Base component. #Abstract2Actual in 30:25 Now that I had a machine that could produce custom designed parts, I had to find an affordable design program. I had used a trial version of Autodesk Invent in the past, but it was cost prohibitive for someone who is just playing around with ideas that may never amount to anything. I found Google SketchUp which is free for personal use. I really like the tutorials on the SketchUp learning page.
They start you off with the very basics, and within a couple of hours you can be designing moderately complex things. I don't know if my earlier experience with AutoDesk was a help or a hindrance. On one hand, I understood the basics of 3d modeling, on the other, I expected there to be tools for what I considered basic functions like countersinks, chamfers, and threads.
The printing time for the base component shown above is 5:25. The bulk of the design time was figuring out how the actual size of the printed holes vs. the theoretical hole size in the SketchUp model. Another challenge was the countersink of the the holes. A theoretical 1/4-20 screw fits into a theoretical 1/4 inch hole quite nicely. But when you actually print it, they don't work so well. Tolerances and clearances have to be built into the design.
They start you off with the very basics, and within a couple of hours you can be designing moderately complex things. I don't know if my earlier experience with AutoDesk was a help or a hindrance. On one hand, I understood the basics of 3d modeling, on the other, I expected there to be tools for what I considered basic functions like countersinks, chamfers, and threads.
The printing time for the base component shown above is 5:25. The bulk of the design time was figuring out how the actual size of the printed holes vs. the theoretical hole size in the SketchUp model. Another challenge was the countersink of the the holes. A theoretical 1/4-20 screw fits into a theoretical 1/4 inch hole quite nicely. But when you actually print it, they don't work so well. Tolerances and clearances have to be built into the design.
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