any folder makers use CAD?

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
I have a folder I've "put together" in AutoCAD and would like someone to take a look at it "electronically speaking"...see what needs tweaking/correction/etc.

I can export the file as either a dwg or dxf.

Thanks!
 
I have AutoCAD, but I know little to nothing about using it. I wish there was a way I could force it into my head like on The Matrix. :D
 
I know how to use autocad but i'm not sure about what it would need. Would it be possible for you to put a link up in this thread?
 
not sure I understand what you mean, RedEdge77...




Jeff - AutoCAD isn't that hard to learn for doodling stuff....it just takes a long time to learn how to use it for architecture, engineering, etc.

I did all the designing of this folder with the following commands:

Line
Arc
Pline
Pedit
Copy
Paste
Rotate
Array


It's not in 3D - only in 2D. I just need someone to check the placement of the internals.
 
Dan,
I think the best way to see if it will work is mock one up out of sheet metal or some other easy to cut steel.
Ditigial dont always translate well into reality...........trust me...I know :p

Alot of OOPS in the graphics and design/production biz...........
 
I do plan on doing that, Brian. I'm still a step before that phase, though...I don't have it nailed down yet. I want to try a few "ideas" and see if they work...then I'll craft the whole thing out of metal..
 
Daniel, I,ve done a bit on folders with autocad, I used the rotate command to rotate the blade to check for clearance,i believe you use the right click to access the command .If i remember right it was a little difficult to select the rotating part, but if you play with it i,m sure you,ll get it..I enjoy the challenge of autocad,sure wish i had a teacher everything i do is trial and error but it sure is nice to see it work on the screen....Al........
 
Allan - yes, that's a great technique, and that's what I have done so far. Everything seems to check out, there are just a few things I am ignorant about regarding the folding knife part of it. CAD is a piece of cake for me, so I want to see how many bugs I can work out ahead of time in CAD, before I move to material.
 
Not me. I do it the old fashioned way with card cut outs and thumb tacks until I get something on paper that looks like it will function as I hope.

Until around the time I signed up here to be a member I had little need or desire for computers. Retirement and boredom changed all that though.

Gentsfolder-copy.jpg


GentsFoldercomplete-copy.jpg


Gentsknife2-copy.jpg
 
Oops my bad. I mean i know how to use autocad but i don't much about putting a knife together. Sorry for the confusion
 
you can use the group comand in Acad to put all the geometry for parts together. It is simular to the layer command. Group all the geometry for the blade together and when you pick any part of the blade you will get all of it.

You can also export the Autocad file into Solidworks or any other 3d package and make a 3d model of the knife. Solidworks has an animation feature that will let you open and close the knife and tell you where the interference is, if any. It is much easier and quicker to change a 3d model than it is to change a lexan template.
Dan, call me if you need more infor about solidworks and how to convert to 3d. PM me for my number.
 
Dan,
Tom said it best for a fast way of doing it.
Circles give you a fast way in 2 d to get to it and get it done.
You can get most of the glichs out this way.
3D is very nice also but takes some extra time to complete.
3D as adammichael said can be done with Solidworks or other programs like Inventor or Rhino. I do some things in 3D and others I have no need to spend the time on it when
2d will do the trick.

Good luck!
 
I would like to see the file, although I don't know much about the actuall making of knives. I have Voloview on my computer, which is the software that allows one to view that type of file when an engineer sends me something.

You should really move into the 3D realm, as you can do things like rotate and slice which does in fact give you a very good idea of what it will be like in real construction.

Please don't forget that nothing will ever replace the real mockups everyone was talking about, though. AutoCAD is just another tool that will help you save material and time, which is the ultimate goal.
 
thank you all for the comments and ideas - all very encouraging. I'm still hammering through the details. Michael - I'll take your offer for help. I have your number here on my desk. Probably early next week. I made some changes to the idea today...:rolleyes:

I have access to Autodesk Inventor and 3D Studio Viz...so may try those too. Got no experience with Inventor, but I understand it's for doing what I want here...modeling interconnecting parts in 3D.


Thanks for the help, guys.
 
Inventor you can do 3-d models with. Its a little more complicated than AutoCad but more fun to use.
 
once I've got it "tweaked" - will do, Brian. Same for anybody else.
 
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