Modular Star Tree Topper

thingiverse

UPDATE: The bolt assembly does work just fine. I got the pieces out of storage and finally printed the threaded hub and bolt for a smooth, glue-less connection. Be sure to pay attention to the hub's orientation; one receiving notch is closer to the center and designed to hold the base of the tree topper in place. If this notch isn't aligned correctly, the holes won't line up as they should. The bolt itself could use some refinement for a better look - perhaps trimming down its height or making it blend in with the medallion. It'll be great to see what others come up with. My wife looked at our bare Christmas tree and said, "Why don't you PRINT us a star?" I thought her words were probably laced with sarcasm, but she's a kind person and genuinely wanted one. I saw this as an opportunity to prove my hobby, which consumes time and money, actually has real-world value beyond printing novelty items. This design is still printing away, so the verdict remains pending. However, I've gone ahead and uploaded the files while they're on their last lap. In total, it'll take about 10 hours of printing on my Flashforge Creator, but I'm only halfway through that time. When finished, I'll post an update to let everyone know how it turned out. UPDATE: Here's a photo of the completed star; note that I've updated the design by adding a hole in the medallion so it's compatible with version 2 base featuring threading to receive a bolt holding everything together without needing any glue. Once I get a chance, I'll add those revised files for your use. Print Settings: * Printer: FlashForge Creator * Rafts: None needed * Supports: No support required * Resolution: .3 mm resolution for high-quality prints * Infill: 10% is a good starting point; feel free to experiment and find what works best for you * Notes: Since this design is still in the process of printing, I'll post an update if any new insights or tips become apparent. The cone portion seemed to print much slower than anticipated; experimenting with shells vs. infill could greatly reduce overall time. The cone itself turned out a tad thicker than needed, possibly indicating you may want to thin it out in the design file. UPDATE: When I printed this design at maximum speed for my printer, there was some minor layer separation in places, but most parts have built-in flexibility to handle this issue. Consider slowing down the printing of threaded parts and trying .2mm resolution to get even smoother results.