3D Printing in the Grow Room

[AspenCultivator]

Hi 420 Magazine!

I've run across a handful of members lately that have some cool uses for 3D printing in their grow room. 3D printing is starting to become more affordable, thus entering the homes of the avid maker or DIYer. It's interesting because anyone at any age level (using a multitude of open source tools) can make whatever they can dream up and directly benefit themselves and those in their community.

I wanted to start a thread that discusses and shares ideas on how 3D printing can be used within the grow room. There are a few websites out there that offer free models and while you can search for specific things (say plant clips, those are popular) there are some niche things that either aren't labeled correctly so your search won't find them or they plain don't exist. I've run into a few of these issues, so I wanted to share what I've been creating for my grow room and provide a thread for anyone else to bounce ideas around or share their creations too.

First up is the new-fangled (well, not so new, but recently popular) SIP bucket. Take a look at the SIP Club to see the amazing results they're getting. I needed a way to hold the feed tube closer to the side of the bucket on the SIP that I built. See this pic:

I definitely want that 1/2" pvc pipe closer to the edge of the bucket so when soil is filled in, the feed tube isn't directly next to the plant. So I designed a part that fits snug on the rim of the bucket and accepts a 1/2" pvc pipe.

Next up is a way to cap off that feed tube but still allow air to enter the reservoir, and it needs to be removable so I can add water to it.

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

Next, how was I going to get water into a 1/2" pvc feed tube? A funnel is the obvious solution, and I didn't want to buy one willy nilly and have the opening be too big or too small. So I downloaded a free "turbo funnel" and adjusted the bottom diameter to fit into my feed tube. Perfect.

3D Printed Turbo Funnel

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

These are just a few examples of how I've used 3D printing in the grow room. I'm currently printing a prototype bucket clip that wedges into the rim of a 5 gallon bucket and has an eyelet at the top to provide a spot for training wires. More on that later!

Has anyone else used 3D printing in their garden? I'd love to discuss ideas, share thoughts and designs, and come up with new ways we can use this technology to help us grow some plants!

 

[Tokin Roll]

Nice @AspenCultivator

Those printers are amazing, on what they can print out.

Stay safe, and grow well my friend,
Tok..

 

[ReservoirDog]

Heya Aspen, Who-hoo 3d printing ideas!

One day I'll get me a 3d printer, until then I just keep thinking of gadgets that might be possible but it kinda ends there.

I've always thought about making up a design that would permit training fixtures that sit quite a ways out from the 'bucket' edge. Like, a minimum six inches, up to twelve if possible, you know, as far out as plant branches grow. Whaddya think?

Also would like to design some training clips for branches at custom angles, that would be swish!

There's a guy on one of the other forums, somewhere, (I'll go look) and he printed up a whole SIP! The planter section was 'porous' , he designed a kind of hard plastic weave with teeny holes. The rez was solid, obviously, to hold liquids, but the planter floor had a lot of holes too and a custom little wick dropping down. It looked like the whole thing was maybe two or three final pieces only. I never did follow up and see how it went, like I say, I'll have a look around.

Appreciate the thread, even though...

"Eoowww the envy, it burns, it burns!"

Aside: I imagine that people out there, somewhere must be developing their own quad-copter drones utilizing 3-d printing, yeah? What are some of the more exotic materials that a 3d printer can use? (yes, indeed, I could google all of this, but that wouldn't be a conversation with a real person, which, I admit, is half the fun for me.

 

[AspenCultivator]

Hey RD! Great ideas all around!

For the training clips that can expand from 6" to 12" away from the bucket, I certainly think that'd be doable. I'm thinking of a hex head bolt that can hold two flat, long pieces together and that's how you could slide it to and from the bucket to increase or decrease the distance. The plastic that's used can be a bit flimsy with thinner prints, so a way to reinforce or support it would be needed. I actually have a need for something like this when I start training my current cycle, so perhaps I'll play around with the idea and see what I can come up with.

