Reflector question

[guerrillase7en]

ok, i've got 2 - 27watt compact floros in my 2X2X2 foot seedling/clone box here are 2 ideas i've came up with for a reflector.

1: Mirrors covering the top and sides of growbox. i can get cheap 1sq foot mirrors for like 3 or 4 for $5 at the local dollor store.

2: This seems like it would be the best and cheapest, take an empty coke can(cleaned out). Cut the top off and about 90* of an opening on one side then just slid it over my bulb, my consern here is, will the ballest/light get to hot with the can slipped over it?

Well what do you guys think is my best option? any other ideas are welcome too

[Sureshot]

Forget the mirrors, they don't actually reflect light well (odd as that may seem). Paint everything flat white and keep it clean, cheap and easy.

Coke can reflectors sound like a good plan though. Try and get a picture/guide to building them if they work out well. I'm sure it will be useful for the new, small scale stealth growers and seed/clone boxers as well.

Continued good luck. Sounds like your having fun, that's what we like to hear, enjoy your gardening!!



SS

[MacGyver(BB)]

Rolls of thin sheet aluminum can be obtained at Home Depot for about $5 - $15. More than enough to make a nice reflector. Wear gloves when working with that stuff, it can give a nasty cut.

Here is a common design for a reflector. Two half circles of sheet metal. The red dots are where the bolts would go through. By bolting the outside of the semi-circles coser than the insides, you make a cone shape. This can be mounted with a bracket, to attatch to your socket & bulb. Ble dots are where the bracket would attactch to the main reflector

With hommade reflectors, I suggest taping the edges with duct tape to avoid cuts

Good luck

[guerrillase7en]

yeap loads of fun, just wish i had a digi cam to get you guys some pics. Anyway i guess i'll try to coke can idea it seems fairly easy, i'm not sure if i've ever herd of anyone doing it so if nothing bad comes from it i'll post a littel tutorial or whatever for evryone here:-D how can mirrors not reflect light? isn't that what a mirror is for, to reflect things?

[mr_greenman]

hey budbruther, is that drawing for a vertical reflector?it looks like one.

[flyboyscott68]

A mirror dosen't reflect light , just image. If yuo break the mirror you can see that the back is black. Black absorbs light, white reflects light. A mirror is just a piece of glass with the back painted black. Tinfiol isn't really good either because it stays bent and reflects the light into spots. White is the best, Some people say mylar is , but I think that white is best. Titanium white if you can get it, if not just flat white.

[Pothead17841]

The reason mirror isn't good is because glass will absorb light (and also refract it) Mirrors are basically mylar type material glued to the back of the glass as someone else mentioned. And since the light would have to travel through the glass 2 times it makes it even worse.

[guerrillase7en]

<a name="cheapcfref"></a>ok, i don't have it painted yet but i made my reflector and if anyone else wants to use it here's how i did it...

Take a soda can and cut the top off about the size of your ballast just takeing the top off iwth a can opener wasn't the right size for mine i cut right below the lip with some sissors, it's ok if your cut is a littel jagged just make sure not to cut yourself.

Now cut the side from the 2 points marked on this image.

Cut out about a 90° section. Make a cut about 2 inches or so farther around the can on each side, now bend these flaps back a littel to make it reflect the light down insted of back to the light. Cut out the bottem of the can, for a littel more ventalation with a few tries a can opener worked good here. Stab a small hole neat the bottom on the opposite side to the one you cut the rectangle from.

Slid your bulb in the cut on the side, and poke the side that screws in the light socet out the top of the can. The can's small jaggs where you cut it should stab and lock in at the point indacated on the folowing image.

Put the bulb in the socket.

Tie a string or whatever on the end of the reflector you pocked the small hole in, and the other end of the string around the light socket. Now just tie another string onto this string and tie it to a tack or whatever to the top of your grow box to adjust hight.



Sorry i don't have a digi cam to make better pics but mabye if someone with one uses this they could give us some pics...

enjoy

[Sureshot]

Getting creative. All good stuff!

How does it go?



SS

[guerrillase7en]

seems to work good.

you might want to get some epoxy or high temp glue to help hold the reflector to the light....