[TUTORIAL] carbon cloth scrubber

[Rashore]

Submitted By: RashoreSubmitted On: Today, 07:32 PMSubmitted In: Grow Room Tricks and Tips:Click here to go to tutorial

Quote

I hope the pics post with this, I'm not sure if it will work or not.

 

I didn’t want to deal with loose charcoal, so I decided to try a cloth scrubber. It cut a very stinky situation by 2/3. I made a second one, and it pretty much solved the smell entirely. This is the first time I’ve tried anything like this, so I will have to report back later on how long it lasts.

I used the filter packs instead of cut your own cloth because that is what the store I went to had. The package comes in a kit with a plastic screen and white clips, which I set aside for random veggie garden use. Time with running to the local chain hardware place and making the filter- about two hours. Cost- about 60 bucks for everything, priced in the heart of a high tax big city. The metal frame can be reused every time. I figure the microcloth and filters need replacing when they get dingy or if I want to flush the room. The carbon cloth will need the most frequent replacing, I will probably order a big sheet of that for future use.

 

 

 

Materials:

2 carbon filter kits

1 microcloth

1 roll velcro tape

electrical tape

1 roll small mesh hardware cloth, 36 inch wide- don't get 24 inch, it's too short.

1 4 inch to 3 inch duct reducer

1 4 inch duct end cap

1 cheap bathroom fan (not pictured)

 

Tools:

Tin or wire snips

Scissors

Workgloves and safety glasses: recommended, but optional.

 

 

 

 

Making the frame:

Wrap the hardware cloth around the 4 inch end of the reducer

Allow for a 1 inch overlap, and snip the edge of the screen where you will run your cut.

 

 

 

Make your cut:

Following the row where you made your marking snip, cut across the width of the hardware cloth. Set the cut piece aside, and wrap up the roll. Trust me, I tripped over the stupid wrapping wire when I was making the first one. CAUTION- the cut wires are really super sharp, and the stiffness of the cloth makes the edges stay close to your hand.

 

 

 

Taking down the cloth:

The cloth will form a roll as you cut it off the main piece. Use it that way.

Grip the small end of your reducer gently between your knees and adjust the cloth around the 4 inch end. Adjust all the way up the cloth to make it a straight tube. Using the electrical tape, tack the cloth down to the reducer. Wrap it around several times to help prevent slipping as you tape the rest of the tube.

 

 

 

Finished the taping:

Once you have finished the taping, fit the end cap into the other end of the roll and tape into place. You only need to wrap it once or twice, it’s just for support right now and will be undone later.

About 8-12 inches up from the reducer, wrap another couple times with tape. This one will stay in place, but be buried, it’s to prevent buckling in the middle.

 

 

 

The first layer:

This stuff is in little packages with the other filters. Microcloth, electrostatic cloth, whatever superfine cloth. This will possibly be reused several times before needing replacement.

Set the roll along the long edge of the cloth, overlapping the edge of the reducer by about an inch. Roll the fabric up over the tube, keeping the edges as straight and neat as possible.

 

 

 

Second layer:

Using the first of the filters out of the packs, overlap the edge of the filter with the roll. The overlap between the edge of the filter and the cloth should be 2-3 inches. Use the same overlap though out this process. Each filter wraps around the hardware cloth a bit more than once if done tightly.

 

 

 

Third layer:

Filter lapping onto first charcoal.

Roll it again.

 

 

 

Fourth layer:

First charcoal lapping onto second charcoal.

 

 

 

Fifth layer:

The last filter left.

Before you start rolling this one, make sure you have a bit of the velcro tape already unrolled.

 

 

 

Wrapping it up:

Very important- always place the velcro tape hook side down. It grips extremely well into the filter and locks into place all the way around. If you mis-lay the tape, just as easy to lift and place again. And it’s reusable time and again. Way better than tape. I got mine right after christmas on clearance, but you can find it in most hobby and fabric stores, and a lot of hardware stores.

Place the velcro tape over the edge of the filter, and wrap around tightly. Cut to fit. Repeat as necessary to truss it nicely. The first one took three bands, this one took five.

 

 

 

Done taping:

When you are done, the filter should look like this. Note how little the whole filter roll bulks out from the hardware cloth roll. If you look at the ends, you can see how the final filter barely overlaps, but does so completely.

 

 

 

Trimming:

Untape the end of the hardware cloth holding the cap in place, and remove the cap.

Using the tin snips again, cut off the excess mesh at the end of the filter roll. Trim along a row, just inside the loose end of the filters.

 

 

 

Cap it:

Once the excess mesh is cut off of the end, simply snug the end cap into place at the newly trimmed end of the scrubber. If you wish, you can carefully pull back the filters and wrap a few bands of tape around this end.

 

 

 

Yay, finished!

You have now made a sleek scrubber that can fit into a lot of locations! They are light enough that it can be hung easily from celings, walls, and rest easily on the floor. Clamp onto the end of a cheap bathroom box fan, clamp if desired, and place.