I considered 3D printing a SIP too, but quickly stopped caring just due to the many many SIP materials that can be used. Spending time designing, and even more time printing, just doesn't seem worth it (to me, and to me alone) but it was probably a fun project for the guy. Actually, printing a solo-sip insert or something could be useful maybe. But again we come into how much effort really needs to be expended when a single hole drilled into the side of a solo cup is sufficient for the 'sip' effect.

There are also several drone designs floating around a particular free model website. Rather popular as well, with several hundred (or thousand) downloads and makes. Just need to provide the electronics. People have made POV drones from scratch as well which is super cool. I wanted to get into it for a while just never had enough money for the transmitter and receiver stuff. Maybe some day.

As for materials, I can think of two right off the bat for strength and rigidity: nylon and carbon fiber. The printer needs to be at an almost commercialized level to achieve the heat necessary to melt those materials. The most common material for FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling technique) is PLA, a vegetable based plastic. After that you have PLA+, PETG, and then ABS. ABS requires a higher heat to melt, a heated print chamber, and tons of ventilation. But it comes with increased strength over PLA. So there are a lot of options out there. Especially with colors and stuff too. There's a wood-based PLA, so when it's printed it's actually sandable. I've also seen "metal PLA" which has metal shavings and flakes in it, giving the printed piece a bit more strength.

 

[Azimuth]

I've only a passing familiarity with this entire concept. Next time you print up an idea, can you give us a walk through? Like even how do you get from a design on the back of a napkin to a computer file that holds the info, through what the printer looms like and how it works?

I've been pretty enthralled with your SIP gadgets, and think it would be a pretty cool capability to design and manufacture your own custom parts.

 

[AspenCultivator]

I've only a passing familiarity with this entire concept. Next time you print up an idea, can you give us a walk through? Like even how do you get from a design on the back of a napkin to a computer file that holds the info, through what the printer looms like and how it works?

I've been pretty enthralled with your SIP gadgets, and think it would be a pretty cool capability to design and manufacture your own custom parts.

That's a good idea! And I can do that. In the next few days I can put something together and I'll post it in here. Actually, I'm a step ahead and already have a project being experimented with, I just don't have time today to type up a post on it. Here's a neat pic tho. I'll have some more details on this little guy tomorrow I'd say.

 

[Azimuth]

Ohhh, that's clever. Can you make the sides with the same hole pattern as the top?

One thing I've been noodling on is how to extend the void to the side of the cup because whenever I put something like perlite between the void and the overflow hole I get roots fully populating that area which makes the drain function and air input much less effective.

I'm thinking about just adding a cover from the void to the outer container with sides down to the reservoir but I haven't figured out how to reinforce it from the forces of the soil mix pressing in from the sides.

 

[KeithLemon]

Hi 420 Magazine!

I've run across a handful of members lately that have some cool uses for 3D printing in their grow room. 3D printing is starting to become more affordable, thus entering the homes of the avid maker or DIYer. It's interesting because anyone at any age level (using a multitude of open source tools) can make whatever they can dream up and directly benefit themselves and those in their community.

I wanted to start a thread that discusses and shares ideas on how 3D printing can be used within the grow room. There are a few websites out there that offer free models and while you can search for specific things (say plant clips, those are popular) there are some niche things that either aren't labeled correctly so your search won't find them or they plain don't exist. I've run into a few of these issues, so I wanted to share what I've been creating for my grow room and provide a thread for anyone else to bounce ideas around or share their creations too.

First up is the new-fangled (well, not so new, but recently popular) SIP bucket. Take a look at the SIP Club to see the amazing results they're getting. I needed a way to hold the feed tube closer to the side of the bucket on the SIP that I built. See this pic:

I definitely want that 1/2" pvc pipe closer to the edge of the bucket so when soil is filled in, the feed tube isn't directly next to the plant. So I designed a part that fits snug on the rim of the bucket and accepts a 1/2" pvc pipe.

Next up is a way to cap off that feed tube but still allow air to enter the reservoir, and it needs to be removable so I can add water to it.

