Growing Tip:
How do I build my own Cool Tube?
-- Grow Marijuana Answer
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Grower Added:Cherry Bomb Last Update by: Strawberry Tits Viewed:
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Rated by 43 users: 8.13/10
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Original Concept Credit:johnstone, Gumby
Written by: Don'tTreadOnMe
Additional info by: sanclem
Compiled and Edited by: Smokey D Dope
Configuration
This type of fixture is very versatile. There are many
different ways it can be configured:
*hanging or mounted on a chamber wall
*open-ended drawing air from the grow or ducted to a
separate intake
*passively or actively cooled
Tools Needed:
*Power drill with 1/8" or 3/16" drill bit
*4.25" hole saw
*pop rivet gun (optional)
*flat head and Phillips head screw drivers
Materials:
Keep in mind that the full list of materials you will need
depends on the type of glass you get and the configuration
you're looking to build. Here's the materials list with
some pictures and approximate pricing:
נ$3.99-- Glass, either 4" Pyrex tube (approx. 12" long, 4ԍ
diameter) or "hurricane" lamp glass ($3.99 at Hobby Lobby,
is 11 3/4" long and 4 5/8")
נ$2.99-- 4" H/C venting starter collar
נ$4.50-- 5" to 4" venting pipe reducer (for use with
hurricane glass only)
נ$3.00-7.00-- High-temp foil tape
נ$5.00-- Thermal pipe wrap (looks like woven fiberglass
tape with no adhesive)
נ$8.00-- 4" aluminum "dryer" ducting (hanging
configuration)
נ$2.00-- 1/2 wood screws (box wall mount only)
נ$3.00-- pop rivets or small sheet metal screws
נ4" (dryer ducting and/or Pyrex tube only) and/or 5"
(hurricane glass only) hose clamps
נ"S" hooks (for hanging)
a. Hurricane glass tube
When working with the hurricane glass "chimney," the
irregular shape needs to be overcome so that it can be
attached it to a reducer collar that will make up one end
of the fixture. You may attach a reducer collar to a single
end if you want an open ended design, or you can attach one
to each end if you will be running ducting to both intake
and exhaust ports.
 The graphics
concentrate on the exhaust end to which the bulb socket is
also anchored. On this end of the glass (at the narrow
"throat") numerous wraps of thermal pipe wrapping are wound
around the glass and secured with a couple of wrappings of
foil duct tape. The wrapping should build up the throat to
the same diameter as the opening in the glass - where it
snugly fits inside the larger end of the reducer.
 This will allow
us to use a 5" hose clamp to secure the edge of the reducer
collar to this tape wrapped "cushion." (Note:you can use
foil tape alone for building this "cushion" but the thermal
wrapping makes for a neater seal, and is less susceptible
to heat. Also, if a hose clamp isn't available, the reducer
can be secured to the glass with foil tape.
If you use a hose clamp, you will need to make some 1"
slits in the edge of the reducer collar the glass fits in
to allow the hose clamp to compress it enough to hold the
glass securely)
Mounting the socket inside the tube
 In the graphic, a
length of pipe strapping bent in a "U" shape is used to
hold the socket far enough inside the glass to place the
bulb roughly in the middle of the glass. This glass, $3.99
at Hobby Lobby, is 11 3/4" long and 4 5/8" at each end.
Notice this glass is symmetrical. Don't try to use the
asymmetrical hurricane lamp "chimney's" available at Lowe's
or HD;they're too small and aren't shaped in a way that
permits good air flow.
The socket is either screwed or pop riveted to the bottom
of the pipe strap "U." My light was made from a 150w HPS
security light which used a "medium" base socket;this
socket has two little screws in it that more or less lined
up with the holes in the strapping.
As for the mogul base sockets used with bigger lamps, I
don't know what they have on the bottom of them so you may
have to improvise a solution for mounting them. The ends of
the strap are bent around to "clip" over the edge of the
glass and then secured with a couple of wrappings of foil
tape. If you'd like, a more permanent mount can be had by
drilling a couple of small holes in the tapered throat of
the reducer and attaching the ends of the strap with a
couple of pop rivets.
Running the wires
 The wires from
the socket can be either run through your 4" ducting which
will attach to the other end of the reducer or you can
drill a hole in the tapered part of the reducer to run the
wire out of the fixture to the ballast.
