Knife design using Cad

adammichael

adammichael

Joined
Sep 13, 2004
Messages
1,553
Does anyone here use any Cad programs to design there knives?
I am currently using AutoCAD and it an amazing program for design.

Thanks
Michael
 
I use 3DS Max, thats more 3d based CAD therefore the result is more realistic and imaginable compared to Autocad. Autocad is mostly used in engineering and architectural reasons. You can design 3d shapes with it but it is more difficult. If you are really expert on Autocad, it can be useful.

The designs will help you just to imagine knife but while actually shaping the profile these designs most probably will be obsolete. The feel, balance and functionality is more important than pre drawing the profile in 2d or 3d. There are many 3d modeller programs used in special effects and 3d animations. The Lightwave is another alternative to 3ds Max but both are very very expensive...
 
I used both AutoCAD and formZ in high school a few years ago and still use AutoCAD a little on my own here at home. formZ is a 3D modeling program and is great to get a feel for the object as a whole and see what it will look like before it is made. AutoCAD I think would be better to use as a template or guide to how you want the knife to be. AutoCAD 3D is pretty rough and simple compared to formZ, which allows you to change colors and add shading and texture to surfaces that make things look more life-like.
 
I'd love to be able to use AutoCAD, but the learning curve is so huge. My son has an old edition, and I played around with it, but darned if it don't suck up a huge amount of time. Maybe some day I'll get some formal training, but for now all my designs go on paper the old-fashioned way.
 
jhiggins said:
I'd love to be able to use AutoCAD, but the learning curve is so huge. My son has an old edition, and I played around with it, but darned if it don't suck up a huge amount of time. Maybe some day I'll get some formal training, but for now all my designs go on paper the old-fashioned way.
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What version of AutoCAD do you have? There are 3 or 4 commands that you need to do this and they are pretty simple. Let me know if you would like to try it again and I can help you out.

I am the Director of Engineering at a metal fab shop and I have worked with Cad and 3D solid modeling for the last 15 years. I currently use CoCreate One Space Designer, Solid Edge and a few others that I cant remember. I also have a laser at work that I consider to be my own personal toy. I also do the programming for it so i have alot of sheet metal templates hanging in my shop.

Let me know if I can be of assistance to you with AutoCad.

Thanks
Michael
 
adammichael said:
What version of AutoCAD do you have? There are 3 or 4 commands that you need to do this and they are pretty simple. Let me know if you would like to try it again and I can help you out.

I am the Director of Engineering at a metal fab shop and I have worked with Cad and 3D solid modeling for the last 15 years. I currently use CoCreate One Space Designer, Solid Edge and a few others that I cant remember. I also have a laser at work that I consider to be my own personal toy. I also do the programming for it so i have alot of sheet metal templates hanging in my shop.

Let me know if I can be of assistance to you with AutoCad.

Thanks
Michael
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Good to know, Michael. Thanks for the offer. Right now my dance card is filled solid until Independance Day... :D
 
Try ONE CNC.
They have a demo on there site. It is simple and the three D set up is a breeze. This is a cad cam system also so the program will generate g code for machining. You can model in the program or export to a solid modeling program.
 
I've been farting around with that emachineshop program, it's so simple, does everything you would need to design a knife, I'm trying to start making folders and it's been a huge help with getting my head around the idea.
the only thing I wish it had was a mirror command.
I tried getting back into autocad but it's changed a lot since highschool!
Steve
 
Hey Jeff. I use illustrator and photoshop at work so all my stuff that I DO have digitally drawn (wich is hardly nothin') is done with these 2 programs. Learning cueve is smaller and you can still get these files to a cnc machine when the time comes. I mainly use computer programs to resize and design an existing pattern I have. Much faster than scaling and redrawing by hand.

Just a thought to maybe use illustrator. ;)
 
AutoCAD expert here....been using it since 1995. Ahhh....memories......:(


I use it for all my knife designs. I guess if I had to pick a program with no though to cost or learning curve, I'd go with Rhino. That would be the well-trained knifemaker's dream-come-true.

I use AutoCAD because it's there....and it's easy for me.


I first design on graph paper....then I translate that to CAD to check linework, etc. The finished product, though, might end up radically different. In fact, there's something to be said for making the blade with the handle material(weight) already in mind. I finished 3 santokus in Dec....I could have made them all pretty much the same....but the 3 diff. handle materials necessitated 3 different blades to maintain a good balance - in weight and visual appearance.

So, like everything else, it's just a tool....the operator still has to work it....
 
Dan,
What you are saying about the cad and cam systems being a tool is correct.

Most people think cnc and machining process's are evil? They are the future of knife making.
 
Darrel Ralph said:
Dan,
What you are saying about the cad and cam systems being a tool is correct.

Most people think cnc and machining process's are evil? They are the future of knife making.
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Ooo, Darrel be careful, man. That's a BIG bucket-o-worms you are knocking over, there. I'm sure there's a huge contingent of NT folks out there that would disagree with you. Personally, being a machinist, I think cadcam and CNC are great, but they do remove the human element from the end product to a large degree. Its a big subject - one that could easily fill an entire thread all by itself. My personal point of view on this is that any cad drawings and modeling is excellent for folders and anything with intricate moving parts, but overkill for fixed blades.
 
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