WHAB: Still Forming Woodworking Shop & Future Grow Residence

Growing in electric sunshine
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WHAB: Still Forming Woodworking Shop & Future Grow Resid

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

I ran into this last night. I have been pondering the situation since then and how to deal with it. It looks like the sides aren't the same height. With the aluminum angle on the long sides precisely located at 1/2 inch (.500) from the top edge I expected the short sides to match up to them. They, the aluminum angles do, the top edge of that short side of the tank does not. One end (the corner I misidentified as #3 really should be #4 - it should be 1-4) of that short side seems to be shorter than the other which in effect raises the aluminum angle in that corner.
Cloning Machine II 0055 04102021.jpg
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That broken indicator mount should fit neatly in the corner of the aluminum angle. What you see there is the raised edge, it is not a gap between the mount and the side. You can see that in the right hand corner.

Should I use the top edge and measure the angle off of it on all four sides regardless their variations? That would leave the seal un-level. Should I make all the sides level? That would create more work that I'm not really set up for.

I have decided I'll go with the happy medium I am presented with. In this instance, with the aluminum angle a little higher than the other areas, it will compress the bulb seal a little more in that side of that corner. I think I'd prefer that as opposed to not compressing the bulb seal enough.

Another consideration I have been pondering ever since I decided to modify the leak/seal matter is how best to process the holes in it.

This is not thin sheet metal. Drilling through Stainless Steel requires a particular approach. Yeah, it's advised you use Cobalt drill bits. I'm pretty sure I have Cobalt drill bits in the sizes I need. Yeah, it's advised you not use a hand-held drill to drill through it. I'm not a "Machine Shop" so I'll have to drill it by hand. Yeah, you're advised to drill through it at a slow speed. Again, I'm not a machine shop. All I have are hand-held drills. I 'may' have to disregard those advisement's! :winky: . I have the correct size reamer but it's not Cobalt and I don't want to ruin it trying to run it through this stainless steel.

Btw, if you don't know, you can typically identify Cobalt drill bits by the step in the base of the drill bit.

My concern is what lubricant to use to keep the drill bit and the material cooler while not poisoning the cloning machine. I'm pretty sure I can solve this one. I have liquid lubricants - light oil, heavy oil and such but I'm not sure how well I can clean up afterwards.

As it happens, I do have Boelube. I have used Boelube over the decades.
Cloning Machine II Boelube 0058 04102021.jpg
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It is an excellent dry lubricant that is easily cleaned up with isopropyl alcohol making it cloning machine safe. Interestingly, it turns into a liquid when it gets hot.

Even though I have used it over a very long time, I didn't know it cleaned up so easily without leaving a chemical residue behind. :tup:

So, tomorrow I, having decided how best to proceed, will proceed with processing the holes out and hope I don't screw it up. I can't just grab another Stainless Steel tank off the shelf! :grin:

:puffpass:,
WHAB

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WHAB's Rehabilitation! No, Not Me Personally! :-D

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

I just went up in the loft for the first time today (now yesterday).

Good color has mostly returned to all the plants. New growth is of good color. Even the wee ones are growing and looking good. They're looking good. :edge:

I trimmed the damaged leaves off of most of them (I accidentally nicked a stem I did not intend to cut :frown:). I didn't get to the very back..those 2 flower pots make it difficult to get back there.. I'll try and get some pictures later today before Lights On. I have forgotten to the past 2 days! :grin:

E.C. 0.8.
pH 5.9
5-In-1 Weather Station with Remote Sensor 0001 04132021.jpg
:rollitiup:,
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WHAB's Cloning Machine II ...

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

Hey folks! :wave:

For starters, I was wrong in my original calculation. I don't need a 1/2 inch (.500) spacing from the top edge of the tank for compressing the bulb-seal. I always intended it to be compressed at least 1/4 inch (.250). With the bulb-seal being .649 (.650 practically) in height - .250 subtracted from .650 is .400. That's the measurement of the top of the aluminum angle to the top edge of the tank I need to compress the seal 1/4 inch.

Now with that correction addressed. I am confronted with another dilemma. Something I did mention briefly earlier.

The top edge of the tank varies quite a bit. It is what I 'was' measuring off of. It's particularly bad in one corner.

