Instructions For The Vegepod Unit

Instructions For The Vegepod Unit

Instructions For The Vegepod Unit
Students taking soil chemistry samples in the controlled environment of the Vegepod

Ah! How sad I need a post on Instructions For The Vegepod Unit that I used last year. It is a great device and once assembled it works like a dream. But once you take it apart you better hope you took good notes!

Reverse Engineering Someone Else's Work

When I first saw the Vegepod model on display at Oakland Nursery here in Columbus, OH, I instantly fell in love! A system of four trays that can be planted with soil, expanded clay or hydroponics?! Yes please!

It came pre-assembled and they even used a forklift to load it up into my truck. All I had to do was position it in front of the bioreactor tower and run experiments for summer camps all summer! Then I had to take it apart.

It came apart very easily. It is very well designed - there are a few tweaks I would make that I would 3D print to replace or replicate - but it's solid. It breaks down and stores away neatly. But it did not come with instructions.

YouTube to the Rescue

I tried for a few days to figure it out, but it really hard to reverse engineer something like this. Eventually I went to YouTube and searched for Vegepod Installation. Lo and behold, the creators must know how difficult this is to visualize and build.

Make It Work

Once I understood the basics I still put a few pieces in the wrong place or installed the right piece at the wrong time - TWICE. So I am including this blog post to remind me how to do this. I am also 3D printing little plaques that I will color code, number, and afix to the pieces so I can tear down and rebuild this in minutes next time and not days.

We live and we learn. I still love this tool. It has also inspired me to rethink my robotic rain delivery device in the bio dome project as this system delivers water so efficiently.

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