Craft a Minimalist "Rotating Christmas Tree" with Your HiMill D1S 🎄
Christmas is just around the corner! Instead of buying the same old mass-produced plastic trees, why not use your HiMill D1S Desktop CNC to create a unique, one-of-a-kind wooden masterpiece?
In this post, we’ll share the complete workflow, design files, and machining parameters to take you from a raw board to a piece of art. Let’s get making!
🛠️ Project Overview
- Project Name Minimalist Wooden Christmas Tree
- Equipment HiMill D1S Desktop CNC
- Finished Dimensions Height ~30cm x Width ~25cm
- Difficulty ⭐⭐ (Beginner/Intermediate)
- Machining Time Approx. 1.5 Hours
- Main Materials Sandalwood, Modeling Board
📋 1. Preparation
Before we hit "Start," let's gather our materials and tools.
🧰 Bits & Tools
- Cutting: 3.175mm Single Flute Spiral Bit (perfect for chip evacuation).
- Detailing: 1.5mm Ball Nose Bit (optional for finishing).
- Note: For the holes, we will use the 3.175mm bit to mill them out directly.
🪵 Hardware & Materials (BOM)
- Branches: 10mm thick Sandalwood board.
- Base: 35mm thick Modeling Board (Solid block for the stump).
- Center Axis: 6mm Wooden Dowel (or threaded metal rod).
- Assembly: Wood Glue.
- Finishing: Acrylic Paints (Deep Green, Light Green, Yellow).
💻 2. Design & CAM Programming
The core of this design relies on precise alignment. We need a series of wooden strips of varying lengths, all with a perfectly centered hole. Hand-drilling these often results in crooked holes, which makes the tree lean—this is where the CNC shines.
Step 2.1: CAD Design
We designed 15 strips of varying lengths to create the conical tree shape.
- Longest Strip: 164mm
- Shortest Strip: 35mm
- Taper Logic: Length decreases gradually from bottom to top.
- Base Design: The base includes a counterbore (recessed hole) at the bottom to ensure stability.
Step 2.2: CAM Settings (HiMill D1S)
To ensure smooth cuts and minimize sanding later, we used the following settings:
- Spindle Speed: 13,000 RPM
- Feed Rate: 800 mm/min
- Step Down: 1 mm
💡 Pro Tip: When arranging your toolpaths, make sure to add "Bridges" (Tabs). This prevents the wooden strips from breaking loose and hitting the cutter or flying off the table during the final pass.
⚙️ 3. The Machining Process
Everything is set. Time to fire up the HiMill D1S!
- Workholding: Secure the sandalwood board flat onto the worktable. Ensure it is perfectly level.
- Zeroing: Set your X, Y, and Z-axis zeros.
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Start Machining:
- Operation 1: Drill/Mill the center holes first (ensures precision).
- Operation 2: Perform the profile cuts (outlines).
Machining Report: The HiMill D1S handled the sandalwood extremely well. The edges came out clean with almost no burrs, and the verticality of the center holes was perfect—precision that is very hard to achieve by hand.
🎨 4. Post-Processing & Painting
This step gives the Christmas tree its "soul."
- Sanding: Remove the parts from the wasteboard and cut the tabs. Use sandpaper (200 then 400 grit) to smooth the edges.
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Painting: To replicate the layered look, we used a gradient color scheme:
- Bottom Layer: Deep Green
- Middle Layer: Mixed Grass Green
- Top Layer: Transition to Yellow-Green/Yellow
🎉 5. Final Result & Summary
Look at that! Here is the finished piece. Compared to a traditional decoration, this is modern, sustainable, and interactive.
Why make this with a CNC?
- Precision: The center holes are perfectly vertical, meaning the tree spins smoothly.
- Efficiency: Batch cutting strips saves hours of sawing.
- Replicability: Easily mass-produce these as gifts!
📥 Download The Files
Want to make your own? Download the design files and make it today!
Download via Google Drive
