Filing Cabinet Micro Grow

Went a little crazy with some zip ties but I think I have a promising set up here. If I don't veg long and SCrog I think I can make a full run in this cab. I still need to get some materials. Fans, soil, and something for the walls. Those spots that were thought to be rust are not. It looks like some sort of paint but it's not rust. Anyways, here are some pictures. Room is definitely tight but I think I can make it work.

LifelongStudent said:

Went a little crazy with some zip ties but I think I have a promising set up here. If I don't veg long and SCrog I think I can make a full run in this cab. I still need to get some materials. Fans, soil, and something for the walls. Those spots that were thought to be rust are not. It looks like some sort of paint but it's not rust. Anyways, here are some pictures. Room is definitely tight but I think I can make it work.

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You can never go too crazy with zipties

Looking good.

Haha yeah, they're so damned useful. Thanks man, I've still got some work to do but I feel like it's coming along nicely. That back light is a bit closer to the wall then I'd like so that may cause issues but I'll deal with that if it comes. What do you think about mylar emergency blankets for the walls?

LifelongStudent said:

Haha yeah, they're so damned useful. Thanks man, I've still got some work to do but I feel like it's coming along nicely. That back light is a bit closer to the wall then I'd like so that may cause issues but I'll deal with that if it comes. What do you think about mylar emergency blankets for the walls?

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That's what I'm using for my box. Space blankets, 3 bucks at Wally world. They're made of mylar and made to reflect light, so they work just fine for their price (especially if you're on a budget).

I'm definitely on a budget, so I think that's the route I'm going. I can't wait to start growing in this thing.

I would take white paint into consideration. I used a Wally World space blanket in my cab at first and I couldn't get it to stay stuck, I used spray glue. I also couldn't get the wrinkles worked out of it. I didn't enjoy the way it looked or performed and according to reflectivity thread flat white paint works just as good.

I'll see what the costs are at my local store and decide which route then. White paint does sound sort of fail proof though so I'm leaning towards that. Kind of on hold until I can get some fans, I'm not really sure how I'm going to tackle that yet. I'm thinking 120mm exhaust fan and a 60mm intake fan, and a small 4" or so desktop fan inside to keep things moving. I'm not sure that's going to be enough but it's where I will most likely be starting at.

I think your stealth file cabinet looks great!!!
Just throw on some white metal paint in the interior and you will be good to go.
Thanks for all the pics.
Looking forward to updates.

Thanks for the kind words!

A can of white spray paint and masking tape, or a Wally World emergency blanket and glue will cost just about the same amount either way. Should be under 5 bucks no matter which route you take. I just feel the paint will be easier to apply and cleaner looking finished product. As far as fans go I have had a hard time keeping my cab cool. If you go with computer fans make sure they are higher cfm ones. Mine were 40cfm each and did absolutely nothing to cool mine. They work great on my bucket though. I got 2 4 inch desk fans on amazon for 12 bucks each and they blow a lot more air than my computer fans.

Could you possibly link me to those fans? I can't find anything that small that isn't USB.

Canocrpse86 said:

A can of white spray paint and masking tape, or a Wally World emergency blanket and glue will cost just about the same amount either way. Should be under 5 bucks no matter which route you take. I just feel the paint will be easier to apply and cleaner looking finished product. As far as fans go I have had a hard time keeping my cab cool. If you go with computer fans make sure they are higher cfm ones. Mine were 40cfm each and did absolutely nothing to cool mine. They work great on my bucket though. I got 2 4 inch desk fans on amazon for 12 bucks each and they blow a lot more air than my computer fans.

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Spray paint could be a good option if you can find some that does not stink!
Is there such a thing? In a confined area that smell could linger for months.

randybishop said:

Spray paint could be a good option if you can find some that does not stink!
Is there such a thing? In a confined area that smell could linger for months.

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I used a $3.00 can of rustoleum flat paint on my bucket and after 3-4 hours drying it did not stink. Even opening the lid of the bucket after it's been closed all day doesn't let loose any particular paint smell. To each his own though, if you want Mylar by all means do it, I'm just pointing out what worked well for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Westpointe-Electrical-Velocity-1002-Personal/dp/B000WEIJ7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382390862&sr=8-1&keywords=4+inch+desk+fan
here are the fans I used. They definitely blow stronger than computer fans and are regular 110 plugs.

If the rust goes airborne, it might prevent Fe deficiencies

Seriously, I'd do what another poster suggested... just line it with mylar and seal it with silver foil tape.

-spek

Canocrpse86 said:

I used a $3.00 can of rustoleum flat paint on my bucket and after 3-4 hours drying it did not stink. Even opening the lid of the bucket after it's been closed all day doesn't let loose any particular paint smell. To each his own though, if you want Mylar by all means do it, I'm just pointing out what worked well for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Westpointe-Electrical-Velocity-1002-Personal/dp/B000WEIJ7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382390862&sr=8-1&keywords=4+inch+desk+fan
here are the fans I used. They definitely blow stronger than computer fans and are regular 110 plugs.

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Good to know, thanks for the info Canocrpse86!

Sure thing.

Whoever said about the wiring grounding to the box is right, when I had cfls I got consistently shocked through my lights grounding to my mylar lining. Nothing serious but it could be worse. and also the metal will conduct a lot of heat and a really warm filing cabinet is not the stealthiest of things. good luck though

I'm going with flat white paint. I've decided I don't want to deal with wrinkles and tearing from the mylar and I think it will look nicer.

The BLaksmith: There is nothing DIY in the box so I'm not concerned with getting zapped. I didn't take the warmth of the metal into consideration but I don't think it will be an issue. If it becomes one I'll deal with it then.

Canocrpse86: thanks for the link.

I think making the inside surface reflective should prevent the box itself from heat soaking. Just as long as you have good fans it shouldn't be any kind of a problem. As far as lighting goes I started with a homemade fixture that I didn't like very much, then I switched to the setup you have now with power strips and socket adapters. That setup was less bulky and is much safer than a homemade fixture if you don't know wiring. Now I am experimenting with a nice 3 armed lamp that I found that seems to work great. The biggest difference is easy of positioning your lights. You will have to move your plants up toward your light as distance definitely makes a huge difference with the cfl's.

The BLaKsmith said:

Whoever said about the wiring grounding to the box is right, when I had cfls I got consistently shocked through my lights grounding to my mylar lining. Nothing serious but it could be worse. and also the metal will conduct a lot of heat and a really warm filing cabinet is not the stealthiest of things. good luck though

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Thats pretty scary. I definitely would have fixed that setup after the first time I got shocked, and yes Mylar is conductive.