Gday all
Big thanks to Jesse Pinkman for his tops video on this system, I really just watched the vid (many times) and copied that.
Cheers to the peeps that answered questions in my thread helped me understand what I was looking at.
Cheers to Hopper for his patience and humour helping this thick Aussie get pics here lol.
So I built myself a tip top RDWC system based on and almost identical to MR Pinkmans using his build thread. Unfortunately many of his pics are gone but I studied the tops vid he made and got the gist. Some have asked me to document my build so as to get pics. Firstly in the parts list, these are not all the exact same parts I have used as the plumbing supplies were out of some stock and so i went around that using a few parts that were not needed and added to the cost to come to the same end result. So I have listed the parts in this case that I would have used. I made it up in a 1.45m tent and put the res and chiller outside so I will document how I did that with out destroying my tent as well. So here it is hopefully you can get the gist otherwise feel free to ask away.
Parts list
1 x 2000ltr/hr pump
2 x 80ltr tubs with lids
9mtr of 32mm pvc pressure pipe
9 x 32mm tee pieces
12 x 32mm 90 degree elbows
5 x 32mm threaded faucet fem
5 x 32mm faucet male
4 x 32-20mm reducing bushes
10 x rubber seals
32mm saddle clamps
2mtr 20mm pvc pressure pipe
6 x 20mm 90 deg elbows
4 x 20mm tee pieces
1 x 20 mm threaded faucet fem
2 x 20mm threaded faucet male
2x rubber seals to suit 20mm
2 x 20 mm ball valves
1 x 20-15mm reducing bush
2 inch of clear hose ( should slip over the pump outlet and a 15mm pipe )
2 x hose clamps
2 x garden tap connectors male.
I hope that covers all the parts.
So I wanted to run the res and chiller outside my tent so I made a false floor in my tent with a recess in the middle to sit the flower chamber therefore not loosing too much height space in my tent. The bottom of the ventilation flap in my tent sitts at 200mm from the floor so I prepared some 200mm gluts to run across the floor. I could have used 200mm timbers for this but didnt have enough laying about so I strapped 2x 100mm timbers together. Once my 20mm ply went on top gave me a tip top perfect height to run straight out the vent flap. From memory my recess height was 165mm but that may vary depending on your tubs and where you locate your return pipes.To cut out my recess i used a power saw and a handsaw to finish off in the corners. I wanted my returns flat on the floor for srength and stability. Didnt want pipes floating about everywhere. So after the floor was in I layed my tubs and connectors out on the garage floor to make sure I hadnt not thought of anything or forgotten any peices. A little tip for you guys and gals, dont rush, dont be impatient to get to the destination, enjoy the journey its fun. I took many time outs to just sit look, think and take it all in.
So after I got my noodle around it and was happy that all would go well I made my return holes in my plant chamber. Now this is the first place my build differs from Jesse. I couldnt get 4 way junctions here so i improvised using an extra tee piece to get my 4 returns.
Ok another little tip when putting the holes in your tubs. Firstly try to avoid those cheap brittle type plastic tubs you get from the conglomerate stores. They are more likely to crack while you drill them but it can be done. The other reason is that Ive had 2 of them in the past as res chambers for my aeroponics system and they got hairline cracks and leaked. Food grade or the more rubbery plastics are tip top.
When drilling or sawing holes ALWAYS drill a pilot hole. All my pilots were done using a 3.5 mm bit.
ALWAYS use a timber behind where you drill for support.
Here are a few pics of how i did mine using a timber hanging over the end of my saw horse and clamping it all together. Notice that my G clamp is positioned so it rest against my saw horse and locks it all together in case something slips. It takes longer but you will not crack anything. Relax take your time and enjoy. ITs a lot slower if ya have to go out and buy a new tub cause you rushed it.
Ok return holes are in, next, and this was my first design change from Jesse, I wanted a tap in the grow chamber to empty it for res changes. This was also my first mistake as I didnt allow enough space between the bottom of my return pipe and the top ofmy dranage pipe to allow for the 20mm ply flooring to sit between them. It wasnt a big deal I plugged the hole and made another. Again i buggered it up putting it to high from the chamber floor. I rectified this by putting a 90 deg poly elbo on the inside so it now sucks it all out. Ignore my pics for this as i used more peices than needed cause I had them laying about. I also used 20mm, 15 would have been the go. From here I fitted my returns using a rubber seal on each side to be sure. I actaully had a problem finding these seals in stock so I bought some in the bathroom section of seals and just cut the gutz out to suit my pipes. Again here i used more peices than I needed due to availability. All you really need is a 32mm male and female threaded faucet for each one, the way ive done it would have reduced the return flow rate so probs not the best idea.
ALWAYS use thread tape.
Next I drilled my inlet holes to the spray bar. Here I changed the design again as I mentioned I cant get the 4 way junctions. I could have used an extra tee peice as I did for my returns but thought it wasnt really needed. So I only have 3 inlets to the spray bar not 4. As it turned out wasnt a problem I got pretty equal pressure this way.
