Grow Dresser Project Help (Pics Coming Tomorrow)

I have purchased a dresser with five shelves as the starting form of my soon to be grow box. The Dimensions are 42" Tall Grow Space (Including where I have to hang the lights , excluding the top shelf, where I'll put the ballast and the other supplies.) by 39" Wide by 19" Deep.

I'm going to run a 400 Watt MH for Veg and then Switch it out with a 400 HPS for Flowering .I was just on: http://www.uk420.com/growroomtools2.php and it rated my (hopefully) future light setup at 7,800 Lumens per Sq. Ft, is this enough to grow four to six plants from maybe 2 weeks to flowering, as I already have another area set up for vegging, with 3 23w cfl's 6500k and 2 23w 2700k feeding my seedlings, and i currently have one 2 day old plant and two one day old plants.

The reason I said foru to six plants because my grow dresser can hold up to eight of my final resting pots for my pot, and with a 400W I should be able to grow a quarter pound to a half pound every two or three months, right? That is only a half per plant or an ounce per plant, that's not pushing it is it? If it is, how much do you guys think I'll be able to grow then? I will ScroG if needed.

I am growing in soil, but am very curious about DWC, anybody experienced enough to teach me? I am also worried about running out of space though, so this may not be the case for now.


Udpated W/Pics:

Dresser before gutting:

Dresser after gutting:

Dresser can hold 8 ice cream gallons with space left over, however I'm going to buy square pots for optimum usage of space, but unless someone can convince me I'll grow more bud, I'll limit it to my top six plants:

The Ballast and other equipment will be stored on the top shelf:

Welcome to RIU! that is a totally realistic goal! what size pots are you growing in? what kind of soil? if you use SOG principles and flower when the plants are about 6"-8" tall your light will penetrate almost to the bottom of the canopy giving you full solid buds. personally i prefer soil, but you should learn on what ever system you intend to grow with in the future. you can always change but is makes thing easier on you in the long run. eventually you are going to want to use clones in your cab. you can start from seed for now but i would use less plants. maybe 3 or 4. plants from seed need to get to a certain age before they are ready to flower. pinch and tie them, or use uncle ben's topping technique to train them. either way you will want larger, bushier plants from seed. grow these first plants and try to find a good female for a mom. if you can get clones that is the better way to go. buy 2 (different strains if you like) and grow them as bonsai moms to keep them small. if you can afford to buy clones for you first cab run then that would be great too.

I'd say that is a very reasonable goal as SCCA had mentioned how ever if your going to be puting a 400watt in a box like that id strongly recommend staying away from DWC...i had put a 400 and a 250 in a box 72"x48"x18" depth and it killed my plants because the light was to intense in that box and heated my grow box to an unacceptable level and took the water in my DWC to a point it killed my plants within 3 hours. I had my lights cool tubed with a 5inch duct fan pulling air threw the box and it ended up heating my bedroom up to about 35c in the winter time with temps at like -20c and the window open...

Also not to disagree with SCCA as he has more experience in the pinky he uses to mix his nutrients than i do in my entire body but i think when it comes down to it you'd be better off just taking a clipping for a clone off a plant that is either in veg or early flower stages to save space rather than carry a mother. You could also keep as many strains as you can fit in your box this way without having to set a bigger space off to the side just for a mother plant that wont always really be needed.

Just some food for thought

I'm glad that someone replied, and i'm even happier to learn that my goal wasn't too out there, lol. I'm picking up my light on monday or tuesday and until then, I've got my seeds vegging under a couple of cfl's, and their doing really good. With the grow dresser, would I have to cut and place a fan or would just having a 2 10" fans on low blowing the air around do just fine?

I will do clones as well, once I get a for sure female plant, and I go out and get the supplies.

P.S. pics Coming tonight

to control temps you are going to need to duct and exhaust your lamp. once you get some pics up we can give you some more specific advice.

Pics Have Been Addded, Please Discuss

that chest has some potential. you will probably want some sort of drainage system in there. new cat litter pans piped together is a simple effective set up. be sure your ballast shelf is ventilated so they don't over heat. you might need a brace in there so that shelf can support the ballast and you hood and fan. how do you plan to make a door for your cab? is smell a concern?

You should consider Hempy buckets...its close to DWC without it beign a true dwc set up and can allow you a perpetual harvest if u were to throw 8 plants in there and do a 1 week rotation you could essentionally be getting a quater or better every week of a different kind of bud.

I have the dresser drawers still, and before gutting the dresser, I measured them and they fit all the way across the front of the dresser, and it only takes two of them to cover up the grow area. For the Ballast area and supply area (which is 6.5 Inches Tall), i may just leave without a cover in hopes to bring the temperatures down, and add a small fan or two (6 inch personal fan) .

