Semi-Permanent SCROG Frame for DWC/RDWC/UC

alright here goes... so in the past when ive run DWC systems, using any kind of screen for SCROG was great for yield but not so great in manageability if you wanted to get inside your plant bucket. now if you had a huge plant bucket then that might not be too difficult to put a screen on, but if youre using 5-gal buckets like so many others, it could pose a challenge.

i thought about this for a while. and by a while, i mean there were many bong tokes to be had. gotta ramp up that imagination!!! heres what i came up with.


Semi-Permanent (Fixed but Removable) SCROG Frame for Buckets
(DWC, RDWC, UC, F&D, or D2W, etc. etc...) by mr.bond


The idea is to use an inexpensive material that can be purchased with interconnecting joints of different variations. In my mind, I'm planning on using narrow PVC pipe, 1" should work nicely -- it is cheap, strong enough to support a couple pounds of plant, has 'T'-joints and what I call 'XYZ'-joints available, and can be glued together if you wish.

Octagonal Base
you start with the base. you create an octagonal base out of 'T'-joints and 45-degree bend joints. you may only need those T's and 45's, but optionally, you might need some couplers or straight pipe pieces, depending on the size of the base. you could also do a square base, but we're not going there...
the 'T's will need to be upside down, so that the free joint of the three is pointing up, and at a slight outward angle. i'll be using 6" netpot lids so i'll want my octagonal base at least 1-2" larger than the netpot, so that when centered its not too close to the inside or outside rim of the netpot. this gives you room to put some holes in the netpot lid and zip tie the octagonal base to it to semi-permanently attach it. want to take it off? cut the zip ties. easy.

Here is a TOP-DOWN view of what the octagonal base would look like, centered on the netpot lid:


pretty self-explanatory. now lets take a look at a quick PERSPECTIVE view of the base, plus the netting part:


nothing special really.

Top Box Frame
The top box frame is basically a sturdy square (or rectangle if you prefer) frame that the netting would attach to. you can attach the netting with zip ties right around the frame. its just equal pieces of PVC pipe, and four 'XYZ'-joints. make sure the 'XYZ'-joints are orientated correctly and facing downward, in conjunction with the net. this frame would be fixed together. you would likely want the box frames to be at least the size of the netpot lid, if not larger. if youre using 3" square netting from your hydro store, you might want to go at least 5 x 5 squares so you can space out those nice colas.

Bottom Box Frame
The bottom box frame will support the top box frame, and also act at the medium between the top box frame, and the octagonal base. The bottom box frame includes 'T'-joints, which point down and interface via PVC pipe with the upward-facing 'T'-joints on the octagonal base. The bottom box frame also includes 'XYZ'-joints at the corners facing upward to interface with the removable extension legs. the bottom box frame would be fixed.

Extension Legs
The extension legs could be whatever length you want, as long as they all match in length. Ideally you would want your legs at whatever length comfortable for your vertical grow space, your SCROG, where you top your plant, etc. They could be 2", 4", 8" or more. Don't glue them and you can just pull the legs out of the XYZ-joints whenever if you want to take the screen off, raise it up for more support, lower it once the buds are poking thru, etc. however you want to scrog really.

Quick Run-Thru in 10 Easy Steps:
0. Figure out the dimensions you want first!
1. Make Octagonal Base
2. Make Bottom Box Frame
3. Make Top Box Frame
4. Add netting to Top Box Frame
5. Cut Fixed (lower) Legs to Length
6. Assemble Bottom Half (Octagonal Base, Fixed Legs, and Bottom Box Frame)
7. Cut Extension (upper) Legs to Length
8. Complete Assembly (Bottom Half, Extension Legs, and Top Box Frame)
9. Zip-tie Octagonal Base to your Netpot Lid...
10. SCROG baby! You're done!

ok that was really 11 steps. 12 steps really, because you measured twice, and cut once.... right? well i hope this helped some of you. i have yet to build one but will be making some of these before i start my next grow. once I have an idea of the parts cost for 1" PVC i will update this article. it should be relatively cheap. if you have any questions please let me know. also if you have any improvement ideas i am open to discussing them. thanks for stopping by!!!


cheers,
mr.bond

Do a build buddy. Share photos.

We have been doing this with the lid and screen frame attached. The lid and plant are then movable as a unit while allowing the res to be removed, changed, cleaned etc.

If you need the screen adjustable, you can put in plumbing slip nuts in the uprights so as to allow rise and lowering of the screen only.

Woodsmantoker~

this is such a dope find i hav been tinkering wit this idea on my water farms but u hav just answered it all for me im goin wit the square base to sit on the rim of the WF held in place by zip ties .
+ rep for u sir

hi stondded...

thanks for your positive feedback, much appreciated friend. yes surely im not the first to do this but, like you, i wasnt able to find any steps to point people in the right direction. im glad this little walkthrough works for you. yeah a square base should work great for your waterfarm! i actually wish i had square buckets too, but for now im just making do with what i have. cheers and thanks for the rep!

mr.bond

I would love to find a photo of the finished product, am thinking of running something like this instead of 1 big screen for all the plants, would make maintenance much easier.

Hi mile.high,

My current grow is almost done (using 2 big screens currently for about 12 plants). When I start my next grow i'll be using these, so I should have a prototype and photo very soon. Thanks for the interest-

mr.bond

nice one mate thinking of this in my diy urdwc set up 4 pot, 4 modular scrogs! Just never scroged be4 so its daunting!

I knew a chick who used to grow DWC and she had her husband build her frames from PVC pipe glues or welded to the 5 gallon net pot lid it was a cool way to clean the buckets and do scrog.

I'm actually thinking about doing a ScrOG for 2 DWC/Bubbleponic hybrid (aka Waterfarms). I've been looking for a design that will allow me the maneuverability I need with the efficiency of a ScrOG. Thanks to you Mr.Bond, I think I have one now! And, I have a square bucket with a 2 gallon pot that holds hydroton. So my thinking is make the legs of the frame insert inside the 2 gallon pot, branch outward like you should for your design, and create the top frame with the netting like yours. My question is, should I do this separately for each bucket, or join them together? My guess is separate, right?

Hey Tmac,

Awesome, yes this is exactly why I designed this contraption, the easy maneuverability of the plants/lids with the wonders of a scrog. sounds like you are on the right track with your waterfarm. you'll probably need to make the legs a bit longer to reach up and out of the 2gal pot. of course youll want them attached to the 2gal pot somehow so it is all stable when you start to scrog. and your guess is correct, i would make them separate for each bucket, not joined together. what nutes will you run? anyway hope it works out for you. post some pix if you end up building a few!

cheers,
mr.bond

mr.bond,

Love the imagination on this new design!! Its amazing how a few pulls off the bong can inspire that process. I was hoping could we get some high quality photos of this design, aka the finished product? Did it wirk as hoped after production of the device? I am running DWC and am in need of serious help....lost my last attempt to root rot with no access to the bucket for 6-8weeks. Any help would be much appreciated!

Salute'
B.B.