A little more fun with CAD

Absinthe

Well-Known Member
Still not quite back in the shop. But that does't stop me from playing. Here is some FreeCAD (and one Blender assist on the rendering). The first four are Toothpick style, blade and spring. I rendered them in POVRAY from within FreeCAD, so they are kind of grey and sort of flat. Some day I will figure out how to do that better.

The last 2 are the kukri that I just sort of winged to see if I could handle the curves in FreeCAD. All in all, FreeCAD is kind of fun.

open.pngclosed.pnghalfstop.pngaa.pngKukri_techwrite.pngblender_kukri._imp.png
 
Good job - that rendered Kukri really looks good. I agree FreeCAD is a good program. I've done a few simple projects for the 3D printer.
 
Good job - that rendered Kukri really looks good. I agree FreeCAD is a good program. I've done a few simple projects for the 3D printer.
Thanks, I had to export it to Blender to get it to look like that, the best I was doing in FreeCAD with POVRAY was this. Not terrible, but not what I was looking for. :)
 

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well, just let me know if you need help.
Have you tried Fusion 360? I've found the rendering to look super nice. Though, unless you offload the rendering onto their server, it might take a while unless you have a lot of computing "horsepower" at your disposal... I think the paid version of F360 is like $100 a year? Or maybe I'm thinking of SolidWorks...

The biggest issue I've found with the free version of F360 is that they limit what types of file formats you can export in.

When I converted a sketch to a CAD model for Alden Cole, I actually had to export it in some weird file format, send it to someone who could convert it to the appropriate file format for me, then they sent it back to me. Fortunately, there are a lot of helpful folks over on Practical Machinist, so having someone convert the file for me happened same-day.

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The thing that I really like about Fusion, is that you can (for a price), run all of your simulations and renders on Auto Desk's servers. I would run all of my simulations on a component at once on their servers and still have my computer free'd up to do other stuff. Since I'm using a laptop, it's a big deal. I mean, it's a fairly fast workstation laptop, but still.

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I feel there is enough FOSS software out there that I don't mess with the SaaS stuff even when they give out free cripple-ware versions to hook you in. I am getting much more comfortable with FreeCAD. But at the 2D level I still love Inkscape.

I just did a whole bunch of die patterns from a bunch of old catalogs into SVG. If I can get them all flattened and converted to relative addressing I could generate the handle patterns from pretty much any queen, boker, case, Utica, New York, or Imperial slipjoint.

I need to do some more calculations to manage Al the different blade shapespivot points, and so on.
 
I feel there is enough FOSS software out there that I don't mess with the SaaS stuff even when they give out free cripple-ware versions to hook you in. I am getting much more comfortable with FreeCAD. But at the 2D level I still love Inkscape.

I just did a whole bunch of die patterns from a bunch of old catalogs into SVG. If I can get them all flattened and converted to relative addressing I could generate the handle patterns from pretty much any queen, boker, case, Utica, New York, or Imperial slipjoint.

I need to do some more calculations to manage Al the different blade shapespivot points, and so on.
I absolutely see where you're coming from. Autodesk used to offer F360 for free FOR HOBBYISTS. Well, I guess the bean counters stepped in. It's still free, just more limited. I understand their reasoning.

SolidWorks has a program you can sign up for if you're a "start-up". They give you SolidWorks for free for a year or whatever if you qualify. After you get up and going, they're counting on you sticking with them and having the funds by that point to be able to pay for it

AutoDesk Sketchbook IS still free (last I checked). Might wanna try it out if you have a touch screen or a tablet.

I had a tiny machine screw on my laptop and shut it on it. Tiny little crack on the screen... WELL, I had to disable the touch screen 'cause of it. Oops!

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I feel there is enough FOSS software out there that I don't mess with the SaaS stuff even when they give out free cripple-ware versions to hook you in. I am getting much more comfortable with FreeCAD. But at the 2D level I still love Inkscape.

I just did a whole bunch of die patterns from a bunch of old catalogs into SVG. If I can get them all flattened and converted to relative addressing I could generate the handle patterns from pretty much any queen, boker, case, Utica, New York, or Imperial slipjoint.

I need to do some more calculations to manage Al the different blade shapespivot points, and so on.
Also - I'll have to check, but I may have some interesting knives for you to put into CAD. Or, maybe I'll put them into CAD and share the files? I dunno. What are the switch blade laws down there? :)

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I absolutely see where you're coming from. Autodesk used to offer F360 for free FOR HOBBYISTS. Well, I guess the bean counters stepped in. It's still free, just more limited. I understand their reasoning.

SolidWorks has a program you can sign up for if you're a "start-up". They give you SolidWorks for free for a year or whatever if you qualify. After you get up and going, they're counting on you sticking with them and having the funds by that point to be able to pay for it

AutoDesk Sketchbook IS still free (last I checked). Might wanna try it out if you have a touch screen or a tablet.

I had a tiny machine screw on my laptop and shut it on it. Tiny little crack on the screen... WELL, I had to disable the touch screen 'cause of it. Oops!

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The problem with FREE (beer, not speech) vs FOSS is that it is only free until they decide it isn't. So it is kind of like free first hit of heroin. Once you are hooked, then they can charge you whatever they like. Or they can completely kill the product and leave you in a lurch.

Even if a FOSS product doesn't do everything the exact way I want, having more users brings more programmers to work on it. And as long as it is FOSS, it may get the interest of commercial companies to work on it like during Google's Summer of Code and things like that. Worst case scenario, if I am the last person in the world depending on it... I can still go in and fix any problems with it.

There's a strategy called "dynamiting the pond" where someone comes into town and offers their product way below everyone else's price. Then when all the competitors go out of business and they have the monopoly on that product, they raise the price and get filthy rich. That's how some people see "FREE" (beer, not speech) software. And because of that, I avoid those.