The description reads: 6"" Personal Fan - White The 6 inch Personal Fan is available in four, fun colors to suit your individual taste. It pivots up and down for focused, personal attention and even includes a handy storage compartment for coins, clips, and more.* Two, Whisper-Quiet Speeds with Easy-Grip Rotary Control * Durable, Impact - Resistant Plastic Construction * Easy to Assemble - No Tools Required * U.L. Listed"


For the Main grow area I'll use this on medium:

The description reads: A stylish, space-saving mini tower fan that sits conveniently on your desktop or countertop. 3 speed settings generate quite, comfortable airflow. Built-in Ion generator to refresh the air. Small footprint fits conveniently in small spaces. 45 oscillation for wider air distribution.Features and Functions- Built-in Ion generator- 3 speed settings- 45 oscillation- Programmable 1, 2, or 4-hour timer- LED indicator light- Low noise level- ETL Specifications Input voltage 120V / 60Hz Dimensions (L x W x H) 7.1 x 6.1 x 15.7 in Net weight 3.74 lbs


Do you think these fans will keep the temperatures where I need them or will I have to use a
Pics of My Current (Ghetto) Setup:

Thread Has Bumped

Hey sorry i didnt get back to you sooner. the oscillating fan will be fine for inside the cab. i used two very similar ones screwed to the wall in my first grow, i still have one of them! that ion generator would serve you better outside the cab. first things first, you need to decide on how it will be set-up inside. you need to plan your exhaust system, drainage system and build your door. im going to throw together a sketch-up for you of a basic set up for you cab. ill get it posted in a couple hours. once you decide on your basic design you will need to put together a materials list. try to think of everything you will need from paint to screws to tape. write it all down before you go to the store. i really think you should consider a vortex type fan for your exhaust. a strong enough one can vent your light and cab through a carbon filter.

Just ordered my light: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Switchable-Ballast-Reflector-GYO-2002/dp/B003810CVA/ref=sr_1_5?s=garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1296409177&sr=1-5

Features: Includes one High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulb (400W) and one Metal Halide (MH) bulb (400W)
Electronic ballast truly supports both High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Metal Halide (MH) bulbs (conversion bulbs not required)
Electronic ballast is UL listed, CE certified
Two-year manufacturer warranty on electronic ballast
Quality light reflector

DescriptioN: This 400W hydroponics lighting system represents the best value grow light. Its advanced integrated electronic ballast supports both High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Metal Halide (MH) bulbs, giving the grower the flexibility to choose the best selection simply by changing the bulb, instead of having to own two separate light systems.MH is used for accelerated vegetative growth, then switch to HPS to encourage flowering, fruiting and budding Quality light reflector ? Power cord included ? Lamp cord included ? Discreet packaging Reasons to Choose Digital Electronic Ballast: ? Fast startup - reaches full brightness in less than 1/4 the time of most magnetic ballasts ? Completely silent - no more of the humming and buzzing ? Small, compact design - most electronic models weigh less than 10 pounds compared to 44 pounds for magnetic ballasts ? Longer bulb life - lumen output loss over time is dramatically less than with magnetic ballats ? Electronic ballast lights both MH and HPS lamps ? More lumen output - up to 20% more lumen output than regular ballasts ? Heat sink technology - no fans to break down and make noise; fan-cooled ballasts have a higher failure rate Light Fixture Specification: ? Fixture Size: 18.5" x 15" x 4.5" ? Total Weight: 15 Lb Note: ? Actual reflector hood may be slightly different from photo Electronic Ballast Parameters: Input Characteristics: Output Characteristics Rated Voltage: 120V Harmonic Distortion:<10% Input Current: 3.52A Crest Factor:<1.7 Frequency:50Hz/60Hz Frequency (Hz):25kHz ~ 100kHz Power Factor:>0.99 Loss of Input Watts (%):<10% Total Luminous Flux:>41,000Lm Energy Saving:30%

anybody have any experience with this product and anything to respond to my purchase. I have one day shipping so it should be here tommorrow or at the latest on thursday.

that sounds like the perfect light for your set up, you may consider swapping out that wing reflector for a hood or a cool tube. an open bulb like that is going to generate a lot of heat in such a small space.

Here's a basic cab design that might help you get some ideas. this requires you to raise the plants closer to the light when they are small, a simple wire shelf will do just fine. you could make the light adjustable but the ducting will use up vertical space and you will need a stronger fan to handle the bends.

did this same project once.

Also thinkng of ordering from Nirvana their: Master Kush and Hawaii Maui Waui, any reviews from them?

Anonymuss: How did it turn out?