# DIY Grow Tent



## skitzo (Oct 6, 2008)

Decided to build my own because the DR80 is slightly bigger than what I need.

So I bought most of the material I needed. *wound up coming a little short*

This was all constructed with PVC 3/4" thick piping.

It took me less than an hour to measure out and saw and assemble the top and bottom pieces.






Then I realized I forgot my bar that I will be hanging my light/hood from. So I had to customize it some more.






In the end, this took me probably an hour and a half of sawing and assembling in my hot garage.

The box is going to be 22l x27w x 68h

I have to go back and get 2 more pvc pipes so that I can have the setup fully complete. Also waiting for the panda film so I can begin to enclose it.


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## BongJuice (Oct 6, 2008)

Some pics of it completed would be appreciated.
Plus, if you could post how much total dollars it costed you to build.
I've never seen anyone try to attempt to build their own grow tent.

Good luck, I hope your succesful


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## Arrid (Oct 6, 2008)

Bongjuice, if you read he needed to go get more pieces. and to wait for the panda film 


It'll look nice when it's done, what lights and venting are you going for?


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## skitzo (Oct 6, 2008)

400w HPS, gonna have a vortex exhaust sucking the hot air from the hood, to a carbon filter. The negative pressure will pull new fresh cool air in. Room will be cooled by portable ac.


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## skitzo (Oct 7, 2008)

I got it setup but I forgot to take pictures of it out in the open. Too small of a space in the closet. I tried to get best photo I could.







Now it's time for the panda film 

P.S.
The middle bar is not attached nor is it PVC. My only has a middle support at the top, from where the light hangs.


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## mixin (Oct 7, 2008)

i built one with pvc too but i ended up going with a dr 80 darkroom. i ended up wasting about $65 on it before just spending the $179 on my darkroom. i love how they keep all the light inside the tent!

i hope yours works out good for you though and i can't wait to see pics of your future grows!


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## cronicspade (Oct 8, 2008)

i swear i had the same idea! i was lookin at tents but im DIY all the way... way more cost effective!


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## OneHit (Oct 8, 2008)

I hope you finish. I want to make my own tent somehow to seperate a veg/flower area in my closet. Cant think of any good ways yet Hope that tent works. How are you going to keep the poly together?


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## cronicspade (Oct 9, 2008)

i was thinking duct tape and black tarp!!

just cut the pieces and do each side and then do edges and then on one side cut a little access door a bit smaller than the side itself, then above the big hole tape a piece of tarp the same size of that side to the top of tent and put velcro on both sides and bottom of flap to secure it.

im probably gonna do that, i gotta get the materials together, i dont really need it now, i got the babies just sittin in open closet.....


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## Eharmony420 (Oct 9, 2008)

the velcro door idea sounds more light proof than a stick on zipper or any zipper/ dont see why it shud not be light proof/ i trying to decide right now if i shud put a smaller tent in my bigger for veg and save on smell systems. just have on instead of 2!


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## skitzo (Oct 13, 2008)

I'm just trying to get my money right again so I can order the panda film. I'll layer the tent if I have to keep the light from leaking out, if it happens.

I was going to go with the zipper idea, rather than velco.

Light Tight Tarp Zip-Up | How to: One solution to the doorless Grow Room issue (PP zip door) - The Garden's Cure


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## cronicspade (Oct 16, 2008)

check out my post i did the velcro and used laminate flooring plastic thats black - this thing is 100% light proof and the flooring plastic was only like $12 a roll and it was more than enough for my 5x3x3ft box -- https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/120625-diy-grow-tent-w-pics.html check it out i just posted..

I just seen the light tight tarp zipup link in your sig! well damn!
i could have just ordered that but oh well, velcro works fine for me for right now. I most def. may have to order that!! thanks


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## peaceb2usall (Oct 19, 2008)

update please?


