# DIY Grow Chamber - NO SHIT - CHEAP AWESOME AND SAFE, but you be the judge! - DAY 1



## legalizeitcanada (Jun 4, 2010)

K, so whats up everyone, been on this site a bit now and asked tons of questions, got great feedback and answers and now it's my time to give back, just my way of saying thank you for all the knowledge and support from the rollitup community!...... 

I've been searching for a cheap grow setup and man there aint one out there, after you get all the peices, shipping, duty and what ever else big corps can get outa you, WTF, it aint worth it. Well...i like to think of myself as an intelligent person so I smoked a nice fatty and came up with this gem! 

I'm sure its been done before but I couldn't find much about it on the net, so.....ima gunna do it........I'm gunna show you one of the cheapest and safest way to grow bud by building a grow chamber out of an fridge. We will end up with a Chamber for Clones, one for Mothers and another for flowering plants all in one enclosed unit! Can you say inexpensive it's a fridge that I got for free on Kijiji.ca. 

At the end I'll give a total rundown of parts, cost and total power consumption, in relation to the fridge running. For this one I'm gunna use CFL's, but the next one will be HPS/MS. I'm gunna post pics as I got through the process and try to explain everything as best I can, just finished day one! IF you have any questions feel free to ask, and I aint no electrician so if you see me fuckin somethin up let me know please! I think this is better than any grow tent, and way cheaper!!! 

Hope you all dig it! 

so.... here we go, pics posted below each section

*DAY 1*

1 get yourself a free fridge off of Kijiji.ca , I would go for a double door side by side, some have a triple door and if you can score one that would be even better. 




This is the one I got!


2 get the fridge home and clean the shit outa it

3 NOw the nitty gritties, remove all the shelving from the fridge, we are gunna start taken er apart, start with all the shelving brackets, remove the ice maker and motor, 


should look something like this
   


4 when cutting wire be sure not to cut you main leads which run the lights in your fridge, wiring is aready run to the each area so they already did the job for you
 

5 OH snap.....what's this.....a nice little free present.......if you look.....you will see that in the freezer there is a fan already in place, this will be used as your intake fan...sweet


also there are venting ducts, the duct work that you took off "SAVE" so this can go back on to push air throughout the entire fridge!
 

(ill post pics of this when its back together too)

6 remove the controls for the themostat from the fridge part and leave the wiring for the lights. (you may have to install a jumper here to get power to this side of the fridge)

forgot to take pics of this part, was pretty stoned, but if you look at this pics you will see it at the top of the fridge part


7 now the fridge manufactures have another surprise for you...look closely...do you see it?


Fuckin Sweet man! another fan, and a biggie, this will be used for your exhaust fan!
 

Grab that bad boy outa there and clean him off! Make sure to leave enough lead wire to attach to and don't cut your main power as it is located near here!
 

That was pretty much the end of day one, clean it, rape your pieces from it and take off all the hardware. This took me about 2 1/2 hours to do!

NOTE** See the tubin here, i'm sure this can be made into a hydroponic system, the next thing I'll tackle, using soil this time though.


Also, some of you may want to keep the compressor fan if you feel like using the fridges cooling system to regulate your temperature or cool your exhaust, once again something im gunna tackle in the future, this is the first one and i'm just doin a basic build. 

DAY 2 Comin SOON!!


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## deprave (Jun 5, 2010)

Nice man working out good for you so far, what kinda lights you gunna use


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## dyzel (Jun 5, 2010)

Looks really great so far! Good luck with the rest of it! I'll be tagging along on this one!


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## kcweedguy (Jun 5, 2010)

hell ya keep posted i want to see


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 5, 2010)

Well right now I'm kinda budget constrained, so I'll be using CFL, the 23 watt flourescents, There will be 4 on the top and two on the sides, Im also installing two uv lights for the flowering plants, on the other side I got 4 more cfls running for the mothers and 2 more small ones for the clones. DAY 2 will be setting up the exhaust system and installing the lights, i'll give the rundown, so far though its workin great!!

I'll be goin for a HPS MH and hydroponic setup next time though! 

Right now the girls are in a cruddy little box i made so i gotta move on this, their doin sweet though. When i first got the clones they were sick as fuck, so i have been nursing them back to health, i didn't have a space ready for em, so this was the quick throw together!!


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## Adosbulc (Jun 5, 2010)

just subscribed, i was thinking of doing the same thing but leaving a couple of the racks in and doing a scrog

keep this updated! let me know how the fans work out


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 5, 2010)

I'm planning on the same thing just hadn't got there yet, will do! , best thing is you can move the racks and leave the light stationary!!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 5, 2010)

Ok so..day two....here's what I did

I started with a bit more gutting, taking out the compressor and both rads, this reduced the weight alot and it was much easier to work with, 
 

afterwards it should look something like this
 

This is what was removed


Then I took the rad or whatever its called, outa the freezer, make sure you keep the casing and don't bend it, your gunna need it later
 

Next was holes and fan installation, here is the first hole, cut a pilot and then used a jig saw to make the hole bigger!
 

This fan rocks it's 7.5", fits like a glove, don't mind my stoner cutting, this area is gunna get a cover as you'll soon see, hopefully on day three, also you can see i had to notch out an area to get it to sit in tightly
   

here is the intake hole, this was the size of the pilot I cut, I used a doorknob cutter to do this job, the red line you see is on the back of the rad guard, I installed it after cutting the hole and marked it with a sharpie, then took it out again and cut the hole in it, its really soft metal so be careful! 
 

this is perfect cause the intake is smaller than the exhaust, if my recollection high school science is correct from way back when, then this should ensure suction through the fridge

Next I drilled hole and passed the wiring through for the intake fan in the freezer part


I re-installed the rad guard, this is what your gunna need to re-attatch the cover
  

Use these wires for your main power in the freezer, one simple plug is gunna run this whole thing!!! The wiring seems like it may be pretty easy! Fucken Eh! I will explain what i did once its done

im going to put a plug outlet that the power bar will just plug into, additionally a timer can be put here two

on the fridge side this is your power
 

the same rule applies a junction box at the top for the lights to get connected in and a power receptacle on the side, I should have these items installed in the next few days

Then I put the cover back on in the freezer part, Here what she looks like so far!


