Christmas Themed Carousel

June '25 Update - A major upgrade! Redesigned the carousel base to use a micro DC motor, battery pack & switch, eliminating the external crank / motor connection. The assembly instructions and BOM files have also been updated.

December '24 Update - Added a LED light cover and decorative cap to finish this off. The LED string (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SYL9YQ) is hot glued in place. Added the 2 files prefixed “Illumination”.

This project began while thinking about how to re-use the stepper motors that were freed up when I recently upgraded my Prusa MK3 printer kit to a MK4. A "carousel" with a "Christmas theme" was suggested. When researching for design concepts I became intrigued by some of the old -time carousel designs, and decided to emulate those mechanics as much as possible. Specifically, the power transfer to the upper rotating frame, using that rotation to turn the bevel gears, and rotate the arm that lifts the reindeer character up and down.

I know its terribly over engineered but it was a fun project, and I learned a lot during the process.

I did not design the reindeer. I got that here: www.thingiverse.com/thing:2032987. I resized it and cut the hole for the down rods.

All the initial design work included the Stepper Motor solution for which I had to get a controller and suitable power supply. However, I concluded that the stepper might not be an option for everyone, so I came up with a manual crank and a more readily available and simpler to control "TT Motor" design. All three are interchangeable with the main carousel. Refer to the BOM for the file details.

I learned a lot more about the design of gears in Fusion (the Spur Gear Add-in is awesome), and used the McMaster-Carr Component tool for all the bevel gears and screws.

A full BOM is included in the files and it includes all the print settings including print bed orientation, infill, resolution, etc. The file also includes the list of required screws and some links to purchase certain parts (the links are just suggestions and are not sponsored). The only part requiring supports is the reindeer.

A detailed installation instruction document is also included.

My short video of the carousel in action: https://youtu.be/jEdsxfYieqc