Build your own fountain….
I printed all the components over a couple days and then assembled it all following these steps. I have attempted to reduce the printing time by using standard PVC tubing but it is possible that sizes may vary slightly in different locations. The design does have some tolerance to change the pipe sizes or you can choose to print the tubes.
Total Time Needed :
3
Days
Approx. Build Cost:
20
USD
Required Tools:
Things Needed?
Steps to build your fountain:
Before you print all the fountain parts print the pipe tester file so that you can test the 2 PVC pipe sizes that are available to you. If unable to get correct size or modify the top and bottom components you will need to print the tubes from the supplied files.
Print all the required files. Within the download package there is all the required STL files and also higher resolution photos and screen captures to help guide you through the assembly. The bed layout diagrams are provided to make you aware of the intended orientation that the designs are required to be printed. My preference is to print all parts individually and I would suggest using raft supports for the tall thumb screws to help achieve a nice smooth finish on the ball joint.
I have included 12 nozzles so you can print whatever ones you want. It is preferable to have at least one inner nozzle printed so that you can test the O-ring size that is required later in the assembly.
There is some optional files that can be printed. This step shows the collar (that can be glued onto top body) and its lock nut. I added these if you want to mount the fountain to a reflective tray. There is also another file which is just a small round drip tray that might be all some want to try for a reflection. I call it a drip tray but as you will discover with fountains – there is a lot more mess than a few drips!
Once everything was printed, I used a 6mm & 4mm drill bit (just by hand – no actual drill as it would tend to “bite” and drill in more than wanted). The cross section of the design will give you an idea of how deep the holes are. To round out the holes for the brass tubes because they tend to “droop” ever so slightly (the print is designed to print without supports). I also use a suitable drill bit and craft knife to clean up the water jet holes and slots so that there is no stringing or “elephants’ foot” that may affect the jet of liquid. Don’t bother about gluing in the inlet tubes yet but it is good to do the drill cleanup now so that you can flush out any remnants from the top and bottom components.
Cut a 145mm length of 6mm O.D. brass tubing. I use a small tubing cutter to create a nice smooth cut as any burs will affect the liquid flow. I then glued a 20mm length of 5mm (O.D.) nylon into top of this tube and then I chose to drill it out to create a 4mm jet (but you can decide what diameter jet you want.
Time to glue the brass tube into the lower base, but prior to glueing the brass tube, I also made sure that the 2 main tubes (PVC in my case) fit easily into the top and bottom sections. The reason for this check was so that I could “dry fit” the 2 main tubes into the top and bottom components as soon as I inserted the glued tube in place. It was probably not necessary, but I just wanted to ensure the brass tube was perfectly aligned. I used the Gorilla Glue as it gave me about 5 minutes working time. I used just a small amount of glue around the outer lower end of the brass tube. (Not too much in case it oozed out and blocked some of the vent holes). Twist the tube into place and before it sets “dry fit” the outer tube and then fit the top housing over the tube and onto the PVC tube. This will ensure that the tube is nicely aligned. BTW the reason one of the PVC tubes is an extra 1mm in height is just to help with fitting when trying to later glue them both at the same time.
It is now time to glue either the PVC centre pipe or printed tubes into the bottom housing. Firstly, I dry fitted the tube and made a pencil mark so that I could confirm that I had the tube fully inserted for the 30 seconds drying time. I used acetone to clean the PVC and then clear PVC glue but if you use Gorilla Superglue Gel you will give yourself more working time. I used a cotton bud to apply a small amount of glue to the inner and outer bottom edge of tube. Don’t apply too much glue because it may flow out into the air holes. Before I glued it in place make sure to have the outer tube and the top housing within reach. Push and twist the tube into the lower housing. Then quickly “dry fit” the outer tube and top housing into place. This ensures that the centre tube is correctly aligned with the other components. After the drying time you can remove the top housing and the outer tube.
The next step is to repeat the process for the outer tube. As soon as the tube and glue is bedded in place dry fit the top housing to perfectly align the tubes. This is important to do because in the next step when you glue the top housing on there will be no “play” in the tubes.