Here's how I actually have it done in my box. There's no
venting, it just mounts to a 4.25" hole in the side of my
flowering chamber via a starter collar which fits snugly
inside the 4" side of the reducer collar. I've got them
held together with four pop rivets for a permanent
connection. The tabbed end of the starter collar fits into
the hole where the tabs are bent around the edge of the
hole and anchored with wood screw to the box wall. (In my
box, on the other side of this wall is my utility room with
a 4" 115cfm computer case fan sucking out the back of
it.)
One could just as easily connect another reducer collar
onto the other end of the glass exactly as the first side
was with "S" hooks for hanging from above. This fixture
could then have both intake and exhaust from outside the
box.
Originally this is what I would have preferred to have, but
as my flowering chamber is only 2'Dx2'Wx3'H, the wall mount
actually did better for me.
b. Pyrex baking tube
(Gumby) "Using a Pyrex (borosilicate glass) tube obtained
from a glass blowing supply house or using a "Bake a Round"
(eBay had a dozen for sale the last time I checked) one
utilizes either one or two (pictured) 4" starter collars
instead of the 5" to 4" reducer collars. They are 14" long
and 3.75" in diameter."
"I stretched the aluminum ducting out and measured 16". I
then snipped the metal "ribs" and cut the ducting open. The
glass tube will now just drop into the long run of ducting.
The electrial wires run to the remote ballast through the
intake part of the duct (exhaust could also be used
depending upon the location of the ballast). I measured 2"
from each side of my original cut and snipped the metal
ribs again but this time didn't cut the aluminum foil. This
allows me to open the ducting up like a "wing"."
A couple of wraps of pipe wrap sealed with foil tape on
each end you want to put a collar on should be used to keep
from biting the metal directly into glass with the hose
clamp (pictured). The socket is mounted inside the tube
with pipe strapping just as in the hurricane style fixture.
It can either be "clipped" and taped over the edge of the
glass or better, pop riveted to the inside of the starter
collar.
Simply sSuper Tree Hugger the glass inside the end of the starter
collar an inch or so past the bottom of the tabs to measure
how far in to drill two holes 180 degrees apart, then use
two pop rivets to attach the strapping
A note about pipe strapping: don't get the thin
wimpy stuff. Get the thicker heavy-duty strapping. The
heavy stuff is still relatively easy to bend but holds it's
shape better and will hold the bulb and socket straight
without sagging. At Home Depot they even have some copper
pipe strapping (also known as ipe tape" or ipe hangerԩ
that is quite stiff.
Ventilation Performance
There are many different ventilation options available,
since standard household ducting is used in the
construction of the fixture. For those folks with bigger
boxes or rooms, ducting in and out, "inline" duct fans are
probably the best option.
For my little NewGanjaBoy-style setup, using the Hurricane
fixture as part of the ventilation system of my box, a
115cfm computer fan does the trick. As for actual
performance specs for different blowers/fans and light
wattages, I'm afraid you'll have to experiment. Here's mine
just to give an example:
Box:
-NewGanjaBoy-style three chambered box
-4 20w flouros in the mother chamber
-150w security HPS in the flowering chamber in original
metal fixture with holes drilled in the top
Ventilation before Cool Tube installed:
-115cfm fan exhausting box
-4"x8" intake port in the bottom of the vegetative chamber
-Two 2' runs of 1.5" PVC pulling air through the wall
between vegetative and flowering chambers
-Two 1' runs of 1.5" PVC pulling air from over the HPS
fixture into the utility room where it's exhausting out the
back.
Ventilation after Cool Tube installed:
-Two PVC runs between flowering chamber and utility room
replaced with Hurricane Cool tube fixture
-ballast moved to utility room and housed in the original
security light casing
-everything else is the same
Temps before Cool Tube mod:
Ambient temp:80ц
Flowering chamber 1 hour after HPS fires up:95ц (in
direct light)
Flowering chamber 6-12 hours after HPS fires up:100-105+ц
(ouch!)
Temps after Cool Tube Mod:
Ambient temp:80ц
Flowering chamber 1 hour after HPS fires up:85ц (in
direct light)
Flowering chamber 6-12 hours after HPS fires up:90ц (in
direct light)
SAFETY NOTICE:
Please note that the wire to the bulb base must be a high
temp fiberglass type, or the heat will eat up the wire and
cause a running short. The thermal tape is a fiberglass
electrical tape from most hardware stores. High temp
fiberglass wrapped wire is available at any hardware or
electrical store. It is imperative that you use it, as a
smoking ballast is a real bummer to relight.
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Last cannabis grow log changed: 03:57 - Feb 21,
2011
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Eco Green Cannabis Link: (Older Version Location)
Click Here
Answer © 2011 ECO GREEN
1432 "How do I build my own Cool Tube?">
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