Semi-automatic Watering Cactus-shaped Flowerpot with Water Reservoir

Design Concept

I usually don't have much time to tend to plants, so I wanted to make a lazy flowerpot that could last for several days after one watering. The main principle is to use the capillary self-watering of cotton wicks or soil, so I considered a structure with a water reservoir at the bottom and a planting compartment at the top. Being lazy with 3D printing too, I preferred an all-in-one Print in Place structure rather than a conventional separate one, which necessitated considering water injection holes and water level observation holes. Ultimately, these functional structures were cleverly integrated and hidden within the design, resulting in a cactus-shaped flowerpot.

Model Features

√ Appearance: It resembles a columnar cactus and features a “dual-texture” design on its surface, achieving a combination of regular texture and fluffy texture in a single Print in Place model. The fluffy effect gives a sense of plushness, like the thorns of a columnar cactus, making it more vivid.

√ Functionality: The water reservoir uses capillary self-watering for lazy planting, combining planting and water storage in one Print in Place unit. Additionally, a separate water level float ball is designed. When the water injection hole is filled, the float ball rises, indicating that the water level is full.

√ Usage Scenarios: Balcony lazy planting, desktop decoration, and watch accessory storage.

√ Model Dimensions: Outer diameter 10cm, inner diameter 9.4cm, height 11cm, water injection hole inner diameter 2cm, water level hole inner diameter 1.6cm.

Printing Tips

√ It is recommended to print directly from the print profile, do not download and print separately. The Print in Place dual-texture effect is achieved through slicing software for multi-model dual-texture printing. Create a separate fluffy model and perform individual object editing on it. The main settings in Bambu Studio are as follows:

√ For filament, the effect images used Bambu Lab's Dark Green PLA Matte, and the water level float ball is PLA Orange. The water level float ball is optional to print; you can purchase a water level monitoring device separately.

√ Printing time is relatively long, approximately 7h30min, with only minimal external supports and Print in Place. Before printing, be sure to clean the build plate to prevent warping or poor bed adhesion.

√ If larger or smaller sizes are needed, you can scale it yourself in Bambu Studio. The model has no tolerance matching issues.