compostable-sprouting-pot-press with ejector

It's spring !  Time to sprout plants for your garden !

This small press allows you make compostable pots out of cardboard in which you can sprout your seeds. Once enough grown, simply plant the whole thing in your garden.

No more plastic, no more broken plant when taking it out of the pot. Plus cardboard is an amazing garden soil nourishing element.

Printing

Print all the parts with a 0.4mm nozzle (or using the preconfigured files for PLA)  0.6mm for PLA-CF:

• Matrix : 0.1mm layer height for the bottom grid, then 0.2mm layer height, 20% infill, no supports
• Pressing arm and ejector/plunger : 0.2mm layer height, 50% infill, no supports
• Stamp : O.15mm layer height, 20% infill, supports below the edge
• Pressing interface : 0.15mm layer height, 40% infill, supports inside the loops or no supports

Assembling

Once you have all the parts printed, add Ø5x25mm and Ø5x15mm metal axis between the matrice and pressing arm and between the pressing arm and pressing interface as shown in the .f3d file. 

You might need to drill the hole to get a better fit. The parts should rotate freely but have a tight fit. 

Place the plunger/ ejector in the base of the matrix so that the stem pokes through the base and the ejector face sits flat in the base.

Using it ( 3 methods)

Once you're done with assembling the press, it's time to use it. 

Stage 1 (all three methods)

Prepare a mix of clean (ink free, adhesive free) recycled cardboard. Tear into fine pieces and put it to soak in hot water. 

Mix the whole thing to get a thick dryish paste (it should have almost the same texture as bread dough) If you want you can use a stick blender to create a homogeneous paste (recommended) Plain flour can be added in to the mix to improve stickiness if required

Method 1 (fully cardboard paste)

Pour this paste into the press and add the stamp and press. Once there seems to be no more water, remove the stamp and the pot from the matrix by pressing turning the press over and pushing down on the plunger/ejector stem, pop the pot off the stamp and leave it to dry a few hours.

Method 2 (Toilet roll core and cardboard paste)

Use a cardboard toilet paper core, cut the core to ~65mm length. At one end place 1cm long cuts with scissors approximately 1 cm apart all around the core. This is easiest done by placing the toilet roll core on the stamp and using the stamp base as a guide for depth of cuts.

Pack approx 3-5mm of cardboard paste into the base of the matrix.

Pack approx 3-5mm of cardboard paste into open end of the toilet tube (on the stamp) Fold flaps on tube inwards over the paste and hold flaps down while inserting stamp into the matrix. Press until it seems no more water is present,  remove the stamp and the pot from the matrix by pressing turning the press over and pushing down on the plunger/ejector stem, pop the pot off the stamp and leave it to dry a few hours.

Method 3 ( strip of twin wall corrugated cardboard and cardboard paste)

Cut a strip of cardboard 25cm long and 65mm wide. Moisten card strip by quickly dipping in water (does not need to be saturated). wrap around the stamp (should go round about 1.75 times) cut flaps as method 2

Pack approx 3-5mm of cardboard paste into the base of the matrix

Pack approx 3-5mm of cardboard paste into open end of the toilet tube (on the stamp) Fold flaps on tube inwards over the paste and hold flaps down while inserting stamp into the matrix. Press until it seems no more water is present,  remove the stamp and the pot from the matrix by pressing turning the press over and pushing down on the plunger/ejector stem, pop the pot off the stamp and leave it to dry a few hours.

I struggled to remove the pots from the matrix in the original so i have modified it to include a plunger device to eject the pot once pressed.