K I think thats it for day 2 again this took like two hours to do, so...so far I've only put like four hours into this thing and i think im about 1/3 of the way there!!!!! sweet! Should see updates every day or two until completion, budget permitting LOL, friggen money, grow babies grow


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 8, 2010)

Fuken Eh! Day 3!!

So i kinda ran outa cash but Im 90% done the grow chamber, all the electrical components cost me about $30buck, the total spend for this grow room now is $70, the other $40 was for the two big CFL's. I'll give a rundown of everything I bought at the bottom

So what did I do today...

I went shopping an got myself some stuff, 
1 Junction Box 


2 Universal Device Casing



(make sure the back is flat on both of these to be able to mount them properly)



1 Receptacle Cover





2 three prong receptacles



1 three prong plug attachment

1 back of wire straps

1 bag of 20 merrits

2 43 Watt Fluorescent Bulbs one cool one hot

(I will be adding 5 more)



1 three prong extension cord

your gunna cut this up for your wiring!!!!

1 box of 100 screws with butterflys


So the first thing I did was clean up the wires, I cut all the wires except WHITE BLACK and GREEN with yellow stripe, This is your HOT, GROUND and NEUTRAL, cut all the other wires off

leave yourself power on the freezer side and on the fridge side!

The Extension cord is great cause it's really cheap, dollar store, I only got a 12' one, the cool thing is that it's really insulated and its three phase just like the fridge, so all you gotta do is match colors!! SWEET! Measure your length to the lights and cut, remember to leave extra for leads and to run into the boxes!!

I marked the fridge as you can see where I wanted to put things, then I marked the screw holes for the boxes, pre-drilled, tapped in the butterflys and mounted the casings.

Next I cut the x-cord to the lengths I needed and striped the ends, I fed the wires into their respective slots and merrited them together

 Then I installed the light sockets.

Next I mounted the power bars

I also mounted some support for when the plants get bigger, 


I'm gunna do a scrog, the fridge comes with shelving where the glass just comes out, chick wire can easily be attached to this and hung from the original shelving brackets, FREAKIN PERFECT,,haven't done this yet so no pic, but will post it on Day 4 the Last day!!

As you can see there are only two lights, I'm installing another two on the top for a total of four. I'm also adding another three on the three sides of the fridge, another two UV lights are gunna be placed close to the top also (will post pics when this is done)



Because I havent finished my mother and clone section, the newbies are located here for now. This fridge thing is friggen sweet, really versatile!!



So I have four plants placed in here, the pots are round so the sit kinda awkward but I'ma gunna get me some square ones and it'll be beaut!



I think the ladies love their new home

and check it, you can store all your nutes and stuff right in the door, you water and fert will always be the same temp as your plant roots, no worries of shockin the plant unwantedly!

There is like no light leakage out the door, the little bit of light you see is from the vent between the chambers and there is a light trap that the fridge manufactures have provided for you that needs to be re-installed, will show this when i finish this side.

There is a small amount of light coming out the fan hole in the fridge part, but I haven't installed any exhaust tubing yet, when i do that will take care of that leakage!


So here is what is looks like almost done!!




I have put the plants in late this is what the temp and humidity was, today an noon it was sitting around 24 Degrees and humidity of 44%, ideal I think



And all this on ONE POWER CABLE !!






THE NEWBIES!!






So on day four I will have the mothering and clone chamber finished, day five the project will be fully complete, Day three I spent about 4 hours working on this thing, so far it's a total of 8 hours, but i have to admit much of that time was spent smokin dubes or standing and thinking, with directions, im sure it can be done much quicker!


Hope you all are diggin this !!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 8, 2010)

235 people, leave me some comments mofos, let me know what you guys and girls think, good or bad, preferably good, open to any tips tooo! Anybody gunna try this?


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## Devlove (Jun 8, 2010)

Amazing, I really admire your ingenuity.


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## ImTheFireMan (Jun 8, 2010)

it looks like the exhaust it at the bottom?

whats the temp in there after the doors been closed a while? 

looks good. 

so does this thing just sit in your garage super stealth like?


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 8, 2010)

Delove -Thanx bro, greatly appreciated

imthefireman - Ya dude the exhaust is at the bottom, stole it off the compressor for the fridge. Havn't attached any hosing yet but I will be soon. The temp sits right between 24 - 27. Even when its really hot outside it stays a bit cooler in there. And ya its just sittin in the garage, looks like a beer fridge, until you open it LOL!!


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## barefoot and stoned (Jun 9, 2010)

+rep man! I was just talking to a buddy the other day about how we could do this exact thing! I should be able to do it no problem with this as a guide! Can't wait to see how it turns out.


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 9, 2010)

Right on man, let me know how it goes for ya if ya do it, this one should be done some, by the end of June at latest.


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 10, 2010)

So for all you following, I pretty much finished up the mother and clone section. I'm still missing a few lights but I finished enough so that you can follow along and finish yours if your doin one!

Once again leave me a post, i dig readin em, if you appreciated this thread, rate if for me or subscribe! Im into this site and wanna build up my prof. too! THANKS ALL

SO LAST POST ON THIS THING as for instruction!!!
one more post for total cost and power rundown and just extra ideas of things you can do!!

ONE LOVE YALL!~

HEEER WE GO.........

