Frosted Clear Snow Flake Ornament

We drew this snow flake design in Corel Draw, and created the .stl file in Magics. The model was designed to be easily printed by anyone at any 3D printing skill level.

We chose to 3D print a snow flake because it has naturally come to be associated with Christmas. We printed three snow flakes, and applied a frosted clear blue, frosted clear green, and frosted clear finish to the parts. No two snow flakes are the same, which can be associated with one of the benefits of 3D printing-custom tailored parts.

Step 1: Printing of the File

Once the file was created, we 3D printed it in clear ABS-like material through the stereolithography (SLA) process. The file was run flat. Because of the run time of SLA is partially determined off the height, this allowed for the shortest run time.

Step 2: Part Finishing

The parts received an ultraviolet post cure which cured the resin. We then removed support, and wet sanded the parts to remove any build lines. Because the parts were run flat, this allowed for the least amount of support, which allowed for the most efficient post processing finish.

Step 3: Applying Clear Coat

The parts were then sprayed with a dyed clear coat, which gives the parts the clear tinted look.

Step 4: Sand Blast

We then sand blasted the parts to give them a clear frosted look.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Place the ornaments on the tree, and enjoy the holiday!