Introduction: ELVEN / CELTIC STAR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT / BAUBLE

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A few years ago I started designing and building Christmas tree ornaments as gifts friends and family.

I decided to share some of my files with the maker community. These are 2 of my most popular ornaments; the ELVIN / CELTIC STAR and the STAR OF DAVID.


I am going to show you exactly how I make them and some of the tricks I use.

Supplies

  1. 3d printer - preferably a resin printer - I am using a Anycubic Photon
  2. Clear resin for your printer
  3. Dye for the resin - like this (here)
  4. The STL files for the ornament CELTIC STAR ORNAMENT or the STAR OF DAVID ORNAMENT
  5. Snips for removing supports
  6. Super Glue (get one with a brush)
  7. Nice silver wire - 32 AWG - I got some from hobby lobby

Step 1: Slice and Dice the Parts

Both the designs are 5 pointed stars in 3 dimensions. The Celtic Star and the Star of David are both assembled the same way. It's the outer shell that is different.

Each star is made of of 12 parts. Each of which is glued together with super glue. The 12 parts have 2 different designs that interlock. A slot part and a tab part. The slot parts we will need 10; and of and the tabbed parts we will only need 2.

On my any cubic photon I can get 28 parts placed. In the picture you can see the locations of the supports I used. I printed with a layer Hight of .05mm.

Step 2: Coloring & Additives

How the ornament looks is largely dependent on the resin you use and the finishing tuque.

Various opaque resins look good with the 2 designs. But where this design shines is with clear resins. (pun intended)

The stars look great with perfectly clear resin. But you can add a bit of dye to them to give just a hint of color or truly deep tone.

I only print with clear resin and I add things to it. If I am experimenting I will mix the batch in the printer vat. Precisely measuring the amount of resin and additives. If I like what I see I keep the formula. Otherwise I give the ornament away and try something else. The truly hideous ones I give to people I don't like. And now you just learned that I am really on Sant's Naughty list. .... Anyway

I have used lots of different dyes and different clear resins. Purchased from Amazon or Aliexpress. They have all worked together. However, I have only purchased the dyes used in used in photopolymer Jewelry making.

In the picture I have chosen a blue. Mostly because it is easy to see on the white background.

Step 3: Tips & Tricks of Finishing

The next most important part of the ornament is how you clean and finish the part. Normally this would be the last step. However, How you clean the part and when givens the surface texture and the look of the part.

Below is a list of the different things I have done to get different surfaces and shines.

For all of the prints you should make sure you resin is very clean. Filter it a few times and get out all the left over printed bits. Make sure your vat bottom is clean and clear.

Cristal clear (the easy way) - Most will tell you to polish the part after the part is cured. I will not.

  1. First remove the mass of ornament arms.
  2. Set them in a small tray with the points pointing up. (do not remove the supports.
  3. Put a small amount of IPA in the tray to rinse off the supports and support base. (not the arms)
  4. Drain off the IPA
  5. Set the mass of arms on a paper towel in the same tray
  6. Let them sit for a few days. They will drain and cure on there own. If they are still softy after a few days give them a short time under the curing lite.
  7. Assemble the Onement
  8. Spray the ornament with UV resistant clear coat.

Frosted

  1. Remove the models
  2. Wash them with acetone. - it is more aggressive than IPA.
  3. Do a normal cure on the part with whatever curing method you use.
  4. Assemble the ornament


Cut Glass - this is the method used in the very first picture of the instructable.

  1. Do the same process as the frosted
  2. Spray the ornament with UV resistant clear coat.

Step 4: Assembly

OK the assemble is very easy and quick

  1. Get 4 Notched parts and 1 tabbed part.
  2. Brush on a small amount of super glue onto the NOTCHED FACE of the part. (not the one with the tab)
  3. Press the slotted part onto the tabbed part and use the tab to line up the parts.
  4. Repeat 2-3 4 more times.
  5. Repeat 1-4 a second time

After this you should have 2 halves of the part

Step 5: Add the Hanger

Now we need to add the hanger before we finish the assembly.

  1. Cut a wire about 200mm in length
  2. Make a loop with the wire and twist the bottom of the loop together. (about 10mm)
  3. Bent the twist 90 deg and insert it into the part as shown in the pictures.
  4. Now glue the 2 halves together

Step 6: Hang It on the Tree

Ya the last step is truly to hang on the tree or give it to someone. The parts don't take much resin and you can easily assemble 10 in an hour.

The picture above has had no photo shopping. I used a clear resin with the cut glass method of finishing.

Step 7: Wait There's More

I just live the title to this page!!! Makes me want to call these the Ronko Christmas ornaments.. I can just see the commercial now. "Wait There's More - Not only to you get these amazing Christmas ornaments but you get a free laser pointer to guide you cat away from the tree." But I guess that might not apply if you are having a "Christmas Vacation" sort of holiday.

Anyway I have enjoyed making this quick instructable and making the cute trinkets for others.

The picture has some of my other designs and some of my experimentation with the resin pigments.

I have a few other designs posted if you are interested the links are below.

WOUND CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT / BAUBLE

DANCING DEW DROP CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT / BAUBLE

STAR OF DAVID CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT / BAUBLE

ELVIN / CELTIC STAR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT / BAUBLE

Cheers