Orchid Flasking (Seed Sowing) Part 1: The Glove Box

When sowing orchid seeds, you need a sterile environment to avoid contamination of your orchid flasks. To provide the safest environment for my seeds, I decided to build a glove box (also called a "still box").

This certainly isn't the only option. A laminar flow hood seems to be the gold standard in orchid flasking, and many people have access to these in workspaces or purchase budget models available online. However, this is out of my budget right now. Alternatively, I came across several other interesting methods, including flasking between bleach-soaked cloths (interesting, but not sure I could pull it off) or flasking in a scrubbed bathroom with hepa filters (sorry, my bathroom is nowhere near that level of antiseptic cleanliness). 

As a balance between effort and cost, the glove box seemed to be the best bet. There are numerous clever DIY methods on the internet and youtube, but I heavily utilized the method posted by Tetra Growth with only a few modifications.

I used a Ziploc 60L Storage Tote, which has a built in foam seal so that I could skip the weather strip sealing steps. 

I was most concerned about how to cut round holes in my tote without cracking it, and decided to go with a dremel tool with the circular cutter attachment. This worked brilliantly. Since it heats up the plastic as it cuts, it prevents cracking. After going around in a circle with the cutter, I used a box cutter to release any little tabs of melted plastic and the holes were complete. I also used the box cutter to remove any large burrs that might prevent the toilet flanges from making a good seal. 

I used my pointy plant shears to make holes for the screws that would hold the flanges in place. First I heated the shears using a flame, then pressed and twisted to make a hole. This is also the method I use to make holes in semi-hydro plant pots, I find it has less of a chance of cracking the plastic. 

This is the hardware I ended up using to hold the flanges in place. I held the nut steady with a pair of long nose pliers while I tightened the screw with a screw driver. I opted not to epoxy the flanges in place-- it seems to me that the screws will be sufficient. I did use silicone to seal around flange on the inside of the box. 

Then I attached my gloves (clorox brand chemical safe gloves) with the pipe clamps, and the box was done! 

Overall I spent about $50 (the ziplock storage box was $15, the flanges were $8 each, sealant was about $10, hardware was about $5) and it took only about an hour to make, not including shopping for the materials.