To build or buy?

@SDF... I'm down. What do you think of my sketch? Big changes needed?

it looks good, you could dim the ballast down so that its not quite as hot and still have a cool tube/hood/thing. If you could go bigger, it will definitely improve your grow and yield. If not, I would suggest a mainline scrog. As far as electrical, as long as you don't over wire the shit out of it, you'll be good. Almost everything is done, all you have to do is plug-n-play. If you live in an older house (built in early to mid 1900s) you might want to have you'r house checked for knob and tube wiring, thats just a safety hazard.

if you're too cheap for plywood to build walls, just use visqueen plastic.

Not sure if it is more expensive or not but I've seen some setups that used pvc pipe as the structure of the tent and the nice reflective plastic on the walls. Somewhere out there they sell a snap together setup that uses pvc pipes and special joints. Think the appeal is you can take it apart fairly easily if you have to move your tent for some reason. They sell the joints in my local hydro shop so I'll have to check what they are called if you are interested in that route.

If you're not concerned with stealth why not just buy a grow tent? That said, building your own is always much cheaper. Literally all you're doing is building a box, drilling out holes for intake/outtake exhaust and that's about it.

check Craigslist as well, i don't know where you are but around here you can usually find used tents for under $200, usually someone upgrading to a bigger tent, which will give you a tested purpose built tent for only a little more than building one and you dont have to shell out for a new one. I have 4 med states around me so this stuff comes up alot.

Build it.... you can build a box with out even cutting except for basic cuts. No crazy angles. plywood cut in half 2x4s cut in half and theres a 4x4x4 grow area. Use a full sheet 8ft wide 4ft deep 8 ft tall amd literally cut nothin but holes for ventilation

I would advise against using PVC pipe as a structure frame, the sad fact is that so many peoples plants have been smashed by lights falling from the PVC piping cause they did not shell out the money for a steel frame, the weight of both carbon filters and lights on the pvc can bend and snap it given enough time.

You also need to be careful if buying a second hand tent online, make sure you get a tried and trusted brand, there are many second hand tents that are no name brands made on the cheap that are not 100% light sealed etc. Which makes you worry about the quality of the fabric and the potential fire hazard risk also. Be sure to get photos sent with a lights on outside picture of the tent showing 100% light seal from front back and sides, if this is the route you want to take.

A very easy and efficient method of DIY is to just get all the pieces cut at your local hardware shop, I am not sure about in the USA but in Australia you can ask them to cut the timber for you at the store, if your in a big city like I am and growing is not exactly legal just go to several different hardware stores for the pieces you need rather than buying at one shop. If you are forced to buy things from the same shop do it over several trips so that it is less noticeable, if you buy a bunch of potting buckets, watering system, pvc piping, and a wood frame that is cut with venting holes its kinda obvious your building an indoor garden of some sort.

Good luck and let us see what you end up with

Thanks for all the input. I'm going this weekend to check out some of the parts I would need. I don't think I will go the way of a tent. Will try to see if I can get the items cut at the stores I go too. Can't wait to get this going!!