Design software

[Ellis483]

What is a good inexpensive or better yet free cad type program for knife design.

Thanks to all

 

[Danke42]

Bonus points, you can use sharpening the pencil to test the knife.

 

[pafka]

I use inkscape - it is a vector drawing program, and the Bezier curves feature lets you quickly modify and iterate the designs. The result can be exported or simply copied into a CAM app - e.g. lightburn for me to cut the design on the laser. Or before I had the laser I just printed the design with a regular printer. Of course that is 2D only.

 

[Way-Barney]

What is a good inexpensive or better yet free cad type program for knife design.

Thanks to all

hi Ellis,

I have used Freecad a little bit to play around.

its an open source free program, its not Knife specific, but an engineering 2d -3d modelling program. It has tones of guides on the tube and in forums, articles etc.

For me and the basic things I am doing a pencil and paper is a bit faster.

It is good though when you get the model and can orientate in 3D. see handle shapes in 3d etc.

 

[ashwinearl]

inkscape is decent.
I like it because for slipjoints you can move the rotation point of an object. This is nice to rotate the blade.

 

[mooniesdl3]

I use inkscape.