Sure you can build one. I went over to my father-in-law's house today to cut lumber for my stand. A lot of people use those wire storage racks, often found in kitchens or garages. It just needs to be 4 ft wide.

Four-foot fluorescent shop lights that use 2 T-8 bulbs are around $20. To build a stand you just need some 2x4's, or probably just 2x2's for a small stand, and some wood glue and self-drilling deck screws.

I'll try to explain how I'm building mine(82 ft tall, 54 inches wide and 2 ft. deep). It's probably much larger than what you have in mind, but you can apply the design. Start out with how many lights you want. The shop lights are 4 ft. long and only about 6 inches wide depending on the brand you buy. A stand with two shelves that could hold two shoplights on each shelf wouldn't be too tough to build and wouldn't have to be too strong. The shelf dimensions would be something like 16 or 18 inches wide and 54 inches wide?

Hope you can visualize my design. For the sides, right and left, of the stand I used 2x4's and connected them with 2 ft. long 2x4 pieces(visualize a ladder, except the rungs overlap the vertical pieces, which they are drilled into). I determined the location of the small 2 ft. pieces by the location and height of my shelves. I'm actually using two rungs fairly close together, one which will hold my shelves(permanent) and one which hold my lights that hang down.

After building the left and right sides or ladder structures, connect them by laying pieces of wood, 2x2's, the width of your shelves(54 inches?), on the rungs used on the side pieces. I'm laying thin plywood(my shelves) over the cross pieces that connected the sides. These cross pieces are to be glued and drilled into the 2x4 side pieces. The other rungs, about two inches below, will hold 2x2 or 2x4 pieces that can slide in and out on which I will hang my fluorescent lights.

After the bottom shelf I went up 26 inches to my next shelf. The space for the 2 rung pieces, one permanent holding the shelves and one removable holding the 2X4's on which the lights are mounted, and the distance from the top of the shoplights to the bottom of the bulbs left me with 15 or 16 inches of growing space(plenty of extra space for my tomatoes, even enough to pot some up into gallon jugs.

Hope you could understand this and it helps. Pull out some paper and pencil and play around with measurements, etc. I had some leftover lumber around and the shoplights, but bought some 2x4's, glue and deck screws. In all, I spent about $40.

Good luck,

Pete

Thanks so much! I'm pretty sure I understand. But did you mean 82 inches tall?

Yep,

I'm making mine 82 inches tall, but I'm making mine with 3 shelves. With only 2 shelves it would only need to be 55 or so inches tall.
One other thing. I would recommend pre-drilling the screw holes to avoid any possible splits in the wood. Use a drill bit roughly half the size of the screws you are using.

Good luck,

Pete

Hi Bob,

In the January-February 1999 issue of Fine Gardening there was an article and plans for building a seed starting rack from 2x2's. I built a stand from those plans several (8? 9?) years ago and have enjoyed it a great deal. I have had it against the wall in my dining room and have grown literally thousands of transplants on it. I get the use of all 4 shelves because I have a pair of flourecent lights hanging from the ceiling above it too.

I've linked to the online article below. (Isn't the internet a wonderous thing! Now I can save the article to my computer and not have to worry about losing that old tattered magazine. Might even toss it . . . nope, not that rash.)

My lights are all on power strips that are plugged into a timer and then I have my clip on fans on another power stip that is attached to a timer on one of the main power strips. That way my lights come on and go off at the times I set and I have the fans set to run for 30 minutes every two hours and they only do that when the lights are on.

If I am not using a shelf, I just unplug its lights and fans from the power strips, or shut off the power strip if it isn't connected to anything on a shelf with seeds or plants.

Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Starting Stand Plans

Hi Bob,

In the January-February 1999 issue of Fine Gardening there was an article and plans for building a seed starting rack from 2x2's. I built a stand from those plans several (8? 9?) years ago and have enjoyed it a great deal. I have had it against the wall in my dining room and have grown literally thousands of transplants on it. I get the use of all 4 shelves because I have a pair of flourecent lights hanging from the ceiling above it too.

I've linked to the online article below. (Isn't the internet a wonderous thing! Now I can save the article to my computer and not have to worry about losing that old tattered magazine. Might even toss it . . . nope, not that rash.)

My lights are all on power strips that are plugged into a timer and then I have my clip on fans on another power stip that is attached to a timer on one of the main power strips. That way my lights come on and go off at the times I set and I have the fans set to run for 30 minutes every two hours and they only do that when the lights are on.

If I am not using a shelf, I just unplug its lights and fans from the power strips, or shut off the power strip if it isn't connected to anything on a shelf with seeds or plants.

Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Starting Stand Plans

I have no idea how the same post got put up twice, went to look at the next post, and it was mine. I did NOT submit that twice, especially more than an hour apart. Very weird, especially since it would not allow me to post again, it said I had to change the subject line.

How odd.

Betsy

try the Jan 2011 issue of organic gardening

Visit the Growing under Lights forum. This thread shows many setups.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post Your Grow Light Setup

If you don't feel comfortable building a shelf yourself, you could do what I did. I made myself a fluorescent light stand, from a 4-shelf chrome steel shelving unit (48 inches long, 18 inches wide, 84 inches tall, with wheels) with the wire shelves. From the top 2 shelves I hung 4-light high output T5 fixtures, the 3rd shelf down I hung 2 2-light shop fixtures. All the lights are on timers. Originally I used all shop fixtures (I was able to get them cheap) but switched to the T5 when I needed more light.

You can also overdrive fluorescents instead of buying the overpriced HOs if you are a DIY kinda person. Once again see the Growing under Lights forum.

How do you overdrive fluorescents? And what are HOs? Sorry I don't know so little about growing plants under fluorescents.

Just a few added features that I have found important.
1. Make the length slightly over 4 ft. so that the standard shoplights can be easily raised and lowered within the framework of the stand.

2. drape chains over the long ends that will allow you to daily raise and lower each light. I use a finishing nail in ends of a 4 ft dollrod and have each light chained to these dollrods. The finishing nails can easily slip in and out of the draped chains to raise or lower the lights.

3. Allow enough room of each shelf of the stand height to achieve the 6-8 week plant growth that you expect. I allow 2 ft between shelves so that when the lights are fully raised to the underside of the higher shelf there isreasonable light coverage of 12-14" tall seedlings.

I'm going to do what Cybrczch suggested this year (for growing seedlings): buy a cheap wire shelving unit (I bought one with four shelves at WalMart a month ago for around $20 or less) and a couple of shop lights, then simply affix the shop lights to the top of two shelves, with my plants on trays underneath this. It would probably cost around $60 or maybe less depending on whether you can find stuff on sale cheap or second hand.

How do you overdrive fluorescents? And what are HOs? Sorry I don't know so little about growing plants under fluorescents.

This is off topic for this forum but overdriving fluorescents drives the bulbs with around 170% of the power using ballasts rated for more watts/bulbs. HO's are High Output which is basically the same as overdriving. Visit the proper forum for more info. Here's a link to the overdriving thread.
I have found the BEST cheap flourescent ballast/fixture - cont'd.
Consequently the thread has reached it's limit so if you need to ask a question on the subject post a new thread in the forum. Below is a link to the forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing under Lights

you might prefer the look or the satisfaction of a DIY solution, but I bought two of the "professional-grade" wire racks that they sell in many big-box home stores (like a bigger version of this: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13604266&RN=538).

The open shelf makes it easy to jerry-rig lights to the underside, and i can use the shelves for other things during the summer and fall.

One advantage of most wire rack shelving units is the shelf positions are adjustable, letting you make gross adjustments by moving the whole shelf. For fine adjustments raise or lower the individual pans by placing objects like bricks or pieces of wood under them.
One way to increase the efficiency and make the plant growing stands self heating is to cover the whole setup with one or more of these aluminized mylar emergency space blankets or aluminum foil. They will direct otherwise wasted light back at the plants, plus keep the heat in. You can open them up if it gets too hot inside. I keep a thermometer in there to make sure it doesn't get too hot. I run a setup using 14 32 watt 4 foot long T8 daylight fluorescent bulbs and it can get up over 90 degrees inside if I leave the space blankets closed on all four sides and the top.

I used the emergency stack method. My lighting is incredibly fragile, but they'll be out in the garden soon enough.

I switched to using cfl lamps in a "Y" socket. Still low wattage but MUCH higher lumens output than typical shop lamps. I built the cabinet before doing that so now I would give more space between them because the light bar takes more space.

The row on the bottom is only a "holding" area where I can put extras. Since it's cooler I can also slow growth some if needed.

The top is seedling germination. There is a heat mat there but the heat rising from the middle row also keeps them warmer.

I just use cheap metal shelves, with 3-shelf units I have the bottom 2 for the plants and 4' fluorescent fixtures attached under the 2nd and top shelves. The posts have holes all the way up and down so I can space them how I like. Equally spaced I get about 11" of plant height between shelves. Two of the 10x20" flats fit on each shelf, and hang off a little on each end since the shelves are not actually 48" wide. It's easy and cheap to set up, and I can fit them in a small amount of space in a bedroom or closet.

