Cheap-o ebay LED box

[PicklesRus]

Hello everyone, I'm pleased to say I've ordered a bunch of misc led stuff from ebay to get in on the DIY and couldn't be more excited. My first cab was a 250w MH wardrobe and I didn't like how inefficient the light was and how much room it took up. This project is so I can get some experience with diy lighting.

I run a little indoor hydro food garden with Philips Greenpower Production Modules to grow leafy greens and love the lights, so this being LED is really going to be a rewarding build for me.

In the next month I'll be receiving the following stuff:

Two 50w 3300k LEDs with Drivers
One 20w and two 10w blurple LEDs
Two 10w 3300k LED floodlights (come with heatsink reflector, fixture and drivers)
Two drivers for the blurple LEDs

And a digital multimeter a kill awatt and a 12v driver that I hopefully can use for cooling fans.

I don't know if I can calculate the PAR and heat watts since this is all low end and I don't think the data is available.

I am now looking at what kind of cabinet to pick, I think it will have to be pretty small like a pc case or filing cabinet. Suggestions welcome!



Edit: even after all these years of looking at options for stealth boxes I still don't know what I'm going to pick for the cabinet. Not too big and preferably metal, but those fake front wooden drawer stands are awesome!

Edit edit: all the items I bought from ebay were listed free shipping.

 

[PicklesRus]

I found a small dryer in the trash a couple years ago and I brought it home and gutted it. I used that to keep some clones in while I built my first cabinet. It was so cool it was basically a hollow metal box with a big door on the front, not too big like made for an apartment. I wish I didn't get rid of that when I was downsizing the novelty factor was awesome.

 

[PicklesRus]

Here are some nice options from kijiji

I would have to black out the window tastefully and figure out a clean looking lock. The second one looks nice and even has ventilation already built in.

 

[PicklesRus]

Here's some more options available

If I could take the bottoms out of all of the trays in the lower tool chest except the bottom one and attach all the trays together it could be pretty nice. No one would question or care about a locked tool chest.

 

[PicklesRus]

 

[PicklesRus]

 

[PicklesRus]

Man! If I would have held off just a few days I would have seen that vero would have been a much better way to spend $! Oh well live and learn!

 

[PicklesRus]

It's glorious we live in the age of cheap second hand wine cooler fridges.

From the last few pics there's a space to rip out the original components and put the grow components. These are all cheap options. I am thinking if the smaller box would work for seedlings/cuttings.

 

[PicklesRus]

Alright definitely going to build with one of these coolers depending which one I can secure.

This might require that I hide the cabinet to keep it stealth.

 

[PicklesRus]

Good news! I got my cabinet (the last picture before this post) for free! The inside from the pic looks like grey plastic but it's actually a smoke tinted window and the inside is shiney powder coated white metal!

I'll post pics as soon as I'm back home.

Edit: I didn't match my drivers properly so I've ordered a different driver plus another 20w blurple. I didn't have any tools or supplies either so I ordered a soldering kit for under 15$, plus solder, flux grease, a multimeter, heat shrink tubing kit an arduino clone, two temp humidity sensors, and some other arduino goodies (all cheap).

 

[PicklesRus]

Here it is

 

[PicklesRus]

Got the back cover off. The refrigeration gear was all mounted to a plate on the bottom of the frame, accessible after I removed tha back cover. Unscrewed three nuts and the plate came loose.

Had to snip one wire and unplug another.

Challenge now is how do I disconnect the freeon line from the (condenser?) without leaking it all over my living room floor. I live in an apartment with no balcony or workspace.

Last pic you can seethe piece inside the fridge area tha has the two lines connected to it.

Good news is there's already holes made for the refrigeration lines and condensation drainage that I can use for other wires or hoses.

 

[Corso312]

You need a reclaimer to collect the freon, That's just for the environment. Freon is a gas at room temp..you would need to condense it to be liquid.

 

[PicklesRus]

You need a reclaimer to collect the freon, That's just for the environment. Freon is a gas at room temp..you would need to condense it to be liquid.

What if I got a c clamp and squished a part of the line totally flat, the snipped it and folded the ends and clamped again. Think that would prevent any leaks?

>> removed the plastic snaps holding the lower shelves in. I'll go to the hardware store and get a socket for the bolts they are all the same size on this thing.

 

[Corso312]

There is so little gas in there I wouldn't worry about it..you could just cut it with a hacksaw blade of if you are worried..a self tapping screw to release gas slowly.

 

[PicklesRus]

There is so little gas in there I wouldn't worry about it..you could just cut it with a hacksaw blade of if you are worried..a self tapping screw to release gas slowly.

I'll try a clamp and snip. I don't want to release any of it since its in my living room.

 

[fishdeth]

Here are some nice options from kijiji

I would have to black out the window tastefully and figure out a clean looking lock. The second one looks nice and even has ventilation already built in.

View attachment 3563343 View attachment 3563344 View attachment 3563345 View attachment 3563346

I would definitely opt for the fridge... but that's just me !

 

[fishdeth]

What if I got a c clamp and squished a part of the line totally flat, the snipped it and folded the ends and clamped again. Think that would prevent any leaks?

>> removed the plastic snaps holding the lower shelves in. I'll go to the hardware store and get a socket for the bolts they are all the same size on this thing.

View attachment 3568471

Look at my first thread in my sig.
Screw some casters on the top & flip that thing over, and use the hump where the compressor/guts are for filter, air pumps, ballast etc.
Then make a nice "top" for it and you will have a lot more floor space for your plants.

Just a suggestion.... FD

 

[PicklesRus]

Look at my first thread in my sig.
Screw some casters on the top & flip that thing over, and use the hump where the compressor/guts are for filter, air pumps, ballast etc.
Then make a nice "top" for it and you will have a lot more floor space for your plants.

Just a suggestion.... FD

Yo, that's an awesome idea! I can then use the headspace on the bottom for all the lighting pieces, nice!

 

[PicklesRus]

Look at my first thread in my sig.
Screw some casters on the top & flip that thing over, and use the hump where the compressor/guts are for filter, air pumps, ballast etc.
Then make a nice "top" for it and you will have a lot more floor space for your plants.

Just a suggestion.... FD

Yes that's a great idea. I just saw your thread. I think I just need now to figure out how to pretty up the top. What did you use to cut through the inner layer of the fridge?