3D Periodic Table (Helix Design with Laser-Cut Element Vials)

A 3D periodic table that arranges all 118 elements in a helical tube rather than a flat grid, with laser-cut element labels and vials for physically storing samples. Greatly inspired by this Instructable.

Concept

The layout matches a standard periodic table, just rolled into a tube to form a helix. Elements adjacent in the table remain adjacent on the tube, though the spacing varies: between hydrogen and helium, for example, there's a gap of 16 elements due to how the rows wrap.

Colour coding (by group)

• Clear: Hydrogen (1)

• Red: Noble gases, Group 18 (7)

• Orange: Alkali metals, rest of Group 1 (6)

• Yellow: Alkaline earth metals, Group 2 (6)

• Bronze: Lanthanides and lutetium (15)

• Grey: Actinides and lawrencium (15)

• Green: Transition metals, excluding Group 12 (34)

• Pale blue: Poor metals, Group 12 plus p-block metals/metalloids (16)

• Blue: Non-metals, excluding noble gases (15)

Note: the pale blue did not turn out as blue as intended, and the colours for hydrogen and the poor metals had to be swapped due to filament issues.

Print notes

The full helix is too large to print in one piece on a standard printer, so it was split in half. This split removes nearly all supports; only one small part still requires support material. The first row also needed support due to poor bed adhesion.

Build notes

An acrylic stand was added to support the assembled piece. It can be placed on a lazy Susan with added lighting (as shown in the original Instructable), though natural light alone also makes it shine nicely.

Tools and credits

The hexagon layout was generated using a custom script: Periodic-table-hexagon-generator