This corner is bad but it isn't as bad as the next...
Cloning Machine II 0059 04102021.jpg
This corner has a .100 difference from one edge to the other.
Cloning Machine II 0060 04102021.jpg
There is no way I can locate parts from each of those top edges. It varies throughout its entire length, through all 4 sides.

So, puzzling over it for a bit, I have to skin this cat from a different direction.

The only way I'm going to be able to get an accurate measurement is to measure from a surface that is consistent throughout the tank - the bottom. All of the sides do measure differently BUT they all meet the bottom at some point! :winky: I have to take my measurements to locate the aluminum angles from the bottom up, either on the inside of the tank or the outside of the tank.

Now, keep in mind; I have no precision instrument of measure beyond my 8 inch dial calipers. I need 10+ inches.

I'm using a 1-2-3 block to account for 3 of those inches. It's a bit of a juggling act, but it is possible and accurate when care is taken.

From the inside, I need to locate the top of the aluminum angles 10.035 inches from the bottom of the tank.
Cloning Machine II 0061 04102021.jpg
From the outside of the tank I have to take into account the thickness of the material the tank is made of. .075 think Stainless Steel.

From the outside of the tank, I need to locate the top of the aluminum angle on the inside at 10.110 inches.
Cloning Machine II 0062 04102021.jpg
From the outside of the tank I then have to find the actual bottom of the tank. To do this I have to incorporate one of my machinist squares to find the bottom THEN hold the 1-2-3 against that to THEN hold the dial caliper against that to take my measurement, my layout!

That's to the top of the angle the bulb-seal will attach to.

Now I have to figure out where the holes for the fasteners I am using are going to go through the side of the tank and through the aluminum angle.

I'm aiming for about the middle of the 3/4 inch (.750) down leg of the aluminum angle. I have decided on .300 from the top of the aluminum angle. .300 subtracted from 10.110 equals 9.810. I'm settling on 9.8 inches from the outside bottom of the tank. IF I can find spots along their lengths were the weld bead doesn't intrude in to my measurement :cantlook: :roflmao:

Here's goes! :toker1:

:puffpass:,
WHAB

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WHAB's Cloning Machine II ...

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

Cloning Machine II is ready to be processed!

Hole and angle locations inside and out, including center-punched...

I didn't have enough hands...:grin:
Cloning Machine II 0063 04102021.jpg
Then I had support the spot to center-punch, otherwise it would have just sprang back at me...
Cloning Machine II 0064 04102021.jpg
Cloning Machine II 0065 04102021.jpg
Good morning!

Make it a great day! :tup:

:wave:,
WHAB

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WHAB Vegetative Grow Loft

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

I won't be getting to the Cloning Machine II processing. Just not feeling it! :wink:
5-In-1 Weather Station Remote Sensor 0001 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0076 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0077 04152021.jpg
Photo Day - Veg Day 18 (Post Flush Day 6):

*pics just prior to Lights On....extra Sleepy (abused sleepy!)*

These 2 in the front, this first pair of pictures, then the last pair of pictures, are doing the worst in my opinion. More droopy than all the others. Apologies for blurriness. I didn't know it was blurry until I brought it into MS Paint, after the fact. And even still, they're alive and growing...
Veg Day 18 0064 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0065 04152021.jpg
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Veg Day 18 0066 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0067 04152021.jpg
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Now, you'll remember, these two, but especially the one on the right had leaves that were practically Neon Green :winky: And, man, the one on the right is Thick!
Veg Day 18 0068 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0069 04152021.jpg
Continued...

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WHAB Vegetative Grow Loft

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

This one is from the first group I transplanted, the one I was sure was dead.
Veg Day 18 0070 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0071 04152021.jpg
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This is the other one in the front row I mentioned in the above post that's doing poorly - they're both alive and growing.
Veg Day 18 0072 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0073 04152021.jpg
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These are the 2 wee ones from the second transplant I was sure would die. Top image of them is in first (blurry) picture. They're doing much better than I thought they would.
Veg Day 18 0074 04152021.jpg
Veg Day 18 0075 04152021.jpg
I forgot to mention above that I pulled that tall plant, the one I had to trim the gunk off the roots when I had to perform the Emergency Flush, out of its outer bucket to trim the roots, to at least look and see if it needed to be trimmed. They don't need to be trimmed right now but, there are several exiting the bottom of the bucket AND they're bright, healthy white! :tup:

I am seeing what looks like a less example of what caused the Emergency Flush in the bottom of the buckets. Just slightly there. I am considering a basic flush and adding more H020. Just drain the Res, mix a new batch of Nutes including 2tbs of H020. Like I said, IF I have to do this to get these girls to finish then I will do it.

