Plant Protector - Fast, durable, modular cloche

Need to protect your seedlings and transplants from critters, but don't want to buy expensive cloches, or spend 6 hours printing each one? Have I got a model for you!

Clocking in at just 2.5 hours and 77g filament for a full set of panels, stakes, and lid, and assembles in about 20 seconds. Surprisingly durable, lightweight, and won't shade your growing plant babies!

Standard size takes two panels, and comes out to 135mm diameter, but you can make an XL version with 3 panels for 200mm diameter, and even stack sets of panels to make an extra tall cloche as your plant grows! 

As always, I spent way too much time and filament iterating on this design, so boosts are very much appreciated! And let me know if you have any issues, I'm happy to make tweaks and improvements.

Notes:

• The hex cutout pattern is not part of the STEP files, it is generated by the slicer. Make sure you have these settings:
  • Strength tab:
    • Wall count:  8
    • Top shell layers:  0
    • Bottom shell layers:  0
    • Infill Percent:  10%
    • Infill Type:  Honeycomb
  • Quality tab:
    • Single wall top surfaces:  Not Applied
• I recommend PLA Basic as it's stiffer than PETG and easier to handle in these thin panels.
• Make sure you snap the buttons up through the holes after inserting the tabs into the slots!

Updates:

• 2026-06-10: Added pinholes to improve bonding at ends of stake holders

Happy gardening! :-)