My new grow cabinet, a construction journal

I'll update this thread as I progress with my new grow space. I plan on using it to grow awesome plants that thrive in the lower end of intermediate. It's going to reside in front of an eastern window (with blinds, so it doesn't get too hot). My house never really gets below about 65, but in the summer it can get upwards of 90. So my only temperature concern should be with cooling the cabinet. I plan on using a dorm fridge with some modifications for that. The exterior dimensions are: 17.5" deep, 48" wide, and 25" tall.

Wood cut and clamped together, just to make sure I didn't biff it on the measurements and cuts. The red lines were drawn last night to give me an idea of how much viewable area I would have.


Screwed & glued with the token PBR can for size reference.

 

The liner has been installed. As has the bulkhead overflow. The liner is 40 mil PVC shower pan liner. The lights will arrive sometime in the next few days, but I probably won't be able to get much more work done on the cabinet until next week.

 

It's been a while since I've updated this, but I've been busy, in Vegas, and waiting for parts to arrive.

Here it is with the glass ceiling and glass/doors installed.



And here it is filling with fog. I used an ultrasonic mister from Mainland Mart, a 5 gallon bucket, some tube, and a fan. I'll add a timer to it at a later point.

 

I had to redo the liner. The corners were awful, and I didn't like all of the staple holes. So I ripped it out, installed other pieces, and tested out the Epiweb fit.

Yup... works well.


So I installed the Epiweb with UV resistant zip-ties, installed the watering system, and cut the egg-crate to fit the bottom. Fogging & watering systems are on in this image. It's cooler in the room than in the cabniet, so the condensation on the glass makes it a bit of a drag. Guess I need to get that evap cooler built...

 

Here are the plants I installed. I plan on adding dracula lotax and dendrobium vexillarius this evening. It's going to take a lot more to get this thing filled than I expected.

Dendrobium porphyrochilum - cork
Trichosalpinx chamalepanthes - wall
Bulbophyllum boukettae - manzanita
Bulbophyllum odonotopetalum - cork
Masdevallia vieirana - cork
Bulbophyllum cernuum - tree fern
Bulbophyllum alkmaarense - manzanita
Microsaccus griffithii - manzanita
Bulbophyllum microrhombos - pot
Bulbophyllum "masdevalliodes" - cork
Monosepalum dischorense - cork
Trisetella cordeliae - manzanita
Ceratostylis phillipensis - pot
Dendrobium oligophyllum - pot
Bulbophyllum ovalifolium - cork
Dendrobium cuthbertsonii - pot
Bulbophyllum tentaculiferum - cork
Dendrobium torresae - cork
Dryadella species - pot
Dendrobium laevifolium - pot
Pleurothallis caligularis - pot
Pleurothallis grobyi - pot
Bulbophyllum maquilingense (yellow) - pot
Bulbophyllum dolichoglottis/alticola - tree fern
Barbosella species (Peru) - pot
Barbosella species (Ecuador) - pot

 

Corner clamps make the world go round, IMHO. I got them at an estate sale for free when I helped the people move boxes.

 

Not going to paint anything. I'm going to put up (and seal) the thick rubber sheeting that is used to make shower basins (or something like that). It's thick, durable, and holeless.

I considered an evap cooler, but I decided to try the fridge. The lights will be separated from the enclosure and vented, so I expect to see some heat savings from that. Would you mind starting a thread on your orchidarium chamber, Peter? I'd love to see it. What are the dimensions? What about temps and RH outside of the box?

 

I forgot to answer Tom's question about drainage.. I plan on using a passive system with a hydroponic bulkhead that will drain to a bucket. I'll manually empty the bucket. When I get sick of that, I'll incorporate my kitchen drainage line.

 

A couple of pics have been added.