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Old 08-13-2014, 07:56 PM
Kidpaint Kidpaint is offline
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Default CAD design.

Just out of curiousity. How many people here know different programs like solidworks, etc and use them on the daily? I have the latest version of solidworks and can do very very basic designs. I have noticed in a few threads that people are designing patterns that they base buck builds off or just designing parts. Is this a useful tool to try to learn on my own or possibly take night classes? I know you can build without it, just wondering.
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Old 08-13-2014, 11:39 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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We employ a variety of CAD operators who can scan a part or dwg and expand that info into the necessary elements for watercutting wood or aluminum stringers that assemble into very good bucks. But it might not be Solidworks that they use; I'd have to check.

Solidworks is a very good program and we use it to make some very accurate 3D dwgs that then work into machine code to tell the lathe or mill how to make parts.

Stick with it, as you will learn the necessary related bits to operate other machines that cut out the buck parts. With the amount of wood cutting that the CNC routers are doing, I'd expect that you'll make that transition sooner than later.
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Old 08-14-2014, 07:31 AM
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ab4875 ab4875 is offline
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Default Solidworks

Yes, Solidworks is definitely worth learning. It's one of the few programs I can think of that is actually fun to use. The program comes with some very easy to follow tutorials covering a lot of different fields. I would run through those before doing any classes. The classes are worthwhile but you can learn a lot of stuff on your own.

My background is I started off on Autocad R12 which was very clunky. When I did my engineering degree I learned Unigraphics as that is what they had at uni. After that I trialled Solid Edge, Pro E, Autocad, Solidworks and a few others for my work. Solidworks was easily the best of the bunch. That was around 1998. We have been using Solidworks ever since. Personally, I haven't used Solidworks on a daily basis for a few years but if I do need to use it it is very easy to jump back in. It's a very intuitive program.
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Old 08-14-2014, 07:48 AM
toreadorxlt toreadorxlt is offline
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solidworks is the easiest to learn, and best for mechanical design. If I am doing an english wheel, power hammer, or any other design of that nature, i use solidworks. To be honest I've been doing it professionally since 2006 and nothing much has changed about the software to this day.

Surface modeling in solidworks is a bit cumbersome, because everything for the most part has to be defined on a plane, and the parametric nature of the software makes surface modifications harder. I surface model running shoe soles all day, arguably way harder than car bodies, and use Rhinoceros 90% of the time Solidworks 10%


Definetly worth your time to learn, makes fabrication so easy, especially with CNC plasmas and waterjets everywhere. You can mock up stuff before you ruin a bunch of metal too. From design to real part is easier I find.

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Old 08-14-2014, 08:54 AM
goodwoodweirdo goodwoodweirdo is offline
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Funny enough, I’ve been fascinated by bucks and their designs for years... recently I saw another user here, deign a buck using solidwork .. that got me thinking… I’m currently at the start of the learning curve using google Sketchup with the plans of moving to MAYA – simply as its available.. its like everything practice and yet more practice.. (watch out for the price of software !)

It also got me into 3D printing of which I would like to explore lost wax casting.. damm just dont have enought time...
Good luck and please keep us posted with your progress & thoughts..
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Matt
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Last edited by goodwoodweirdo; 08-14-2014 at 08:58 AM.
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Old 08-15-2014, 12:35 AM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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[QUOTE=toreadorxlt;101998]solidworks is the easiest to learn, and best for mechanical design.

Surface modeling in solidworks is a bit cumbersome, because everything for the most part has to be defined on a plane, and the parametric nature of the software makes surface modifications harder. I surface model running shoe soles all day, arguably way harder than car bodies, and use Rhinoceros 90% of the time Solidworks 10%[QUOTE]

Agreed.
While I'm not directly familiar with Rhino or SW, those who do surface development much prefer Rhino over SW.
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Old 08-15-2014, 01:21 AM
Kidpaint Kidpaint is offline
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Thanks everyone,
Sounds like I should and probably will keep plugging away at it. I actually got it originally to use at my Girlfriends family sheet metal shop. They have a water jet and just purchased a laser cutter, that both run off solidworks. No CNC mills or 3d cutting. (I do wish though) I designed, with help a rear brake caliper bracket for my motorcycle, and then alone I did the shopdog power hammer. I did the frame and other flat components. I didnt like the frame being made of tubing and thought a cut frame just looked cleaner and more professional so to speak.
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Old 08-15-2014, 03:28 AM
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inlinr6 inlinr6 is offline
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Is there a decent priced cad program out there, Im just a home shop guy,and talking to the designers at work they say Solidworks has a monumental price. Seems all the cad programs are pricy. I have several places near me that laser and waterjet very reasonable, would like to do the design myself instead of trying to explain to someone to do it for me.Sorry to butt in,seems you guys know this stuff..
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Old 08-15-2014, 05:50 AM
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ab4875 ab4875 is offline
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Default Cheap CAD software

@ Sean. I've never tried it but Sketchup is probably worth checking out. I think there is a free version.
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Old 08-15-2014, 06:06 AM
toreadorxlt toreadorxlt is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by inlinr6 View Post
Is there a decent priced cad program out there, Im just a home shop guy,and talking to the designers at work they say Solidworks has a monumental price. Seems all the cad programs are pricy. I have several places near me that laser and waterjet very reasonable, would like to do the design myself instead of trying to explain to someone to do it for me.Sorry to butt in,seems you guys know this stuff..


Rhino is free to try forever. You are restricted to 30 saves though, and the price is around $900. Solidworks can be had cheap if you know any college students. You can get it for a few hundred with a student discount.
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