WHAB’s 1924 Brick Schoolhouse RDWC

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

I made it by the 2AM feeding!

I thought I fired me from the time estimation team? Doesn’t my word mean anything around here!

Once I was ready to put the coil in to the nutrient solution, I first wrapped it with a 1 gallon Freezer bag, Zip-Tied as tight as I could get it. The Zip-Tie was tied around both refrigerant lines and both thermocouples. I imagine one is for low temp shut-off and one is high-temp shut-off.

There is an adjustment screw that was with the thermocouple that was with the coil in the Styrofoam. I put it back in with the coil.

There was another thermocouple within the foam wrap on the coil itself, in foam insulation AND that adhesive foam.

I Zip-Tied them to the refrigerant lines, separately. I kept them separate - not touching each other.

Then I wrapped that in a heavy duty bag I’m not sure where I got it from but I don’t throw things away just in case I may need something like that one day!

I filled it with air. It held.

Then I Zip-Tied that with 3 Zip-Ties. Each Zip-Tie buried in that foam, tied tight!

That rib you see in the barrel is the 40 gallon mark.

I made up 4 / 5 gallon batches of nutes. But I stopped on the 4th bucket so I didn’t put the nutrient level over the Zip-Ties. I put about 17 gallons in.

The top looks wet from my making a bit of a mess of it! I had to pour in the last of each 5 gallon batch of nutes. I was being very careful with pouring it in and still slopped a bit of it. The zip-ties were never submerged.

I was standing over it watching it send the nutes to the buckets up in the loft. The coil was out of the nutrient solution for about 3 minutes. It’s a pretty fast cycle. It’s set at 12 minutes total time. It fills up in about 5 minutes or so, then spends about another 5 minutes equalizing, then the Drain pump sends it back down to the Res.

I’m not sure if it really is 75F but I know I was regularly seeing 73F and sometimes 74F.

I knocked that display in the reservoir the other day and now I am skeptical!

I will have to watch the nute levels closely and not let it get too much below the 45 gallon or so mark, otherwise it will only be chilling air!

But, in those few minutes where the coil was not in the nutes on the Fill side I did reach down and feel the coil. It’s nicely chilled!

I’m going to keep an eye on the Temps as well and see IF I can find anything on that adjustment module. I mean, the temps can be one way and I move it and see which way the temps go and I’ll now what direction is which!

And, @Purple-N-Hairy … I’m curious about something and I’m wondering if you may be of help?

All the time I’ve been mixing the Mega Crop Parts A&B. I don’t care which way I do it, I can never get 100% mixture. There is always a little bit in the bucket that just won’t mix, won’t dissolve. It’s just a pinch but it won’t dissolve 100%.

Have you found that to be true? Are you experiencing the same thing, just a little bit refusing to dissolve?

With the 2 or so gallons I did not put in the Reservoir this batch, I mixed up another batch and put the 2 parts in a bucket for the next time I need to mix some up, just to see if it will dissolve 100% once it has a lot of time to soak.

Just a test…

Okay, now maybe rest? Maybe not?

That was a long day! Nearly 20 hours.

Good morning!

Make it a great day!

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Thank you, @Oldjoints for the DIY link. That was very helpful! I appreciate it!

And, thank you, @JoeCrowe for nudging me on the wrapping of the coil! I appreciate it!

,
WHAB

[Purple-N-Hairy]

@WhiteHotAfterburner

And, @Purple-N-Hairy … I’m curious about something and I’m wondering if you may be of help?

All the time I’ve been mixing the Mega Crop Parts A&B. I don’t care which way I do it, I can never get 100% mixture. There is always a little bit in the bucket that just won’t mix, won’t dissolve. It’s just a pinch but it won’t dissolve 100%.

Have you found that to be true? Are you experiencing the same thing, just a little bit refusing to dissolve?

I don’t mix by hand. I use one of two methods. If I’m adding less than 5 gallons of mixed nutes to a reservoir, I use my magnetic stirrer (photo below) with a 4000 mL Griffin beaker.

If I’m mixing 5 or more gallons to add to the reservoir, I use the pump and fittings that you see in the pic below and mix it all up in a 5 gallon bucket.

