Slim Can Rain Chain
Slim Can Rain Chain
Published 2018-02-12T12:10:52+00:00
Listening to the rain is one of our favourite things. There's nothing quite like that pattering of soft drops on the roof, and the playful gurgle of the gutters and downpipes. And now, we can hear and watch this tranquil rain chain trickle and clunk happily away with the rain!
Just hang one (or more! Like in the video) of these where water flows, put a slim 250ml can inside, making sure the opening will point down when it tips. Listen to the way the rain boucing off the can changes as the water level rises, and watch it tip and empty when it's full. For those of you whose rains are a little scarce, this can also be a pump powered water feature.
Assembly is pretty obvious - place the can holder between the two sides and screw the fasteners to the top and bottom. You may want to put a few M8 nuts or similar into the bottom of the can holder (there's a cavity there for this very purpose). This adjusts how full the can needs to be, as well as the frequency of the tipping.
The rain chain was designed entirely using Tinkercad, which I love for its simplicity. Building the teardrop-shaped curve for the outer frame required the most thought, especially since I wanted it to be easily printable and to require no supports. It has been designed to work without needing any modification to the can itself, but cutting the top off would certainly increase both the filling and emptying rates.
So watch those skies and be ready for your next rainy day! It’s time to put your feet up and relax to the serene sights and sounds of this peaceful rain chain.
You can see the rain chain in action here:
Easy to print, no supports required. Perhaps a raft or brim will help if you get any warping on the two frame pieces (I used a 12mm brim).
Date de publication | 12/02/2018 |
Technologie | FDM |
Complexité | Easy |
Sans support | YES |