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

Next, how was I going to get water into a 1/2" pvc feed tube? A funnel is the obvious solution, and I didn't want to buy one willy nilly and have the opening be too big or too small. So I downloaded a free "turbo funnel" and adjusted the bottom diameter to fit into my feed tube. Perfect.

3D Printed Turbo Funnel

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

These are just a few examples of how I've used 3D printing in the grow room. I'm currently printing a prototype bucket clip that wedges into the rim of a 5 gallon bucket and has an eyelet at the top to provide a spot for training wires. More on that later!

Has anyone else used 3D printing in their garden? I'd love to discuss ideas, share thoughts and designs, and come up with new ways we can use this technology to help us grow some plants!

That is pretty cool all that on a 3 D printer.

 

[ReservoirDog]

Found another SIP designer on another forum and pinched some pics to share. This continues and Imma have to sell something from around this place so I can get me a robust 3D printer and supplies. Hmmmm... I wonder what's left around here...?

 

[ReservoirDog]

I totally agree that given all of the plastic in this world that only ever gets a single use, and that can be re-used and re-purposed into building SIPs, vs the cost and time of designing and creating your own on a 3D printer, points to some pretty serious financial and even ethical considerations. However, from the perspective of honing one's engineering skills and also from the perspective of creating a rapid proto-type, the system is peerless. As materials-science progresses, hoo-boy, lookout!

 

[ReservoirDog]

Hi 420 Magazine!

I've run across a handful of members lately that have some cool uses for 3D printing in their grow room. 3D printing is starting to become more affordable, thus entering the homes of the avid maker or DIYer. It's interesting because anyone at any age level (using a multitude of open source tools) can make whatever they can dream up and directly benefit themselves and those in their community.

I wanted to start a thread that discusses and shares ideas on how 3D printing can be used within the grow room. There are a few websites out there that offer free models and while you can search for specific things (say plant clips, those are popular) there are some niche things that either aren't labeled correctly so your search won't find them or they plain don't exist. I've run into a few of these issues, so I wanted to share what I've been creating for my grow room and provide a thread for anyone else to bounce ideas around or share their creations too.

First up is the new-fangled (well, not so new, but recently popular) SIP bucket. Take a look at the SIP Club to see the amazing results they're getting. I needed a way to hold the feed tube closer to the side of the bucket on the SIP that I built. See this pic:

I definitely want that 1/2" pvc pipe closer to the edge of the bucket so when soil is filled in, the feed tube isn't directly next to the plant. So I designed a part that fits snug on the rim of the bucket and accepts a 1/2" pvc pipe.

Next up is a way to cap off that feed tube but still allow air to enter the reservoir, and it needs to be removable so I can add water to it.

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

Next, how was I going to get water into a 1/2" pvc feed tube? A funnel is the obvious solution, and I didn't want to buy one willy nilly and have the opening be too big or too small. So I downloaded a free "turbo funnel" and adjusted the bottom diameter to fit into my feed tube. Perfect.

3D Printed Turbo Funnel

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

These are just a few examples of how I've used 3D printing in the grow room. I'm currently printing a prototype bucket clip that wedges into the rim of a 5 gallon bucket and has an eyelet at the top to provide a spot for training wires. More on that later!

Has anyone else used 3D printing in their garden? I'd love to discuss ideas, share thoughts and designs, and come up with new ways we can use this technology to help us grow some plants!

Just have to say it again, you did a masterful job. The funnel is your piece de la resistance! Congratulations on your achievement.

 

[Absorber]

Hi 420 Magazine!

I've run across a handful of members lately that have some cool uses for 3D printing in their grow room. 3D printing is starting to become more affordable, thus entering the homes of the avid maker or DIYer. It's interesting because anyone at any age level (using a multitude of open source tools) can make whatever they can dream up and directly benefit themselves and those in their community.

I wanted to start a thread that discusses and shares ideas on how 3D printing can be used within the grow room. There are a few websites out there that offer free models and while you can search for specific things (say plant clips, those are popular) there are some niche things that either aren't labeled correctly so your search won't find them or they plain don't exist. I've run into a few of these issues, so I wanted to share what I've been creating for my grow room and provide a thread for anyone else to bounce ideas around or share their creations too.

