Recycled cardboard pot mold

thingiverse

This project is inspired from XYZAidan project. XYZAidan profile : [XYZAidan](https://www.thingiverse.com/XYZAidan) Original project "Recycled Cardboard Molding" : [Recycled Cardboard Molding](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3912997) How to print this ? -------------------------------- 20% infill seems to be OK. To print a little bit faster you can print in 0.3 or more. The mold don't specially need to be beautiful. How to use this ? -------------------------------- You need some water, a bucket, cardboard or/and paper. You also need your 3D printing parts (no joke). You don't need glue. Here cardboard = cardboard or/and paper 1 - You need to cut cardboard, it doesn't need to be ultra small pieces. 2 - Then, you need to put your pieces of cardboard in a bucket. Then add some water. Here is a super important, not too much water. The cardboard just need to be fully immerged not more. 3 - Mix, press, shred with your hands and wait (you can do this multiple times). After some hours, big pieces are still here. If you do this time to time, after 3 days it's more a paste. Nevertheless, you can still make a pot if you wait 1 hour or 3 day, it's just how "liquid" is the paste and the final visual aspect. 4 - When you are ready put the "paste" in the mold. Try to already create the shape in the mold, it would be easier. I recommend to not put to much paste in the beginning, press the mold than add and repeat again.The mold should be almost closed 5 - When you are satisfied with the quantity of "paste" you can press firmly and add weight on it to let it dry. (I recommend 24h but I successfully unmold just after, I think it depends of the "paste" ) 6 - Then unmold it carefully. You can press gently from the bottom, and let it dry 24h outside the mold (it can be outside with the sun or inside next to a radiator). 7 - Congratulation you have a pot Pro tips ( I guess ) -------------------------------- 1 - Please if you do this project use cardboard/paper not dangerous for the environment 2 - If you have cardboard with glossy paper on it, be careful. Glossy paper doesn't seems to be biodegradable (or at least not really compatible to molding). 3 - If you have cardboard with glossy paper on it, you can remove it when it stays immerged into water. Your water will contain a little bit of glue. It can help to maintain the cardboard pot but I'm not sure if it's good for the environment. Good questions -------------------------------- Why ? Due to COVID-19 I can't buy pot to my mini-greenhouse. Can I water my plants ? Yes but not to much. Paper and cardboard will act like a sponge. When wet, try to not move, it will be fragile. Can it resists the rain ? This was primarily design to use in mini-greenhouse. I suppose it resists light rain. How long pot will be usable ? Don't know yet. Can I reuse it ? I suppose but I don't know yet. Or you can plant all the pot if you use safe cardboard. Thanks to -------------------------------- "XYZAidan" for his project and his ideas. [XYZAidan](https://www.thingiverse.com/XYZAidan) [Recycled Cardboard Molding](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3912997) "Les Frères Poulain" to show me this kind of things. [RECYCLAGE de tous les CARTONS !!! Ça redevient dur comme du bois avec cette technique DIY !](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF3U1Pqueps)