So first I wired up the outlet on the freezer side, as you can see I ganged the fan into the outlet, in my grow fans run 247




This area needs to be soldered 




Then i built some support brackets for the clone area 
one left

one right

I just used framing from an old screen door, so it didn't cost me nothing, but you can get cheap metal trim from home deepot for relatively cheap and just drill some holes in it 

Next I installed the lighting for the mother area, I only had two so I placed them at the back, there are two more going in here


Next I installed the backing plate


and the ducting for the fan and the light trap


Then I took the little shelve that cam with the fridge and placed that in for the clones area


There are two lights goin in at the top here


I am putting them on chains so I haven't installed them yet as i havent go't the chains

So here is what this side looked like completed


Oh ya and more storage!


And so now you have a controlled unit with full exhaust, lighting and isolation, that is super stealth and can be put almost anywhere. You can put a lock on it. Friggen Awesome!


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## Adosbulc (Jun 10, 2010)

awesome man
ill be doing something extremely similar in the near future; im in the construction industry and I like doing stuff like that, I was planning to do it in a wardrobe closet but a free fridge seems better  I think I would be scrogging 6 plants, 2 each on separate shelves so I can harvest once a month.

and I dont know too much about wiring, would it be safe to hook up 8, 26 watt cfls to a junction box then connect it to the fridge main power supply? it would be nice to only have one plug
I was thinking of mounting 2 power bars on brackets that I could raise/lower, each with 2 double light bulb splitters. I would be plugging that into a 2 socket timer 


only thing I would advise is to put some sort of screen infront of that fan.. wouldnt to accidentally put your hand or anything else in there


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 10, 2010)

Thanks man, Ya most fridges pull between 400 and 800 watts of power when on, with the compressor and all, its a pig, then all the lighting sockets in my fridge are rated at 40 watts , so... as long as you keep it under round 500 to 600 watts of lighting and extras, you should be good, the little fans don't take much power to run to. The CFL's im using are 43 watts I will have 7 of em in the flowering chamber, plus another four 3 foot tube florescent for the mother and then two more 1.5 foot florescent for the clones, and two fans, I have all these wires powered by the one fridge plug and it seems to be working great, just make sure to ground you device boxes and all devices (with the green and Yellow neutral)( you usually see green screws where this goes on the device boxes and devices)! 

The two double socket light bulb splitter would work pretty good, taking into account that you have sufficient lighting, but may be more trouble and money than its worth, I got my light sockets for $1.29, so all 7 for about 10 bucks, the lights are stationary but the shelves more, plus, you can adjust your screen for SCROG or lower the plants down, I'll post a demo one I get that setup. I would step up to the 43 watters, and make sure you check the bulb color and have the right ones for the flower and bloom stage, you'll need to change em! The run about 12 - 15 buck ea.

As for the fan man, I agree, I'm actually using some ducting that are 8" to 6" reducers placing those on, running some hose to the top og the flowering chamber to suck the heat out and placing some hose in the back for the air to travel through and cool down before goin outside, it's in my garage which isn't heated and so it'll come out the same temp as outside! This will also eliminate any light leakage from the hole.

The only problem (and not really a problem just a drawback, IMHO) with two levels is you need double lighting and your plants will be real small, if you do it right you could scrog eight plants and get em about 3' high in total, with at least 12" on the top of bud, once again when I start buddin, I'll crack a pick and bust it up, but give it a try, experimentation is the only way to learn, I could be wrong, it may very well work great for ya! keep me posted, im interested to see how it turn out for ya, if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line, Ill help ya any way I can, best luck and keep tokin!!! oh ya if ya don't mind pop a rating on this for me!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 11, 2010)

woo hoo, got a five start for this thread!! Thanks. Hope it helps nebody wantin to try this out,, peace love and trichomes!!


Also i noticed after using this thing for a few days now that is does tend to get kind hot even though its just CFL's so.......you may have to stick in a small fan at the top to help remove some heat or run some tubing from the vent on the bottom.....all in all though its workin awesome!!!


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## donkey.420 (Jun 11, 2010)

very cool man. you make it look so easy.


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 11, 2010)

Thanks....to be honest....it was much easier than I had first anticipated, you could actually do it all in a day if you had the parts


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## Adosbulc (Jun 11, 2010)

had to give ya the star

taking pictures of everything that you do step by step is extremely tedious and it was damn near the exact guide i was lookin for

do a scrog for me and take pictures as I cant grow for another month and a half til I move


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 11, 2010)

adosbul - Ya man, Ill keep ya posted...with pics!! BTW love the prof pic, representin the homeland lol!!

To everybody - here is some more pics and stuff, haven't had a chance to do the power rundown and full cost sheet yet but I will and post it for ya!! 

So I sorta finished the freezer side so here are some pics of the thing DONE.( i still wanna add some more lighting but you'll get the drift!)


So here is the freezer side, cloning area at the top and mother chamber at the bottom(sorry bout the sideways pic)


Here is a closeup of the clone area


The Whole Enchilada!


So this is the fridge part, the upper chamber where I will veg to height and flower, I will also be addin a screen here soon for my scrog


This is the lower part of the fridge where I let the babies grow, these guys came from seeds



And this is my first attempt at cloning, keep your fingers crossed!!


Thanks for all the wonderful comments and rep's everybody!! This site has an awesome community and I'm proud to be a member!!

I'll keep updating!


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## skiz1989 (Jun 12, 2010)

hahah this is great mate. Good work

Although to be honest it would have been amazing if you somehow incorperated the cooling system into a hydro setup 

Still, excellent work and great to see some outside the box thinking


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## BuddaRoom (Jun 12, 2010)

legalizeitcanada said:


> Thanks man, Ya most fridges pull between 400 and 800 watts of power when on, with the compressor and all, its a pig, then all the lighting sockets in my fridge are rated at 40 watts , so... as long as you keep it under round 500 to 600 watts of lighting and extras, you should be good,


So well over 1000 watts for something that will yield you prob under 2 oz ?!? lulz ?!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 12, 2010)

uh..no..where did you get 1000 watts from??? I'm using CFL I have 4x43 watts which is 172 watts, I four 48" tube cfls for the mother with total wattage around 120 watts, two 18" tubes cfls for the clones at 30 watts total and another two CFL's 26 watts total for the little guys on the bottom, so with full lighting Im running a total of 348 watts, keep in mind this is for three separate chambers and four stages of growth ( clone, veg, flower and mother) also I have some fans being used and cant see them using more than 30 watts combined. SO all in all I'm well under 500 watts...I may decide to add some UV lighting and 3 more 43 watt CFS, that'll take me to round 550watts... so if you take into account that is my whole system, i think thats pretty good! and I think ill yield more than two ounces, the plants have room to grow to 3.5 feet in the fridge if I let em and you can get four in there or you can double to eight and do a scrog...which is the plan! 