First up is the new-fangled (well, not so new, but recently popular) SIP bucket. Take a look at the SIP Club to see the amazing results they're getting. I needed a way to hold the feed tube closer to the side of the bucket on the SIP that I built. See this pic:

I definitely want that 1/2" pvc pipe closer to the edge of the bucket so when soil is filled in, the feed tube isn't directly next to the plant. So I designed a part that fits snug on the rim of the bucket and accepts a 1/2" pvc pipe.

Next up is a way to cap off that feed tube but still allow air to enter the reservoir, and it needs to be removable so I can add water to it.

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

3D Printed 1/2" PVC Covers

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

Next, how was I going to get water into a 1/2" pvc feed tube? A funnel is the obvious solution, and I didn't want to buy one willy nilly and have the opening be too big or too small. So I downloaded a free "turbo funnel" and adjusted the bottom diameter to fit into my feed tube. Perfect.

3D Printed Turbo Funnel

• AspenCultivator
• Jan 3, 2023

These are just a few examples of how I've used 3D printing in the grow room. I'm currently printing a prototype bucket clip that wedges into the rim of a 5 gallon bucket and has an eyelet at the top to provide a spot for training wires. More on that later!

Has anyone else used 3D printing in their garden? I'd love to discuss ideas, share thoughts and designs, and come up with new ways we can use this technology to help us grow some plants!

I've printed and designed a bell syphon for my grow

 

[Absorber]

Hey RD! Great ideas all around!

For the training clips that can expand from 6" to 12" away from the bucket, I certainly think that'd be doable. I'm thinking of a hex head bolt that can hold two flat, long pieces together and that's how you could slide it to and from the bucket to increase or decrease the distance. The plastic that's used can be a bit flimsy with thinner prints, so a way to reinforce or support it would be needed. I actually have a need for something like this when I start training my current cycle, so perhaps I'll play around with the idea and see what I can come up with.

I considered 3D printing a SIP too, but quickly stopped caring just due to the many many SIP materials that can be used. Spending time designing, and even more time printing, just doesn't seem worth it (to me, and to me alone) but it was probably a fun project for the guy. Actually, printing a solo-sip insert or something could be useful maybe. But again we come into how much effort really needs to be expended when a single hole drilled into the side of a solo cup is sufficient for the 'sip' effect.

There are also several drone designs floating around a particular free model website. Rather popular as well, with several hundred (or thousand) downloads and makes. Just need to provide the electronics. People have made POV drones from scratch as well which is super cool. I wanted to get into it for a while just never had enough money for the transmitter and receiver stuff. Maybe some day.

As for materials, I can think of two right off the bat for strength and rigidity: nylon and carbon fiber. The printer needs to be at an almost commercialized level to achieve the heat necessary to melt those materials. The most common material for FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling technique) is PLA, a vegetable based plastic. After that you have PLA+, PETG, and then ABS. ABS requires a higher heat to melt, a heated print chamber, and tons of ventilation. But it comes with increased strength over PLA. So there are a lot of options out there. Especially with colors and stuff too. There's a wood-based PLA, so when it's printed it's actually sandable. I've also seen "metal PLA" which has metal shavings and flakes in it, giving the printed piece a bit more strength.

ABS is my go to filament its pretty much all I print with.
I couldn't imagine not owning a 3d printer ,luckily I have 2
I have a 3d printing journal in my signature with some stuff in it for grows.
Happy growing and printing

 

[Azimuth]

How do you design things so the pipes fit and the little ledge is in the perfect position?

 

[Absorber]

How do you design things so the pipes fit and the little ledge is in the perfect position?

I use Vernier callipers and with 3d builder the free design software on Windows you can add a photo ,that can be handy for getting a shape to have the same profile, I've even cut cardboard to fit an angle then sat the cardboard on the computer screen to check my angle. All pretty basic techniques as im not the most computer/software savvy. There are far more intricate software programs out there.
The one i use gives you measurements of the parts you add and then a measurement of combined parts .
Check it out if you have a Windows computer its probably on it already