My DYI 80 Site Aero Cloner

epixbud

Well-Known Member
Well, cloner time! I needed a cloner with minimum 80 sites and maximum 120 sites, so I made it, well just the 80 holes for now and the rest later.
This guide shows how I did it, what I used and the results. It has all been done from research within Rollitup! Just bigger, well, more quantity I mean.

What you will need is :
2 – Under bed storage bins ($25 each)
1 – 10 gallon jug ($10)
1 – 264 gallon per hour pump ($50 ) ( had 185 first, not strong enough, changed up)
15’ – ½” poly tubing ($20)
5 – ½” 90 Digress Fittings ($1 each)
3 – ½” “T” Fittings ($1 each)
18 - #8 Misters (not sure, just small and red) ($4 each!) (had smaller ones first, no work)
1 – Can Plastic Paint Black ($6)
1 – Roll Foil Tape ($11)
1 – Tube Silicone ($4)
1 – 1 ½” 90 ($1)
40 – 2” x 1” Neoprene Grow Plugs ($50) (cut in half, don’t need then 1” thick!)
1 – 1 ¾” hole saw (leaves a perfect 2” hole!)

:leaf:
 

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epixbud

Well-Known Member
I originally planned on using the bottom underbed bin as the reservoir, but not deep or strong enough, so got the 10 gallon as well.
First of all, get any stickers and wheels or what not you don’t want in the final product off.
Take one bin and paint it with Black Plastic paint, let dry.
 

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epixbud

Well-Known Member
Figure out how you’re going to have your misters and get your ½” tubing cut to size. Then assemble it with the proper fittings.
I ran a piece of wire thro the old wheel wells to hold down the ends of the ½” tubing, (just put one end in then slide it forward and push it down and it’ll force the tub straight)
Then I put ½” spacers under the runs. (Use ¾” pieces of tubing, cut a “V” on top of it and you got good stands) The stands make it easier for future cleaning.
Put some thought in your water in-take and outlet placing.
Drill a ½” hole for the intake (make sure it matches your tubing) and a 1 ½” hole for the drain hole. (I tried a ½” drain hole first, didn’t drain fast enough. So I made it bigger)
Put a straight coupler with tubing long enough to go from tube position to tub wall, insert coupler to the inner tubing and leave enough coupler end thro the tub wall for the intake tube to connect.
Put a suitable size 90 degree fitting into the drain hole in the tub, facing down to where the reservoir will be, I used a 1 ¾” 90.
Once you go it all assembled, silicon every hole, space, crack and fitting around the inside and outside perimeters of the tub, if you us my stands (feet) idea I suggest you take them to the tubing as well, a few floated away during testing.
 

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epixbud

Well-Known Member
Now comes the pain in the arse part, lol, time to figure out the placement of your plugs and get the holes cut and finished…… takes a bit to get the plug placing figured with this many, but it worked!
Take the painted top and take it apart, they split at the centre.
First I placed all the plugs on the half top ware I want them, then take a long Pin and gently force it down the centre, scrape an X using the crossing lines in the plug as your guide, BE CAREFUL, it’s a real pain if you knock any of the others out of position, after you scratch each one remove the plug, don’t get ahead of yourself.
Only do the single half, it will become a stencil! Now get a normal sharp drill bit, I used a 1/8” bit. Line the 2 half’s up evenly, not hard cause they fit into each other nicely and GENTLY drill a pilot hole for each plug using the small X’s you scratched, do it very gently so you don’t crack either lid, I did on my first one! Now you have 2 matching half’s.
Now GENTLY drill out you holes, use a 1 ¾” hole saw, makes a perfect 2” hole, learned this after I started drilling with a 2” bit, the plugs just fell through. Between the grinding and melting the 1 ¾” left the right size.
Repeat the process with the other half, take a razor and have some patience to get the holes cleaned.
When it’s all nice and cleaned up cover the half’s with foil tape and cut the holes out again.
Take your 1” x 2” and cut them all in half, I tried a razor, big razor and scissors, it’s slow with all them! After you get them all cut put them in the holes.
 

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epixbud

Well-Known Member
By the time you’re done all that your silicone will be dry, not cured, takes 24 hours, but still dry. Time to figure the placement of your misters.
I originally got real fine misters, but after 2 pump upgrades it still didn’t have enough pressure to mist, so I got different ones, a little more flow. I got 20 misters but only used 18. Try to space them evenly.
After the misters are in place hook up your pump and get some water in the reservoir, time to test the system and aim the misters to cover every section of the tub.
Almost done! Now you are going to find a few spots during testing the systems that leak. I found the only leaks were ware the water flowed out along the lid rim, to solve this I used real think weather stripping, just run it around the rim of the bottom tub, put the lid back on and it had no leaks.
And there you have it, 80 site aero cloner. I still got a few weeks before I got clones for it so I will update it as soon as it’s got a batch in it. :leaf:


Check out my grow. https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/107075-ak-47-x-super-silver.html
 

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Arrid

Well-Known Member
Epix, You should get a youtube account and do a video of the cloner in action ;) :D

Nice.
 

epixbud

Well-Known Member
almost thinking of it, my local hydro store took all the pics, he's the one that sent me the diy way cause the ones he sells cost big bucks, too small and usually leak and need tweaking anyhow! lmao, so i get all the small shit (pump, fans, ferts, lights) and what not off him and bring him the how-to pics. he said the same thing, lmao
 

epixbud

Well-Known Member
well, took 2 more clones off each plant, had a misshap with the first batch and "no wilt spray"..... the PH is a real pain with the water movement, adjust to 5.0 in morn, then 7.0 at night... adjust ph again and repeat, change the res at least every 6 days...got a buncha leaks too, but gonna work them out, but what the heck is growing on the old clones? roots starting? any advice?:neutral:

Check my grow AK47xSSH
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/107075-ak-47-x-super-silver.html :leaf:
 

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420weedman

Well-Known Member
well, took 2 more clones off each plant, had a misshap with the first batch and "no wilt spray"..... the PH is a real pain with the water movement, adjust to 5.0 in morn, then 7.0 at night... adjust ph again and repeat, change the res at least every 6 days...got a buncha leaks too, but gonna work them out, but what the heck is growing on the old clones? roots starting? any advice?:neutral:

Check my grow AK47xSSH
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/107075-ak-47-x-super-silver.html :leaf:
how are you cutting your clones ?
GROWFAQ:bigjoint:
 

epixbud

Well-Known Member
1/4 inch below the forth branch on a 45 angle..... then into the cloner, the new batch wuz soaked in the solution for few hours before this time, but i think it wuz my screw up with the no wilt spray somehow.....
 

epixbud

Well-Known Member
well, gave up on the first batch, they were trying to root in the rockwool, but no time or space for them anymore, 2nd batch clones ALL had nuff roots to transplant them into soil, under the 400w now, 2 plants per pot for sexing. waiting on batch 3 now.
 

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