3D Printed Wall Hanging Planter Module

I have used TINKERCAD to make the model and have uploaded it to be publicly available for anyone to use. Please vote for me in the Planter Challenge contest. More than anything I just want to be able to walk round in one of those robot t-shirts!!!

Step 1: My Inspiration

I have always loved this pattern. It's a sort of cross between M. C. Escher and Minecraft. I'm a bit obsessed with it!!!! Here you can see a panel I made for a piece of furniture for our home. I made this three or four years ago and I still keep going back to more ideas using the same pattern.

Step 2: The Planter Idea

Lately I have been looking at ideas for up-cycling the waste packaging generated at home. One of the most used items in our house is milk and the Tetra Brik packages, made of very durable materials, were just crying out to be piled up as planters.

Notice you can see the piece of furniture I mentioned previously here in the second photo.

I could have stopped here. I mean, this in itself is a pretty good planter. If anyone would like more details regarding this idea I guess I could make an additional intsructabe for the "up-cycler" types among us.

Okay.... I finished the tetra brik version and you can view that instructable clicking here

But while browsing through instructables the other day I noticed The Planter Challenge contest and I got hooked on the idea of making a 3D printable version for the more "3D printer" types among us.

Step 3: TINKERCAD File

Not quite sure how this works as it is my first time using tinkercad. What I understand is the file will now be available for anyone to download and alter as they wish....

This is the piece in Thingiverse

What I would ask is to let me know how it worked out for you. Send me a photo etc.

I don´t have a 3D printer yet (another great reason to vote for me in the planter competition!!!) but I´ve sent on the file to a good friend of mine who is going to print off 3 or 4 modules for me so we can see how they join together. Plus he's a great gardener himself so I'm hoping he'll want to print off a dozen or so units to get the full effect.

Step 4: Design Details

Some people like to say "the devil is in the details" but its also said "God is in the details" funny don't you think? Which ever way it is let me explain some of the details I've chosen here:

I calculated it so that the modular units will fit together where the "Sunken Quarter" of the faces are. This will help line the units up correctly and also make the surfaces flush with one another. Like I said I have no experience with 3D printers but I expect there is a the need for clearance between the units as they are positioned along side one another so I therefore reduced the "Sunken Quarters" and their edges a further 0.2mm The general thickness of the cubes is 4 mm and where they are sunken the thickness reduces to 1.8 mm.

I'm sure you´ve noticed the circular cavities I included on the inside of the cubes where they align with one another. They leave a very thin wall thickness at this point which I included in the design as a possible way of fixing the cubes together if necessary. The theory is we can cut through at these points and zip-tie the cubes together. I don't know if this will work I'm waiting for a 3D printed hard copy to find out. If this fails my plan B is to insert 8mm diameter neodymium magnets in these cavities. I would appreciate opinions and feed back on this matter.

There are two more cavities featured in the modules design. One is insde the very bottom corner of the planter and, depending on your layout, would line up directly above the next planter below it. So depending on the drainage requirements of each plant this hole could be cut through. Also any run off water will fall into the planter below. The other cavity is counter sunk and is posititioned where we will need to fix the planter to the wall. Now I know you're thinking you'll have to drill a hole for each module but that's not the case due to the final detail I'd like to mention here:

I've included a lip and ledge on the top and bottom of the planter module so that we can hang the module units below and below and below as desired and will only need to fix the topmost one to the wall.

Step 5: That's All for Now Folks!

I hope you liked the instructable. If anyone does make it please let me know and send on a photo. I'd love to see the reall thing and most importantly, all the beautiful possibilities of adding plants to it.

Don't forget to vote for this fabulous instructable!!!!