# My rubbermade grow box -- updated as its built and finished



## Gods Advocate (Apr 25, 2007)

Ok. So heres the start of my veg box.

What we have here is a 16 dollar 50 gal rubbermade container from wally world. A TON OF flourecent lights warm and cold. Tiny little vegging pots. Ill will be posting more stuff on this as i build it. I figure most people are visual learners so by posting the different steps you can see how its done!! Ill do a little more detail on the wiring of my sockets fans and lamps!

Peace guys.


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## Gods Advocate (Apr 25, 2007)

Hey guys, done a lot more in the box this morning!

1. Fabricated the light holder (1/4" cabinet backing, then but effective when reinforced)

mounting my light socket cones to it. See in picture coming in later post. They are fixtures that you could use in a bathroom that feature four screws and two terminals, 2 screws black(hot) 2 screws cold (white) I set out the 10 fixtures, for the ten bulbs as i wanted them to go, 7 in a row, 2 on one side, 1 on the other. My plan, and what i did, was wire three of them together, another three together and finall four of them together using the extra set of terminals. That way they can be linked and ill have three seperate plugs ( better power distribution and can control the amount of wattage im running with the pull of a plug) I had to reinforce the 1/4 board, which was no problem.
2. Install Mylar

taped it to sides and secured it. did it kind of sloppy though i plan on redoing it later to be a little bit more clean looking.
3. Fans

working on installing those. need to pick up an adapter because they are 12v not 120.
Other than that, its coming along quite nicely. 

Heres something that is pretty important with this particular box. 

*LIGHTING!!!!

*The dimensions of this box are 3ft long 2ft high and 1.5ft deep. So i say thats roughly a 6 sq foot box. So if you were using all 6 sq feet to grow you would need approx. 18,000 lumens on the low end and 30,000 on the high end. I however dont see this as the correct equation because im not technically using all 6sq feet of this box. So i see, and what I think is a more precise measurement, is that the sq footage is more like 4.5sq feet. This would create a low of 13,500 lumens and a high requirement of 22,500 lumens. (based on a low of 3,000 and a high of 5,000)

The lights i am using right now are CFL's and are as follows

QUANTITY   WATTAGE         LUMENS       COLOR         TOTAL LUMENS

4                  150                 2,600          WARM            10,400
6                  100                 1,300          COLD             7,800

             TOTAL 18,200

So in a grow space like mine, im in on the low end of the full 6sq ft. and at the high end of the 4.5sq ft space. I think it should do just fine. The other issue you run into with this set up is HEAT. Plug these guys in for 30 mintues and temperature stabilized at 114 degrees F. CRAZY!!!!

You definitely need fans. Well see how these control the temperature tonight. 

Pictures to come tonight.


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## TheDrowner (Apr 26, 2007)

*HOW MANY LIGHT DID YOU GET MAN. COST YOU MUCH?*

Nice setup, wish i could afford that right now, bugger!

Hope all goes well on your grow.

Peace.


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## Gods Advocate (Apr 26, 2007)

check out the pics.. ill post details later. the girlfriend is yelling at me for spending too much time on this already!!

just a note though, WAY TOO MUCH HEAT!!!!! having trouble figuring out how to  control it. I think im driving to this surplus store that has some 300CFM fans for 10 bucks.... two of those should move that hot air around efficiently i would think... 

When i wired the lights you will notice there are three separate plugs.. as it is right now were running at 93 degrees.. undid two bulbs, and it dropped to 90. i think with the higher rated fans well be able to control our temp.


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## Bubby (Jun 20, 2007)

> i think with the higher rated fans well be able to control our temp.


I think you could manage with the pc fans you have now.. I would position another outtake fan closer to the level of the bulbs, and another inside for stirring up the ambient pockets of air. 

I would recommend buying the pc fans without led lights. Futureshop, for example, has an LED pc fan for $16 that moves 35cfm, and a black pc fan for 13$ that moves 73cfm.

Looking good
:aok:


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## Capt. Trips (Jun 22, 2007)

if you go to tiger direct.com, you can get some cheap cpu fans. a 3 pack of 80mm 21.5cfm(each) is $7, plus the tell you the specs like noise and stuff. i like knowing how loud they are, it's hard to have a stealth grow if your closet or grow box is buzzing.


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## Dankerz (Jun 22, 2007)

looking good mate..keep us up to date on how you progress with that box.
late

:48:


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## Dewayne (Jun 22, 2007)

Looking like a good grow box! =) I look forward to seeing a grow journal? =) anyways take care bro and good luck with the growing!

~Burn One~
Dewayne


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