College room stealth cabinet design planning

Hi everyone!

It's finally time (after about 10 years or so of paying for my daily smoke, being forced to hang out with idiot dealers whom I do not trust...) for my first grow!

My main source of information was and is this very forum, for wich I am very grateful!



Weeks of accelerated learning on this forum have brought me to a few decisions:

- I will grow only auto-flowering plants (absolutely want a reasonably low growroom... don't want to mess up the feng-shui of my shag pallace (sound funny in my native language). I will only grow 4 plants at a time (NO selling! Personal smoke only)

- I will only use CFLs, and with a little personal philosophy of mine of using a higher number of lower powered bulbs (even less heat and the ability to completely sorround the plant)

- The growbox has to look like a normal boring piece of furniture. I have frequent visits... don't want to draw attention. Music and a few computers running will mask any sound pollution...

- A single DWC system will be used

- Odor control not necessary because of the small number of plants... Plus the smell of "burning weed" is present most of the time... and I'm not worried about it. In extreme cases I just light some thai sticks



So here is the plan:

The base will be this IKEA unit:


The DWC unit will be this:


The lighting probable tiny innovation?:

I will make a metal structure, wich will allow me to screw 4 bulbs on each side of the cabinet.

The pattern will be: all bulbs placed vertically, about 2cm from the wall (covered in a reflective material). The first bulb is pointing up, second down, third up, fourth down... with their bases at the same level (about half the height of the growroom).

With this setup I will be using 16 bulbs (about 25w each... with some combination of 2700K and 6500K), but all will be placed on the sides of the plant wich assures no shady spots. Considering a 25w bulb emits about 1300 lumens, there will be about 20800 lumens (too much?) in the space.


I've attached a quick sketch-up image of what i'm talking about... oh and the lighting structure will be placed in the upper half of the cabinet... above the DWC container


Any feedback (only if to wish me luck) will be very appretiated!

good starting off point...glad to see some people do research still before jumping into growing.but ill try to throw some input in for ya..the box and light setup look great...but what are you going to do about air circulation...to keep the heat down and get the stems nice and strong you need airflow.and the odor..i would be a lil concerned...i grow only autoflower also...ive got a diesel ryder..not even a month old and sticks like hell..a budding plant and smoking weed has totally different smells...a budding plant can be overwelming with the stink.the people you have coming over might be ok with it...but let 1 cop walk by..or worse a canine cop and your screwed..cheap easy fix to the odor thing...ona gel or ona blocks..they seem to take care of all the odors..and damn...ikea...id try target or home depot first...save some cash on the grow box to get good seeds...make sure to get feminized seeds..its worth the extra cost to KNOW our getting females.

That was fast! Thank you DJ!

This wil obviously be my first grow, so the only thing I'm absolutely sure about is that I will be proven wrong on a few of my assumptions (hopefully very few). The odor is really the least of my worries, but it may turn out to be a problem... Then again I presume it will not be too much to manage.

And thank you for reminding me about the ventialtion system. I forgot to include it in the first post. I will use computer fans, 3 for intake and 3 for outlet, with a speed controller (one of those nice computer ones... at least one blue LED is a must! ) They will be positioned on the back side of the box, the intake being at the bottom and outlet at the top. I will also use a fabric filter (don't know the english word... same as those "sleeves" on carbon filters to get the big stuff) on them to keep the dust out. (again... college room

About the Ikea... it is the cheapes quick find on the net, I like the design, it's near my home and while taking the plunge into growing to save money on buying... I will not save money on equipment. It will more than make up for it in a few short months Soon I'l get a few 100 Euros extra and I know how I'm going to use them Quality feminized seeds will not suffer because of the box

Again thank you for the reply and help offered!

I forgot to mention I'm planning on using at least one more computer fan for moving the air at the tops of the plants... I know how good stronger stems are

I am also thinking about using chicken-wire to really protect the plants from touching the bulbs, when they're a bit bigger ofcourse!