I dunno works for me!


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## BuddaRoom (Jun 12, 2010)

legalizeitcanada said:


> uh..no..where did you get 1000 watts from??? I'm using CFL I have 4x43 watts which is 172 watts, I four 48" tube cfls for the mother with total wattage around 120 watts, two 18" tubes cfls for the clones at 30 watts total and another two CFL's 26 watts total for the little guys on the bottom, so with full lighting Im running a total of 348 watts, keep in mind this is for three separate chambers and four stages of growth ( clone, veg, flower and mother) also I have some fans being used and cant see them using more than 30 watts combined. SO all in all I'm well under 500 watts...I may decide to add some UV lighting and 3 more 43 watt CFS, that'll take me to round 550watts... so if you take into account that is my whole system, i think thats pretty good! and I think ill yield more than two ounces, the plants have room to grow to 3.5 feet in the fridge if I let em and you can get four in there or you can double to eight and do a scrog...which is the plan!
> 
> I dunno works for me!


You could grow your plants 10ft high but with them cfls your going to get under 2 oz with what i see !!


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## AnthonyAlmighty (Jun 12, 2010)

This thread is bad-ass! I have a side-by-side in the garage that I've been thinking about converting. Seeing this thread, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it.


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 12, 2010)

BuddaRoom said:


> You could grow your plants 10ft high but with them cfls your going to get under 2 oz with what i see !!


CFL's can be used to get a good yeild but you need them to be close and you need alot of them to make it worth while. 

I doubt you will even get 2 oz off of that amount of light. 

The concept is good, I actually grew in a fridge for a while, it is stealth. But I have a HID lighting system and the temps are to hot with out a cool tube. 

Again, the concept is great but you will get a small yeild out of it (not because they are FL lights but because u need more of them). However with the set up that you are going for you could harvest every... idk say 3-4 weeks?? (thats just a guess though)


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 12, 2010)

Sweet, thanks for the heads up, will add some more lights, lookin for a smalll HPS/MH system that can be put in, the next one will be hydro too...Like I said this is my first attempt and first grow so i'm learnin...I guess changin the bulb color during the flowering stage will only help a bit eh....will keep all posted about what I yeilded (4plants), thanks to all!! Keepin all the comments in mind!! 

Buddaroom - I get what your sayin, let me see what I can do, I def, want more that 2z's LOL, there's bout 18,000 lumens in there


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 12, 2010)

danielsgb has a great fridge grow. (I just saw u already checked that one out)
So does TCurtiss. 
TC is very helpful, tell him natty sent you, he can answer almost any questions you have about a fridge grow.


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 12, 2010)

Grizz is also very helpful with new growers.


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## beaukneaus (Jun 12, 2010)

Do a search on youtube for 'refriginator". I think the guy ended up doing a remake of his original plans which included a 250w hps/mh with a cool tube. He left the cooling system intact. You can get an external temp switch that the fridge plugs into off amazon for like 40 bucks. You plug your fridge into the switch, snake the thermometer into the fridge, then set the temperature to a comfy 77 degrees. Because this is a completely sealed system (no exhaust, no need), it takes all possibility of bugs, stray temps, smell, etc out of the equation. Also, because it's a sealed system, providing co2 becomes really easy. He had a big tank on his original plans, but you don't need a huge tank of it when it's a sealed system. A paintball-sized can will work fine. Basically, each time you open and close the door, you open the paintball canister for a couple of seconds to 'recharge' the chamber with co2. As long as that door stays closed, the co2 will remain in the inside air for the plants to breathe.

I think leaving the cooling system intact is the thing to do. It gives you so much more control over everything, because it allows you to operate in a fully sealed environment, providing everything the plant needs, and keeping out everything it doesn't.

Hmmmmm. Wonder how much an old walk-in commercial cooler could be found for?


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 12, 2010)

Nattyhead357 - Thanks for the hookup man, ill definetely check out TC's project....and ya danielsgb's setup is really cool...the next one i'm gunna step it up a couple notches from this one....and ya Grizz is awesome....actually the first guy to answer my questions when I first joined last month....cool dude!


beaukneaus - Ya this was my first attempt so I kinda tore everything out, next time I plan on leavin it in....great tip on the temp switch and CO2, definately gunna try it, ill keep posted on how it goes!


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## Danielsgb (Jun 13, 2010)

Got caught up. Looks cool. I like getting all 4 stages in together. One thing I would definitely get is a grill on that fan. Even bending the blades would suck, and the tip of a finger even worse. I highly recommend the Aluminum Foil Tape to tape stuff inside.
That Buddaroom seems to be a hater with nothing but shit talking so don't let that bum ya.
Leaving the cooling system seems like a bad idea to me. 
Daniels
P.S please get photos turned right as you go. My high ass was wake and baked this morning looking at some going WTF is that, then going Oh, turn your head


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## SensiStan (Jun 13, 2010)

BuddaRoom said:


> So well over 1000 watts for something that will yield you prob under 2 oz ?!? lulz ?!


HaHA... this guy again ... dont worry he talks nonsense all over these forums. You're looking good legalizeit and im defo tuned in, and i knew daniels would show up at some point he loves fridges heh heh. im considering a refridgerator grow soon myself so il be watchin


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## chainseeker (Jun 13, 2010)

BuddaRoom said:


> So well over 1000 watts for something that will yield you prob under 2 oz ?!? lulz ?!


