Crystal Star Tree

thingiverse

This was designed as part of a light defuser for a Christmas decoration, but the result ended up being quite unexpected. OpenSCAD's linear_extrude() added facets to the outcome in an intriguing manner, especially when printed using a shiny material. I used translucent PETG but PLA would work just as well. For OpenSCAD enthusiasts: I've included knobs for height, the radius at the base, and the number of points in the star that is extruded. You can adjust the faceting by changing the $fn value for the linear_extrude. (Setting it to 512 will yield the result I originally anticipated.) Other things you can experiment with include the angle of the twist (you'll need to adjust the rotation of the hollow form as well) or the depth of the furrows (i.e., the length of the star points). The star polygon was my first foray into recursively-defined shapes; feel free to adopt it. Print Settings Printer Brand: LulzBot Printer: Mini Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.2mm Infill: 33% Notes: This piece is hollow and self-supporting. Infill isn't crucial, but does affect the appearance a bit if you use translucent material. Depending on your printer and patience, a higher resolution might look better.