Whichever container I’m mixing in, I first add Cal-Mag Plus, then add the A and let it mix in thoroughly, then the B and let it mix in, then the B.E. I add the full amount of Cal-Mag and nutes I will need for my planned feeding amount to the 5 gallon bucket. In other words, even though I’m only mixing with 5 gallons of RO water, I can successfully add enough nutes for 40+ gallons. I dump the 5 gallons in the reservoir, then the balance of RO water.

[LilJonB]

Magnetic stirrer. Now that’s fancy. I wouldn’t mind one of those.
I always have a little bit in the bottom of my buckets as well. I like to premix then dump it into my reservoir leaving the back end of the mix in the bottom of the mixing bucket.

[Purple-N-Hairy]

I bought it for making RSO (which is why it has the heating option), but found it’s a super-convenient way to mix up my nutes, too. You can see my first batch of RSO (using this mixer) sitting on top in the syringes.

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Hi @Purple-N-Hairy! Thank you for responding!

With your mixing techniques there is no undissolved materials when you are done mixing? It is 100% mixed.

I had a thought that it might be “inert” materials used in their processes. Like when you read a “Contents” list on a product there might be a substance not in the product per se but is something used in the making of it.

I have not seen a Cal/Mag deficiency.

When do you start using Bud Explosion?

Thank you, again, friend!

,
WHAB

[Purple-N-Hairy]

@WhiteHotAfterburner

With your mixing techniques there is no undissolved materials when you are done mixing? It is 100% mixed.

You can see inside the reservoir. Does it look 100% mixed to you? It does to me, but to be honest, I don’t want to say “100%” because, as they say - results might vary.

@WhiteHotAfterburner

When do you start using Bud Explosion?

When I put them into 12/12. The rate to begin flowering is 1 tsp/gallon, and increases to 1.5 tsp/gallon after a few weeks - when the buds really start packing it on.

@WhiteHotAfterburner

Thank you, again, friend!

You’re very welcome. Any time!

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Yes, it ‘looks’ to be 100% mixed. There may have been some in the corners not visible in a picture, possibly. Thank you.

Okay on the BE. I’ll start using.

I just looked at my test and it has settled in the bottom of the bucket but doesn’t look to have dissolved on its own.

And, to be clear, when I said I mixed it thoroughly many different ways, most often that way has been 10 timed minutes using a paint mixer on an electric drill. Always a small pinch left behind. Puzzling.

, I appreciate that!

I ‘think’ my Fill pump failed…gotta run, feeding in 8 minutes!

Edit Add: Yes, my Fill pump failed. It’s blazing hot but not pumping a drop! It looks to be a “brushed” motor. I’m gong to see if it is the brushes - once it cools down!

I installed the Fill pump that came with the Go Hydro Ebb & Flow Controller.

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Well, I don’t believe it the is brushes. They look to have more than enough graphite remaining.

IF it was brushes, I can’t seem to find any replacement brushes. I find Impeller repair kits but no brushes.

I put it back together and plugged it in. All it did was buzz - it was not buzzing when I removed it from the Reservoir.

I’m going to dig deeper in to it. Maybe it is an impeller problem. IF not that, I’ll dig deeper.

Mega Crop Parts A&B Test #2: I found it like this…which, btw, looks like some has dissolved on its own. The particles looks to be smaller.

After 1 quick mix - less than a minute - with the paint mixer and electric drill.

Going to let it settle then see how it looks.

It is mixing much better but, I still see undissolved particles.

Edit Add: For those curious - this was after about 20 hours.

Also, the Girls are feeding again!

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

On a friends recommendation I tried to test the Mega Crop Parts A&B in hot water.

Same amount of Parts A&B - 20 grams each.

1 bucket of very hot water (not boiling) - apprx. 140F (that’s what the indicator says on the tank-less water heater).

As soon as I poured the parts in I could already see a difference. It looked to dissolve on its own, to a point.

Hot water mix on the left, cold water mix on the right.

Then I put the mixer to it and it looks to be thoroughly dissolved. I couldn’t give it the same 20 hours I gave the previous as it would no longer be hot water

Going to let it rest/settle for a bit.

I just looked after just a few minutes and this is where it is at.

It is gathered up in the middle like the previous.