And just to confirm my lighting assumption. It is OK to only light the plants from the sides (20k lumens... but still)? I'm thinking about the plants nature of growing torwards the light...

sounds like you got your shit together man..you should have a decent grow...as for the lights on the side..hell yeah.more lights in more areas the better.still might need some light lst done to it..really dense plants cant get light to the sides very easy..even with lights on the side...sometimes have to train the plant to get light to the under growth...+rep to ya to get you started on here

I once had 50 baby plants in my dorm closet i was starting for an outdoor grow. Along with some larger ones I had a cop knock on my door cuz he smelled weed scared the shit outta me. Its good you have read up on your shit. If you can get a couple good seeds and grow outside in the summer you can get a lot of weight for minimal work

Hi making!

It would actually be more difficult for me to find an outdoor place, drive to it every so often, hope I'm the only one who knows... than to do it indoors. Also a constant supply is a must
I prefer the idea of keeping a 3 months stash than a year one, if something really happens and I get caught by the law. Personal consumption has to be all over this grow!

I'm also fortunate not to live in the US... I don't think I'd get anything more than a wrist-slap for four midget plants for personal consumtion here.

But again. PERSONAL CONSUMPTION is the aim. This way i actually REDUCE the risk of getting in trouble with the law. I only have to think of hundereds of phone calls to actual criminal dealers, meeting with them outside... walking home with a whole stash instead of just a gram or three to get me through the day nicely... We're living in the information age and it's easier for the police to keep track of you if they follow the dealers you buy from (actual criminals) than if you have a few plants under a few lamps for personal consumption... about wich you never talk on the phone.

Hmmm..I would strongly suggest not growing in your college room. what ever you will yeild from a cabnet grow is certianly not worth getting kicked out of school. Im just sayin. If you want free herbs then kick a little and dont EVER keep weight at your dorm. If your in college buy an o and hook a couple people up land just dont bring it back to your dorm. You should never grow somewhere where you dont have any rights. IF you get caugt you will be expelled and they will press charges no doubt!

i think he might live somewhere in europe,but dont quote me on that...might not be too big of a problem where he lives.

I'm from Europe, yeah... It's not legalized here or even decriminalised... but you won't find anyone in jail because of his smoking habbit (without selling). Anyway... this thread is not closed at all... I just got some really good advice from a friend, so the design is undergoing serious revisions.

But be sure the whole build will be here. In pics and numbers

oh Iscrog4food, I missed your post...

No worries mate. It's an apartment I actually own... but it is a "studio" apartment... just one bigger room plus bathroom...

Just wanted to let everyone know I have made a few changes in the plan. The big one is I will be building a growbox... The ikea thing is out.

But I have a few questions. Im still very on the side of doing it hydrophonically, but organic seems like a good option... I am however worried about the smell of organics. Has anyone ever tried to do organic indoors?

And two question about the lights... When reading about LST I got worried about the plants growing torwrds the light. And that shuold be UP! So side illumination only is out of the question. Am I correct?

Also... with the vertical bulbs I will make a protective mesh arround them, so the plants will not be able to come to close. A kind of a vertical SCoG thingy... Also, the bulbs will be fixed on the walls, about an inch or two from them. Do you think I would benefit from reflectors, or will the close walls with mylar do the job?

Thank you and good smoking!

But I have a few questions. Im still very on the side of doing it hydrophonically, but organic seems like a good option... I am however worried about the smell of organics. Has anyone ever tried to do organic indoors?

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just in my opinion..i would not do a first grow hydro...its a lil harder to grow that way..and up till my current grow ive always gone organic.the smell is fine...just need to take the same measures you would to cover up the budding smells

And two question about the lights... When reading about LST I got worried about the plants growing torwrds the light. And that shuold be UP! So side illumination only is out of the question. Am I correct?

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they need all the light they can get from every angle.tops and side.lights on top promote height..where lights on the side help the side branches to grow

Also... with the vertical bulbs I will make a protective mesh arround them, so the plants will not be able to come to close. A kind of a vertical SCoG thingy... Also, the bulbs will be fixed on the walls, about an inch or two from them. Do you think I would benefit from reflectors, or will the close walls with mylar do the job

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since your using cfl's..i wouldnt use reflectors.all that will do is take up room and store more heat.with the amount of lights you plan on using...id worry more about heat then reflection..mylar should do the trick though

Thx for the quick help again!

