- Note: Click pictures to enlarge
Materials I used
- 2x 1.5' chain (red)
- 1x simple 24h mechanical timer for wall outlet
- 2x picture frame hangers (large)
- 2x picture frame hangers (small)
- 4x long screws
- 8x nuts to fit screws
- 2x electrical wiring caps (they came with the light box)
- 1x power cord from computer, with computer-end cut to expose wiring
- 2x 32Watt T8 "Natural Sunshine" fluorescent bulbs
- 1x 4' Fluorescent light box for house wiring, takes 2x 32W T8 fluorescent bulbs
- 1x sawhorse we had laying around ;)
Below: This used to be a computer power cord; I've cut off one end and stripped the black plastic off. The green wire is the ground; the black and white are power and correspond to the black and white wires on the light box. Since my timer is 2-prong, I broke the third prong (ground) off the computer power cord and taped up the green ground wire.
After a long debate on how best to build a frame, my dad realised he had a sawhorse he wasn't using. (It was on sale, too). I didn't manage to take a picture of the sawhorse until after the whole light was assembled, so here's a picture of a similar one. Just take out the "H" shaped beam at the bottom (ours folds up).
Left: Lighting connection for the light box.Okay, this part may take a little imagination, but the saw horse has two holes in the top beam, one on the far right and one on the far left. Into each hole I threaded a picture frame hanger such that the hook end faced down.
To keep the hanger in place, I threaded a nut 3/4 of the way up a long screw. I put the screw through the picture frame hanger (perpendicularly), and threaded a second screw on the end.
Left: How to thread the picture frame hanger. Right: Hanger in place, view from above.
I then hooked the free-hanging end of the hanger onto the red chain and pinched the hook closed with pliers.
Similarly, the light box had a hole each on the far left and far right sides. I poked the hook end of a smaller picture frame hanger through the bottom (so that the hook comes out through the top of the box), secured the hook as above; hooked the free end onto the red chain, and pinched to close. Easy!
Left: Top of light box showing protruding picture frame hanger, attached to red chain.
Right: Inside of light box showing end of picture frame hanger and screw.
I took the end of the power cord and attached black to black and white to white using the provided orange caps. Then, because I'll be using this in a moist environment, I sealed up the caps with electrical tape. I zap-strapped the ground to the wires for a slightly more secure connection: in case I accidentally knock over the light stand, I don't want the wires coming apart and electrifying the light box! I then screwed in the bulbs....
...And plugged into the wall to test connections. I actually hadn't screwed a bulb in properly, so it flickered a bit at first, but then--
ALAKAZAM, JACKASS!
There only remained to program and test the timer. Here are some pretty pictures of the timer (I wanted to take the first one out, but it's just so darn pretty!) Plus, it shows the programming: Lamp will turn on from 22:00 to 05:00 for a total of seven hours of light. Six should be good, but seven is better :)
And there we have it! My happy happy grow lamp!
It sits maybe four inches above the tops of my plants, which is slightly higher than optimum; but not bad for discovering we had a sawhorse just laying around! I may place some boards under the trays to raise them up. The lamp is a little crooked, but for the ease of construction, I'm not complainin'!
The length is good for two trays to sit side-by-side lengthwise, but it's slightly unfortunate that the width of the light box is narrow; the seedlings on the edge will still reach toward the centre... It'll have to do.
UPDATE: I had programmed the timer to turn on at 22:00, and at 21:50 (not bad), the lights went on! Success!
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