WHAB: Still Forming Woodworking Shop & Future Grow Residence

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Pretty sketchy shit right here!

I had to span the just installed attic ladder opening to build a platform to hold up one leg of the foldable cutoff from the attic ladder steps, the other leg is standing on a cutoff scrap!

These 3 pictures are showing the setup from the bottom to the top. I couldn't get it all in frame from that angle.

I couldn't get it all in one frame from the other side either, close though.

Standing back 3 or 4 bays I got it in one frame.

Thinking about it now, I haven't fallen through the Luan ceiling panels once! I haven't even stepped on a ceiling panel - yet!

I got all the tall work done for now. I wasn't able to install a gusset at this point. I used the 3/4 inch plywood for the floor in the Veg/Grow space

I also haven't connected the bottom of that vertical support yet, either. I will do both later.

,
WHAB

[mistergrafik]

Looking good WHAB!! Don’t fall thru the ceiling.. this is something I would do! 10 times!

Th light green I am used to seeing a bit less intense than what your plants are exhibiting.. N deficiency will present itself lower on the plant- the new growth coming on here looks like the beginning of a lockout ?? I would triple check everything! Something may out of balance ! It looks 2 me like the roots may not be workin’

Ph rising like that quickly maybe means the nutrients are doing something funky in the mixture ..

Could be wrong.. Worth check in’ !

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I hit a glitch in the matrix!

I wasn't thinking about it, but the West side of the roof is all pitched roof. It's not a Gable End. There is no "Fascia" to vent through as it is on the East side. The Fascia on the West side looks to just be attached to the faux rafter tails. I think. I can't get a good look at the outside at night. That's what it looks like from the inside and what I can see on the outside.

This is looking West and how I want to duct it out.

First image is after I cut the strong-backs out of the way and before I flipped the duct the other direction.

This is what it looks like on the outside at night.

Even IF I could go out the West side, the transition duct I have won't fit in the space, IF I were to go out the Rim Joist.

So, I 'think' I am left with 3 options.

I could go out through the "rim joist" with a different (narrower) transition duct.

I could go out the Soffit with a 90 degree transition duct, pointing it down (which may be a good way to go).

Or, I can go out the Fascia on the East side, flipping the fan and ducting back the other way from where I just moved it!

And, then, something I had not thought about until this point, I'll have to get some sort of screened register to prevent wildlife from inhabiting it when not in use - or sooner

This is from the pitched end of the roof, where I hope to run the duct, looking back to the AC Infinity T6.

Things to ponder!

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Looking good WHAB!! Don’t fall thru the ceiling.. this is something I would do! 10 times!

Th light green I am used to seeing a bit less intense than what your plants are exhibiting.. N deficiency will present itself lower on the plant- the new growth coming on here looks like the beginning of a lockout ?? I would triple check everything! Something may out of balance ! It looks 2 me like the roots may not be workin’

Ph rising like that quickly maybe means the nutrients are doing something funky in the mixture ..

Could be wrong.. Worth check in’ !

Hey Mister G!

Thanks, man!

I've been pretty careful up there up to this point but, they're called "accidents" for a reason! . I'm almost done with this aspect of the work up there. When I start the other work I will put some temporary plywood 'flooring' up there.

Yes, I thought N deficiency right off .... but as you say, it would be in the lower leafs first. It doesn't fit this circumstance at this stage of growth.

It 'may' be the onset of Lock-Out. I had not considered or researched that...even though I do have knowledge and memory of it.

It wasn't really a sudden pH rise. It's been sitting at 5.7 or so for days.

But, it still 'may' be something funky with the Nutes. That 'white slime' I ran into the other day has had me wondering about these Mega Crop nutrients since then. I've never seen anything like that.

I will triple check everything as you suggest, starting with re-calibrating the Bluelab pH Truncheon and go from there (it's only been about 10 days since I last calibrated it, so I don't suspect that to be the problem).

I still think the high E.C. is a contributing factor. But, I can't get it down without emptying some of the reservoir, which I have been considering since the white slime issue....only to get the E.C. down a bit.

Thanks for getting me to think about lock-out...that is a real possibility!

,
WHAB

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It just might be lockout. Thanks for making me question it, Mister G!

I just tried to calibrate the Bluelab pH Truncheon and I don't think it calibrated correctly.

I tried pH 7 and pH 4 calibration solutions several times. A few times it seemed to calibrate to pH 7 and a few times to pH 4 solutions. But, a few times it didn't hit on the solution I was testing to OR it started blinking .5 after in addition to calibrating on each solution. I've never seen that before and since this Truncheon is no longer supported I doubt I'll find documentation on it. A couple of times when I was using the 4 solution it calibrated to 7

With each time I 'thought' it 'might' be calibrated I kept getting mostly 6.0 or higher readings in the reservoir and I pH downed it a few times. I 'think' it is at 5.6 now - I 'think'!

