Moravian Star 6" (150mm)

prusaprinters

<p>This is a 6 inch (150mm) Moravian star that I've been tinkering with for a couple years. Thought I'd share it before the holiday season.</p><p>It is best to print this in a transparent PETG with a 0.4mm nozzle, 0.2mm layer, and 0.45mm extrusion width. This will make most walls a 2x thick trace. No supports are necessary. One star requires (2x) Moravian_6in_Half and (7x) Moravian_6in_Clip in order to assemble. Printing a couple extra clips is recommended as they get lost easily. All parts for one assembly can barely fit on a MK3 bed. Printing 2 halves at once is recommended in order to avoid thermal runaway at the top spike.</p><p>This is designed to be lit from the inside with a regular bulb from a Christmas light string. As such, any burnt plastic embedded in the part will easily show when lit, so cleaning the exterior of the nozzle prior to printing is recommended. Printing at the lowest temperature to avoid stringing while still maintaining good lay adhesion is recommended.</p><p>After printing a bit of cleanup is required. Some stringing is unavoidable, so de-stringing with a hot air gun is recommended. Be careful of overheating the star. The core of the star absorbs a lot of heat and can become malleable. Any burnt plastic embedded in the walls can be scraped out. For small imperfections, this shouldn't affect the final appearance or structural integrity of the part. Some strands from bridging can also be removed, although since they are on the interior of the star, ultimately they won't be visible.</p><p>To assemble the star, using a pair of pliers insert a clip into each of the 7 recesses in one of the halves. Once inserted, align the two halves next to one another. The two halves can be joined by pressing them together at the clips. The clips should snap the two halves into place.</p><p>Once assembled, a bulb from a Christmas light string can be inserted into the top and secured with a zip tie. A hook can also be added for hanging. The star can be left as is, unlit, if desired. The star is fairly robust, so don't worry too much about breaking it.</p><p>The PETG I personally use is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TYZNSPX/?th=1&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=caldphil-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=dc0014aa17be599c49642d34b20b5e8e&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325">IC3D PETG</a>. Their transparent PETG works well for printing the stars. I also use their solid grey 10kg PETG spools for prototyping on the cheap.</p><p>Hope you enjoyed, and have a great holiday season.</p>