Grow lights, heaters etc, on a budget

Discussion in 'Propagation This Month' started by clueless1, Oct 5, 2012.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    @Kristen - yes, I have bought two LED panels with the intention to have a full width of light in the cupboard.

    I am going to drill through the sides of the cupboard, push a length of copper pipe through, have holes drilled through each end of the pipe so I can drop a screw or a nail through them to act as a sort of 'split-pin' to stop the pipe moving about, and then I am going to use the hanging straps and eyelets that came with the lights to tie them up to the pipe
     
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    • Jenny namaste

      Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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      Looking forward to the premier of the FC Light Show,
      Jenny
       
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      • Fat Controller

        Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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        I caved in and bought white emulsion today - the more I thought about it, the more I thought that if a job was worth doing......

        Had a peek in the shed when I got home - no way in hell am I going to liberate that cupboard tonight, so tomorrow it is :dbgrtmb:
         
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          Well, I got into the shed in daylight, only to discover that the cupboard was minus its doors!

          "I'd have sworn the doors were still on that cupboard, because I got really frustrated with them getting into the cupboard when stuff was sat in front of it" says I to Mrs C

          "Yeah, frustrated enough to haul the doors off and bin 'em" says Mrs C

          :yikes::th scifD36::thud:

          Doh! :whistle:

          So, we now have a nice new cupboard about to be built for Mrs C's pet bird cage to sit on (not that its going to be a grow cupboard or anything........... :snork:
           
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          • Scrungee

            Scrungee Well known for it

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            • Kristen

              Kristen Under gardener

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              I wish our wives and loved ones (may they never meet :heehee:) wouldn't remember stuff like that ...
               
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              • clueless1

                clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                Or 2 or more types of light meter. Like a cheapo £5 one that is a light, moisture and pH meter all in one, and then good ones.
                 
              • Scrungee

                Scrungee Well known for it

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                Can it also measure the sweetness of onions?

                I've just watched a review of one of those combined light, moisture and pH meter devices on youtube and when the reviewer switched to light meter mode it failed to register anything.
                 
              • Fat Controller

                Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                Right! Who's bleedin' idea was this?!?!?

                I have had a sssshhh... shocker of a day.

                First, the cupboard in the shed had no doors - so a new one was obtained; then, whilst building it the cheapo Wickes screwdriver I was using slipped and stabbed into my thumb - once the bleeding was stemmed and a plaster applied, I continued only to stab my little finger on the same hand! :cry3:

                Cue a lot of digging around in the shed for a better screwdriver; whilst there, I decided to find my hole cutter - - got to be somewhere..... only bought it last year and only used it once.... Ah, there it is on the floor!

                Picked it up and a significant portion had been eaten away by something - looks like the shed roof has been leaking (no surprise), drips have fallen onto a box of growmore (the clue was the sopping wet growmore box) and in turn had run off onto the floor where the hole cutter was sitting; goodness knows what is in growmore but it is nasty stuff when it comes into contact with metal! :mute: :gaah::wallbanging:

                So, another trip was had to my favourite wee hardware store round the corner for a new hole cutter set.

                Then I went to paint the inside of the cupboard with matt white emulsion, starting with the top - it quickly became apparent that the paint was not adhering to the surface (some sort of waxed finish), so I had to dig the sander out and start sanding... only, the now completed cupboard had to be semi-dismantled to allow that to happen. Got paper/veneer dust up my snitch whilst sanding, and haven't stopped sneezing since, however at least its sanded now.

                Got the first coat of paint on, and to be honest I have had enough for today so its sat with that coat of paint drying ready for another in the morning. What an absolute fandango. :gaah:
                 
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                • mowgley

                  mowgley Total Gardener

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                  Ooh FC what a day you've had.
                  Who's idea was this :heehee:
                  Mines in a large cardboard box lined with some foil and A4 white gloss photo paper.
                  Better luck tomorrow @fat controller :blue thumb:
                   
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                  • "M"

                    "M" Total Gardener

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                    @fat controller
                    :grphg: <----- for your thumb;
                    :grphg: <------ for your pinkie
                    :grphg: <------- for Mrs FC (she may well be needing it by now!)

                    Blown your "budget" too by the sounds of it :whistle:
                     
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                    • Fat Controller

                      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                      Bless, Mrs C just takes it all in her stride; she was even helping when it came to the semi-dismantling phase, and had a wee giggle when I asked her to 'push against me' and added on 'hopefully not for the last time tonight....' - - - how she puts up with me, I will never know :biggrin:

                      The budget well and truly stuffed, although technically the cupboard is a lodging place for the bird, so its a 'pet' expenditure..... :snork:
                       
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                      • Jenny namaste

                        Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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                        Good evening FC,
                        I do hope you are now chilling with your favourite B & C with your dear lady alongside you. It really is at times like these, that you realise and appreciate the comfort gained by being with the bloomin' missus.
                        I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help it FC.
                        Manyana - all will be well ( when it stops tipping it down AGAIN) and it will be worth it.
                        We can wait ....
                        :imphrt: :imphrt:

                        Jenny
                         
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                        • clueless1

                          clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                          Would that be mañana as in 'the morning', or mañana as in tomorrow? Or mañana de la mañana, tomorrow morning?
                           
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                          • clueless1

                            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                            @fat controller, we should do a thread for most entertaining (albeit frustrating and painful) accidents while doing garden related projects.
                             
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