Well although the workshop is not completely cleaned up I did enough to find all the tools I needed for this project.  So here what it looks like.  Yes Dennis there are pictures.

 
The lid before starting.

 

After cutting.  Pots are 2 inch so I used smaller hole cutter on drill.
 
This is the mister before turning on
 
Mister actually working

 
The pots before and after they were cut
 
Not the best picture but this is the cutting in the pot.  The foam had to be cut for the fat cuttings.
 
Starting to fill the box
Will update but it is almost full.  7 holes left and I still have about 60 cutting to go but we will see how this goes first.

Happy growing all. 

Very Cool!
  I love the way the lid is already laid out in a grid -- perfect size and spacing for cutting the holes, and it still keeps it's strength.  Where'd you get that? ( It looks like it is built to last.)
  I had been thinking about trying to rig one up with an ultrasonic humidifier to generate mist, but your mister nozzle is much simpler.  Which one did you use.
  (Forgive me if you've discussed this already in another thread....I've been away from the forum for about a week and I may have missed it.)
  Strong work!
Jim

Jim,
The mister is an ultra sonic mister from ebay.  The lid was from Dennis's post.  It is available at Lowes and I believe Costco.  Lowes has them on sale for about $10 but normally $13 and Costco always has them at ~$10 or at least that has been what I have been told.  The container are very sturdy too so I think they will last.  If the mister does work then I can always switch to the sprayer type mister.

Looks great, I really need to get to work on mine. I have everything I need except pump.

Thank you

Scott

Sharon,
that's an interesting looking rooting device.

Can't wait to see the results.
Exciting :)

Here is the fogger I chose.  Little more expensive but I decided it might be worth it.  Just make sure that if you buy one it includes the transducer not just the headds.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aeromist-1-Head-Fogger-hydroponics-aeroponics-mist-maker-mister-/200870889670?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec4d688c6

So why the fogger over misting heads with a cycle timer? 

Which humidity is inside the fogger? 70%, 80, 90, 99%.
Which temperatur?

For me the fogger was easier.  I may try a misting head as long as I don't have to make those pipe things, tap holes to insert misting heads ect ect.  I have a misting head that I might try but I think it will not wet all the cuttings uniformally.  Might need a few and I will have to find them.
When the fogger is running the bottom is likely 99% but haven't measured.  I plan on putting it on a timer later today and will start playing with the time.  Right now it is likely to be about 65 F in the lower chamber but I plan on moving it to a warmer location.
Those folks with the bucket systems might want to try a fogger if they are finding that they are running to warm.
I think I might add a bottom valve to make water changing easier too.  We shall see.

Makes sense to me.  I'm comfortable with plumbing, drill and tap so the multiple misting head idea works well for me. I know the pump heat is an issue for some people, I have a plan for that, I'll share it once I verify. 

Thank you Sharon

You can use an aquarium heater if you want the cuttings warmer.  They're very inexpensive.

Defiantly interested to see the results of this. 

That looks so cool. Looks like my nebulizer would work grate for a mister. Its my machine i use for my
allergies. It makes a mist like that. Looks like smoke.

Good luck Sharon. I really enjoy these threads that test new propagation methods and look forward to the  updates as time goes on.
Very interesting stuff. Rock On

I'm building the exact same thing but using a water pump instead. Good luck!

Ha Ha Ha -- I'm laughing at myself. 
  I had "plans" to take apart an old ultrasonic humidifier to see if I could rig it up to sit in a puddle of water rather than having water fed to it from a holding tank.  Following the link that Sharon sent shows me that the "hydroponics" community has already solved this problem in spades!
  I guess I should have known, but it simply never occurred to me to look.
  Hmmm, should I spend hours rigging something up (and addressing all the safety issues to keep from electrocuting myself)?  Or should I cave in and consider dropping $10-$30 for a finished product?!!?!?
Jim

That's ok.  I almost did something similar but had seen the mister at a reptile show so I knew it was out there.  I just want to try this since I'm doing a lot of cuttings this year.

