window faces a large South-facing window (I'm in the Southern-hemisphere).
On the sides are separate air intakes for cooling the light-hood and for ventilating the plants. The fan that extracts the air from the grow box (where it is relatively cool) exhausts it's air flowing over and around the ballast, igniter and transformer, keeping them cool as an added benefit.
I am currently growing some "Swazi" from seeds (a nearly pure Sativa as far as I can ascertain) I realize it is far from ideal for cabinet-growing, but I am learning to grow and figure that training on a difficult strain, might let me learn that much more.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed please.

Attached Images

	1 Month.JPG (149.4 KB, 168 views)
	1 Month_2.JPG (153.2 KB, 138 views)
	6 Weeks.JPG (167.5 KB, 161 views)
	7 Weeks.JPG (161.8 KB, 174 views)
	Cabinet Open.JPG (165.7 KB, 387 views)
	Cheeky Lady 7 Weeks.JPG (133.7 KB, 155 views)
	Cheeky Lady & Weeks_2.JPG (123.3 KB, 158 views)
	Cheeky little lady.jpg (166.1 KB, 138 views)
	Electronics Covered.JPG (138.1 KB, 131 views)
	Electronics.jpg (108.4 KB, 130 views)
	Firts little guys.jpg (242.1 KB, 115 views)
	Glass Shield.JPG (121.8 KB, 145 views)
	Grow Cabinet Open.JPG (143.9 KB, 208 views)
	Grow Cabinet.JPG (129.8 KB, 130 views)
	Grow Cabinet_2.JPG (128.2 KB, 158 views)
	Heat Extractor.JPG (154.3 KB, 163 views)
	Light Canopy.JPG (150.6 KB, 106 views)
	Lights.JPG (191.3 KB, 146 views)
	Plants Raised.JPG (114.0 KB, 134 views)
	Reverting.JPG (112.5 KB, 120 views)
	Top Opened.JPG (146.2 KB, 173 views)
	Youngster.JPG (106.0 KB, 84 views)

looks awesome, 1 suggestion though, since you seem to know your way around the tool chest, why not make the shelf adjustable, get some of those shelf... things, that let you adjust height, that way you can get optimal distance. btw, how many CFMs is that fan? and you need a fan inside the box if there isn't one already. plants dont do good with stagnant air

__________________
Quit smoking cigarettes 8-23-08

That is an excellent cabinet!
I thought it was an old doll house at first! xD
Glad to see that you transplanted each plant into their own pots!
Looks almost perfect!

__________________
My Outdoor Project '09 Everything I say is a lie.

Awesome grow cabinet. I'd love to have the space, tools and know-how to build like that. What kind of light cycle are you using? That plant in flowering seems unusually small for how far along the flowering is. My first thought was that you were doing a 12/12 from seed grow. I know nothing about your strain, tho.

I really like the cabinet....i seen picks of the grow in the other thread....


i had an idea for a lifter....ok heres my idea lol....(im a lil high)

OK make the floor liftable where the plants are...and maybe with your skills you could make a life....so it would be like an elevator or one of those old food things in those old 2 story houses....then you could have a spin wheel with a handle and crank the wheel to lower or lift the plants towards the light... it would be awsome and very easy to use and you wouldnt have to worry about stretching....

__________________
Important: Everything i do or say on this site is complete fiction and is made up by me and only me. I have never tried pot and never will and i would especially never even consider growing it. Cali's Ebook Collection

really nicely done. A work of art. pleasing to the eye and totally functional in its design and construction.

I did not see any odour control on exhaust? This may not be a priority for you.

Excellent work and thanks for sharing.

__________________
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...strogooey.html

Ride hard, Ride long....git put away Wet each and every time....no holdin' Back.....enjoy the journey ...... cuz that's ALL there is! Walk on and walk tall folks!

"A House Full of Gratitude Has No Place for Fear To Hide"

I hear you and it's very much on the to-do list. I think I will construct a bank of computer fans (have a box full of old ones from broken down power-supplies) and place this bank on the inside and above the door on a swiveling mechanism. This way I can gently stir up those leaves a bit. As for the extractor fan; this is also just an old computer fan. Is this too little? You think I should ad 3 or so more? The shelf I plan to replace with a new one that fits more snugly and is mounted on a mechanism to more easily obtain the ideal height. I am also toying with an idea to make the shelf using a double wafer of clear acrylic or perspex with an array of LED's to enable me to raise some more youngsters in the small space underneath.

Thanks for your kind words. Let's hope the little doll's house will contain some nice goodies for daddy soon!

Yes you are quite correct, Some of the older plants have had a harsh life outside on the windowsill while I was constructing the box. They also had a small stint under a 150 watt MH inside a printer box believe it or not. Also consider that we are in the heart of Winter down here. I'm currently baking them under 24/0 MH and sunlight during the daytime that streams in from a window on the back. This is directly in front of a South-facing window that get's good sun nearly 12 hours a day. The window in the grow box is frosted bathroom glass. This diffuses the sun and frustrates nosy-parkers. Hopefully I can persuade those horny little ladies to convert to veg and get some meat on their bones first. "kids today!"

Yesssss! I love the idea! Kind of in the theme as well. Perhaps I can kind of make it look very original, maybe a lever on a ratchet-type mechanism. So you pump it like an Egyptian water-lift. What do you think?