I just bought the Bluelab pH Pen... $90 I was hoping not to spend.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005POOJHG

I also bought some bulb-seal for the Cloning Machine. I tried to find locally, that wasn't possible when I looked previously. I'm hoping to find the angle iron I need locally. And I bought both 180 degree and 360 degree spray nozzles for the cloning machine as well. I'll get the 1/2 pvc locally. I expect to have that up and running very soon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V2N1N6L

And I bought a Hydrofarm BAC100A Xtrasun 1000W MH/HPS Convertible Ballast (not the 'budget' model) to avail myself of Roots VERY generous gifts! Thank you, sir!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009I66I8

Dang! I forgot I have a CT Scan later today!

Thanks again, folks!

I'm outtie!

,
WHAB

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I have looked. I can't find anything on why during pH solution 4 calibration, it locks on a number and I put my finger on the spot described to calibrate it and it flashes .9 like it should, then goes to flashing .5 when it should be locking onto 4.

I don't get it. Damn!

I'm sure I'm not getting a good reading and that second plant on the right side is looking worse today than it was yesterday.

*that picture is from yesterday*

Damn!

I should have figured out Lockout before being prompted, thankfully by misattribution @Floyd [insert] Mister G (apologies, Mister G!)! It just didn't come to mind. I was stuck on a deficiency.

I'm going to try and bump the shipping up to get the pH Pen here sooner. I saw that option but I have 2 items in that order and I'm not sure right now which one the speedier shipping is being offered on. I'm hoping it is the pH Pen.

,
WHAB

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I did successfully bump the shipping...

but, I still don't know which of the 2 items it applies to .

,
WHAB

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On a positive note:

That bulb-seal in that sped up order and this...

*everything to the right of the brown bag and excluding my old 4" inline fan, and the medicine bottle with hardware for my vertical reflector and the speed square, that is *

12 feet of 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch Aluminum angle and 25 feet of 1/2 inch PVC...

3way 90's (going to have down leg on each corner this time where the last one teetered...caps to close the legs to keep the pressure from escaping), and extra T's for the added cross bars.

And, all new Stainless Steel hardware (I'll use packing tape as a sort of Mylar layer like I used to use in Aviation to prevent galvanic action (corrosion))...

is the new Cloning Machine II.

Oh, and Diatomaceous Earth, just in case!

Here's to look up and forward!

,
WHAB

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This is a pleasant surprise, although not entirely unexpected...

This...

according to Amazon had a delivery date of "April 13 - April 20".

This afternoon I got a text message from FedEx. The message said they had received a shipment and that it would arrive April 3rd. I didn't know what the shipment was, what was arriving April 3rd. Amazon just emailed me to say it was the order above, a Hydrofarm BAC100A Xtrasun 1000W MH/HPS Convertible Ballast, 120/240V. I only know because the FedEx shipment number, the un-associated # I received hours ago, now matches Amazons.

This morning is looking up already!

Now, all I need is some living plants to put under it!

,
WHAB

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Well, they're still alive, it seems

I checked the pH with the untrustworthy, discontinued Bluelab pH Truncheon I tried to save and put back into service.

I feed at 2pm/8pm, 2am/8am. I checked the pH just prior to 2pm fill... it's was reading 5.8 (I suspect it is higher as I don't see the color of the plants improving, BUT do I adjust it down the other way and wind up too low? )...

...but,

When I get the new Bluelab pH Pen - which I hope they don't discontinue and leave me stranded again - I'll see where it is sitting and I 'may' empty the reservoir, fill it with water softened well water, get the pH in control and flush the plants for a day.

It's not a nutrient problem (although that white slime still has me puzzled. I've looked for it again and it hasn't occurred but that one time), it is an uptake (lockout) problem as Mister G properly identified!.

Photo Day - Veg Day 6:

pics prior to Lights On....extra Sleepy (poisoned sleepy!)

,
WHAB

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On a completely unrelated BUT positive note: ( )

My nearly 20 year old factory race car (2002 Camaro Z28) - that needs tune-up (nearly 70,000 miles since last tune-up), an oil change and its tires rotated *really just noting it needs a tune-up and oil change*) - is stilling getting GREAT gas mileage. This was mixed city and highway driving, which makes it even better!

BUT also, $3.19 per gallon!

Overall ,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

I just spent more than an hour with both UPS (I identified shipper as FedEx earlier, it is not FedEx...I was wrong) and Amazon.

I see where the package is - 2+ hours North of me. It has to drive 3+ hours (around an hour past me) to get to the distribution center it will be delivered from, then about 1 hour to get to me.