Remember to not use too much glue otherwise the excess may ooze into some of the vent holes. I didn’t attempt to put any glue directly into the groove. I just used a cotton bud to smear a continuous bead on both the inner and outer edge of the tube. When I inserted the tube into the groove I gave it a small twist to eliminate any air bubbles in glue bead.
First, dry fit the top housing just to confirm it is going to be able to fit easily when glue is applied. I also made a pencil mark to confirm where it was fully seated during the gluing process before removing it. I used a cotton bud dipped with glue and applied it around the inner and outer edges of both tubes to about 5mm. Again, it is just a twist and push action to make sure that the top housing is bedded down properly with a full bead of glue. The rotated position it finishes after twisting has no relevance to the final fountain.
Now its time to glue in the 8 top tubes (4mm O.D.) and the 4 bottom tubes (6mm O.D.), they are all 30mm long. As usual, I dry fitted them first to make sure that they all fitted correctly. I used Gorilla Super Glue Gel for this as it gives me some working time. I just made sure I had a full 5mm coverage around one end of the tube and twisted and pushed it into place. I only did a few at a time so that I could lay the fountain down so that the glue settled around the base of the tube rather than running down the tube or the housing. As they dried I just rotated and repeated until all were done.
If you plan to use 4mm I.D. silicone tubing for the top fluid inlets disregard this next step. Personally, I prefer to use 6mm Quick Connect Pneumatic fittings and to facilitate this I then glued 30mm lengths of 6mm nylon tubing over the 4mm brass tube. It is also possible to just get 4mm pneumatic fittings so they will fit directly onto the brass tubes. Remember that you only need 2 of the top tubes – 1 for each chamber. The others are only for adding additional colours to the top of the base colour. I just thought it was better to cater for multiple colours if required.
The top body of the fountain has 2 O-rings. The larger one pushes into the outer groove. The inner one stretches over the centre column and into the groove. You may have 2 test a couple of sizes to make sure you get a nice seal when the inner nozzle is screwed on. Make sure to use some Vaseline on the O-rings for smoother fitting.
Finally time to add the adjuster feet. I slightly changed the design since taking photos, but the concept is still similar. The threaded rod is glued into the turning knob – try and avoid leaving glue at base of knob as it will affect the “ball & socket” feature. I cut the threaded rod to a size that required a slight compression of the spring to start threading into the lower feet. How you choose to mount it is entirely your choice. I initially used a heavy section of composite outdoor decking board (so it wouldn’t be affected by water. Or you could screw it to possibly a piece of metal or acrylic and then clamp that down. It just needs to be secure so that you can then use the 3 adjusting assemblies to get a perfect vertical SFB jet. After testing that the adjusting knobs worked as intended, I actually didn’t use them. Only because I have a tray that I can adjust, so I printed a threaded ring (files included) which I glued onto the fountain collar so I could attach it direct to my tray with a locking nut (files also included). Within the files you will also find a 1:1 template for drilling the 3 holes for the feet.
This diagram shows how I connected the fountain, but you really don’t need to use all of this. You can make it as simple as what works for you. As previously stated, you could just use tubing straight on to whatever amount of the 4mm top inlets you wish to use. I use one way check valves so that liquid doesn’t flow back towards air source, as extra fluid in the air line would require changes to the air pressure. The single flow control valve for the inner fountain just provides a quick way to finely adjust the air pressure as sometimes it is difficult with the regulator. I like to split the air inlet for the larger outer fountain just so I can balance the air. All the tubing is 6mm O.D. and the green tube is medical oxygen tubing but that is just my choice because it is flexible, and I can view that the tube is filled with liquid for the S.F.B.
Any of the top 4mm brass tubes that are not used will need to be blocked off. A simple method is to use a small length of silicone tubing with the end folded over and secured with a small cable tie. I like to use the quick connect fittings so I cut a small length of 6mm nylon tubing and heat one end with a flame. Then I squeeze the end with a pair of pliers. This creates a small bung that can be inserted into the pneumatic fitting.
Hopefully I have given you enough information to walk you through the assembly of your fountain. Links below for all the STL files for printing and other files to assist you.
Also you can follow this link to view ….