I haven’t updated this blog in a long time. One reason? Our house got some renovations. Before it all started, I had this nagging feeling something might go wrong - no concrete reason, just a hunch. And I was right! A bunch of unexpected issues popped up, and the whole thing dragged on much longer than anticipated. It finally wrapped up in December. So, I’ve got a good excuse for not finishing my marble run yet. Hehe.
After the dust settled, the first thing I made was a miniature marble run. I thought, "Why not make a Christmas tree with a spiral for the balls to roll down?" It sounded fun and festive!
I drew a few Christmas tree designs in 3D software, aiming for something tall and impressive. But, if the tree got too big, printing the spirals would take forever, so I had to strike a balance.
Printing the spiral part alone took 8 hours and 10 minutes! With a cone-shaped spiral, you need supports to keep it steady, which adds to the printing time. Unfortunately, the project wasn’t finished by Christmas, but it was finally completed in 2025, and I’m happy with the result.
Here it is - my very first 3D-printed marble run!
I wanted a polyhedral star on top, so I enlisted my husband, Juno to design it. Inside the tree, there’s a spiral post that can lift multiple balls from three different sides. It’s simple, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Like a kid, I can’t help but crank the handle several times a day. If I find some colourful glass marbles, I’ll swap out the metal ones—they’d make the tree even more festive.
Now, what should I make next with my 3D printer?
