Grow lights, heaters etc, on a budget

I was almost tempted to pick up the paint brush after dinner and whack the second coat on, but I cannot be bothered with it tonight now - just about to have a nice B&C, and relax.

Mrs C is no better than I am for injuries at the moment - she has burnt herself three or four times in the past week! Who says drinking is bad for your health? We are at our safest sat with a wee drink in front of the telly!

 

Right, without any further injury, I have a completed grow cabinet:





A very sickly spider plant is the test subject whilst the heating undergoes assessment. The timers I have only have 30 minute segments, which may prove to be too long - got one 30 minute segment due to come on shortly, and the remote temperature sensor from my wee weather station on the top shelf.

As you can see, the heater is suspended on medium duty garden wire (hanging from a pole the same as the lights on the upper half are), and behind it there is a hole in the back panel that is about 4" diameter (cut it to shove the wire through); the shelf itself is tight to the back and sides of the cabinet, and pretty much with the doors also, so I am hopeful that the heat will warm the shelf from underneath and excess will vent out through the hole at the back - this, coupled with sensible cycling of the timer should see temperature kept sensible?

 

I can try - you might have to stick your knees under your chin to get in.... maybe @"M" will advise you how, apparently she got some practice in at getting into unusual spaces at Shineyland last year......

 

Heater came on - ran for 30 mins, temperature on the top shelf rose to 25º (room temp outside 23º) and heater has gone back off; set it to come back on in 90 mins an see what happens, but I think we are on the right track

EDIT - I have just peeked in the door, and the heater is only just tepid to the touch now, yet the temperature is still very slowly rising on the upper shelf (in 0.1º increments, so it would appear that the wooden shelf is absorbing some of the heat and is then acting as a thermal reservoir.

 

Thanks @mowgley - its successful, and doesn't look horrendous, then I might be able to persuade Mrs C that we need another one next year.......

 

Cupboard - £45 from Argos
Copper pipe - free from a friend
fittings to hold copper pipe - £8
Crown white emulsion - £12, but loads left for the outhouse (why does crown emulsion smell like stinky feet?)
Paint brush - £7, but not exclusive to this project
Heater - free as I had it, but they are about £20
Hole cutter - £15, but not specific to this project, and only because the growmore + rainwater in the shed dissolved the one I had
Lights - £40 from Amazon

These bleedin' begonias better come good from seed after all this..........

 

Heater came on for a further 30 mins, temp peaked at 27º, and has now decreased slightly to 26.7º - I reckon that 30 mins on, 90 mins off is about right to maintain between 24º and 27º on most days; on the really cold nights, that may have to increase to 30 on 30 off, and if its really mild/warm, then decrease to 30 on, 120 off.