Tips For 3D Printing Watertight Test Tubes

Originally published on hackaday.com by Donald Papp on 13 January 2024

Plant enthusiasts, rejoice! Forget cramped pots and finicky watering schedules. DaveMakesStuff has unlocked the secret to chic and convenient plant parenthood: 3D printed test tubes! He’s not just sharing these miniature greenhouses, he’s equipping you with the magic touch to print your own, with designs catering to every nozzle size imaginable.

But these aren’t your average lab tubes. DaveMakesStuffcrafts them with watertightness in mind, boasting super-strong bases and rims that even the most enthusiastic root systems can’t penetrate. The secret lies in a clever dance with spiral vase mode. Imagine the printer weaving a single filament thread, but DaveMakesStuff subtly guides it down a dense, zigzag path, doubling back onto itself like a mountain switchback. This retracing act lays down extra plastic precisely where it counts – the bottom and rim. The result? Not just leakproof havens, but surprisingly sturdy test tubes, defying their single-wall origin.

This technique echoes a previous trick of enhancing vase mode strength with hidden ribs. Closely spaced extrusions, technically separate lines, actually fuse together, creating hidden reinforcement. DaveMakesStuff applies the same principle, focusing the extra strength where your tiny plant needs it most. So, get your printer humming, download his blueprints, and let your seedlings bask in the glory of personalized, leakproof test tube palaces – a testament to the power of a little 3D printing wizardry.

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