Need help designing an insulated grow box. details insidee.

budzforme

Member
Currently growing with a grow tent (i personally think they are garbage) so im switching shit up a bit and making things a bit more stealth. I have a space in my place that is not insulated and plan on utilizing it for growing.

So far im planning on going either a 250 watt hps or a 400 . not sure yet as I already have the 250 and do not want to purchase a cooltube (100$ for a glass tube no thanks...) nor do i want to purchase separate fans for it etc.

I need opinions on designing this box. I was thinking of using osb board / 2x4's / polyurethane sheeting insulation and then some mylar or panda film on the inside or even maybe mdf board or w/e that thin crap is painted white... I want to be able to dismantle the entire thing by only removing a few screws or bolts and then being able to just stack all 6 sides of said box on top of each other for storage if i would have to take it down in an emergency.


So if your with me so far....thats 6 seperate walls (all separately insulated individually and designed to snap into place and be screwed together at the corners) will utilize either a 4'' or 6'' inline fan + carbon filter combo as exhuast and a 4'' inline fan as intake , both with fan speed controllers , pulling air from a climate controlled room to adjust temperature (remember the room this box is in IS NOT INSULATED that means scorching temps in the summer and freezing temps in the winter) this box must be able to thrive in those conditions ....now my problems so far...

1. How will i make this box stable (i dont want it to just flop side to side when i bump it etc) or would just having the 6 sides all screwed together be stable enough that it wouldnt do that? it only needs to hold the light , and the carbon filter. i will mount the fans on the outside. (im not very carpenter savvy so forgive me if i sound stupid)

2. What dimensions should i build it?? i want it to be as small as possible. i will be using clones in this though keep that in mind. and either a 250 watt hps+cfls for wider spectrum or just a single 400w hps. nothing more as if i were gonna go bigger i would just insulate the entire room and slap a 1k in there.

3. Power , I will be wiring up a new circuit for this box/room, should i keep the power OUTSIDE the box or inside? remember i dont want the outside atmosphere to interefere with the temps inside but i also dont want to go nuts trying to get the outlet on the inside and what not as then the ballast would have to be inside and everything aswell which would just raise temps more/water electrical hazzard.... that may be a more hastle than just making a little 2'' hole for wires to come outta and just pluggin it up with a piece of foam. But im mostly worried about my equipment sitting in the shitty atmosphere that outside the box will be providing (mostly the 100degree summer weather that will make this uninsulated room bake i dont want nothing catching fire)

i plan on doing a sog perpetual method with this (throwing in a new set of clones/single clone whichever i have room for every 2 weeks) and using my current tent as my propagation/mother chamber with just cfls. so i will have a steady supply of clones. so my plants should be reletivily small and im down with LSTing.


im tired and probly half ass explained this concept but i hope i made some sense ..any help would be GREATLY appreciated , remember i want to be able to dismantle this as quick as possible if needed to. and build it as small as possible to house a 250/400watt hps (i would rly like to upgrade to a 400 watter or maybe even just add a 150 watt with the 250 watter) so i dont want to build anything that would attach to the walls/floor unless completly neccasary for bracing and i would like to be able to move this box to a new place eventually if i had to so portability is a must. (as in toss it in the bed of a truck and go)
 
You could make it out of OSB, but if you dont really have a requirement for really hard walls you could make it out of That silver styrofoam insulation and 2x2's in the corner. Just glue (construction adhesive) 2x2'2 along edges so you can screr them together at corners and top/bottom. It will be light and portable and the reflective surface and insulation is already there. It comes in different thickness too. http://www.lowes.com/pd_15330-288-15330_0__?productId=3014174&Ntt=insulation+board&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=insulation+board&facetInfo=
you could still glue mylar on it if you wanted it shinier, just dio tt before you glue 2x2's on for ease.
 

budzforme

Member
You could make it out of OSB, but if you dont really have a requirement for really hard walls you could make it out of That silver styrofoam insulation and 2x2's in the corner. Just glue (construction adhesive) 2x2'2 along edges so you can screr them together at corners and top/bottom. It will be light and portable and the reflective surface and insulation is already there. It comes in different thickness too. http://www.lowes.com/pd_15330-288-15330_0__?productId=3014174&Ntt=insulation+board&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dinsulation%2Bboard&facetInfo=
you could still glue mylar on it if you wanted it shinier, just dio tt before you glue 2x2's on for ease.
this has also ran through my head but i dont feel like it would be able to support the wieght of the light/carbon filter and would get banged up preaty easily and i wanna build it to last me a few good years atleast ,ive screwed around with a lot stuff over the last 3 years and wasted a lot of money on rubbermaid bins / tents / pc fans diy scrubbers etc etc. all the ghetto diy stuff , i wanna make something thats durable long lasting and worth the investment if ya get me but i do appreciate you taking the time and effort to read over my post :) Not trying to be rude in anyway buddy.

on a side note , you did bring up a very good next question for me :)

What "R" rating insulation would suffice for this kind of project? they have 3.85 rating vs. thatt 5 rating insulation on your link that is like only 6$ a sheet @ lowes , thats offly cheap but also a lower rating than the 5 but literally 1/2 the price. is it rly that big a difference?

