Desktop Fountain

Creating a relaxing atmosphere from scratch. 

Personal Project - Fall 2020

I’ve always wanted a desktop fountain, a little piece of nature to keep me company while I work. Unfortunately, such water features are often expensive, or dull, or both. So, I decided to make my own.

It all started when I came across a yellow cube planter at Hobby Lobby that was 50% off and begging for a home. It was watertight ceramic so I took it home and started sketching form ideas in Procreate for it. I settled on a design that was both simple and organic, reminiscent of trimmed bamboo shoots pushing up from a gravel riverbed.

Then, I used Fusion 360 to design the fountain itself.

To prototype it, I 3D printed it using PLA.

Originally, I planned to use some stainless steel rods I had lying around as the legs to hold the fountain up. When I went to cut them to length, I realized how tough it is to cut. The legs all ended up being different lengths and the fountain was lopsided and wobbly.

So, I went back to Fusion 360 and designed a base for the fountain to sit on. I also 3D printed the base from PLA. I even kept the adhesion skirt on for a more stable footprint.

Just for fun, I threw my models in Keyshot to render them.

To finish my prototype, I connected the main spout to a small aquarium pump with some silicone tubing. I plugged it in for the first time, and it worked perfectly from the very start. Though I usually only run it for no more than 6 hours, I once ran it for 48 hours straight to see if it would hold up. It did.

It still sits on my desk to this day. Every morning I plug it in, and it serenades me with gentle babbles and splashes while I work. :)