Blender is an absolutely fabulous product. There is a plugin for it now that does CAD Sketching with constraints. It isn't perfect, and I will keep an eye on it. But, both blender and FreeCAD will take in SVG. As well, FreeCAD will output STL which Blender will happily consume. FWIW, I really love Inkscape. It is my goto for drawing, and tracing. With its path editor, I can do amazing stuff. Bringing those paths into FreeCAD I can easily convert them to a sketch, parameterize that sketch, and end up with an infinitely scalable template for damn near anything. I could then model it, export it to STL and import it into Blender, and render it, animate it, or whatever. So far I am not missing any tools in this toolbox that any of the commercial packages are offering. I am neither doing 3D printing, nor CNC, at this point, but FreeCAD will output the right formats for them. And I have used Inkscape to send SVG to Ponoco to have them laser cut things for me quite successfully.

At this point, I don't even see much reason to go back to libreCAD/QCAD for 2D modeling. I can do all that in either FreeCAD Sketcher or Draft or Draw workbenches. And this way it keeps me with one set of tools to work with, rather than having vastly different keysets and mouse behaviors. :)

On the other note, with FOSS, if I propose a change, either someone will find it interesting and take it on, or I can make the change myself, or someone will show me how I can already achieve my goal just using a different feature that already exists. With commercial tools (even the Free (beer not speech) ones) I would get "Thank you for your suggestion, we will take it into consideration, and if the board of trustees and the shareholders feel it necessary we may consider adding something similar at some point in the future as we see fit." or Apple's wonderful line "That sounds like a tremendous third party opportunity!"

I use as little Non-FOSS software as possible. I can probably list on one hand the non FOSS software I use, and those are because they are mandated and provided by work.
 
Also - I'll have to check, but I may have some interesting knives for you to put into CAD. Or, maybe I'll put them into CAD and share the files? I dunno. What are the switch blade laws down there? :)

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I don't think any of the switch blade laws affect what can be modeled in CAD :) I can possess and I think openly carry switchblades as long as I don't use them in the commission of a felony I am okay. But there is not problem with what I can possess in my home.

They sell them both flipping and OTF styles in all the flea markets around here.

 
Another vote for FOSS software. I'm always amazed at the quality of FOSS software. Linux Mint and LibreOffice being a couple that come to mind. Always amazes me how many folks put time 'n effort into making a quality product all for no pay. LinuxCNC is another such offering.

Absinthe: I do admire your ability with code - and the ability to mod software.
 
Another vote for FOSS software. I'm always amazed at the quality of FOSS software. Linux Mint and LibreOffice being a couple that come to mind. Always amazes me how many folks put time 'n effort into making a quality product all for no pay. LinuxCNC is another such offering.

Absinthe: I do admire your ability with code - and the ability to mod software.
Software Engineer is my day job :) Doesn't mean I can modify all the code, some may be in a language I don't use regularly, and sometimes the code may be written so badly that it is hard to figure out how to fix it without breaking something else. But, at least, I have a fighting chance. :) I hear Jerry Clower's voice in the back of my head now... But that may be an obscure reference.. :)

I have heard about LinuxCNC, but haven't had a chance to use it since I don't have either CNC or 3D printer or anything that would benefit from it. That may change soon. I am going to try and make a pantograph similar to Matthias Wandel's only with 1:4 ratio. If I can accomplish it without too much slop and runout well enough that I can use something like Chris Crawford's templates then great. Otherwise, I will probably look into one of the tiny desktop CNC thingies. PITA, I finally get a stupid mill, and the first "precision" thing I want to do is too intricate to accomplish on a mill. :) I assume, at some point, if I spend enough money, I could add CNC control to this mill but I think that would double the initial cost :)
 
Yep, as a software engineer requires you know a good bit. I did I&E (Instrument & Electrical) engineering mostly in chemical plants.

I've got one of those desktop CNC (3040 CNC) running LinuxCNC. It's not big (rigid) enough for serious milling work, but does do a decent job of engraving. I got it primarily for PCB routing, but then used it for engraving blades. Now I've went to Electro Etching which I think I like better. It has given me a chance to get familiar with gcode - note, I did NOT say "know" gcode :)
 
Yep, as a software engineer requires you know a good bit. I did I&E (Instrument & Electrical) engineering mostly in chemical plants.

I've got one of those desktop CNC (3040 CNC) running LinuxCNC. It's not big (rigid) enough for serious milling work, but does do a decent job of engraving. I got it primarily for PCB routing, but then used it for engraving blades. Now I've went to Electro Etching which I think I like better. It has given me a chance to get familiar with gcode - note, I did NOT say "know" gcode :)
My current concern/interest now is for shield inlay stuff. So we'll see what happens. :)
 
My current concern/interest now is for shield inlay stuff. So we'll see what happens. :)
Wouldn't a small desktop CNC work pretty good for that? While it might only take a couple thou each pass, it would repeat the passes to get required depth, and very precise
 
Wouldn't a small desktop CNC work pretty good for that? While it might only take a couple thou each pass, it would repeat the passes to get required depth, and very precise
Ken, is there one you would recommend that could both cut out the metal (nickel silver, brass, etc..) to make the shield, and also route the pocket in the handle material to receive it? Many times I see the small desktop CNC's and people say they are only good enough for engraving.
 
I've got the 3040 series CNC, but it does have ball thread lead screws while the current crop seems to have more normal lead screw threads. I'm sure they will work just fine for your needs. For cutting soft metal like brass or nickel silver it should work just fine. I've not done inlaid shields, but have cut out other designs in thin brass and it works just fine. The learning curve is pretty good, doable. Sometimes figuring the clamping method is the hard part.

Ken H>
 
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