Counter Top Herb Garden

thingiverse

This is My Kitchen Companion It comes equipped with three detachable planters, a collection tray, and a light system that adjusts in height. I have mine connected to a timer so the light stays on for exactly the right amount of time every day. It's designed to print without supports needed. The slanted sides inside the containers and within the middle support on the base are somewhat steep but you shouldn't worry if you notice some stray bits of plastic when assembling it as they'll be completely hidden once everything is in place. I printed all the pieces using two layers of shells and 10% infill. Be sure to use at least two layers of shells on the collection tray or else it might leak. Everything fits together pretty firmly but I would advise gluing the back support into position after making a test fit of the components. Fresh produce really makes all the difference in cooking recipes. Instructions You'll need to print out one middle container and two of each of the other parts. Assembly It should click together pretty well, though you might want to glue the back support for extra stability - that's what I do, and I also use methylene chloride as my adhesive of choice, which dissolves PLA plastics when used properly like it would with ABS, combining them into a single part afterwards. Covering the interior To complete the exterior, cover the inside surfaces of the top panel with Aluminum foil. You should be able to find this at your local hardware store and not confuse it with regular duct tape. The adhesive is really strong - I was even able to leave it up for more than a hundred degrees Celsius without it melting. It's also shiny so that will allow light to reflect downwards onto your plants, giving them optimal conditions. Wiring To do the wiring properly I took the ends off an old extension cord and ran one of these end segments over the wire using the lamp rod nut from an extension cord. This should then go into the lamp rod and be attached there after connecting it up properly to a socket in your lamp holder. Lighting For this particular unit, a twenty four Watt compact fluorescent light was sufficient so my herbs don't dry out. It might actually overheat if we used one too high - never use anything bigger than a twenty four watt compact fluorescent bulb.