Wow man way to be a dick WTF...

Dude everything looks great keep up the good work.
The only thing I'm worried about is your intake which I don't see and your exhaust.
Usually the intakes goes in at the bottom and exhaust out the top to suck out the hot air that rises to the top.
Also if your worried about enough light in flowering you can get a cheap 70w hps at home depot. 
They're used as security lights. I took mine out of the case and put the components outside the cab.
I run 135w 2700k plus 70w hps for flowering and my temps hold at 82 with the lights on.
I like to help so if ya need anything I'll be watching. 
Good luck with the grow buddy.


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## Danielsgb (Jun 13, 2010)

SensiStan said:


> HaHA... this guy again ... dont worry he talks nonsense all over these forums. You're looking good legalizeit and im defo tuned in, and i knew daniels would show up at some point he loves fridges heh heh. im considering a refridgerator grow soon myself so il be watchin


Now that *chainseeker
*is here, with gumball and jsgamber we'll have most everyone I always see watching: you
Daniels


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## beaukneaus (Jun 13, 2010)

btw, in addition to external temp switches, you can also get a humidity switch set up in one.

Also, the external temp switches will allow you to turn a chest freezer into a refrigerator that will easily operate on all-solar power. Honestly, all refrigerators should be 'chest' style, to keep the cold air from falling out every time the door is opened. But if they were all chest style, it wouldn't be as tempting to turn one into a grow box!


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## SimplySmoked (Jun 13, 2010)

Looks sweet man. I had a 4ft standing freezer that I converted. Its definately ideal for stealth. Maybe try to get those bulbs sideways with reflectors so you get the most out of them. Keep at it, I can't wait to see how it goes.


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## SmokesLikeBob (Jun 13, 2010)

Fuckin' awesome man! Reading this thread has inspired the handyman in me! haha...Great job LegalizeItCanada!!! Can't wait to see those babies in full flower!!!


SLB


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## Astaldoath (Jun 13, 2010)

I really wish i would have tried to get a 150 dollar fridge in my local area before i built a cabinet. Wouldnt running it with the lights in it cause condensation on the lights? Also would it be possible to suck air from a mini fridge to cool a light without water forming on the light shattering it?


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 13, 2010)

Astaldoath - No man no condensation problems if your properly ventilated, as the cooling systems in fridge use freon, i don't know about using a small bar fridge to cool and wether or not that would cause condensation,,,, there are a couple fridge gurus on this site (which is wicked) and I'm sure they could answer that for ya!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 13, 2010)

Thanks Brotha !!!



SmokesLikeBob said:


> Fuckin' awesome man! Reading this thread has inspired the handyman in me! haha...Great job LegalizeItCanada!!! Can't wait to see those babies in full flower!!!
> 
> 
> SLB


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

LOL ya man I will get the pics fixed up from now on....tooo funny!!.... Gunna put a grill on that lower fan for shure, hands and stuff really never down there at the back, but I hear ya safety firts!!

Thanks for the heads up on Buddaroom...i was kinda like wtf, somebodys cynical...but i smoke way toooo much pot to let shit like that get to me....but I dig the support!!




Danielsgb said:


> Got caught up. Looks cool. I like getting all 4 stages in together. One thing I would definitely get is a grill on that fan. Even bending the blades would suck, and the tip of a finger even worse. I highly recommend the Aluminum Foil Tape to tape stuff inside.
> That Buddaroom seems to be a hater with nothing but shit talking so don't let that bum ya.
> Leaving the cooling system seems like a bad idea to me.
> Daniels
> P.S please get photos turned right as you go. My high ass was wake and baked this morning looking at some going WTF is that, then going Oh, turn your head


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

DUDE...ure awesom....I was trying to find a suitable Hps...never thought to look at the HD security section....fack....

The intake is on the freezer side and it gets blown into the flower chamber.....your right though, i messed up by putting the exhaust at the bottom (knowing full well that heat rises and I was super high) , had some heating issues...stabelized now round 83 -84, with all lights on, I had to add a couple smaller fans at the top to help remove the heat...lesson learned for next time.......

I appreciate the offer to help, likeminded....i may have to take you up on that in the future.....

All the best bro!



chainseeker said:


> Wow man way to be a dick WTF...
> 
> Dude everything looks great keep up the good work.
> The only thing I'm worried about is your intake which I don't see and your exhaust.
> ...


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

Cool man....gunna check it out!!



beaukneaus said:


> btw, in addition to external temp switches, you can also get a humidity switch set up in one.
> 
> Also, the external temp switches will allow you to turn a chest freezer into a refrigerator that will easily operate on all-solar power. Honestly, all refrigerators should be 'chest' style, to keep the cold air from falling out every time the door is opened. But if they were all chest style, it wouldn't be as tempting to turn one into a grow box!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

Thanks man.....ya im gettin a couple more bulbs to place at the sides, hopefully that helps and then looking for a small hps for the flowering cycle.....will keep posted!!



SimplySmoked said:


> Looks sweet man. I had a 4ft standing freezer that I converted. Its definately ideal for stealth. Maybe try to get those bulbs sideways with reflectors so you get the most out of them. Keep at it, I can't wait to see how it goes.


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

LOL......glad I could inspire somebody.....I'll keep posted....thanks for the kind words......All the best to ya!!!



SmokesLikeBob said:


> Fuckin' awesome man! Reading this thread has inspired the handyman in me! haha...Great job LegalizeItCanada!!! Can't wait to see those babies in full flower!!!
> 
> 
> SLB


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

Thinking of starting a grow fridge group where we can all get together and talk fridges...lol !! Whada you think or is there one already? Gotta thinka cool name for it tho! (The Ice Box) or if somebody thinks of somethin cooler for funnier, will wait a bit to get some feedback befo startin it!


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## SmokesLikeBob (Jun 14, 2010)

how about..."The Canna-Cooler" haha, idk


SLB


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

That thing is friggen sweet!!!


