Help a beginner create a tapered spiral tree

mark_blasco

I'm trying to create a christmas decoration of a tree that tapers towards the top, and also spirals. 

I can make it tapered with the pattern I want using the loft tool, but can't figure out how to make it spiral. 

I've been able to also make a version of the tree that spirals (using a helix on a cone shape), but the circles that run along the helix don't taper towards the top, so I end up with a big circle at the top, and the pattern disappears as it moves upwards.

Ideally I'd like to get the circular pattern to go up the helix, but taper to a point at the top, so that the pattern remains strong along the whole distance, and ends in a point.  I'm unsure as to how to do this, and would appreciate any advice.  Onshape is new to me, and it's likely I'm just missing something simple, but I don't understand how everything works to know what tools I should be looking for.  Thanks!

MichaelPascoe

Nice work so far!

Here is a similar approach you could take:

• Create a cone.
• Create a helix.
• Loft a profile from the base to the tip of the helix using the helix as the path.
• Circular pattern remove or add the lofted helix.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/05f07b075c44fbd722dad367/w/39e7c48c5d7f8d18a7cc84c3/e/ef2e0d7672cfebb307e53ca2

MichaelPascoe

Nice work so far!

Here is a similar approach you could take:

• Create a cone.
• Create a helix.
• Loft a profile from the base to the tip of the helix using the helix as the path.
• Circular pattern remove or add the lofted helix.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/05f07b075c44fbd722dad367/w/39e7c48c5d7f8d18a7cc84c3/e/ef2e0d7672cfebb307e53ca2

mark_blasco

Thank you so much, this helped connect the dots for me.  I really appreciate it!

MichaelPascoe

Of course!

MGFabrications

How do you determine how to offset the circle you use for the lofting? I've got the circle set next to the cone but you can see it's bent making the loft. https://cad.onshape.com/documents/9d88116aa79a5888a3cec779/w/505e77390b4143202475f7ab/e/50f3b9897d06833a21f5a312

robert_scott_jr_

Creating the plane as Michael had done and selecting that plane for the sketch of your circle will fix that. - Scotty