3D Printing - Snowflake Design






The Challenge

Make a snowflake design using TinkerCad





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Get Started

​Hexagonal Polygon
  1. Go to tinkercad.com, sign in, and create a new design.
  2. Drag out a Polygon (Hexagonal Polygon)
  3. Resize it to approximately 50mm x 50mm
  4. Make a copy of your shape by pressing CTRL + D
  5. Drag copy next to original.
  6. Resize copy to be 6mm smaller than the original.
  7. Make the smaller shape taller than the original.
  8. Align the two shapes
  9. Select the taller shape and make it a hole
  10. Group the two shapes together.
  11. Make Hexagonal polygon height to 3mm.
​Three Rectangles for Snowflake Stem
  1. Drag out a box
    • ​​Height = 3mm
    • Width = 4mm
    • Length = 60mm
  2. ​Position rectangle to go in the middle of the hexagonal shape
  3. Duplicate the rectangle by pressing CTRL+ D​​​​
    • ​​Move rectangle away from the original
    • Make length shorter to 15mm
    • Let's call this rectangle "15mm rectangle"
  4. ​Duplicate 15mm rectangle by pressing CTRL + D
    • ​​Move rectangle away from the original
    • Make length to 25mm
    • Let's call this rectangle "25mm rectangle"
​
Snowflake Stem Part I
  1. Select the 15mm rectangle and rotate the 15mm rectangle to -45°
    • ​​Hold the SHIFT key when rotating. It will snap at 45° increments.
  2. ​Select the 25mm rectangle and rotate it to -45°
  3. Click on the 15mm rectangle
    • ​​Move it to the left to overlap long (60mm) rectangle
    • Use the arrow keys to help dial it in to the correct spot
  4. ​Click on the 60mm and 15mm rectangle
    • ​​Hold SHIFT when clicking
    • Align to left edge so it's just at the edge of the rectangle
  5. ​Then select the 25mm rectangle and move it over just like the 15mm rectangle
    • ​​Align to left edge like previous step
Snowflake Stem Part II
  1. Select the 15mm rectangle and duplicate it by pressing CTRL + D
    • Select Mirror
    • Left - Right
    • Move with arrow keys to the other side of the 60mm rectangle
  2. ​Select the 25mm rectangle and duplicate it
    • ​​Select Mirror
    • Left - Right
    • Move with arrow keys to the other side of the 60mm rectangle
  3. ​Select 15mm and 25mm rectangle and align it to the right
  4. Select all pieces (5) and Group​
  5. Select "Snowflake Stem" and duplicate
    • ​​Mirror
    • Left - Right
    • Use arrow keys to align it up in the middle
  6. ​Select both "Snowflake Stems" and group
  7. Then select hexagonal polygon and snowflake stem
    • ​​​Align in center in both places
Snowflake Stems Part III
  1. Now that you have one full stem of the snowflake. We will duplicate this to fill in the rest of the snowflake.
  2. Select the snowflake stem
    • ​​Make a duplicate
    • Hold the SHIFT key and rotate 45°
  3. ​If I press CTRL + D again, Tinkercad remembers the last step you did and will duplicate and rotate 45° the next stem. Do this until the snowflake fills up.
  4. Draw a box around the entire snowflake and group everything together.
  5. Now you have a perfect snowflake! Rename the TinkerCad File on the top.
Snowflake Embellishments
  1. Drag out another hexagonal polygon
  2. Hold SHIFT to resize and put over the middle of the snowflake, but smaller
  3. Select both the polygon and the snowflake and align in middle
  4. Select hexagon polygon and make sure it cuts through by making it taller.
    • ​​Press Hole
    • Group snowflake and hexagon polygon
  5. ​Grab a torus
    • ​​Tube = 0.25
    • Hold down SHIFT when resizing to maintain aspect ratio
    • Align in Center
    • Adjust height to match snowflake
    • Group torus and snowflake
  6. ​Add another torus to tie a string on
    • ​​Place at one of the ends of the snowflake stem
    • ​Tube = 1.5
    • Align center
    • Select torus and snowflake and group again
  7. ​Export STL file to print
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