Laser cutting Christmas tree

Quentin Plisson

3 Dec, 2022 02:23 PM

This quick tutorial show how to make a relief Chrismas tree, which can be produced by laser cutting. For this we will only use the Part Design workbench. The whole procedure will not be detailed but only the essential steps to understand how to do it.

1. Step 1: Presentation of the exercise

   We are going to model the part illustrated below, using a sequence of bodies as you see in the construction tree.

   

   An initial knowledge of Part Design is recommended to follow this tutorial. Do not hesitate to do the basic exercises proposed in my tutorials.

   
   

2. Step 2: Base of the tree

   If you have followed the previous tutorials, this step should not be a problem. Simply create the sketch below.

   

   Then extrude the sketch to the thickness of your material to be cut, i.e. 3 mm in our case.

   

   
   

   
   

3. Step 3: Support

   We are now going to make the support on which the parts of the tree will be notched.

   

   The trick is to first create a basic shape with non-curved lines. You can use the dimensions below or use your own.

   

   And only then do you use the 3-point arc function to create curves.

   

   It's necessary to create an extrusion. Then you have to create the notches.

   

   Then a symmetry.

   

   
   

   
   

4. Step 4: Filling the tree

   Next we will create the central part of the tree, which will be topped by a star.

   

   This is the same technique as above except that we will make a slightly more complex shape.

   

   Do not forget to make the notches: one notch at the trunk and one notch at the star. They are to be made according to those of the interlocking parts. It is possible to use a Shape Binder to directly recover the location of the notch of another part.

   

   The same technique is used to make the smaller parts of the tree: a simple shape, then curves.

   

   Use the copy and paste function to avoid having to redo everything at each Body.

   

   
   

   
   

5. Step 5: Star

   Finally we will make the star.

   

   The creation of 2 pentagons makes it quite easy to make a well-proportioned star.

   

   
   

   
   

6. Step 6: Exporting the SVG file

   In Techdraw you simply project the faces and use the SVG export function.