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## skitzo (Nov 12, 2008)

what size of a fan would i need for an exhaust?

i was going to run ducting from the 400w hood, out the top to a vortex fan, which then ducts to a filter.

what i need to know is, what size fan should i get? would a 4" vortex fan be good enough to pull air off of the hood, as well as pulling in fresh air from a vent hole I will install?

im clueless about what fan and size filter i should get. i want the fan to be as quiet as possible.


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## skitzo (Nov 12, 2008)

what is the best way to run ducting thru the plastic lining without letting light leak?

i just got my Panda Film, but im not sure how exactly i should encage the PVC frame!!!


helllllpppppp <3











if i added 2 or 3 little PVC pieces like so painted flat black....would that not be considered a light leak?

im so paranoid of this 'light leak' terminology that if there is any light escaping the cabinet it will decrease your yield drastically.....


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## skitzo (Nov 17, 2008)

*bump* need help

once i rap my PVC frame with Panda Film and actually have it looking like an actual grow tent, how can i add a light-leak proof inlet for air to be sucked in by the negative pressure from the vortex exhaust pulling hot air off of the light hood?


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## GypsyBush (Nov 17, 2008)

skitzo said:


> *bump* need help
> 
> once i rap my PVC frame with Panda Film and actually have it looking like an actual grow tent, how can i add a light-leak proof inlet for air to be sucked in by the negative pressure from the vortex exhaust pulling hot air off of the light hood?


You could use a long piece of ducting and make sure there are some bends in it... worked for me...


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## skitzo (Nov 17, 2008)

GypsyBush said:


> You could use a long piece of ducting and make sure there are some bends in it... worked for me...


hmmm....yea i could just cut out another ducting hole near where the middle of the tent so the fresh air will be blowing on the plants.

so is my mspaint drawing ok for light proofing via ducting?

is there a more space efficient way? i'd like to only have exhaust ducting, rather than both exhaust and intake ducting.


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## GypsyBush (Nov 18, 2008)

You could use PVC pipe with elbows... that would take only about 1 1/2" but you may need more than one...

Get creative dude...


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## simedru24 (Jun 15, 2009)

It would be cool if someone posted something with a complete set of pictures!

I'd like to know how the skeleton of this would look like and exactly how the panda film was secured. Also, information with PICS on how to mount lights and fans would be AWESOME.

Noon here looking for some guidance!

Thanks in advance.


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## GypsyBush (Jun 15, 2009)

simedru24 said:


> It would be cool if someone posted something with a complete set of pictures!
> 
> I'd like to know how the skeleton of this would look like and exactly how the panda film was secured. Also, information with PICS on how to mount lights and fans would be AWESOME.
> 
> ...


it's all here....

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/122687-gypsys-600-watt-home-made.html







Originally Posted by *GypsyBush*  
_Hi...! yes... I'very Hi...! 

A while back (10 days or so) I ordered a new light... a 600 Watt HPS w/ a 8" cool tube... ... so I could have one light over the four trays I intend on having..

I wanted to order a Grow Tent as well, but the cash was a little short that day... not wanting to wait this long again for shipping, I decided to go get some supplies and build my own... (with the help of a good friend... Thanks!!!)

Soooo, I just thought I'd post about how I spent part of my day yesterday...

Went to WM... picked up a "wardrobe"... air pumps & stones... Industrial Strength Velcro... and 4 plastic containers...
























Then I went to "L" and got a few more things... 4"in-line duct fan (exhaust) @ 80CFM... some 4" ducting... a 4" ducting wall adapter... and some heavy duty tape...























Then I went to a gardening supply store and picked up some 6 MIL black/white Panda Film, but I had to buy a freaking roll of it... 1000 sq Foot roll... yeah.... ok... and I found these neat little zippers... probably $1 from China, but I paid PREMIUM, let me assure you hehehe, what a rip off... I needed them so I got them... and they were very easy to use... if only they were a better zipper... I hate cheap, flimsy shit that you know won't last... especially when you have to pay a lot for it...

