Mylar Hood !!!!!

[LEFTHAND]

well my grow is done.. and im cleaning and what not.. getting ready for the next grow pretty much.. fixing and changing..

im a new comer to mylar.. i was wondering if its been done, or any one would not/ would recomend using mylar as a hood.. the tube itself gets warm enough to feel "warmth" but thats at a 30 second hand on glass touch...

i have noticed my cool tube dosent spread the light out perfectly accross my tent.but more to the left tube.. im mounting my new mogual socket in the tube it allows me to move the socket forwards and backwards so this may help "center" the light. . so i figured of making a 35"L Hood out of PVC or wood and mylar and mounting my cool tube in it. and having the light go 360 degrees i could get it to go from the left tub to the right tub... anyone have an input..

I would be keeping the cool tube atleast an 1"-2" spaced from the mylar..
thank you ..
LH

 

[Growdude]

I would think it would melt or worse burn, I don't think mylar is flame retardant.

 

[LEFTHAND]

I would think it would melt or worse burn, I don't think mylar is flame retardant.

thank you.. this was more or less what i was going for.. wasnt sure if the mylar wouldnt melt or not even though the bulb would still be in the cool tube..
well that sux... better hear the word then burn my house lol..
my mogual socket places the bulb more in the center of the tube by quite a bit... but there is also about 3-4" socket behind??
thanx GD..
LH

 

[DonJones]

LEFTHAND,

One way would be to do just like ozzydiodude suggests and try a small piece of mylar on the tube so that if the mylar melts or burns it is a very small containable problem. edited by DonJones

My suggestion is to either mount the cool tube vertically where you want 360 degree radiation or get rid of it and replace it with a HOOD like the one mentioned in my signature block. The cool tube is not a reflector or hood, simply a way to cool the bulb. Why not make a reflector/hood that does both things -- direct the light to where you want it and cool the light?

Another option is to obtain a reflector resembling the inexpensive "Wings" and mount it above the cool tube. If you aren't familiar with what I'm referring to about a wing, check this link hxxp://www.insidesun.com/view_image.php?img=http://198.63.32.165/ftpimages/products/SLR190.jpg&border=1 (of course change the xx to tt) The image is attached below. It would be fairly simple to mount the reflector to your cool tube instead of to a socket. At insidesun.com that reflector is priced at under $28.00.


Another suggestion would be to fabricate the wing from either aluminum or galvanized valley roofing metal, set it and the cool tube up, let it run for a few hours and then check the temperature of the light side of the reflector and see how hot it gets. Once you are satisfied that it isn't obviously too hot, then you could try attaching a small piece of mylar to the inside of the reflector and see if it gets hot enough to cause problems. If it doesn't melt or burn, then line the entire reflector.

Of course if you're not real comfortable with these ideas or fabricating a reflector/hood, you could just purchase a ready made wing.

Congratulations on trying to find a way to better utilize your equipment.

Great smoking.

 

[ozzydiodude]

Here is a simple way. take a small peice of mylar(less than a 1/8" x 1/8" square) put it on your cool tube if it melts don't use it. If it don't melt cover the area on the cool tube and watch it for a few hours and see what it does.

 

[LEFTHAND]

LEFTHAND,

One way would be to do just like ozzydiodude suggests and try a small piece of mylar on the tube so that if the mylar melts or burns it is a very small containable problem. edited by DonJones

My suggestion is to either mount the cool tube vertically where you want 360 degree radiation or get rid of it and replace it with a HOOD like the one mentioned in my signature block. The cool tube is not a reflector or hood, simply a way to cool the bulb. Why not make a reflector/hood that does both things -- direct the light to where you want it and cool the light?

Another option is to obtain a reflector resembling the inexpensive "Wings" and mount it above the cool tube. If you aren't familiar with what I'm referring to about a wing, check this link hxxp://www.insidesun.com/view_image.php?img=http://198.63.32.165/ftpimages/products/SLR190.jpg&border=1 (of course change the xx to tt) The image is attached below. It would be fairly simple to mount the reflector to your cool tube instead of to a socket. At insidesun.com that reflector is priced at under $28.00.