SmokesLikeBob said:


> how about..."The Canna-Cooler" haha, idk
> 
> 
> SLB


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## CabinetBuds (Jun 14, 2010)

Wow!! Nice work man!!!

Don't worry about your cfls though...You might just need to use a few more. We are currently using 8 42 watt and 2 27 watt in a cabinet and have been able to control the heat. Come check out my thread in my signature and you can see the bud porn pics yourself! So far I think CFL is working just fine LOL. I just don't want to post pics on your thread.

Hey and its nice to have some Canadian friends on here!! 
Nice work Keep it up I'm subscribed and +rep


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 14, 2010)

Cheers man!!,,,, representin the maple....gunna check out your thread.....and im easy you can through pics up no worries!!



CabinetBuds said:


> Wow!! Nice work man!!!
> 
> Don't worry about your cfls though...You might just need to use a few more. We are currently using 8 42 watt and 2 27 watt in a cabinet and have been able to control the heat. Come check out my thread in my signature and you can see the bud porn pics yourself! So far I think CFL is working just fine LOL. I just don't want to post pics on your thread.
> 
> ...


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 16, 2010)

The Ladies are doin awesome, my camera cacked out so, i have to get it fixed, gunna post some pics soon, plants broke the 12" mark and are round 14" now,, friggen sweet, did some cable clean up to the fridge, added a couple computer fans for better ventalation, gunna get some more lights in the next two weeks, also gunna set up the SCROG soon and do a rundown on how I did it soon......also on the grow.....all the best to the wicked peeps on this site..cheers....peace love pot and roadhockey!


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 16, 2010)

> and roadhockey!


wtf is that?


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## SmokesLikeBob (Jun 16, 2010)

hope you get the cam fixed so we can see some "foliar-porn" haha



SLB


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 16, 2010)

Ya man....the battery door broke....some duck tape should do 'er good LOL


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 16, 2010)

Ya thats what ya get frum a canuck LOL

oh and its hockey ....played on a road! LMFAO


nattyhead357 said:


> wtf is that?


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 16, 2010)

street hockey... gotcha


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 16, 2010)

Tomato - tomaato sall green leaves

and I wasn't laughin at ya man just in general!!


nattyhead357 said:


> street hockey... gotcha


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 16, 2010)

legalizeitcanada said:


> Tomato - tomaato sall green leaves
> 
> and I wasn't laughin at ya man just in general!!


nah I good I was just wonderin


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 18, 2010)

Pics gettin posted tomorrow with updates!!


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## nattyhead357 (Jun 18, 2010)

well hurry up! lol


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 18, 2010)

LOL im on it!! just workin out the verbage for everybody, power cost and such, taken a while!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 18, 2010)

FINALLY here is the update, girls are doin well, PICS TO FOLLOW
*Total Price List*

Fridge FREE
2 plugs $3.00
2 device boxes square $2.00
1 device box round $1.00
1 extension cord $5.00
1 bag 20 merits $3.00
4 ceiling mount light sockets $7.00
4 pieces of straight metal (railings for tray)(mine from old screen door) FREE
Computer Fans (gutted old computer) FREE
2 Power Bars $10.00

*$31.00!!!!!!*

Lights (what I have)
2 x 43 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) $35.00
2 x 23 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) $15.00
2 x 18 Watt Fluorescents (seedling area) $5.00
1 x 18&#8221; Tube Fluorescent (clone area) $14.00
2 x 36&#8221; Tube Fluorescent ( mother area) $40.00
*$109.00*

Lights (What I still need)
2 x 43 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) $35.00
1 x 18&#8221; Tube Fluorescent (clone area) $14.00
2 x 36&#8221; Tube Fluorescent ( mother area) $40.00
* $89.00*
Total Wattage

Computer Fans (gutted old computer) < 8 Watts

Lights (what I have)
2 x 43 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) 86 Watts
2 x 23 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) 46 Watts
2 x 18 Watt Fluorescents (seedling area) 36 Watts
1 x 18&#8221; Tube Fluorescent (clone area)  15 Watts
2 x 36&#8221; Tube Fluorescent ( mother area) 50 Watts

Total 233 Watts
Lights (What I still need)
2 x 43 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) 86 Watts
1 x 18&#8221; Tube Fluorescent (clone area) 15 Watts
2 x 36&#8221; Tube Fluorescent ( mother area) 50 Watts
1 x 23 Watt Fluorescents (main grow area) 23 Watts
Total 174 Watts

Overall Total Wattage <415 watts!!!!
That&#8217;s for 4 different chambers or stages of growth, all in.

Having worked with this fridge a while now I have decided to keep this one just for Veg and the various stages of growth so that I can constantly have plants in the flowering chamber, which will be a secondary fridge with a 400 watt hps with a cool tube! DIY to come for this one!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 19, 2010)

OK so here we go.....

This is the whole thing, I threw one of my plants where the mother would go so you can get an idea. That plany is only 14" so you would want a bigger plant in there, as big as 3.5'.


Here is my cloning section and as you can see it's workin for me, also got two seedlings here in the red cups in the front ( closeups below)


Here is the mother section, sorry its a dark pic but in reality it's pretty bright. there are two more tubes that are going in at the front so there will be four in here.... 


Here are the girls, the first pick is missin the one thats in the mother section, but I fit four in here comfortably!!
 

This is my mid section where I got the little guys, when the others get bigger this section will be sacrificed for space but by that time they will be ready to move neways


Here is the bottom shelf, with more what??? clones....yee hah!


As you can see I got the temp thing worked out, this fridge sits between 72 and 78 depending on how hot it is outside!!


Once again great storage for a small grower!!


And again just the whole thing!


So my affies aren't gaining much height but they are bushy as all hell, so i tried what I think is called LST, and see what happens, first time..


Here are the GIRLS!!

I was told this is BC Bill???? never head of it?
 

I was told this was BC Hash??? 
  