I tried to intercept it. UPS tracking offers "Delivery Options". I tried that. It said I had to contact the Sender (Amazon). I contacted Amazon (Chat), they said I had to contact the shipper, UPS, BUT, if that didn't work contact Chat again.

It didn't work. I went back to Chat with Amazon again and it wouldn't connect to chat again for some reason, BUT could they "Call Me". I said yes.

They called me (Sort of surprised me. I had never used that option before. They were quick!). We went back and forth for a few minutes then they said they'd contact UPS. I was on that call - mostly on hold - for more than 1/2 hour and they came back and said no alternatives are available.

I know there are a few Drop-Off points in the town nearest me. I know the truck has to drive right past one of them to get to the distribution center about 1 hour farther South that it will be put on another truck and delivered to me almost another hour North.



I tried.

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WHAB

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One shipment made it! It arrived in good order, package undamaged.

Hydrofarm BAC100A Xtrasun 1000W MH HPS Ballast...

While it is fantastic this arrived so quickly and in good physical shape, it is the other package I am desperate for.

The Bluelab pH Pen has been sitting about 1 hour away since 5:49am...

I did a local search looking for a pH tester (electronic or strips) and I don't find anything...

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

I started working on Cloning Machine II. I duplicated the location of the center feeder pipe. I went to see how it lined up and where I can locate the additional pipes I have planned for this upgrade.

The sites are not measured equally. I checked a few sites and they're not where they should be, they're not aligned.

That's weird and messing with my head!

Besides the fact that I now see I incorrectly located the center feeder pipe in the wrong place to begin with, it shouldn't be directly under the sites, the net pots. All of them, the original and the added pipes should split the difference (centered) in between the rows.

I know why I made it that way originally. The manifold sort of balanced on the pump sitting on the bottom of the tank. It did balance that way most of the time but a tug on the cord could seriously disrupt the balance. I put 2 add-on legs on it that worked for a little while. I adhered them to the underside of the tubes, one with white silicone, one with Gel Super-Glue. The silicone did not hold on for very long at all.

Balance won't be necessary in this iteration. I will make 4 capped off legs in each corner to support the manifold regardless where the pump is in the system. Right now, I am considering not putting the pump in the center of the tank. It doesn't have to be there with the legs for balance. For balanced pressure, it seems like it would need to be centered. BUT, this isn't multiple jet engines that need to see fuel at the same rate consistently!

Now, I'm going to 'try' and better align the spray nozzles in between all the sites, on first blush, adding an additional 1 or 2 feeder pipes.

I plan to put 180° spray nozzles all around the perimeter of the tank and 360° spray nozzles everywhere else. I used 90 spray nozzles in the former set-up and only added 360° spray nozzles this last time I used it.

Since nothing is properly aligned I 'may' have to skew the pipes out of square a bit to make them line up with the misaligned net pots!

Still eternally thankful for the amazing effort and kindness of the person that made and sent it to me - whoever that was I'll get'er running right.

Afterthought: I 'may' have to put a small hole (drill) in the bottom of the cap on each leg so nutrient doesn't pool in there and turn bad, collect algae (potentially). A small hole the pump can push nutrient out of and put it back into circulation.

Afterthought - Afterthought: I 'may' be overthinking this!

Here's to trying!

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

I think I solved the misalignment problem. I rotated the manifold 90°. I'll get the increased total of nozzles and better alignment. They're still not equally spaced but I can better find the middle of each row. I drew a line at the edge of each row of holes (splitting the difference) and you can see they vary in width

I then found the 'near' middle of those widths to place the T's.

I'll have to remake that left side (the manifold is upside-down in all the pictures up to this point, btw ) as it's abandoned out there by itself with no matching T on the other end any longer.

Coincidentally, I over-bought T's yesterday. I only needed 4 in the redesign I've now scraped. I bought 6. I caught it at check-out but went with it anyway. I still need 3 more T's in what you see BUT, there are 3 T's in the old manifold I can scavenge!

Then, off of the grid you see above, I'll put the 360° nozzles in the diagonal grids in between the sites.

And, in case you were wondering, have thought of it, because I have ...I could double the amount of sites to 30 by adding holes in between the existing holes. Getting someone to plasma/laser cut the holes in this Stainless Steel locally 'might' be a problem. I could also make one out of aluminum. 'Maybe' even plastic IF I could find one that size.

I don't see a current need for more than 15 sites right now....but, maybe in the future.

I see now - literally just now - I can use that miss-located T I mentioned above for the stand pipe for the pump that feeds the manifold. Hmmm.

On The Fly Engineering!

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WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

This is looking pretty good!

A little more and I should be done, as far as I can go without having the nozzles.

I can bring the left and right ends in a little bit IF I find they need to come in to get the spray nozzles spraying where they need to spray!

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WHAB