Another suggestion would be to fabricate the wing from either aluminum or galvanized valley roofing metal, set it and the cool tube up, let it run for a few hours and then check the temperature of the light side of the reflector and see how hot it gets. Once you are satisfied that it isn't obviously too hot, then you could try attaching a small piece of mylar to the inside of the reflector and see if it gets hot enough to cause problems. If it doesn't melt or burn, then line the entire reflector.

Of course if you're not real comfortable with these ideas or fabricating a reflector/hood, you could just purchase a ready made wing.

Congratulations on trying to find a way to better utilize your equipment.

Great smoking.

Thanx.. i wasnt thinking of having the mylar touch the cool tube in any which way. just act as a "refelector" and let the cool tube keep the bulb. and tube cool...
the "reflector" would be spaced and mounted between the two..
.. i have my product drying in my tent right now. so til lthats out i cant hoock anyting up and run test.. week or so.. lol.. thank for the input.. everyone.. atleast im heading in some directiction.. i knew tubes were bad at reflecting or distributing light but i didnt think that bad..
just need a cheep easy way to modify me tube lol
LH

 

[DonJones]

I may be misunderstanding you, but do NOT put the mylar inside of the tube and if you are talking about putting the mylar between the tube and an external reflector, you are duplicating your efforts. If you have a relfector then you don't need the mylar and if you have a non-reflective or poorly reflective shield, then simply attach the mylar directly to the shield rather than trying to mount it independently. Mylar will not support itself and maintain its shape unless if its fastened to something rigid. There are high temperature spray adhesives, especially used in automotive industries, that will easily handle temperatures above the melting point of most plastics which you can use to attach the mylar to the shield.

Also, at the hydro shop today I saw cool tube setups where they had taken a piece of metal ducting the same size as the tube itself, split it lengthwise and mounted the ducting to the top outside of the cool tube by fastening it to the metal on both ends of the cool tube. You could paint the side of the ducting piece with a high temperature reflective paint of what ever type you choose. A lot of people here on the forum recommend flat white, but personally I just use aluminum foil with the shiny side towards the light.

Great smoking

 

[LEFTHAND]

I may be misunderstanding you, but do NOT put the mylar inside of the tube and if you are talking about putting the mylar between the tube and an external reflector, you are duplicating your efforts. If you have a relfector then you don't need the mylar and if you have a non-reflective or poorly reflective shield, then simply attach the mylar directly to the shield rather than trying to mount it independently. Mylar will not support itself and maintain its shape unless if its fastened to something rigid. There are high temperature spray adhesives, especially used in automotive industries, that will easily handle temperatures above the melting point of most plastics which you can use to attach the mylar to the shield.

Also, at the hydro shop today I saw cool tube setups where they had taken a piece of metal ducting the same size as the tube itself, split it lengthwise and mounted the ducting to the top outside of the cool tube by fastening it to the metal on both ends of the cool tube. You could paint the side of the ducting piece with a high temperature reflective paint of what ever type you choose. A lot of people here on the forum recommend flat white, but personally I just use aluminum foil with the shiny side towards the light.

Great smoking

Ello don.. no no im thinking of "building" a reflector.. to "reflect" the light coming from the cool tube itself.. i have a peice like you mentioned above.. that slides in.. an 2 stupid 2" "batwings" that came with it..i noticed it doesnt spread the light as well as i wanted or hoped..
i know there for "cooling" not reflecting but i figured if i made a reflector i could mount about my cool tube and have it shine 360 then i would be a few 100$ richer.. since reflectors are not cheap..
i know mylar wont hold itself up and all that jazz its, hehe, i was more or less wondering if it was 2" away if it would melt even due to the fact that the light is cool or cold from the tube..
but i think with the help from another lol.......ahahaha
that it can be done....
keep yall posted..
LH

 

[DonJones]

That $26 bat wing reflectorthat I pointed you yo is about a foot wide or wider so it should giue you a lot better and bigger foot print.

Personally, I think that mylar glued ot the inside of a reflector located 2" away from the outside of the cool tube would probably be fine, but I haven't tried it to see.