Sharon, were those neoprene inserts sold with those net pots?  The net pots I've seen are designed to be used with things such as rock wool and/or with a plastic top so I'm wondering if the neoprene inserts fit okay as long as they are the same diameter.  I have a small cloner with the neoprene inserts with no net pots needed but the lids on those tubs are probably too thin to grasp onto the inserts.  Also, I'm wondering if the net pots might need to be broken to get the rooted cutting out if the roots really take off.  Just curious about these considerations.  I think the idea of using a fogger is great.

Thanks Sharon! I love the pictures! Now, I understand how the mister works. You have the exact same Commando tub that I used to make my cloner. I highly recommend removing those long pieces of plastic from the insert holder. Why? Because when the cutting roots, they will wrap around the plastic and will be a pain to separate without breaking the roots. Here are a few more pics that I forgot to post. I hope they post. This forum use to have a problem loading pictures.

Really great!  Thanks for all the pictures and details.  Looking forward to updates!

So to confirm. These are two different set ups? One with the mister/sonicator and the other with a pump and spray nozzles. Is this correct?

Edited: Scary to Spray! There not scary at all. 

Yes, mine sprays water on the bottom of the cuttings. Sharon's is a mister. Both seem to be working for both.

Well we will see if mine works as well as yours.  I started with some moldy cuttings like your first trial but some are not (moldy and old).  You know as soon as I see a root I'll be posting.

I built one of these too; just waiting on my cuttings from Davis. The net pots provide a seat for the inserts. The lid is too thin to provide adequate support for the insert. Everything below the seat should be cut away. I haven't decided on a watering method.

My cuttings didn't root after about a month in the coffee can bubbler, but all rooted as soon as I potted them (see 3 large cuttings in 5" peat pots over coffee can lids for watering from the bottom). That's also jujube/ hong zao and chickasaw plum, both from seed.

Brown on one leaf was when I was out of town a week and had to rely on someone else to water them.

   

OK.  I put the figs in over last weekend.  Still no roots.  I know because I check twice a day.  Oh well at least I don't have to dig them up to check.

Sharon,
  I recommend installing a web cam inside the cloning chamber so you can check on them hourly, including while you're away from home. ;-)
Cheers,
Jim

That would be super!  What a great idea.  It will have to be water proof...Time laspe

Oddly, the tubs at Costco sold here have a different lid, only room for 27 cuttings instead of 35.  Cost was $8.69.  My fogger arrives today! :) I'll probably add an opaque tub over the top like Gloria uses to increase humidity so cuttings don't dry out.

 

Yes hoping to add the same.  I think opening one of the holes may improve the humidity.  The misting is a little uneven so I'm curious to see if the drier cutting do as well or better than the wetter ones.  If wetter ones do better than some design changes may be needed.  I can.t wait until something happen.  May also add a heater in bottom as room is colder than I want and the thermometer to see what actual temperature is.

Sharon,
  Does that particular humidifier you bought float?  It is hard to tell if it is a weighted base or if it is a floating base.
Thanks,
Jim

It is weighted but they have a float which I am not using this time.

Here's the same fogger but almost $15 cheaper.

http://www.thehouseofhydro.com/one-head-mist-maker.html

Bob, you're about three days late!!! ;)

Decided to skip building one and went with 36 clone model CloneKing on Ebay. I've got VDB and BM cuttings in it using just plain water, so lets see what happens.

Is anyone using rooting gel on their cuttings, or just going with plain water?

I have been curious about these cloners for a while.  People always show the very impressive root development that they produce. 

Does anyone have any experience with the survival rate once the rooted fig cuttings are transitioned to potting mix?

Harvey, surely you'll build more.   :)  I might become a dealer for them and I'd sell it even cheaper.

Damn Bob,

I bought one. You just had make it to easy researching the lowest price.

What have we begun. 