I’m going to try finishing mixing while it is still hot (warm) to see how that goes.

,
WHAB

[JoeCrowe]

Hey, has the blackness of the buckets stopped the growth of the algae?

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Hi @JoeCrowe

I don’t know what is in these Black buckets. I haven’t taken them out of the buckets since the rebuild and I put the Girls in them.

I do see evidence of what I saw in the White outer buckets in this Reservoir, just what I could only call residue of algae.

But, it should be remembered that I put the White inner buckets, that did have algae, in to the Black buckets in there now. I would not be surprised if algae came with these plants and the old inner buckets. I actually expected it.

The next run will be the true test, when I’ll be using Black 5 gallon netpots and Black buckets and Black air lines from start to finish - after I bleach the system after this run.

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

These tests have had some 13 hours to settle.

What was hot water on the left, cold on the right.

The hot water test looks to have much smaller (finer) particles resting in the bottom of the bucket while the cold water test has larger particles.

So, there does seem to be some benefit to mixing it hot.

But, this now has me wondering what I have been mixing and putting in the Reservoir would look like if given time to settle.

I’m going to test that with the next batch I have to make, after I complete these 2 batches from these tests.

What settles in the previous batches that were not given time to settle before I put it in the Reservoir?

Also, I just noticed there is liquid in the outer bag I put the Water Cooler coil in. I don’t know yet if the inner bag is involved.

It looks like spray-on plastic is in my future.

Also of note is that I have not seen a drop in temperature in the Reservoir. Not even 1°F.

I have not tried adjusting the temperature with the adjustment screw. Will try now.

However, it looks like a water chiller is in my future!

That does not mean this was a total waste of time and effort. I have been pondering making Cloning Machine II recirculating to keep the temps in there at bay. A smaller reservoir will likely see better results from this mod.

Keep it Green!

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

@WhiteHotAfterburner

Also of note is that I have not seen a drop in temperature in the Reservoir. Not even 1°F.

I have not tried adjusting the temperature with the adjustment screw. Will try now.

As soon as I say that…there was a noticeable change. A significant change. What looks to be a 3°F drop.

It was running at 76°F according to this temperature gauge that I dunked in the Res

I had not looked at it until just now when I went to adjust it based on what I saw over the time I first set it up and last night.

I did adjust it to the left. There was only about 1/8th of a turn to the left. I’m assuming left would make it cooler. I turned it to the right just to see how much movement was there from where it was. There is about 3/4 of a turn there.

Each time I was moving it back and forth I could hear the mechanism click on or off, whichever that was…I don’t know.

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Just adding cold water to the Mega Crop Parts A&B cold water test bucket mixed the nutrients.

Just adding hot water to the Mega Crop Parts A&B hot water test did not mix the nutrients.

Hot on left, cold on right.

After putting the paint mixer to it in 1 timed minute.

And it looks like the cold mix did better.

After letting them rest/settle for a few/several minutes (several minutes waiting on phone to transmit to PC), the hot water test looks to have particles settling in the bottom, the cold does not look to.

Will let is settle several more minutes.

I am a little puzzled that the cold water test better mixed the components than the hot water test. I expected the hot test to better mix the components.

If there is no dramatic change then next time I see them I’m not going to comment any more on the test. I’m going to give it several minutes with the paint mixer, cover them up to prevent anything flying/floating from getting in the buckets and use when needed.

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Hey @LilJonB, I’m about to go take some cuts off the Girls.

It made me wonder IF there was a “headlamp” with green bulbs or lenses.

It turns out Vivosun sells one specific to Indoor Cultivation - $8.99.

• This hands-free headlamp for indoor horticulture emits a bright green light beam that doesn’t affect your plants while you check up on them

Amazon.com : VIVOSUN 19-Bulb High Intensity LED Green Light Grow Room Headlight...

I’m going to buy this one…it has white light that will be handy around this place besides indoor gardening - $27.99. This one is also Rechargeable, the above is not.

Amazon.com: BORUIT RJ-3000 Rechargeabe LED Headlamp 5000 Lumens with Green...

,
WHAB

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

It looks I ‘might be’ wrong about needing a chiller soon. Initial response.