Please post some pictures of what you have now and what you decide ot use to improve it.

Great Smoking.

 

[PUFF MONKEY]

if you are using a cool tube with at least 180 cfm moving through it the mylar will not melt...i ran a 1000w in a cool tube with the same size fan and it barely got warm..

 

[LEFTHAND]

That $26 bat wing reflectorthat I pointed you yo is about a foot wide or wider so it should giue you a lot better and bigger foot print.

Personally, I think that mylar glued ot the inside of a reflector located 2" away from the outside of the cool tube would probably be fine, but I haven't tried it to see.

Please post some pictures of what you have now and what you decide ot use to improve it.

Great Smoking.

I have pics of my old set up in the grow journals... under Papaya and AI....
LH...
pics below are something i threw together this morning...

 

[LEFTHAND]

made a quick prototype of what i had in mind.. the size of the reflector will leave me 6" on either side on my tent... having mylar lined walled i think there will be no escape.... MUAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...
ran this for 1/2 hr no venting and the mylar did not burn nor melt....
its a go.. this will work...once i can hook the venting up and throw it in my tent i will have it right tight with the "reflector" shes a lil spaced for fire hazzard since its all flamable....
if anyone has any ideas input that may help me in supplies or shape plz throw them at me..
thank you for all your input all..
LH

 

[DonJones]

LH,

I think you've got it. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the fire issue, but that is just me. If you are worried about it, duplicate the cardboard piece out of light gauge sheet metal and then use high temp automotive adhesive to attach the mylar -- I use Permatex brand Spray Tack gasket adhesive my self when I'm worried about the temp issue but have also used Permatex all purpose spray adhesive in some 300F plus temperature applications without problems.

You've got it in hand. That set up is very close to the $26 bat wing setup, only it is made out of the hammered silvered aluminum stuff. In fact it looks very much like my T-5 reflector using cardboard and aluminum foil.

Congratulations.

Great smoking everyone!

 

[LEFTHAND]

LH,

I think you've got it. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the fire issue, but that is just me. If you are worried about it, duplicate the cardboard piece out of light gauge sheet metal and then use high temp automotive adhesive to attach the mylar -- I use Permatex brand Spray Tack gasket adhesive my self when I'm worried about the temp issue but have also used Permatex all purpose spray adhesive in some 300F plus temperature applications without problems.

You've got it in hand. That set up is very close to the $26 bat wing setup, only it is made out of the hammered silvered aluminum stuff. In fact it looks very much like my T-5 reflector using cardboard and aluminum foil.

Congratulations.

Great smoking everyone!

Cool thanx Don.. how long is that bat wing though?? 3ft?? thats how big that is.. yeah i was wondering about the sheet metal and abosobtion of heat... but i dont think thats gonna be a problem and would be my esiest and best bet to duplicate.. spray glue and a foam paint roller to roll out the mylar nice and smooth..
but for 26$ if that bat wing would stretch the light 2'wx4'L then that would probally be cheaper then the supplies to build lol..
thanx again..
LH

 

[LEFTHAND]

mylar is flamable, be very careful.

check out this guys $15 diy batwing hood hxxp://www.mjp.com/ic/showthread.php?t=14472

Sweet puffin..
that guys bat wing was pretty sweet..
but on the other hand.. the other reflector like the one i built.. to buddies long rectangular one.. well his just looks like crap..
i would only apply the mylar with a heart resistant glue...

My question is.. what is or will be the difference in the "foot print" between a Bat wing and lets say one like i have above??
im guessing not much...
thanx again guys..
LH

 

[leafminer]

Good job! Looks like this idea will work just fine. And totally low cost.

 

[LEFTHAND]

Good job! Looks like this idea will work just fine. And totally low cost.

