Trimmable Bonsai

thingiverse

This is my first 3d printed bonsai. It is actually two models that will need to be printed at the same time, but with different settings. This method can really be used to make any tree. I found excellent luck looking up models of dead trees, and then placing a basic shape over them for the canopy. This is just a basic model. The whole thing is printed on its side, with support under the tree, and the canopy made of a basic model with no walls or top/bottom. Its just infill, and you can make a different canopy by playing with your infill type and settings. You can also resize the canopy to change the shape of what you are getting. Print on its side or upside down for best results (upside down requires some major overhangs). The tree does not stand up on its own so I recommend printing a little bonsai pot you like and gluing it in. You can even fill the pot with the trimmings from the tree. Files are: Bonsai infill 1.1 (A 3mf file with both models in it) Bonsai infill tree 1.1 (stl of the tree trunk) Bonsai infill canopy 1.1 (the canopy stl with the L shape) Bonsai infill Canopy 1.2 (a basic rectangle in case you wanna get wild and add more. Size it to your desired height) Settings you need on: Remove Mesh Intersection. This makes it so you aren't actually printing both models in the same space, the slicer chooses one. There is another setting to alternate it to allow the print to be stronger. I use Cura, so your terminology might be different. Tree model settings: whatever you normally print with, but have support on. Also toggle "drop to build plate. You need it floating above the plate. Ok, next you need to make the canopy have different settings from the model. In cura over on the left where you select move, rotate, scale, etc, you should see "per model settings". Click this for the canopy, and then choose the settings below to edit. This will basically override your cura settings for the ones you choose. Choose the ones below and adjust accordingly. If you are using prusaslicer, this guy figured out how to do it. Follow his instructions. https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/zlipbq/for_those_of_yall_trying_to_figure_out_the/ Similarly, user jlee1026 says this for Prusaslicer: "Remove Mesh Intersection" is worded as "Clip multi-part objects" under the Print settings in the "Other" section. You would want to uncheck the clip multi-part objects option Canopy model(s) settings: walls: 0 top/bottom layers: 0 Infill density: I found 10-8 works great, but play with it Infill line width: I print with a .4 nozzel, so I dropped this to .3 to make cutting easier The additional tree pictured is just a random tree file I grabbed and some blocks added. It also shows the orientation of the print of the tree. I have not included this tree as I can't remember where I got it from. Edit: I recently found someone who did something very similar to this idea, but two years before me! I had never seen it, but we were both inspired by the same source, which in a company from Japan called Nendo that made a 3d printed bonsai, but they were very artsy. So credit where its due: https://www.printables.com/model/42622-simple-3d-printed-bonsai