But if you have a lot of room the homemade ones are really nice and accomodate a lot of flats. Cool set-ups!

Betsy,

In those plans, how are the shelves bolted to the uprights?
The "instructions" can't really call it plans, just a list of wood lengths and a diagram, say the carriage bolts are used to bolt them together, but that doesn't seem possible, as they wouldn't thread into wood.
I was calculating up the parts and found this ambiguity. I've already located walmart 48" 2 T-8 shoplights as low as 9.97. I was looking to build something from pvc, which is cheap, but the price of the fittings, which I can't find locally, for a unit with only 2 shelves ends up in the $20-40 range. Cheapest premade shelves I've found so far are a little small, and still $25, the wood for these plans looks to be cheaper, better looking, and more useful.
I may play with the dimensions, shorten it down to just over 4' for example, would save money and fit a shop light better, but the carriage bolts sitting loose in the ends of the shelves is throwing me. For the needed 16 8' 2x2s for the plan, price at home depot would be $23.68

Thank you so much everyone!

I bought a couple of the cheapest 4 foot double bulb t12 flourescent work light at home depot just a few days ago. They were designed to be hung from chains from the ceiling. Since i didnt feel like putting anchors through the plaster ceiling in my kitchen/dining room area i devised a better method.

I had some spare pieces of composite decking material in my garage and i cut them down into 8 inch pieces. I then pre-drilled a couple holes in each piece and then used some panhead metal tapping screws to screw into the sides of the fixture, while being careful not to screw into any of the internal wiring. The bottoms of the t-12 bulbs are hovering above the counter at 5 inches above. Right now i believe this height is perfect for the newly sprung seedlings. I can raise the height using blocks of wood under the upright decking pieces if need be.

Here is a coupke pics.

Had no to make some notches on one side for the power cord to go through.
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Added some aluminum foil to the countertop, wall behind fixture and a strip hanging from the front to add reflectvivity back towards the plant to increase efficiency.

Jim

P.S. Lots of possibilities with different materials. Happy building and growing!

What's with all that foil? Is that necessary or a "luxury"? I have a $20 3-shelf unit that I thought I would use with lights suspended from the 2 upper shelves. (I'm not going to propagate too many plants.) I just don't know what to ask for at Lowe's.

"Two shop lights and fluorescent bulbs"? What wattage, etc. for the bulb specs - can someone give me the lingo I should use to explain to the folks at Lowe's? Oh, and I have some bulbs (for other reasons) which are "Ottlite" High Definition Natural Lighting bulbs. Would these also work as the correct type of light required?

P.S. This makes my hair hurt! :)
P.P.S. Some of you have some awesome set-ups! I am envious.

Last year I posted pictures of my 14 fluorescent tube, seven tubes per shelf seed starting setup. Well I added seven more tubes so now have a 21 tube, seven tubes per shelf setup. I pack seven strip light fixtures as close as I can per a shelf so my tubes end up being on 3.5 inch centers so the ceiling of each shelf is a continuous wall of light. Each fixture has its own power cord so I can turn on as many or little as I want just by plugging them in or disconnecting them. I also use seven outlet power strips with a switch if I want to turn the lights on or off on a whole shelf. Each daylight deluxe bulb puts out 2750 lumens so with all them turned on I am putting out 57750 lumens. I use 6400 K bulbs with a life expectancy of 30,000 hours, almost as much as some LEDs.
I cover the whole setup with reflective emergency blankets that reflect otherwise wasted light back at the plants, plus they keep the heat and humidity in. In fact the temperature easily goes above 90 degrees F if I keep the blanked completely closed up, so I have to adjust the temp by opening and closing flaps.
The shelves are a commercial epoxy coated wire rack with shelves 54 inches wide and 24 inches deep. Epoxy coated wire racks are better than chrome plated racks which usually end up rusting if used for growing plants.
I put a thick rubber mat on each shelf for insulation and to prevent spills on one shelf from leaking to a shelf below.
I can adjust the distance from the lights to the plants three ways. I can move the whole shelf up or down as they are adjustable. The lights are hung by long threaded eyebolts that I can use to raise or lower the light fixtures. And last I can put pieces of wood under individual plants to raise just that one.
I plant my seeds ten to a shoebox sized clear plastic container, and can fit 12 containers per shelf, so right now I can raise 360 seedlings at a time, each having a lot of space to itself.

I would not say my setup was cheap, I've got almost $250 in it but it was a slick idea I got from Raybo, and Mama says it has to be pleasing to the eye since it is inside the house.

Tom

I find this thread and pics very interesting!

I made my first stand many years ago for my wife's African Violets, and I've built and re-designed several since then, but always used the tubes.