Sweet deal miner...
low cost is what i like.and most others. lol.. cheap but done right.. is what im going for..
LH

 

[LEFTHAND]

Well good morning MP..
i have taken a few pics of the crappy bat wing i added too.. and the prototype of the reflector im thinking of buildin..
If all about possible could i have some personal opinions on how they both spread the light and which you think would get the job done better...
im thinking the prototype is the one..
if you arent fimilar on how my grow is set up im in hydro.. and i use 2 rubbermaid containers to grow in.. (ebb n flow ) so they take up the bottom of the tent.. on the boards and block you see.
once again thank you all for your help and input..
LH

 

[DonJones]

Lefthand,

I'm not sure which picture is "buddies" and which one is your "crappy" one, BUT personally, I prefer the cardboard one built out of the dimpled metal that it looks like was used in the DIY post you linked to. Incidentally, if the dimpled looking metal is the shiny reflector metal like in your first picture, I would think it foolish to paint it or attach mylar or anything else to the surface. That shiny dimpled metal is an expensive high end option in many good reflector hood setups and is considered state of the art.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that they are buying the shiny dimpled sheeting as inexpensively as the DIY article shows, but I could very well be wrong. I would sure like to find it that inexpensively.

I don't really remember exactly what the dimensions of the $26 bat wing are, but you could go to the site and contact the seller/manufacturer to find out.

I have never understood the purpose of the crease in the top of the baqt wing reflectors except to stiffen it up and let them use thinner material. I would prefer just a simple roof shape like is used in yours, possibly with an additional bend in the center of the flat top area so that the light on top is already started downward a little more than just hitting a flat surface. But your's is the same shape that many hoods costing several hundred dollars us with the addition of end panels to prevent light from "escaping" out the ends and to give a cleaner looking rectangular footprint.

Personally, I would just duplicate yours out of light sheet metal and if it isn't the shiny dimpled stuff, then paint it pure white -- either high gloss like most commercial units use or flat, which ever you choose to use. Whether you use "high temp"or standard paint is strictly up to you, but I don't think you will need to worry about the high temp stuff.

Any way you go, I think your getting a great grow area together.

Great smoking.

 

[LEFTHAND]

Lefthand,

I'm not sure which picture is "buddies" and which one is your "crappy" one, BUT personally, I prefer the cardboard one built out of the dimpled metal that it looks like was used in the DIY post you linked to. Incidentally, if the dimpled looking metal is the shiny reflector metal like in your first picture, I would think it foolish to paint it or attach mylar or anything else to the surface. That shiny dimpled metal is an expensive high end option in many good reflector hood setups and is considered state of the art.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that they are buying the shiny dimpled sheeting as inexpensively as the DIY article shows, but I could very well be wrong. I would sure like to find it that inexpensively.

I don't really remember exactly what the dimensions of the $26 bat wing are, but you could go to the site and contact the seller/manufacturer to find out.

I have never understood the purpose of the crease in the top of the baqt wing reflectors except to stiffen it up and let them use thinner material. I would prefer just a simple roof shape like is used in yours, possibly with an additional bend in the center of the flat top area so that the light on top is already started downward a little more than just hitting a flat surface. But your's is the same shape that many hoods costing several hundred dollars us with the addition of end panels to prevent light from "escaping" out the ends and to give a cleaner looking rectangular footprint.

Personally, I would just duplicate yours out of light sheet metal and if it isn't the shiny dimpled stuff, then paint it pure white -- either high gloss like most commercial units use or flat, which ever you choose to use. Whether you use "high temp"or standard paint is strictly up to you, but I don't think you will need to worry about the high temp stuff.

Any way you go, I think your getting a great grow area together.

Great smoking.

Hey Don.. thanx.
im basically just trying to get the bang for my buck.. i do notice a huge difference in how the light is directed down..
the "extentions" on the bat wing are peices that i cut off that reflector for my mother box....
just wanted to see if it made a diference.. and by the time i did it and what not there was a wk left till harvest.. so kinda was a lil slow on that..

i dont have shinny dimpled tin.. it probally wil lbe made from a light gauge peice of sheet metal.. i think i know what you mean by the xtra bend.. actually i know exactlly what you mean.. the reflector in the box have a ridge in the middle..
ive ran this the "prototype" all day so far venting and fans as normal.. nothing.. the hood shows no signz of warmth..
so thats good.. chances are im going to use spray glue.. and mylar.. all else fails i can pain the witch..
ant they were both my crappy reflectors lol... thanx again
LH