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Post by casesensitive on Jul 11, 2018 7:57:42 GMT
With solid works we save them as a dxf file as a flat pattern so our cutting software can convert it to be laser cut Yeah, I considered that, I've sent the file to the place that insisted on DWG/DXF in DWG format, but most of the parts are fundamentally flat (with the exception of the half-round transition plate), so I could flatten them, in theory.
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Post by p5curly on Jul 11, 2018 9:05:33 GMT
How much have you been quoted for the parts and what material are you making them From
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Post by casesensitive on Jul 12, 2018 17:45:47 GMT
So far 5 vendors have come back with questions and issues (today's one wanted the images flattened, in DXF rather than DWG), no one has actually produced a number next to a €/£. I've asked for 6mm mild steel for 3 main pieces and 3mm half-round for the transition plate/half-tube.
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Post by p5curly on Jul 12, 2018 17:54:24 GMT
Are you using solid works if so which version are you using
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Post by Stiggy on Jul 12, 2018 22:13:25 GMT
DWG files? But you only want 5 pieces of 6 mm mild steel, how about a file, drill, hack saw and angle grinder, you could have made these parts accurately and much quicker than messing about on a PC.
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Post by kiwicanfly on Jul 13, 2018 3:53:32 GMT
DWG files? But you only want 5 pieces of 6 mm mild steel, how about a file, drill, hack saw and angle grinder, you could have made these parts accurately and much quicker than messing about on a PC. You mean "SweatCad" I believe version 2.1 has just been released
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Post by kiwicanfly on Jul 13, 2018 3:58:35 GMT
and 3mm half-round for the transition plate/half-tube. Cutting a flat to turn into a tube is nigh on impossible in the size you are looking at. To some degree I have to agree with Stiggy to a point however the best way to get to grips with CAD is to start with simple parts that are real rather than try and plunge in with a whole car.
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Post by casesensitive on Jul 13, 2018 8:16:07 GMT
Are you using solid works if so which version are you using No, I'm using Fusion360, mostly because it's free/inexpensive and there are loads of tutorials. Definitely not as intuitive as Sketchup, but pretty good. I've ordered one of those fancy 3D space mice too, should be here tomorrow.
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Post by casesensitive on Jul 13, 2018 8:23:40 GMT
DWG files? But you only want 5 pieces of 6 mm mild steel, how about a file, drill, hack saw and angle grinder, you could have made these parts accurately and much quicker than messing about on a PC. I've done this twice! The part I can't do in my garage is fold 6mm steel though. I went to a fab shop to get 6mm plate folded, and then did the rest with a grinder. The clearances in the circles I was able to make were too big, and the welds were rubbish. 3 of the 4 pieces are 6mm mild, the transition plate is 3mm. I tried to unfold one of the pieces they made that was less than 90* for me, but the vice's mounts in the wooden bench gave before the steel did, and I'm reticent to heat it to soften it in case I introduce more flaws. I was able to get a length of 53mm ID pipe at the fab shop, and cut out the piece I needed, and then formed it around a 51mm OD pipe I had around the garage. Not perfect, but reasonable, and fit the chassis like a glove, before I started welding. I got too much heat in the second one, and because it wasn't strapped down to a 51mm pipe, it warped. If I was really hard up, I could cut two shorter unwarped pieces out of the half-tube I have now, but I reckon the metal shop would give me another length of the same pipe, they had all sorts down there.
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Post by casesensitive on Jul 13, 2018 8:29:56 GMT
The other reason I wanted to do this in CAD was that I would like to design up some other parts in future that have been on my wish list for years. Start with the 'easiest' one and work up to the Atom 4-style light pod for my Dominator 2.0s
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Post by casesensitive on Jul 25, 2018 11:17:54 GMT
Fark me.. £240 was the first (and looks like only) quote back to make two sets of those 4 pieces. That sounds like a lot to me. I mean, £37 to cut two 25mmx175mm of 6mm bar stock??
Item # Material Thickness (mm) Description Quantity Price (£) Total (£ excl VAT) 1 Mild Steel Cr 3 ENGINEMOUNT-5B - ROLLED (10MM ADDED TO EACH SIDE TO ASSIST ROLLING, WILL BE CUT OFF BEFORE YOU RECEIVE IT) 2 38.29 76.58 2 Mild Steel Hr (S275) 6 ENGINEMOUNT-71 - PRESSED 2 22.72 45.44 3 Mild Steel Hr (S275) 6 ENGINEMOUNT! -7C - PRESSED 2 22.72 45.44 4 Mild Steel Hr (S275) 6 ENGINEMOUNT-87 2 15.66 31.32
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Post by jason82 on Jul 26, 2018 9:06:54 GMT
The other reason I wanted to do this in CAD was that I would like to design up some other parts in future that have been on my wish list for years. Start with the 'easiest' one and work up to the Atom 4-style light pod for my Dominator 2.0s I think that you guys that can use these programmes should be congratulated. You are taking a build at home kit car with hand tools to a new level. Why screw around with angle grinders etc when you can do it on a machine ? Using car etc ensures that parts can be reproduced accurately & repetitively as fast as possible. I understand Stuart's thoughts on using an angle grinder, but surely using this kind of technology takes our builds to a higher level ! Have you thought about doing a group buy on the parts that you have created to lower the overall price per part ? I am currently teaching myself car, and I think that we should all embrace current technology. When you start your first project on the machine, you always start with something really easy.if you go onto the GBS YouTube channel, it shows you how they cnc everything, it's a really good watch. It would be nice to see MEV do something like this, Exomotive have something along these lines on the Exomotive YouTube channel.
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