What happens when you take a wind turbine design and mix it with Christmas spirit? You get the Archimedes Kinetic Christmas Tree! I originally designed this geometry as a functional wind turbine blade based on the Archimedes screw. While testing, I realized the spiral shape makes for a perfect, stylized Christmas tree.

I adapted a custom base (pot) and a shaft system to fit a standard 608 bearing, allowing the tree to spin freely with a gentle touch or a light breeze. It’s the perfect desk toy or holiday decoration for makers and engineers!

Key Features:

Kinetic Design: Spins smoothly thanks to the bearing integration.

Engineering Origins: Based on real wind turbine fluid dynamics geometry.

Easy Assembly: Simple 3-part print (Tree, Pot, Connector).

No Multi-Color Printer Needed: Parts are printed separately, so you can print the tree in Green and the pot in Brown (or Wood PLA) on any standard printer.

Bill of Materials (BOM):

1x Printed Spiral Tree

1x Printed Pot Base

1x Printed Shaft/Connector

1x Standard 608 Bearing (Skate bearing) - Optional drop of oil for faster spin.

Printing Parameters:

Material: PLA / PETG / Silk PLA (looks great for the tree).

Supports: Not usually required if your cooling is good (overhangs are gradual).

Infill: 10-15% is sufficient.

Walls: 2 or 3 walls for structural rigidity.

Happy Printing and Merry Christmas! If you like this model, please leave a like/boost!

Archimedes Christmas Tree (608 Bearing)

0.2mm layer, 3 walls, 15% infill

0.2mm layer, 2 walls, 15% infill