I originally designed this insert for a planter I 3D printed myself. The plant I was potting would eventually outgrow it, but because of the planter's shape, removing it later would have meant cutting the whole thing open. To avoid that, I created a simple insert with drainage holes that match the ones in the planter. Now I can lift it out easily when the plant needs repotting and reuse the planter.

I started the design in Fusion 360 but decided to recreate it in OpenSCAD so it could be customised directly on MakerWorld. It turned out to be a great learning opportunity, and now I can quickly generate inserts for any new planter I print. Hopefully it will be useful to others too.

Features:

• Fully parametric and customisable
• Adjustable height, diameter, and wall/base thickness
• Central drainage hole and multiple rings of outer holes
• Hole layout based on density for better distribution
• Support-free and easy to print

Customise drainage holes to match your planter.

Print Material

Print in PLA, PETG, or ABS.

Print Settings

The standard profile works well. To reduce print time, set your line widths to a factor of the “wall thickness” parameter. For example, if the wall thickness is 1.2 mm, use line widths of 0.6 mm.

Once you’ve printed your insert, share your setup! I’d love to see how you’re using it and hear your thoughts.

Explore more of my designs

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