I'm high and thus sloppy, but here's a rough sketch of the lower part of the growbox. I'll still stick with the 4 plant limit, and this is I think the most efficient way of positioning the side CFLs.
I upped the ventilation a bit on your advice, so that now every vertical CFL has it's own vent... but as the space is tight, the plants should quickly fill it and those fans will also provide pretty good circulation, I think... Plus because the CFL's are in a protective mesh, they still have a tunnel of freely mooving air arround them...

Because the space will be so limited, with 10 fans I should be able to replace the air in a few seconds... if the fans ran on full speed. But I plan on using a controller, so they can be adjusted (i'm playing with a thought of using another benefit of a tight space... a CO2 generator. It should be able to fill that small a space pretty easily... if I decide to do it I will need ventilation control)

forgot the top half...

There will be one or two 125W CFLs with a reflector on top... and a 100mm carbon filter with a 100mm inline vent... The vent will blow into a chamber with ONA block...

sounds good to me...thats what im in the process of building..but i have time..that will be for when i grow the bubblelicious and papaya's im growing when my 2 current plants finish.instead of getting just a reflector..get a hood with air vents..run your inline and carbon filter off that..if its enclosed it will pull all your heat out..all the other fans wont be needed...other than a fan inside to blow the plants around..then you wont need a co2 generator...that would be overkill...if your venting the lights heat out...it never enters the box..the fan inside the box will circulate the air enough..and since the vents are to the lights..the plant can recycle its own co2.natural co2 is much better then using fermented yeast based co2 generators

hey bro i think this might be a great idea for u its dittys $57 dollar grow box. and about smell i just grew out joint doctors purple jems. very low odor and am growing dna 60 day wonder now not to bad of color of the purple jems was nice look in my sig you can see stuff on both after the WW grow if you want anyways here is the DIY box i think you might benifit from looking at

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/311817-ditty-makes-57-grow-box.html

So DJ... what about the heat from the side lamps? I'm mostly worried about that heat... I'd really like to stick to the side lamps... I think it gives me an advantage over doing something SoG-y, SCoGy... It focuses on fewer plants but more intensly... Am I off here? I'm aslo surprised you don't like the CO2 complications but you may be right, it may be overkill... and at least for the noob start I could do it as risk-free as possible.

Hi Delux, thx for the input!
It's true I don't want to spend anything I don't need to, but aesthethics is important for me I've decided to make my own that would fit perfectly behind my bed (if something looks flush with it's sorroundings it blends better).
But it's a great thread anyways, thx for the tip!

im not against using c02 at all...i use a co2 generator on my plants..that cause i have heat issues, so ive got lots of venting.i was saying that if the lights you use are enclosed you wont get the heat issues..the heat stays contained in the light box then gets vented out...no other vents...so the plants grow in its own atmosphere.and the plant releases its own co2..which in most cases with normal light setips gets vented out and clean air replaced.so if you have no venting except for the vent off the light casing ,the co2 stays in the grow box..so no generator is needed.if you use the side lighting use as many fans as you can use that still safe.put too many fans to it with the lights might start blowing breakers...or worst a fire.and if you have all the fans ands vents then id suggest using a c02 generator..hell can make one at home for cheap.if you do a sog or scrog grow...it will be hard to arrange the lights on the aide...the purpose of sog and scrog is to get a plant to stay low with lost of side branching with all the branches staying the same height.if doing scrog and sog id start with lights on the side and top of the plants..then move them all above the plant after it starts filling out

I got a little confused... It may be my noobness, it may be that it's 6 AM here...
Isn't CO2 for the plants like oxygen for us? And they produce oxygen that we can breathe by using the CO2?

I thought fresh air was needed because the CO2 in the growbox is quickly sucked up by the plants...

Also... I think I'll focus more on fewer plants than I would in a SoGy method... All of the plants have a CFL on 3 of their 4 sides, plus the ones on top... I compared my idea to a SCoG only because the CFLs will be in a protective chicken wire or something... that would keep the distance of the plant to the bulb... and the mesh would in a way "train" the plants in the same way a SCoG screen would... but it would train it go "hug" the lamp instea of forming a full canopy.

What kind of CO2 generator are you using?