Designed a waterfall planter for succulents and other small plants in Tinkercad. Then i 3D printed it and made many adjustments on the way.

Supplies

The following are the parts i used:

glue gun

glue sticks

wire strippers

3D design tool

- TinkerCad

3D printer slicer

- PrusaSlicer

12V AC to DC adapter w/ power terminals

- You only need one that is 2 Amps

12V motor controller

12V Submersible water pump

3D printer:

- i use the Prusa MK3S

PLA Filament:

-I used Hatchbox Black PLA

Plastic Tubing

Your plants of choice

- Succulents and Scotch Moss

Assorted Rocks

- 5 dollars for huge bag really only needed a handful

Step 1: Design Process Creating the Base

Used terrain as the base for the model.

Then added brick walls to create a stone container for the electronics. i put 4 walls together and then stacked another 4 on top of those to add height.

Step 2: Create Archways and Side Walls

I used round roof as a hole to create archways on both sides of the model.

Then I created more brick walls. This time choosing the one with square bricks. I used boxes as holes to cut of extending ends of the walls and cut down the height. Then I copy and pasted these walls and rotated them to create a perimeter all the way around.

Step 3: Making the Brick Walls Solid

To make the brick walls solid Ii added a thin box between all the walls on the main structure and the perimeter to make it more water tight.

Step 4: Creating the Waterfall

I used the roof shape and stretched it out create the waterfall. Then I cut off the extra back with a box hole.

I then used a box hole that I shrunk and pressed in to create ridges on either side of the waterfall to make sure the water wouldn't splash of the sides.

Step 5: Create Holes for Electronics and a Box for the Water Pump

I used my digital calibers to measure all my electronics to create them and then turn them into holes.

I also modeled the water pump and created a box for it to sit in.

- The first version of this box failed to hold enough water so i decided to extend it.

Step 6: Creating Stilts for the New Water Bucket

Now that the water bucket is under the waterfall I needed something to hold up the planter.

I used the brick walls to create brick columns. Then used boxes at the top and bottom to make it flush.

After I created the stilts, I used a box to cut a hole to allow water into the bucket. Also, a cylinder to create a hole on the front of the waterfall.

Step 7: Creating the Side Planters

I used a diamond as the base, cutting it so it was only the flat half. Then rotated it on its head.

Next I put a round roof that was rotated to be the top.

Then used a half sphere as a hole that i stretched through until it slightly poked through. This had the added benefit of creating a drainage hole.

Lastly I used the box hole to slice of about a 1/4 of the planter and positioned 4 of them on the model

Step 8: Creating the Top Planter

Started with two rectangles on top of each other.

Then added a box hole through the two to give room for the planter.

I adjusted these to fit into the dimensions of the top of the waterfall planter.

Then used 3 cylinders to create drainage holes.

Planter Top.stl
Download View in 3D

Step 9: Space and Covering for the Tubing

Used a cylinder hole to create a hole through the top of the waterfall.

I used two cylinders and a box to create a covering. This helps direct water flow to the bottom instead of shooting straight out of the hole.

Step 10: Electronics Cover

i created a small electronics cover out of two boxes to protect them from drippings of back splash.

Electronics Cover.stl
Download View in 3D

Step 11: Print the Model and All Its Parts.

Print the Model marked V2 along with the parts mentioned in steps 6, 8, and 10. The one with stilts has the model with all the parts attached besides the top and would be hard to print as is.

Suggestions when slicing:

Use .2mm layer height.

Use support enforcers to create blocks under the planters on the side. If you use supports on the whole thing it will waist a ton of plastic. If you do not know how to do this you can print with supports on the whole model.

Use a brim on the main print. It is large and could lift off the bed.

If you can use 100% infill on the water bucket to make it hold water better.

Step 12: Wire Electronics

Wire your electronics as seen in the diagram. When the potentiometer (knob) on the motor controller is turned all the way to the left it will act as an off switch so no need to add a power switch.

Step 13: Put Tube Into Water Fall

Attach the tube to the water pump and feed it through hole in the back.

See how long you need it to be with a little extra slack and cut it.

Stick it through the hole at the top of the water fall. It should be snug and then use a little hot glue to seal it in place if you can.

Step 14: Place Electronics

Put the electronics in their appropriate holes and seal their open terminals with hot glue. Use the electronics cover from step 10 to cover the top and then glue that in place to create a seal around it.