Solidworks users........

[Otto347]

Does anyone know a good tutorial book that goes over making threads? I'm having trouble with this and the solidworks bible I bought is no help at all. I'm using 2007 if that matters, thanks :/

[nathanong87]

Originally Posted by Otto347

Does anyone know a good tutorial book that goes over making threads? I'm having trouble with this and the solidworks bible I bought is no help at all. I'm using 2007 if that matters, thanks :/

i took pro E, solidworks, and autocad.... i can contact my old professor and see if he has any material. I studied as a mechanical engineer and remember doing threads in pro E. I've done threads in Pro E, but not in solid works =( .

if i get a response from my professor i'll PM you

[Otto347]

Awesome, thanks man!

[nopwrsldr180]

Help=> Solidworks Help=> type in "threading" and you get alllll the answers. Solidworks help function is actually worth while. Learn to love it.

[articdragon192]

You doing cosmetic threads or actual threads in your drawing?

[karl wasabi]

Damn, I have a really great intro to Solid Works book that I used when I was doing engineering. I just looked through it. Nothing on threads though.

ISBN: 978-0-07-337532-8 if you are interested. I can sell it to you for pretty cheap. Don't need it anymore.

[Marcus]

mechanical engineers ftw.
ill see if i can dig up my old cheat sheets

[Otto347]

Originally Posted by articdragon192

You doing cosmetic threads or actual threads in your drawing?

Actual threads

Originally Posted by nopwrsldr180

Help=> Solidworks Help=> type in "threading" and you get alllll the answers. Solidworks help function is actually worth while. Learn to love it.

Ill give that a shot, its not so much getting the pitch but more the thread profile or using the extrude/cut and making the right cutting tool.

[duffman1278]

why don't you just use the sweep command. Draw the profile of the threads (triangle) then sweep it.

[Otto347]

Originally Posted by duffman1278

why don't you just use the sweep command. Draw the profile of the threads (triangle) then sweep it.

I got the spiral/helix part, I just couldn't get it to sweep. Also I didnt know what size or profile to make the triangle for 7/8-20 threads. I guess its more of not knowing the specifics of making threads because all the other programs I have used automatically made them for me.

[articdragon192]

There was this awesome tutorial I found online once, but I have yet to find it again. It helped me make some pretty freaking awesome threads if I do say so myself. I'll see if I can find it again.

Found it!
http://www.solidworker.com/167/threa...metic-threads/

Best video I think

[LigouriRd]

Why do you need to make actual threads in the first place (rapid prototype)?
If you are making a drawing to have a part fabricated the only thing the machinist needs to know is what the thread is (7/8-20 in your case) and how long.

In solidworks to specify an external thread you simply have to insert a cosmetic thread, specify the thread, and external minor diameter. A cosmetic thread will show up on your drawing with the a diameter of the external minor dia.

All the thread profile info should be found here:
Screws
Extra Fine Thread UNEF Series

Ps: one of the tricks to getting it to sweep is to make sure the sweep profile (triangle) is located on the end of the path (helix).

[bb4_96]

Don't tell me you don't have a copy of the machinist's handbook?? Lays out every thread profile i've ever come across.

[Otto347]

Originally Posted by LigouriRd

Why do you need to make actual threads in the first place (rapid prototype)?
If you are making a drawing to have a part fabricated the only thing the machinist needs to know is what the thread is (7/8-20 in your case) and how long.


Ps: one of the tricks to getting it to sweep is to make sure the sweep profile (triangle) is located on the end of the path (helix).

I didn't know making the actual threads wasn't necessary. I figured since it was a part that was being machined and not just putting something together they needed to be there.

Im pretty sure I go the triangle on the helix, ill give it another shot when I get home.

Thanks everybody for all the information.!

Originally Posted by bb4_96

Don't tell me you don't have a copy of the machinist's handbook?? Lays out every thread profile i've ever come across.

Im pretty sure I downloaded that a while ago, I just have to find it.

[Otto347]

Originally Posted by articdragon192

There was this awesome tutorial I found online once, but I have yet to find it again. It helped me make some pretty freaking awesome threads if I do say so myself. I'll see if I can find it again.

Found it!
Threads on a Shaft and Cosmetic Threads | SolidWorker.com

Best video I think

That solidworker site is awesome, thanks for the link again!

[Otto347]

Ok one more stupid question, when you use the smart dimension tool does that dimension the drawing so when you send it to someone to machine its good or do you have to go in after and dimension the whole thing again?

[articdragon192]

Smart dimension dimensions the stuff you want it to dimention. You want. To dimention. Thelength of a bolt? Click on the top and bottow edge and drag to the side. You still need to practice good dimensioning habits so a machinist can clearly read your drawing.

[Otto347]

Good deal, thanks for that. I was under the assumption that when you used smart dimension it automatically did that for you.

