Growlight + Plant Racks

[newatthiskat]

I might bite the bullet and get a light fixture. I can put it in the dining room on our round nook table. was thinking about covering it with plastic and then putting a mylar blanket on top of that and then the plants and one lighting fixture hanging above. About the best I can do. My mom in law had given me 25 for my birthday I have been holding onto. What ever I do can not go over that

[Cole_Robbie]

If you are trying to make light on a budget, just wire your own fixture.

Here's a cheap socket:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-P...000/100356842#

Screw it to a scrap of board, wire it with a 99 cent extension cord, and screw in the CFL bulb of your choice. Cool white is best for seedlings. I like the 150 "watt equivalent" bulbs; they're about $9. Aluminum pie pans make cheap reflectors. Your $25 could almost make two grow lights, especially if you can scavenge up any of the materials. People throw away perfectly good cords all the time. I have gotten in the habit of cutting the cord off anything I throw away and saving it to wire lights.

Flat white latex paint will give mylar a run for its money in regard to reflecting light. Under ideal conditions, mylar has a slight edge, roughly 5-9% but as soon as you start wrinkling it up as you install it that edge begins to disappear. I think white paint would beat dirty, wrinkled mylar any day.

[newatthiskat]

I just have the mylar blankets. no white paint Hubby would kill me if I painted our solid maple hand stained table white. I was just going to cover the table with the plastic to protect it from the water. I like the cheap socket idea. I also have a CFL in a lamp I have I was going to put to the side to shed a little more light

[tqn626]

Uses these bulbs if you're going the CFL route.

http://www.loadstonestudio.com/shop/...0w-output.html

About 6ish bucks per 300 watt equivalent bulb in the 6500k spectrum. I'm using 2 for my own plant starts. This is the cheapest I found 65 watt bulbs ANYWHERE.

If you really want a hassle free non wiring option use a outlet socket to standard light adapter,

http://www.lowes.com/pd_72577-334-73...r|1&facetInfo=

Then attach it to a 99 cent extension cord.

[Cole_Robbie]

Those are nice bulbs. The CFLs get better all the time.

With a cfl screwed into it, just about any lamp can be a "grow light." Old desk lamps will often sell for a dollar or two at yard sales and goodwill stores.

[rnewste]

[QUOTE=tqn626;387402]Uses these bulbs if you're going the CFL route.

http://www.loadstonestudio.com/shop/...0w-output.html

About 6ish bucks per 300 watt equivalent bulb in the 6500k spectrum. I'm using 2 for my own plant starts. This is the cheapest I found 65 watt bulbs ANYWHERE.



Thanks for the link. The free shipping is a nice bonus.

Raybo

[ddsack]

Did you buy actual mylar sheets or use the emergency blankets.

I;m using this right now.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Glad you mentioned this, I actually have a bunch of those I ordered and used last spring to clothespin together to partition off a smaller section of my greenhouse for occasional overnight heating. Didn't think of using them to surround my light shelving unit, but now I will!

[newatthiskat]

I bought a cheepo light fixture for 2 t-8 lights. I got it for 12.98. I got 2 lights for 6.90 or close. I think I am also going to take Ray's Suggestion and get those CFL for the Lamp I have. I also know I have random clamp light fixtures already and can use them in those to get even more light. I am really missing my old house with the bay window. I never needed more light there.

[tqn626]

Finish building the growlight for my grandma.

Cost

120 for Light Fixture,
20 dollar for the stand,
10 dollar for timer
10 dollar for mini fan
Attached are some pictures.



The blueish light is from an actinic bulb that I got on sale from petco.

I keep everyone updated with the plant progression. I visit my grandma who lives 40 miles away once a week.

[Sgtwalleye]

K-here is where I started seedlings last year with a card table and cfl lights


I decided I needed an upgrade & new hobby since deer hunting was bad this winter(no deer or sausage to make). On a side note-the walleye fishing is great!! Even thru the ice.

Then stapled mylar to the 2x4's


Added 2 shelves and the put in 3 fixtures of 4 bulb t5 HO fixtures that I got from amazon. 54watts each. They are held in place by a light-weight adjustable chain.


Recycled the cardboard that the lights came in to "wrap the mylar" around the lights & shelves, made cardboard doors that are held shut with some wire.


Here's a pic of the swc's that I got from Menards on winter clearance for .99ea


These are on the floor with spinach & lettuce, got these from walmart.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sgtwalleye]

They were seeded on 6 Jan...

Here are some pics of 3 days later

Here's 10 days...


The larger tomato was started about 6 weeks ago in my window sill but they did not seem to be getting enough light so I brought them to the basement.

[Sgtwalleye]

Here are some pics of the tomato now...one's a NBD & the other is a Bush


Getting sone flowers starting to develop!! Im excited👍


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tqn626]

Very nice setup Sgtwalleye, wish i had that much space to do that.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

If you are trying to make light on a budget, just wire your own fixture.

Here's a cheap socket:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-P...000/100356842#

Screw it to a scrap of board, wire it with a 99 cent extension cord, and screw in the CFL bulb of your choice. Cool white is best for seedlings. I like the 150 "watt equivalent" bulbs; they're about $9. Aluminum pie pans make cheap reflectors. Your $25 could almost make two grow lights, especially if you can scavenge up any of the materials. People throw away perfectly good cords all the time. I have gotten in the habit of cutting the cord off anything I throw away and saving it to wire lights.

Flat white latex paint will give mylar a run for its money in regard to reflecting light. Under ideal conditions, mylar has a slight edge, roughly 5-9% but as soon as you start wrinkling it up as you install it that edge begins to disappear. I think white paint would beat dirty, wrinkled mylar any day.

I just got around to reading this thread.

I have to say the porcelain fixtures in the tread above are great and cheap.
Great and cheap are a good thing these days.

I use them everywhere, I took out the one single crappy ceiling fan/light in my garage that was horrible.
It was only rated at 60 watts and the garage was like a cave.
I ran 12 gauge wire and put in 5 of these things in my garage one in the center and 4 out from the corners a bit.

When you turn the lights on you get light as each one has the equivalent of a 150 watt bulb with the florescent bulbs.

Worth

[Riceloft]

I'm planning to build something like this for my seed starting this year:

http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2013/...ng-rack-cheap/