420 Watt CFL Growbox Construction and Grow

Joos Springsteen · May 24, 2011

After having spent quite some time lurking around rollitup, doing my homework, it is finally time to begin my first grow journal!

All of the posts here at rollitup have really helped me get this project successfully off the ground so before we get to pictures, I would like to say thank you to everyone on the site for all of the knowledge you've taken the time to share!

On to pictures!

I needed a growbox. With a little time spent on Google Sketch up, I had a plan!

The growbox is approximately 2x2x4

The column next to the box is a 6 feet tall relative to the growbox

Joos Springsteen · May 24, 2011

Next it was time to make a trip to Home Depot to collect supplies.

I used 2x2 treated pine to build the frame and finished it with painted MDF.

I attached casters to the bottom in order to make the box mobile. MDF is pretty heavy stuff.

I then built a light fixture. It holds 10 CFLs up to 42 watts. More powerful bulbs would be too large.

Joos Springsteen · May 24, 2011

I still needed a fan, so I used a 4" inductor booster fan rated for 80 cfm.

I don't think this fan would hold up very well in a larger space, however it keeps air flowing quite well inside the box and keeps the temperature right in the sweet spot , 75-79 degrees.

I put a flange on the end and created a wire cage so that I'll be able to fit a sheet of carbon filter over it. I picked up a power tool replacement cord to wire the fan.

Joos Springsteen · May 24, 2011

To finish off the box, I installed the fan in the top right corner and sealed it with finger caulk weather strip I found at home depot. I cut intake holes in the bottom and picked up two, 4" desk fans from Target to act as circulation fans.

I ordered a pack of 10 Blue Mystic seeds from Nirvana and after a trip to my grow shop for pots and soil, I was ready to germinate and plant!

Joos Springsteen · May 24, 2011

Plants at 2 weeks following a recent a transplant from the soda bottles. I began LST and other grow technique experiments shortly after this point.

In some of the pots I have left the soil down low so I can bury the stem of the plant and test that technique of increasing the plants number of roots. A few of the plants will go to LST, while the others are supercropped or FIM'd.

Joos Springsteen · May 24, 2011

Here we are at the beginning of the 5th week.

The plants have been responding well to LST, supercropping, and topping. As a result of the LST and supercropping, the lower branches have reached upward to become tops themselves.

Being my first grow I hope I'm not being too rough with the plants. I would certainly like 3 or 4 females, hermies just wouldn't do.

Today I buried the stems of the several the plant in order to observe any effects of extra root growth.

MaD420MaN · May 24, 2011

I like it, Nice idea and good way to plan ahead, You can never do too much reading with growing! you WILL learn something new each and every day lol. A+ I'm subbed!

Joos Springsteen · May 25, 2011

Close ups of the plants. One looks like it has some female preflowers emerging, but the camera on my phone couldn't capture that level of detail.

HFXGrow · May 25, 2011

howd u build your light fixture? Can you give a list of the parts. It looks sick

Joos Springsteen · May 25, 2011

HFXGrow said:
howd u build your light fixture? Can you give a list of the parts. It looks sick

I got the idea from this thread. I followed essentially the same pattern, just smaller.

Hupomone · May 25, 2011

Nice work man. You have definitely put a lot of work into your box and the results are awesome.

xXRJhasbigbudzXx · May 25, 2011

nice how much $$$ did u spend total i am going to build the same thing jus a litle diferent

Joos Springsteen · May 26, 2011

xXRJhasbigbudzXx said:
nice how much $$$ did u spend total i am going to build the same thing jus a litle diferent

Too much, but you live and learn right? I spent about the same as I would on an ounce of weed. It came out to a little over $300, but a decent portion of that was for tools that I didn't have and decided it was finally time to buy.
I spent about $105 on 14 lights at 1000bulbs.com
Around $50 for the fan and components
Material also made up a large portion of the cost as I didn't have access to any scrap and had to buy everything new.

If you can be more resourceful than just buying everything new at Home Depot (like I did), bum tools, use scrap wood, and plan ahead so as to avoid surprises, you can probably keep the total cost under $200

Here is the thread I got the original idea to use google sketchup to design a similar box to my size requirements.

Joos Springsteen · Jun 2, 2011

Many Tops. Week one of flower

MaD420MaN · Jun 2, 2011

Hm, More indepth on the light fixture please!, This is killer bro! Good job!

Joos Springsteen · Jun 2, 2011

I used the plans from this thread. The supplies list, and tools used are all there. Unfortunately, however, it appears that the pictures were being hosted on photobucket and have been taken down.

MaD420MaN · Jun 3, 2011

I see them now, Stellar fucking job! Great way to come in at it too!! Love the setup 100% its nice and well thought out!

Deltsy85 · Jun 3, 2011

looking great dude I can't wait to see the end product. My little darlings are just completing week 3. good luck to ya

Joos Springsteen · Jun 3, 2011

MaD420MaN said:
I see them now, Stellar fucking job! Great way to come in at it too!! Love the setup 100% its nice and well thought out!

Let's see some pics of that plant you've got growing outside! It's gotta be looking mighty healthy.

MaD420MaN · Jun 4, 2011

To be honest, I haven't seen the mother plant within the past 3 weeks or so. Been busy with the clones and trying to get the hydro stable enough. ( pain in the ass ). I will get out there today or tonight and get some pictures of her, she has to be sexy as hell now lol

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