This lil beaut is an affie
 

as is this little Bonsai Tree 
 

This little bush is from a bag of pot I got, she's just stacked!! ....well i hope its a she LOL
  

This one is from the same bag but stretched a bit.....
 

These two are also from the same bag o weed, looks like the same is happening, one stretchy and one bush!! I LOVE BUSH!!
 

Here's my first attemp at cloning, there were two more in the first round black tray but the passed away unfortunately......the rest are in soil, as I ran outa cubes and figured I'd give it a try.....never learn nothin without tryin....... these are about 3 days old now....hope they survive!!
   

??????LOL not budda, but what......just another little experiment, anybody know what it is??????????????????????


I just wanted to thank everybody here on RIU for all the support and great comments, new friends and cool confidants!! Great to know I can have a place to blab about my grow to selfless like minded individuals with a higher understanding.....Thanks Everybody!!! 

To all interested in a fridge type deally... hope this all helps!! Will update with pics as things progress!!


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## SmokesLikeBob (Jun 20, 2010)

nice update man! I'll be stickin' around here for a while!


SLB


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## Danielsgb (Jun 20, 2010)

Looking good.
Daniels


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 24, 2010)

Bump for the post, may help somebody, been a while!


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## Rusko (Jun 24, 2010)

hey dont u think ur cfl need to b closer a bit,kinda seems like ther reachin early..idk though im new to growing myself.open for any advice


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 24, 2010)

actually the cfls are hardwired to the top, the shelves move up and down, I had them in a small box before and wanted them to gain some height quickly so i could clone them, I have added more lights now 3 that raise and lower so I can hit various heights or middle of the plants, just havent had a chance to grab pics yet, will soon and post em!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 24, 2010)

but the do emit heat so two to three inches is what i found ideal


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## SmokesLikeBob (Jun 24, 2010)

sounds good...1-3 inches is the ideal range for cfl's...


SLB


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## TexasMonster (Jun 24, 2010)

Put a hasp and lock on it friend. Some folks have no problem walking up to a fridge and opening it up. Seeing as it is in your garage a lot of folks may think its where you keep your beer. You know how friends can be. Good job.


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## CabinetBuds (Jun 24, 2010)

TexasMonster said:


> Put a hasp and lock on it friend. Some folks have no problem walking up to a fridge and opening it up. Seeing as it is in your garage a lot of folks may think its where you keep your beer. You know how friends can be. Good job.


I agree!! Make sure no one can open it accidentally!! "they" say every person that knows about your grow increases your chance to get caught or busted by 10%....Thus if 10 people know about it that are not involved with it..your screwed!!! 
LOL Great job BTW!!


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## boomboomroom (Jun 24, 2010)

sweet set up man new to this but true to this looking for a fridge


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## Danielsgb (Jun 24, 2010)

TexasMonster said:


> Put a hasp and lock on it friend. Some folks have no problem walking up to a fridge and opening it up. Seeing as it is in your garage a lot of folks may think its where you keep your beer. You know how friends can be. Good job.


I made it obvious on mine when you can open it. hehe
Daniels


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## SmokesLikeBob (Jun 24, 2010)

Danielsgb said:


> I made it obvious on mine when you can open it. hehe
> Daniels
> View attachment 1010309View attachment 1010308


that's one bright light...at least you'll NEVER open it when the lights are out!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 24, 2010)

ya but it looks awesome,,, it's like you have Kit for a fridge, maybe we should call ya Mr. Knight Rider! LOL



Danielsgb said:


> I made it obvious on mine when you can open it. hehe
> Daniels
> View attachment 1010309View attachment 1010308


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## chainseeker (Jun 25, 2010)

Looking good buddy. The temps and all holding up for ya ok? I need to get a veg cab built pretty soon.


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## legalizeitcanada (Jun 25, 2010)

ya man she's working great, it varies depending on outside but it only goes between 74 to 82 degrees, the plants seem to love it, full of clones now, i put the larger girls outside. Gunna get a second one as a flower chamber, and just use this one for clones veg and mothers. All I got goin for vent is the freezer fan (cut a hole at the back so it could suck in) and three small computer fans as exhaust in the back, i can take couple snaps, I also added some more lighting, I'' put pics up tonight!



chainseeker said:


> Looking good buddy. The temps and all holding up for ya ok? I need to get a veg cab built pretty soon.


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## chainseeker (Jul 4, 2010)

legalizeitcanada said:


> I'' put pics up tonight!


Uhhhh! Your late LOL


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## WWShadow (Jul 6, 2010)

So how much actual time did you spend on modifications? also how much are you gonna charge ppl to replicate this product? you might just be able to turn this into a cash generating hobby, lol


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## sirwolf (Jul 11, 2010)

i love the fridge idea, genius! feel free to check mine out. +rep.


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## Magnificient (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm totally impressed. I was thinking about building a grow room if I can manage a first grow, but maybe I'll just grab a few curbside refrigerators. That would be a whole lot cheaper. Thanks for the string man. I gave you an excellent rating.


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## legalizeitcanada (Jul 15, 2010)

cheers dude!



Magnificient said:


> I'm totally impressed. I was thinking about building a grow room if I can manage a first grow, but maybe I'll just grab a few curbside refrigerators. That would be a whole lot cheaper. Thanks for the string man. I gave you an excellent rating.


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## defcomexperiment (Jul 15, 2010)

+rep for ingenuity and savin money!

i'm totally diggin it... i'd like to see someone do a verticle grow in a single compartment at some point, something kinda like this almost:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pKuarHkpbs


maybe with the cooltube at the back wall so as to give the plants a little more grow space... lemme know if you are gonna have a grow journal for this and link it.


edited to add:
havent quite woke up, neglected to see there was 9 pages to this thread lol, i stopped at the first, n.m. on the journal question.


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## Danielsgb (Jul 15, 2010)

defcomexperiment said:


> +rep for ingenuity and savin money!
> 
> i'm totally diggin it... i'd like to see someone do a verticle grow in a single compartment at some point, something kinda like this almost:
> 
> ...


