Articulated X-Mas Tree

I designed this tree as a gift for friends and family this year.  My design goals were to use a “fractal-like” pattern for the branches to make it look lifelike and make the whole thing easy to print.  The branch angles are slightly randomized for a more “organic” feel.  While each print is easy, it is a slightly labor intensive project due to the number of beds you'll need on standard size printers.  I use 7 total because I like a color change when printing ring_6 and I like using different colors for the base and star.  Without these restrictions you can print it in 4 beds on any Prusa i3 printer.

Recommended print settings:

• 0.2mm Layer Height
• Concentric Infill - top and bottom layers
• Add a brim to the star, keep it rotated at 45 degrees
• Add a color change to ring_6 at 2.0mm and change to your star color.

I use a 0.6mm nozzle, but a friend has test printed with 0.4mm and had no issues.

Check out the assembly video here:

Assembly tips:

• Make sure the branch hinges are loose before assembly
• If you intend to handle the tree, I recommend using glue to keep the rings together and the topper on.  The design has lots of clearance and the star especially falls off easily
• If adding lights, you should glue the branches in position as well, the tension from the wires can pop branches out of their position
• If a branch pops loose, insert it at an angle and twist it back in to position, it should snap in place.  Glue the branch in its final position if this happens, as the hinges won't last long with regular handling.

Pictured Filaments:

• Filamentum PLA Extrafill "Gold Happens"
• MatterHackers Green PRO Series PLA Filament
• Jessie Premium PLA PS Red

The led lights pictured are sold as “fairy lights” at most retailers and are powered by two CR2032 batteries.  They last 1-2 days max, so leave enough room to change batteries if you intend to use them.  They can be woven in between the branches during assembly.  I have used the 7ft size as pictured here, but the 3.3ft size should be enough, I've doubled down on each layer and still had some extra I had to tuck through the middle.