...I picked up 2 of the "commander" totes from Lowes this afternoon...
Now I just need 70 cuttings and I'm home free ;-)
Cheers,
Jim

I put a couple of cuttings in a tote with a bubbler in the bottom. And I would definitely recommend putting something on top to catch humidity because I had several that dried out on top even though the bottoms were fine. They had rooted but eventually died because of drying out. Just my two sense :)

a lot of this depends on the health of the cutting too.  My first run using my propagator was using 6 moldy Nero 600m cuttings that I got from VS.  I just washed them with Dawn, let them dry and stuck them in.  Seventeen days later, I had roots.  Today, I have 6 healthy Nero 600m trees in 3 gal pots!  Go figure!!!!!

Wash with Dawn?  OK why not I clean everything else with it. 

Dawn...yes!  And get the one with anti-bacteria.....the orange color.  It's just something that works for me.  And the cuttings I placed in my cloner at first were moldy.  Dawn didn't kill the mold it just cleaned the cuttings.  By the cuttings being exposed to the outside air helped a lot.

OK Must now get new type of Dawn.  Have added the heater and cover.  Cuttings are now warm, humid and better do something!

I've added a cover that will do until I find something that fits.  It is not as humid as it looks and the fish tank heater has made it toasty (about 75 -78 F in there).  The room is cool so I get a lot of condensation on the walls.





   

Sharon,
  Is that humidity in the dome just humidity that leaks up through various little cracks, or did you add a vent hole from the bottom specifically to let more humidity get to the top?
  I'm thinking that, either way, you may have to add a drain hole...if too much of that moisture condenses, it will want to drain to somewhere.
  Are you finding that the 1-head humidifier is sufficient for filling the whole tub with mist?  I'm thinking it would eventually rise to the top (where the cuttings are)...but adding a small fan or something to get the air moving a little bit would help even more.
  ...your thoughts are appreciated...
Jim

I don't know if the guy RIMIKE I think bought his cloner from on ebay  knows what he is talking about (see post 34 above ), but see what he says about humidity domes
"http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-CLONE-KING-36-SITE-AEROPONIC-PLANT-CLONING-MACHINE-EZ-2-CLONE-CLONER-CLONING-/181385810770?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item2a3b6fd352"

I think I need one though as I just received my mister from the link Bob posted. Now i need to go out purchase one of those HUGE cakes from someplace eat it all by myself and re purpose the cake cover, so I gain a free humidity dome and 25 LBS. It's  free because after thinking about I need that cake anyway

I like the cake but you need a sheet cake so it is the right shape.
I left one of the pot holder holds open to let up some mist.
The condensation from 2 days is about a 1/4 teaspoon so not too worried yet.
My room is on the cold side so I'll need to check internal temperature top and bottom.
I'm ready for roots.  I want all my cuttings to root!

Strudeldog, Yes I bought mine from Ebay, and from that seller, two of them actually. One for me and one for my old man to play around with as well.

It's quite possible I have no idea what I'm doing or talking about, as this really is man vs. nature in it's simplest form. Plants are programmed to grow no matter what. One thing I do know, is all of this stuff has been done before so don't try to reinvent the wheel. The Medical Dope guys have more money to spend and experiment on the actual science of growing, cloning and harvesting so let them do it. I'm more than happy to jump on the "growing bandwagon" for my own needs after they have spent all the time, effort and money coming up with the next greatest thing.

The instructions that came with the clone machine say no humidity dome needed. Easy enough, as I'm sure the guy making these kits has enough experience behind using cloning machines to recommend that none are used. I'm sure he doesn't want his customers to fail, as that's a bad business model. I don't have a humidity dome on mine as I really don't think it's needed. A humidity dome will certainly prevent the cuttings from drying out, but will also provide a great home for mold. In addition, making the transfer from the cloning machine to a pot that much more of a challenge as the plants will have to be slowly acclimated to no humidity dome.

I'll take some photos of the cuttings in the clone machine and post them and people can decide for themselves on what direction to go.

I just found that my cutting were much happier in a dome... when I pot them up they go into a tube with a dome also, right now they trees are doing well with it sitting open and no dome but at first they would go very limp without it... when I have tried rooting cutting without a cover they have not done well.
I use domes when I start seeds and micro greens, just seems to get them stronger faster.