Oh my other beef with the zipper is that you NEED 2 to make a door... all of the pictures showed what I needed... but you can't make an effective door with just one... everything I said before... just doubled the price... rip off....
















So I guess a few pictures of the assembly are in order...

This is not a tutorial... I am not a teacher and I don't have patience to explain anything to anyone unless the person is willing to pay genuine attention because they are really interested...

With that said, I would be glad to answer questions here on this thread (please do not PM me ABOUT THIS)... just make sure you are asking a relevant, specific question... Thanks...!





































































So Yeah, it is pretty easy, if you have the patience to deal with a very large piece of plastic that needs to be folded neatly several time...

I still need a piece of thin plywood for the bottom, the cardboard looked good for the pictures, but it's not permanent...

I put little velcro tabs, attaching the frame to the panda film...

I had to make an extra section to cover the back of the zipper, as it is not light proof, and to make sure, I ran a strip of velcro lenghtwise, to make sure light cannot go in because of the zipper...

I'll take a better picture of the thermostat, but it is just a regular cooling thermostat... you set the temp and it lets power go to whatever it is you are running...

Kinda like a timer..... but instead of turning on and off with hours and minutes, it is controlled by temperature...

So I can have the fan kick at ... say... 75F...and when it gets below 75F (+- a few) it shuts off....

Passive intakes should do it... but it would be easy to add at any point...

I know I will not get true 80CFM out of this fan, but I have a small tent...
true 80CFM would circulate the entire airmass 3.3 times every minute...

I bet I am still getting full volume transfer every minute... I got 24 cubic feet of space...

Well, it's time for me to go and enjoy some torture at physical therapy...

Be good boys and girls... and remember "Always Drive Rowdy...." lol...

Gypsy....

When the light gets here, it will have 8" holes on the sides of the tent for unrestricted blow by ventilation... provided by a 265cfm cage fan (not an in-line blower..._
Quote:
Originally Posted by *GypsyBush*  
_*Damn... and I still got the joint... 


Ok... so I will start pretty much where I left off... with one overlapped picture to illustrate a change....


I decided to change the exhaust flange because I found one that will block the light a little better than the previous... and I think it looks slightly better...* 















*

...and a little fan to ... "..stir it up, little darling stur it up..."lol*










* Oh! I was wrong about the fan all along... it is a 170 CFM in line blower...*
















*I have always been scared of cheap plastic timers on anything more than household lamp... so... here we have a real timer... that probably won't catch fire, melt or be overloaded...*

















*


Of course we gotta know what we are feeding our plants, so here we have a HANNA Pronto TDS/PPM meter.... everything to keep my ladies happy...* 















*
The thermostat will kick the exhaust fan ON when the temperature inside raises to what the user sets it to...* 










*
This power strip will be used for non-ballast/non-timed/non-heat generating items such as the circulating fan and 9 watt CFL (just in case I need a light and don't need to fire up the BIG GUNS...)

Everything else will be staged outside... airpumps, ballasts, transformers... etc...*






*








And here is the whole strip with the goodies....*
















*
... and last but not least....

I really wanted to use some of the "neoprene" medialess "disks"... but there were none to be had in this town...

So, again, I found something that works at a fraction of the cost....

I wanted to get away from absorbent foam once the seedlings grow a bit, to avoid stem rot...

So this closed cell foam is perfect, even if I have to tape or glue it once the thin seam busts...

It's perfect for what I am doing...
*





















*Well boys & girls.. it's been fun so far... but I am not finished.... soooo... I will get busy again and check with you guys a little later...

Take care...

Gypsy...



... anyone...




*_


Quote:
Originally Posted by *GypsyBush*  
So this is what I came up with for the timer...

there is a 5' cord that will plug into the wall... 

and a 3-way splitter, to feed the light, cool tube fan and anything else I want to run on the same schedule...










So... how am I doing this far...???


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## simedru24 (Jun 15, 2009)

You have made my day! 
Thanks a bunch Gypsy Bush... this is a hugee help.


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## GypsyBush (Jun 15, 2009)

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