Check out Heath Robinson Vert system. Here's a version. * * *  2k Heath Robinson style for cheap *

Couldn't find Heath's
Daniels


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## defcomexperiment (Jul 15, 2010)

that's nice stuff, i really can't wait until i have a basement to do the things i really want to do. right now i can't use anything that circulates water as i can not afford to spring a leak while it's unattended. i probably will do a grow chamber in a fridge at that point and use it for a vertical grow, and use the fridge to control temp. i'd like to do a drip or spray possibly. now i just have to wait about a year for me and my girl to buy a house =-/


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## legalizeitcanada (Jul 15, 2010)

Thanks man, if you need any help feel free to ask, Cheers!


defcomexperiment said:


> that's nice stuff, i really can't wait until i have a basement to do the things i really want to do. right now i can't use anything that circulates water as i can not afford to spring a leak while it's unattended. i probably will do a grow chamber in a fridge at that point and use it for a vertical grow, and use the fridge to control temp. i'd like to do a drip or spray possibly. now i just have to wait about a year for me and my girl to buy a house =-/


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## toke2mch (Jul 20, 2010)

i was just thinking bout doing that. i dont have a frig right now so im gonna use a wooden closet. I'm tryin out some new LED grow panel.


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## amnooneoo (Jul 20, 2010)

Love it, thats got to be the best way to do it hands down if you have the space!!!


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## legalizeitcanada (Jul 27, 2010)

ya man super late, but the plants ended up going outside, finally got some plants in there again, so pics are comin up soon, i promise!! 
Here we go for real, these girls are in for the winter.....second flower chamber DIY to come to......and daniels.......thanks for the great ideas......i'm be mokin you fridge in sorts.......TNT


chainseeker said:


> Uhhhh! Your late LOL


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## Weerdoe (Aug 15, 2010)

yo I have just seen what you are doing and great minds think alike I have plans to do the same thing, by getting a free fridge off of Graiglist but seems like you are doing awesome I had a few Question about how I was going to go about this but you may have given some good blueprints. I agree that someone has had to have thought of this before but I cannot find hardly anything on the net about the construction of it, Just mentions of having such a thing. The only advise or comment that I have is that I am going with a freezer on top fridge on bottom type fridge( I think ) and my buddy told me that all I would have to do is undo the compressor and it would stop cooling the rest is already their for you venting an airtight environment to trap smell etc the only need I belive is what is going to hold your lights and plants at the height you want(which will be simple enough I think)a fan and the lights, some and I mean the newer or real expensive older fridges already have a filter in them to eliminate all the mold mildew and smell crap that old food makes. with this info, if correct, i will put my babies on top(in freezer area) and the mommy and teens on bottom(in fridge area). I also think I will like the width room of the top/bottom design better. Another thing is the freezer wont need smell control and the fridge you can put a 16.somethin dollar febreeze carbon filter with built in fan plugs in to an outlet to control that area a bit, but remember the thing is airtight so the only time it will smell is when you open it, like with the rotten food in a turned off fridge, Anyway I haven't even started yet so what can I really say But It is a badass Idea Great work. Can't wait to get started


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## legalizeitcanada (Jan 26, 2011)

My Current setup here,





Sharks Breath

Dr. Grinspoon


BC Bud

Blueberry

Mekong High

BC Bud


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## Kingofpoon (Jan 28, 2011)

the more i keep reading this the more im wanting to try it seeing how you can get a broken fridge for nothing and its already highly reflective inside


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## legalizeitcanada (Jan 28, 2011)

Grow update!

The Ladies are doing wonderfully, the pics are from my phone, they are normal on my computer but when i upload them they keep going sideways, so sorry bout that.....but all in all this grow is going great!


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## legalizeitcanada (Feb 4, 2011)

so here's the harvest off the one plant. I got about 3oz, 
View attachment 1423098


these are the other plants that came outa the fridge and are now in the tent!
View attachment 1423099


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## legalizeitcanada (Feb 4, 2011)

so here's the harvest off the one plant. I got about 3oz in total, this is about 1oz 

View attachment 1423100


these are the other plants that came outa the fridge and are now in the tent!
View attachment 1423101


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## choop (Feb 5, 2011)

this is fucking awesome dude, looks like you put some serious time and effort into all of this! i have a mini fridge and was thinking about gutting the thing and using it for a small, square little cab but decided to go the rubbermaid stacked route. keep us updated!


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## dannyboy602 (Feb 25, 2011)

Kudos to you my young Canadian friend. I'm watch your grow with great interest.
A fridge? Who new? Couldn't you find two more and line em all up? Nah. Too obvious.


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## Austinmac (Mar 14, 2011)

word,flop grow that looks like some fucking ghetto rigged shit way to much time and efort put in....when you can go to any hydroponic store in canada get a tent hood venting and a 1000 hps for less money you spent here in a quarter the time using the same space....i mean live and learn but seriously you wanna get the best plants you can.. i mean first grow congrats you did alrite but shit you couldve pulled a pound off your girl no problem under a 1000 watt...i know this cause i had the same type setup last year...i was happy with what i got too but you can get triple it no problem...


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## legalizeitcanada (Mar 14, 2011)

thanks for the input...but actually the fridge is just used for cloning and sprouting seeds...I have a tent that I flower in...and as for the cost....less than $100.00....not everybody wants a 1000watter, i have a 600.....from my research seems to be more efficient, just growing for myself not to sell...since I've been using it for almost a year now and its done me good, i really don't see it as a waste of time......plus its great to store clones in for the spring, while still flowering others, I got about 10 going in there now....


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## Jozikins (Apr 5, 2011)

Just found this thread, read through it kind of. Pretty cool shit. Props for being creative dude. And I agree, 600w is much more efficient than 1000w. I bring buds to the table that makes 1000w growers balls shrink with envy, and when I tell them the yields I pull, I can literally hear their hearts break.


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