Edit: weight wont matter or anything like that onyl reason for the hard walls is im assuming it will help keep temps more stable and durability. :)
 

SirXloin

Member
If your worried about heat, use the biggest light you can afford. You dont NEED a cool tube. I build something similar before. A 5x5x7 2x4 framed box. Useing MDF, cheap low "R" insulation, 1000k light, a Win100 thermostat controller and a small space heater. (i also had a Cap varibal speed fan controller exhausting it). I lined it with panda film. I pulled several #'s out of that box.
You issue will be cold when the lights are out. My box would stay 78 degrees all "day" long.

Build it and moniter the temps BEFORE you start growing in it.
 

Chronicsen

Active Member
Just pre build all 6 walls w 2x4's and drywall ( I found it to b cheaper than osb or plywood $11.00 @ home depot) get R 13 insulation for noise and temp control. Don't forget to frame a door into one of ur walls. Then take some 5" screws and tack all the walls together. Put ur electrical outlet on the inside of the room. For the door just go to home depot and get a 24" door blank $8.00 weather strip the door jam to seal it up, then line the inside w Mylar, set up ur light n fan w carbon filter on the inside of room(just hang it from a joist in ur rooms ceiling. If its kinda wobbly due to small size just tack a 2x4 at a 45° angle on the outside of the box to the floor. Do this on 2 sides and it will be sturdy enough. Hope this helps. I just built a "hard" room (screw tents! xp) 5x5x7 with 2x4's n drywall, insulated w R 12 and it's quiet enough u can sleep in the same room as the box I built
 

budzforme

Member
Loving the replies really helping me put a mental picture of this in my head.

I forgot to mention i was planning on making the front wall of this on hinges so i may go with a lighter front wall as the mdf/particle board (still will have insulation) and i am not to worried about noise so the lowest possible R rating insulation (cheaper) but high enough for stable temps, maybe ill use 2x4's for the side 4 other walls and 2x2s for the front wall? not sure ah so many different options its rather confusing



and i was looking at this 1/4'' osb board its only 6$ a sheet would that be ok w/ say 1'' insulation decent R rating?
http://www.lowes.com/pd_12206-99999-LBR12206_4294815999_4294937087_?productId=3176627&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_OSB_4294815999_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


i made a pic in paint to maybe help with ideas of what i got to work with here.

and would it really be best to put the electrical box inside the box? how should i mount it high up obv , but now im gonna have to build a shelf for ballast to rest on etc. man my mind is gonna blow soon lol i literally been thinking about this 24/7 and still having trouble comming up with an idea that i like.
 

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that 1/4" osb will warp bad without any support. You can put hinges on the foam board, just have to back them up with wood. You go adding a bunch of lumber to this thing and it wont be so portable!
 

budzforme

Member
that 1/4" osb will warp bad without any support. You can put hinges on the foam board, just have to back them up with wood. You go adding a bunch of lumber to this thing and it wont be so portable!
this is such a head spin :( it would have 2x4's around each side , would it still warp? i may just build a frame outta 2x4's this portability factor is really killin shit. , im not bulding a whoel room here just like a 3' wide 3' deep 5' feet high box , typical tent size it will be more a rectangle than a box if you get me.

and maybe ill just make that backroom extremely secluded by removing the door / door frame and drywalling it / putting a dresser infront of it on secluded hinges...anne frank type shit. :[ i didnt wanna do this but meh seems the best answer for security idk like i said my heads spinning lmfao i wish i knew a carpenter that i trusted w/ this kind of thign but i dont.
 

budzforme

Member
nah it wont warp with that short a span.
you sure buddy , you seem to know a lot more than i do about this ahah , lovin ur account name btw. haha. ya this is only ment to house a 250 watt hps and maybe like a 65 or 42 watt cfl in each corner if temps permit i like to have a broad spectrum of light my yields dont have to be killer here its just for personal use.
 

budzforme

Member
yeah im sure, I was in construction for 20 yrs. Dont overbuild it, its a waste.
Oh i wasnt doubting your abilities trust me i know jack shit nothing lol everything i know i learned within the last few days :S aka i kno nothing.

So If i preaty much build the back wall w/ 1/4'' osb lined with 2x4's then have the side walls built to snap into that then the front with no 2x4's just maybe some 2x2's to support the insulation it should work? attached a pic to further explain what i mean lol2.png
 

budzforme

Member
im thinking about just insulated the entire room now...and just sectioning it off...and saying fuck this box idea...i just like the idea of if shit hits the fan being able to dismantle everything but in all reality the equiptment used to grow is LEGAL , so if i was to the point that cops were inside my house lookin for it id be fucked anyway cuz cant just make plants dissapear...if they find an empty grow room though (as in i had enough time to just squash them all in a bin relocate them) then wtf could they do , nothing lol.....not illegal to grow shit in your house just illegal to grow pot :P

amirite!?
 
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