Next I made up my spray bar using 20mm pvc pressure pipe. Jesse used 22mm but you cant get that here. I think my little peices of pipe going through the chamber were 45mm in length, just enough to glue into my tees and reducers from the outside. I drlled 3.5 mm holes on the underside, 3 in each long section and 2 in each short section. Next glue 3 of the 32-20mm bushes into the 32mm tees and glue them too the 20mm stubs on outside of the chamber keeping them nice and parallel with your 20mm tees on the inside.
Here are a few tips on cutting and glueing pipe:
If you have or can afford invest in some proper pipe cutters, they will save you alot of time and give you a better cut than a saw. firstly they dont leave burs and you dont have to measure your pipe and move it to a cutting area. When using your pipe cutters, always make your first 360deg rotaion a scoring of the pipe. Dont try and cut the pipe in one rotation. On your second rotation you should be cutting through pipe. This will eliminate any jagged bits at the end of the cut.
When using adhesive:
Take your time make sure all fittings and pipes are clean and burr free. I've not come across too many situations using adhesive where your in a clean environment, there is usually sawdust sand or dirt involved in these jobs. I wiped out every fitting and every pipe before I glued.
you dont need to overuse the glue, its not a situation where youve been asked to bend down and pick up the soap. Make sure you wipe any excess from the brush into the bottle. Too much adhesive will squirt out your joins and look like crap. too much on the brush and you will get strings of adhesive every where.
ALWAYS return the cap to the adhesive when not in use, not only stops it drying out but your tempting fate of some major messy spillage every time the lids off.
ALWAYS put adhesive to your female fittings first just in case you need a free hand, you dont want to be trying to lay an adhesived male fitting down it will get shite on it.
what you dont want
Ok next i measured up my 32mm piping for my inlets and returns. Dont glue anything until youve made all your cuts and joined it all together for a look see. This way your sure its all square and flush. When you do glue always put the corners in LAST.
Ok your grow chamber is ready to rock and roll. You should be able to get the gist from the pics of how i ran it out my vent. Firstly I cut the mesh out then measured up the vent and cut 2 pieces of ply to suit measuring to the outside of the velcro. Note the one on the outside will be slightly different in size due to the flap still being in place. I buggered this up and though I haven't done yet I will be recutting the inside one cause it looks dodge. Mark the inside one up for where your pipes will run through, clamp them together lining up the bottoms and saw out your holes. Now you can either screw them together through where the velcro lays or just inside it, either way you haven't damaged your tent so as not to be able to use it for other grow methods in future. Obviously dont screw through the top velcro where the flap is still attached.If you wish you can foam fill where the pipes run through the holes. I have not yet as I've already got ideas for a couple design changes later.
Ok so now you need a platform outside your tent to sit your res at the same height as your grow chamber. Now I had an old desk laying about that I put a floor in , split in 2 sections for my chiller and res and insulated it with some old carpet underlay I had kicking about. Cut out a few holes to release the heat on the chiller side, will bang a couple doors on soon enough. IN HINDSIGHT I would have and will in future have my res lower than my grow chamber to increase the res volume. The advantage of having it the same height is you already know where to drill your return hole. Drill your return hole place in your seals and a male and fem faucet. As in my case once I put that desk in place I had extremely limited access to work between my piping and my res. Next i cut out my pump outlet hole and glued my 32-20mm bush into a 32mm 90deg elbow another 90 deg elbow on the pipe coming through my vent and glued it all together. For me this was the hardest part of the job because of the desk and access. I was going to and will in the future bang a couple of barrel unions between the grow chamber and the res so I can pull it all apart. Next i glued a 20mm 90 deg elbow on the inside of the 20mm stub and then to a 20mm tee to a 20-15mm reducer and clamped my hose between the 15 and the pump. From the tee banged in a ball valve as an over flow and fitted a threaded faucet to screw on a hose connector. Now I can hook up a garden hose and run it where i want for res changes. Now Jesse has 2 taps here so he has control of his spray bar as well as his overflow, which i think is tip top but because my valves were larger I couldn't fit them. I coulda changed the design a bit here and made it happen and I should have.
Again here in the future I will be putting in a drainage valve to empty the res as the pump does not empty it all the way.
Alrighty your ready to rock and roll, as I said I am gong to make a couple changes later like the res tap and barrel unions, but all in all this design is pretty sweet. Even with the damper hose between my pump and pipe work I was getting a bit of hum from the res chamber, I stopped that by making up a simple bracing bar from 15mm pipe that just clamps over the top of my res.
Hope this helps guys as the pics are mine and here to stay but I would recommend you check out Jesses Vid on this system as there is no way my video making skills gonna help any one and its well cool.. https://www.thctalk.com/cannabis-foru...post1070473839
Hope I covered it all. The biggest tip though peeps is to remember to breathe, take it slow and easy enjoy the journey dont worry about the destination and it will all will go sweet as. Took me probs 24 labour hours including sourcing the pieces but if it takes a week that's no drama you gunna have plenty time to enjoy the destination when you get there.
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