Grow your 3D Print Collection This Spring!
Spring is upon us and now is a perfect time for you to spring into action with some new 3D Prints for the outdoors. Outdoor prints can fade and degrade over time especially if they are printed in PLA. You can see the effects of PLA outdoors in a Makers Muse video. You can however resist that by printing in something like PETG or you can pickup something like Krylon shown below to protect against UV fading.
You can spray it directly on your PLA prints. If you prefer something nicer you can always sand, paint and then cover with Krylon. This should protect your print all summer long.
The nice thing about 3D Printing your outdoor items is that at the end of the year you can recycle them. The cost of your outdoor 3D prints is going to be inexpensive so recycling and printing new ones every year is an option if your PLA prints look weathered after a year.
Let's start printing!
Makers Mashup has put together a collection of some great print ideas for you on Thingiverse. This collection includes an assortment of tools, planters and many other springtime home and garden must haves.
This planter is a very quick print original size. This print however scales quite well in cura. I was able to scale this to 500% on an Ender 3 for a large usable pot for flowers.
This next one is good if you want something that lasts year after year. This planter mold along with some concrete is a great makers mashup. Once the concrete is cured you can paint it. It can also be a great activity for children. Have them paint the front of them for great DIY Mothers Day gifts.
You are going to need something to plant into those planters and we have just the thing.
This 3D printed spade will help you do that. Not only a quick print but you can print it in any color you like! Make gardening fun this year with bright colors you choose in your garden.
Don't forget to label what is in your garden with these garden signs. Quick to print you can also pause your print and change filament when the first layer of the words begin printing. This allows you to have an easy to read and entirely 3D printed sign. Alternatively a color sharpie is a great way to color the text when using just white or one color of filament.
Those plants are going to need water from easy 3D Print for a screw on watering can top. Use your favorite water bottle to water those plants. If you need something larger your can try the garden hose version.
This print just screws onto your garden hose. You can then water all the plants in your garden quickly and easily. We also placed a few other garden hose versions in our collection on Thingiverse. Hose management is key to keeping your hose from destroying plants. We included those in the collection as well to make sure your hose stays under control this spring.
No garden is complete without a garden Gnome! This print can be easily painted in colors you love. Smurf looking garden gnome? Why not.
If garden gnomes are not your thing, how about this very cool sundial to always know the time outdoors. We're not responsible for cloudy days when you can't see what time it is. :)
Our next print has gone to the birds. Literally! Birds should have a place in your garden and their home is their castle. This castle print is easy to print and comes with a place to hang it from any tree at the top. Remember to print these in colors you like. Stopping your print in various places you can also print the roof in different colors. Try Rainbow PLA for something truly unique!
We also included a number of prints in our collection on Thingiverse. We suggest you give many of them a try this spring.
Our last springtime print is one that lasts year round. It is a bird food dispenser. This fast print along with recycling a soda bottle becomes a great feeder. Maker Mashups like these are great examples of recycling and reuse. The brids will thank you for having some tasty goodies near all those 3D Printed bird houses.
That's all for this post! I'm off to go print a few castle bird houses. My wife loves to take pictures of birds and this will encourage more of them to visit. Remember to take pictures of your makes and post them to Thingiverse as makes. As a maker there myself I love to see when people create something I designed.