[40cal]

i'm looking to get into autocad and solid works. whats a good easy and basic way/place to learn it. i work full time and sometimes more so its a bit difficult to go to classes an such.
any info would help.

[duffman1278]

Originally Posted by 40cal

i'm looking to get into autocad and solid works. whats a good easy and basic way/place to learn it. i work full time and sometimes more so its a bit difficult to go to classes an such.
any info would help.

I learned both, basically on my own. I eventually took classes though so that I could show employers that I had the schooling to back up what I knew.

But in all honesty, I didn't really learn anything new at school than I did at home.

However, AutoCAD has change dramatically since I started using it, which was 2000i and R14.

For 2D plans, AutoCAD, imo is far superior and one of the best CAD systems I've used.

Solidworks is great for 3D but I've always been biased towards Autodesk Inventor because that's where I started with. Plus I think inventor doesn't have as many bugs and is more user friendly than solidworks. Again, probably because I started with it and never really gave solidworks a chance.

What I did when I started was to just look through the help (F1) and try out all kinds of random commands, because back then I was on 56k, but you can get a lot of helpful tips and suggestions online now, so go on CAD forums and youtube videos to start.

Originally Posted by Otto347

Ok one more stupid question, when you use the smart dimension tool does that dimension the drawing so when you send it to someone to machine its good or do you have to go in after and dimension the whole thing again?

I don't think smart dimension constraints the dimension though, but don't quote me on that.

[40cal]

thanks duffman
i have auto cad in my lap top but never really tried to use it. i'll do it.
thx

[iwishiwas-all*]

i am soo lost on this stuff sometimes, solidworks is awesome, but I am having trouble designing some things, I guess practice makes perfect, so I m going to keep it up to figure it out. Fuggy

[Otto347]

Originally Posted by 40cal

i'm looking to get into autocad and solid works. whats a good easy and basic way/place to learn it.

Get a copy and start messing with it. Books are good but I learn better with tutorials were I can actually see whats happening.

Originally Posted by duffman1278

I learned both, basically on my own.

Thats how I picked up Illustrator and Photoshop.

[axiomatik]

If you are designing a part that you are going to send to a machine shop, you do not need to render the actual threads. Fully rendering all the threads in a large assembly would destroy Solidworks. Just use cosmetic threads and make sure that the drawing you send to the machine shop calls out the thread size.

[pablo180]

Originally Posted by axiomatik

If you are designing a part that you are going to send to a machine shop, you do not need to render the actual threads. Fully rendering all the threads in a large assembly would destroy Solidworks. Just use cosmetic threads and make sure that the drawing you send to the machine shop calls out the thread size.

Spot on. Unless this is some assignment where you are showing the professor that you know how to make threads, modeling them is not worth it.

Machinists, and CAM packages dont care what the treads look like on the CAD screen. You just call them out on the drawing....size, pitch, and depth is all you need.

[theboy]

Originally Posted by 40cal

i'm looking to get into autocad and solid works. whats a good easy and basic way/place to learn it. i work full time and sometimes more so its a bit difficult to go to classes an such.
any info would help.

AutoCAD is a great way to learn the basics. But if i was you, id get Autodesk Inventor. Its easier to do 3D stuff on Inventor than AutoCAD. Inventor and Solid Works are pretty similar. Pro-E is the hobo version of both of those combined. Inventor is really user friendly and on the cheap side of all the programs. I use it, AutoCAD, and Unigraphix NX9 everyday at work. And if you can use AutoCAD and have a general understanding of it, then the others will be easier to learn.

[theboy]

Originally Posted by pablo180

Spot on. Unless this is some assignment where you are showing the professor that you know how to make threads, modeling them is not worth it.

Machinists, and CAM packages dont care what the treads look like on the CAD screen. You just call them out on the drawing....size, pitch, and depth is all you need.

95% of the CAM packages wont recognize actual threads. The softwares are designed to tell them what threads are used and if you make real ones they see it as a design feature, and wont be able to tool it correctly, or it will throw up an error saying its impossible to do it.

[Otto347]

Ok, new question. I have gotten a lot of the basic stuff like 3D parts and sheet metal stuff down. I am trying to open a .dxf file I exported from illustrator of a logo I want machined in a part. Every time I bring the dxf in it plants it on the drawing im working on and I cant move it. I can extrude it but its locked where its at.

[Superwoofer]

Solidworks help section is great. You design the parts and learn function as you go. I used to be good at it, but that was the 07 version.

I like solidworks better than Autodesk AutoCAD. Which is like the same company, but that was then.

[duffman1278]

Autodesk and Solidworks arn't from the same company and are veeery different.

AutoCAD is such more powerful tool when working with 2D compared to Solidworks but for 3D Solidworks is the easiest of almost all the 3D CAD software's but it's really unstable when working with complex designs. That's my only down fall with using solidworks.