I want to have a Black hydro setup before I send these girls to Flower BUT, I'm not sure how I"m going to transfer THESE 2 gallon White buckets to THOSE 5 gallon Black buckets. Any suggestions are welcome. Can't get my head around it.

And then this!
Soilless Mix 0001 04152021.jpg
Just waiting on this...due in by end of day Saturday, April 17, 2021. :woohoo:
Pro-Mix HP 0001 04152021.jpg
A very successful grower and friend is guiding me through the next phase of growth above, mine and Cannabis! :winky: :tup:

:rollitiup:,
WHAB

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WHAB's Cloning Machine II ...

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

I spent hours yesterday (last night) working on the Cloning Machine II.

What a right PITA that was. Not the processing of the fastener holes, the drill press.

First, it's over here, in the dark (I brought a work light with me)...
Cloning Machine II 0066 04102021.jpg
There is NO power on this end of the garage. The usable outlet is on that back wall.

I had to pick it up (a floor standing drill press) (a Pillar Drill) over an arcing, sparking, smoking extension cord going out to an RV (not the one in my pictures, I put in a 50amp service in for that, a proper connection).

Then I had to drag this floor standing drill press across the garage nearer to the outlet on the far (back) wall.

All by myself, mind you. I got it done but, I felt it later on. Those things are heavy! :roflmao:

Then, after getting it to power, I started trying to set it up, I didn't know the rack-and-pinion table height adjuster is essentially broken.
Cloning Machine II 0067 04102021.jpg
I clamped it in place thinking that would at least make it usable for how I planned to use it. I was going to lower the table and sit the Cloning Machine II on it and move it around as I needed.

Nope.

Once I had it clamped in place I started cranking on the height adjusting handle (without the handle, of course! :roflmao:). The crank was turning but the table wasn't moving. The rack was moving independent of the table. I was moving the rack up and down with the table not moving a bit! I saw what I was doing and reversed things back to the starting point and made sure the rack was in its captured position. Great!
Cloning Machine II 0068 04102021.jpg
Now I can lower the table down. Nope. I moved the table sideways just a bit and the table fell down. I caught it. I wrestled it back in place where I could clamp it in place and see what now was the problem. The rack came out of the bottom capture ring :facepalm:. I lifted it back in place again and decided I wasn't going to be able to lower the table to a more comfortable, usable position. I got it all set up and ready to start slinging metal....I just happened to open the top cover where the belts are, knowing I'd have to set the spindle speed. I saw 2 large Dirt Dauber hovels. I knocked the off from where I was standing. I thought I better get a look at what was going on up there...there was all kinds of grass like someone had been using it as a nest but there weren't any eggs in it.
Cloning Machine II 0069 04102021.jpg
Then I went to change the belts to their new locations indicated by the setup chart, this belt here, that belt there. I don't know what went wrong but I unlocked the travel locks and moved the handle that should have allowed it to move back and forth. Nope. Not happening! :facepalm: :roflmao:

I got up there and lubricated all the moving parts and when I went to move the belts of course their old and cracked and barely held in place at all. I had to wrestle them too! :facepalm: :roflmao:

So, I'm still going to make this work. I set up to drill through one of the holes in my 1-2-3 block (I couldn't find a spot on the table I could drop the drill bit into and not drill the table) not fully realizing what it's going to take to hold that tank in place on top of that 1-2-3 blocks AND line up the drill bit AND bring the spindle down by myself :facepalm: :roflmao:

Still, gonna get this done. I had to set up to drill the holes on the left hand side of the tank, then the right hand side of the tank. It's at this point I decided I was probably better off drilling this thing by hand! :roflmao:

I did get all of the holes pilot drilled, step one in hole preparation. I wanted the aluminum angle up there clamped in place and pilot them both at the same time - it's the way it's done, so nothing moves from that point on. There was no way that was going to happen.