I turned that adjustment screw all the way to the right and it has dropped the temperature. By a good bit, relatively speaking.

Outdoor temperatures were cooler yesterday than what it was the day before yesterday when I got the 76°F reading. Temps at my desk that day were 86°F.

As stated, this is initial. Lets’ see where it is later today and then when outdoor temps increase. Temperatures look to be increase on or about June 4th, above 78°F, then consistently that temp or higher for the subsequent several days.

BUT, IF it is as great a reduction in temperature as is presently indicated that’s AWESOME!

I did not take clones.

The last cuts I took I didn’t put them straight in to water. Some of them were limp and droopy by the time I got them in to their pucks and Cloning Machine II.

Since I have to climb up and then climb down the Modified Ship’s Ladder to get to the clone-cuttin’ place , it would be difficult to transport (juggle) water in 3 cups up there then back down so I grabbed a cereal box (something I keep around to make scaled down prototypes out of) and made a 3 cup (3 strains this time) basket.

When I take the cuts I’m going to try this and see how it goes, the Clone Carrier I

Taking clones was sidelined by something even more important to me. I know, I know!

Preparing for Memorial Day

Where I used to live I made Flag Clamps. Clamps that pinched on the cloth without puncturing it.

It worked great there. There was a second story deck I used to hang it on some screws I put there for that purpose.

It worked even better as a method of storage. Still on display but not outdoors. It stored well here, too.

But, getting it up there was not easy. The eave is about 12 feet off the “flower” bed. It required getting up on a tall ladder twice, for each corner. Then 2 more trips up and down the tall ladder to take it down after displaying

I had to make it easier and safer.

My background also included machining, among other trades I am proficient at. In machining we use Toe Clamps on Step Blocks. You put the toe clamp at an elevation just above the material on the step blocks and the very tip, the toe, clamps down on the material your holding.

I made a Toe Clamp sort of thing for .

I had to modify Flag Mount I, I didn’t account for a seam in at the right end of the Canton. It was preventing the Flag Clamp from tightening securely on the surrounding material allowing it to sag ‘just a bit’. I removed that much of it.

It holds across its entire length without puncturing

This worked great! It still required 1 trip up and down the tall ladder twice. I could hook the far end from the ground and walk the other end up the ladder to hook it.

I devised a method to get up to the hooks on the eave completely from the ground.

It’s been on my to-do list for a good while. I had everything I needed to get it done except for a time crunch. That time crunch was today! I used a filter bag hanger I took off the Delta Dust Collector I modified and was no longer using - but, of course it couldn’t be thrown away or scrapped!

I just finished the tool that will let me mount and dismount entirely from the ground.

I drilled a hole in the Flag Mount to receive the manufactured hook in the filter bag hanger.

I epoxied it in place in a closet rod I bought for the purpose. When I bought the closet rod I figured I’d have to cut off a good portion of it because I thought it would surely be too long.

I got that one wrong, too! I tested it before I epoxied it and I would cut off what needed to be cut off. There ‘might be’ about 12 inches of excess closet rod, IF that.

Next is the “night light”. Our must be lighted IF displayed outdoors after dusk.

The problem here is that I just had it weakly wedged in a piece of plywood above the window AND it doesn’t point exactly where I would like it to - the Canton.

I still have to make a plate that I’ll attach to the outdoor light and position it where it will best shine on Canton. Probably attached somewhere along the eave back-lighting the Canton from above and leave it there and only have to plug it in on days!

The light…it is a purpose built outdoor light with a dusk-to-dawn sensor.

Material I have saved back to one day use it for something… the removable side of an old computer I had. That’ll make a great mounting plate for the light.

An early recognition of Memorial Day!

It Is The Warfighter

It is the Warfighter, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Warfighter, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of press.

It is the Warfighter, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Warfighter, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Warfighter, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Warfighter, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Warfighter who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

WHAB’s adaptation of Charles M. Province poem.

Good morning!

Make it a great day!

,
WHAB

[Bostonbud]

Happy Memorial Day to you my friend.

[WhiteHotAfterburner]

Thank you, brother!

For all those who have sacrificed, Thank You!

,
WHAB

[JoeCrowe]

70F is an excellent temperature, I might add. No chance of fungus at that temp!