@Mulio- never thought of your novel solution. Do you use 13 watt CFL? That would be about 11,000 to 12,000 lumens + more even light distribution. Very clever!

-WC2K8

Two years ago, I grew tired of the stand I was using. I have a finished basement with a suspended ceiling. We rarely use the basement - its become a big storage area for all the stuff my kids left behind when they graduated from college.
There are fluorescent light panels in the ceiling. Each fluorescent bulb is 4 feet long. My husband removed the plastic cover on the light panels so that the fluorescent lights were in view. We bought some chain and plastic shelving material that was 54 inches long and 24 inches deep - the epoxy coated variety. We put two hooks on each end of the metal crosspiece at each end of the fluorescent light. We then hooked the chains to the shelf and hung them on the hook. Viola - my new light "stand"!
The downside is you actually do have to stand on a small ladder to tend to the seedlings...although I usually just take the seedlings down and tend to them at the sink in my basement laundry room. The other down side is your daughter may refer to you as "crazy tomato lady" when she comes to visit and sees all those plants hanging from the ceiling!

Gladys

Making a light stand is worth it.

Overdriving the lights is not worth it if what you are
using them for is tomato seedlings. I have done that.
I have two banks of six fluorescent tubes each and all
of them are overdriven.

Before, I could raise seedlings from the day I put in the
seeds until they were ready and almost too big to plant
out in five weeks.

Now, I can raise seedlings from the day I put in the
seeds until they are ready and almost too big to plant
out in five weeks.

So, no gain there if it is for tomato seedlings. The better
move and more useful is to ensure there is enough light
by strapping several shoplights together. As you can
tell, three shoplights together is six tubes.

Also, I use Philips T8 tubes. They are TL 865 Plus, which
is a 6500 degree Kelvin color temperature, almost
equivalent to sunlight. They were expensive at the time
I got them because they were a new product and not widely
available. I believe now you can get them at places like
Home Despot for a better price. That part is worth it
and the significant part is the 865 designation which
gives you the size and color temp. Other numbers are
longer life or less mercury, etc. etc. If you can find
them, that's OK too.

I'm doing a lot more than raise seedlings. I can and have grown tomatoes (fruit) under my overdriven lights.
I can also bring flowers to the flowering stage before planting them outside.
Sure my tomato seedlings done good before overdriving but they'll do better this year. I've done some germination testing and have got some shorter stockier plants so it's not wasted. In fact I don't need to bury any of the stem much less 6-10".

I just wanted to add that I don't have to keep my seedlings within an inch or 2 from the lights (like N.O. fluoros) to stay stocky no matter what species.

The point I've tried to make - and you can believe it
or not, as you wish, is that as long as you are doing
something like raising seedlings to their final transplant
size (probably any kind), overdriven fluorescent lights
convey no advantage whatsoever. My plants are stronger
and healthier in five weeks than anyone I have given them
to or shown them to is willing to believe, with or
without overdriving. It has made no difference except
in consumption of electricity, cost of extra ballasts
and (eventually) shorter life for the tubes.

However, if you just have to convince yourself that this
does you some good, it's not my worry. There are some folks
here, though, who might hear of a thing like this and
get all excited without really knowing the facts. My
advice to them is to forget it. Bear in mind that I do
use at least six tubes on each level and take the
trouble to get good ones (6500K). That way is just as
good, much easier and a lot cheaper. I have used both.

Well obviously you haven't a clue of the facts. More concentrated light in a smaller place (which means everything to some) = stronger plants. Overdriving doesn't decrease the life of the lights or the ballasts. The ballasts actually run cooler because they aren't using full power and I can use bulbs that won't even work in a N.O. fixture so I don't see the shorter life logic there.
BTW I only use 2 fixtures per shelf and also use 6500k T8 bulbs. They seem to put out more usable light than the others. I think most of those 3200 lumen in T12s are in the green and yellow range.

My stand cost around $35. I love it because I can dismantle it and store it until I need it. The PVC is held in place with elbow and T connectors.

Here is a link that might be useful: PVC light setup

That looks a lot like the stand I drew out and suggested on the Growing Under Lights forum only a dual instead of single. The member was looking for something to hang an HID fixture from without making holes in the ceiling or walls that wouldn't look too bad in the apartment. Easy disassembly and storage is also a plus to us without a lot of room.

I cant stop myself. " How do you make a flourescent light stand "? You get up close to the light and shout " Light , stand , damn you , stand. " you never know. Lots of great ideas above. What ever method you use it is good to be somewhat scientific and know what your lighting requirements actually are. The better the start , the better the finish. Happy matering Johnny