Except for wrestling that tank around by myself AND lining up the drill AND bringing the spindle down, piloting went well.
Cloning Machine II 0070 04102021.jpg
The bit got hot BUT, once it is and you dip it into the Boelube, it turns to liquid and finds a home on the bit...
Cloning Machine II 0071 04102021.jpg
Cloning Machine II 0072 04102021.jpg
I don't know if any of you knew this or not but, a sign that a hole is being drilled 90° to the piece being drilled (perpendicular) is the spiral cutting, the spiral tail.

Oh, I almost forgot. That spiral tail is still attached because the drill stopped cutting with the spindle still moving. I spent a good deal of time looking for a chuck key - nope! :facepalm: :roflmao:

I'm going to process the holes and the angles the rest of the way by hand. I don't believe I'll ever use that drill press again.

As soon as I got back to the 1924 Schoolhouse I spent about 2 hours trying to find replacement belts and a handle.
Cloning Machine II 0073 04102021.jpg
Nope - of course! :facepalm: :roflmao:

Next is today! :tup:

:smoke:,
WHAB

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WHAB Still Forming Grow Residence...

Post by WhiteHotAfterburner »

After I got my Second Moderna Vaccination I went shopping for things I knew I'd need.

I went to at least three different locations and nearly went back to one of them and decided it wasn't worth it!
Deep Water Culture 0001 04172021.jpg
I got H020 - 5 large bottles of 3% - for the current grow.
I got Flora Kleen® for the current and/or future grows.
I got Reflectix - for this current grow and for the future DWC or RDWC or Ebb&Gro grows - it's coming!
I got dark blue buckets and they 'may' be opaque enough but I could see the flashlight on my phone through it pressed right against the bucket, so I bought Reflectix for them as well, it couldn't hurt. Only one of the 3 places I went to had black buckets but they were $9+ :facepalm: I can get them for nearly 1/2 that at ULine.
I got 6 5 gallon buckets with lids - future DWC (possibly RDWC or Ebb&Gro).
I got 2 large cylindrical airstones - I'll get more. I got these for the reservoir in service now as oxygen deprivation being mentioned as one of the potential issues with my unhappy plants. Thank you!
I specifically asked the guy for 20 feet of opaque air line and didn't notice until I opened the bag on this end that he measure out and cut off 20 feet of clear :facepalm: He filled the bag and calculated the cost below the counter I was standing at. I couldn't see what he was doing. I didn't think at the time that I needed to :crazy:

I'm not really sure how clear air line can introduce algae into a grow. Maybe someone can clue me in? I know I read it somewhere but I don't understand it.

I got a cheap set of step-drills for working in the plastic, this grow and any future grow involving plastic.
I got a few 3/4 inch barbed T-fittings. IF I go RDWC or EBB&GRO I'll be using 3/4 inch tubing and fittings.
I got a yard stick and chicken wire in hopes of a brighter future! :crossesfingers:! :grin:

I tried to buy some 3/4 inch barbed bulkhead fittings and tubing but I couldn't find any suitable to the task.
Deep Water Culture 0003 04172021.jpg
Deep Water Culture 0002 04172021.jpg
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Now, first thing is to take the Cloning Machine II manifold outside while the Sun is still up and see how she does.

Then I'll get back to processing the holes for the Cloning Machine II.

Then I have to figure out why the space up in the loft is so much colder now. I think I am really going to have to decrease the cooling up there. There reverse as is typical - weird! All I did was vacuum out the intake screen (large grid screen) and a filter on the back side, a filter that is used for all of its functions whether heating or cooling.

Make it a great night! :tup:

:smoke:,
WHAB

mistergrafik

WHAB: Still Forming Woodworking Shop & Future Grow Resid

Post by mistergrafik »

Lookin’ good ! Got a bunch of stuff too that’s always fun.

Get er done WHAB

I think clear tubing will deteriorate faster. Algae has to do with iight but you say air tubing and such.. I know the feed lines can get backed up pretty badly being clear.. I would say no clear tubes anywhere just because.. the guy probably didn’t know what opaque meant... keep it simple tell him black or another color

Oldjoints

WHAB: Still Forming Woodworking Shop & Future Grow Residence

Post by Oldjoints »

.
Last edited by Oldjoints on Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

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