Star Christmas Tree Topper w/Supportive Base

I was browsing and browsing and browsing looking on Amazon for a tree topper I really liked- and just couldn't find what I wanted. So it hit me- I had PLA, a creative mind, and a 3D printer- so I sat down and designed my own star-shaped Christmas tree topper! It took several prototypes, but I am very happy with the results- and due to the stabilizing design of the star's base (gaps for limbs and holes for optional zip ties, etc.), it actually stays upright on my tree after a little adjusting. The pictured star toppers were printed with PLA Basic Transparent, PLA Silk Silver and PLA Silk Gold- the print profiles have been provided for silk and transparent.

WARNING! All of the points on this star are EXTRA SHARP- so be careful assembling!

This star is printed in three main parts- top, bottom, and base- and has 8 tiny dowels to connect the halves, though you can get away with just four on the outside dowel holes- the inner four are just for added stability but can be tricky to get all 8 lined up. Four and some super glue will work great from my experience. The entire design is as lightweight as I could make it and is hollow with a hole in the base and in the center of the bottom half to accommodate a cord for adding LED strand or other fairy lights (if you use transparent or light colored filament).

PRINT RECOMMENDATIONS- PLEASE CHECK THESE OUT FOR BEST RESULTS!!

This model will use a bit of support to make sure the surfaces print well, and I highly recommend these settings for best results:

• Infill- 0% for top, bottom, and base, and I used between 15%-25% for the dowels
• .2 for layer height
• Use traditional/normal supports (and yes, they will take a bit of effort to remove but they really help make sure the overhangs are a nice result)
• Make the bottom and top shell layers 6- I started with the defaults and got some pillowing on the surfaces of my prototypes- so I bumped it up to 6 and it fixed it for me.
• Use the support painter to block the round connecting dowel holes in both halves of the star (if you don't it can be a serious pain to get some of the support material out of those tiny holes)
• I recommend using brims on everything- obviously it is optional but with the very narrow pointy ends and tiny dowels it just makes it easier and less likely to lift from the bed.