Gardeners’ Forum: “building a grow light stand”
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Posted by scott on Monday, February 9, 2009 8:26 PM ASTI am planning to build a 3 tier grow light stand. Does anyone have any suggestions and/or tips.
re: building a grow light stand
Posted by Amanda on Sunday, February 22, 2009 7:17 PM ASTI have seen many made by buying a 4 tier shelf and florescent lights. You attach the flouresent lights to the bottom of each shelf, then all the shelves have lights, with the exception of the very top one. You could buy lights in 3 or 4 foot sections. Many different types of shelves are available at places like sprawlmart, ikea, or crappy tire. (assuming you are Canadian)
re: building a grow light stand
Posted by Cherie on Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:07 PM ASTI first must comment that you are true Canadian Amanda, we use those same names for those stores. lol. Back to a shelving unit, we are planning on building one as well. This is would we have so far: We are using recycled light fixtures to reduce cost. They were discards from my husband's work place. They work but were replaced with no ones. Instead of having them thrown out we took them. Each will be fitted with a cord so it can be plugged in. The light fixtures are double 48 inch. We purchased Gro-Lux bulbs from Home Hardware, $6.99 each and Full Spectrum bulbs from Peavy Mart, $3.99 each. I have read that if you use one Gro-Lux and one Full Spectrum bulb it would work just fine. We will be starting the frame this weekend so I will keep you posted if you are interested.
re: building a grow light stand
Posted by scott on Monday, March 2, 2009 10:21 PM ASTCherie,, yes I would be very interested in your project. Interesting to hear where u got the bulbs and prices. One Gro Lux and one full spectrum I did not know that. Curious of the dimensions of your stand? Mine is going to be 3 tier 2 feet deep and 4 feet wide.
re: building a grow light stand
Posted by Cherie Storozinski on Friday, March 6, 2009 4:34 AM ASTThe light fixtures are 48" long and 9 1/2 inches wide. I bought the Gro Lux bulbs at Home Hardware for $6.99 each and the Full Spectrum ones at Peavy Mart (on sale) for $3.99 each. But I have seen them at Wal-Mart. The Full Spectrum ones state they are good for plants too. The stand is complete now and was only made a 2-tier. I have 4 light fixtures and we thought a 4 tier would be too high. We used 2X2's as the main frame. The finished frame is 48" high, 51"long and 12" wide. The center shelf was notched into the 2X2 side support. The frame used: 4 - 48" 2X2 (side supports, notched 1/2"X1 1/2" in the centre and bottom) 4 - 48" 2X2 (shelf supports that fit into notched side supports) 4 - 13" 2X2 (to fit into 1/2" notch) 4 - 12" 2X2 (supports for shelves) One each side support my husband put a 4" wide board. then only on the top, horizontally he placed a 4" board front and back. So we used: 6 - 4"X1" boards This was all spruce. The screws and wood cost about $30. My husband had some left over 1/2" plywood that he made shelves with. You could use 2X2's. For the light fixtures, he attached a metal strip on both ends of the fixture. The strip is the width of the stand, 12". Then on the both sides of the stand, on the outside, he drilled holes every inch that fit a bolt. The metal strip attached to the light rests on these bolts so adjusting the height is quite easy. You could use chain on the lights. Shelving tracking may work. He was trying to find our sons' Meccano but where it got stored away is a mystery. Even with the plywood shelves and 2 lights it is not that heavy. I can also take off the lights, move it outside and cover with plastic if I need a greenhouse. I think I would varnish it first. Hope this is helpful. Ask any questions if you can not understand my "directions".
re: building a grow light stand
Posted by Sue King on Monday, March 23, 2009 2:05 PM ADTI just put a grow table in my unheated basement on the weekend, but I bought the 48" long grow bulbs 2 yrs ago and the fixtures at Canadian Tire. I also went back out yesterday to Canadian Tire to buy Emergency Blankets in the Camping section, they were $3.59 each and are like foil. I have one on the table under the germinating trays with 2 heating mats. Then I stapled 4 more around the table from the rafters. The heat from the lights and mats are keeping them all cozy. I even saw signs of green this morning in one of the trays and only planted the seeds Friday and Saturday!
