CAD program most valuable tool in workshop

B

bilinghm

Joined
Nov 10, 2005
Messages
38
Guys,

If you have not purchased a CAD program (I use TURBO CAD on a Mac), do yourself a favor. This is the single most valuable tool I use: more important than the metal cutting bandsaw, lathe, mill or belt machine. I can test fit parts, align holes, rotate folder blades, etc. all without leaving the computer desk.

Please understand, the program doesn't actually "aid" in the designing, you still must do everything, just like old fashioned drafting. But you can rotate, move, scale, invert, and see if everything works. You can also print everything out and attach the paper pattern to the steel. At first I wondered if everything would actually work as it does on the screen. Now I just print, drill, cut, and grind. Everything fits perfectly. Talk about accuracy!

Bill Cunningham
Atlanta
 
Thank you! I checked prices and it has quite a range!

Can anyone comment on TurboCAD for PC and on the versions?
 
Wow, I'm glad TurboCad for Mac worked well for you.
I thought it rather poor and the customer service was pretty poor too (when the program wouldn't 'unlock' with the codes they provided. It took more than 3 weeks of calling them every day and messing with the thing until it finally started working--I'm not even sure they know why) After all that I thought it was pretty cumbersome. Of course, I guess it's good for being practically free.
 
I am getting ready to install a CAD program also just because I cannot draw worth a dam. It takes me almost as long to draw a new knife design as would to just make it.
 
Save a few bucks and got to emachineshop.com. Doesn't have a ton of features but it works great for what I do.

Bill
 
First let me disclaim this by saying:
I Have no experience with CAD

Anyway, a curiousity search on google revealed some interesting things. There are apparently some programs which include trial versions where you can't use say more than 15 or 25 parts (not a problem for us), for FREE. One is currently downloading 100 MB so it should be good :)

I'll let you know if I learn anything interesting....
 
Any of the CAD programs require a learning curve to get more proficient than drawing stuff out. Once you get there, there's no going back. I find that 2D AutoCAD does well for most of my designs whereas 3D solid modeling works well for a lot of assemblies and more complex stuff. As Bill says, everything can be worked out before the cutter ever touches metal. It's a good thing. I've done some fairly complex pen assemblies in CAD and made working prototypes the first time out by using the CAD data for CNC machines. A lot of it could work just as well with mills and numeric readouts though.
 
I use AutoCAD 2002 with mechanical desktop in conjunction with 4 CNC machines everyday at work. I don't make knives, but I make machine parts that many times have .0002 tolerances. AutoCAD, while not as user-friendly as the rest of the programs, is in my opinion the most powerful. I guess it's probally a bit pricey, but I'd reccomend an old version any day of the week. I've been using it way back to R12, and have alway been impressed.
 
Here's one I just designed in solidworks.
(Trying to learn the software for work)
That software package is great, though I hear it costs a ton of dough....

Pic is a link. scroll to the bottom to see initial solidwrks rendering of the knife.



I kept editing and revising, til the guys in the sandbox were happy.
No need to make a bunch of prototypes they wouldn't like.

One guy initially wanted the top clip sharp until i showed him how it would look in real life.
 
Now I'm not saying this is the BEST program nor even that it's suitable for our purposes to any extent that makes it worth the work but:

I just started playing with Alibre Design which I just downloaded for free and it is quite amazing. You can make 3D models and rotate them around, parameters directly imput dimensions. So if you have one dimension, you can have it set so that by changing that dimension, the rest of the work compensates in the way you want it to.... Something which may be interesting for collaborations or designing a knife with a long-distance custormer is instantaneous, online collaboration. So if you're on the phone with a customer who also has a computer, you might be able to modify the 3d model in front of them in real-time.... I've not yet begun to scratch the surface, but for anyone with a little bit of free time, check it out!
 
I bought Alibre and am learning it now. It's a good, afordable alternative to Solid Works, which costs as much money as a new car, plus the monthly support fees and yearly updates.

Adobe Illustrator from version 10 up is find for doing design drawings, but AutoCAD is the way to go if you can pick it up reasonable and a long as you're going to invest in learning a program, then learn one thats an industry standard and will around for a long time.

Free and almost free CAD programs may be a way to get your feel wet and see if you really have the interest and dedication needed to learn mechanical drawing on the computer... but if you do, you'll soon need professional software.
 
Our office is now onto Revitt?. It is 3d and has cut Architectural time to about 25% of original time and can produce a full bill of quantities. It is @ $10'000.00 per station for software and training but has a payback time of 4months.
 
Kevin Wilkins said:
He hehheee... I rather doubt if that applies in the wild and crazy world of knikemaking...
:D :D
Click to expand...

Yep it does. Now that our Architects and Engineers are having more free time they should be putting through a few designs for me and translating it to Autocad before Santa Arrives.

I will try to put it through a friends 3d cutter and have more than a few made, a freebie for the staff who helped.

I call it ingenuity but my boss would probably call it something else.
 
KnifeWerks said:
Here's one I just designed in solidworks.
(Trying to learn the software for work)
That software package is great, though I hear it costs a ton of dough....

Pic is a link. scroll to the bottom to see initial solidwrks rendering of the knife.



I kept editing and revising, til the guys in the sandbox were happy.
No need to make a bunch of prototypes they wouldn't like.

One guy initially wanted the top clip sharp until i showed him how it would look in real life.
Click to expand...

Brian, that's very nice work. I design all my folders with CAD. Wish i could afford 3D software.:)
 
Thanks Don,

I'm new to solid modeling, this one is my 1st, but I've drawn up almost every knife I've made in CAD.
 
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