New interest group - FreeCAD

DMS General
#1

Let me start by saying, I am just starting to learn this product, so I am no expert or able to teach. But I have a suspicion that while we may have members with some experience with this software, no one feels qualified to teach it.

So I am proposing a new interest group that will focus on collectively learning (and eventually teaching) this open source parametric design tool. Specifically how to use it to design parts. How to have those parts milled on the HAAS (or other CNC machine) or have them 3D printed.

I would envision us learning by coming up with simple projects that we each take a part for and design, prototype (3D print), then perhaps mill. We would start simple, then work our way to more complex things as we learn the software.

Anyone interested?

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#2

I have been experimenting with FreeCad and have done some crude designs (Cell phone holders), and have printed them.

A friend of mine(a fellow member), designed this part in FreeCad to fix his wife’s hair dryer:

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I printed it on my Printrbot and it came out pretty good.

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#3

count me in
got freecad 13/14 (depends on which machine)
done a few of the training exercises I found on youtube
very much need to “graduate” to the ability to pluck something out of my head and put it into the software…
My only other CAD experience was about 15 years ago with AutoCAD v 14. Absolutely loved every minute of that technical drawing chapter, but never have gotten back to doing anything with it, no matter how hard I try…

Maybe this is a stupid idea, but it was where I wanted to start and have had trouble “stepping up”.
As you know, if you have done the HAAS training, they have “the domino”. You probably also know about the “set of 4” that Bryan tried at some point in the past. I wanted to use the “4 in one” setup, make a complete set of dominoes. Step 1: create all 28 of the double-six dominoes required in CAD, sets of 4, then put them into the HAAS 1 set of 4 at a time.
I thought this would allow me to learn the CAD by repetitively creating the domino set and changing the number of pips. Also, it would give me 7 opportunities to hone my skills on the HAAS, by the end of which I thought I might have the hang.

No matter where this goes, I’m along for the ride…

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#4

I have one part, a tooling plate for the mill (HAAS and Bridgeport) that I have been working on in FreeCAD.

9067548d51e9e998.png1920×1080

I was mostly successful exporting the model to FeatureCAM. Have an issue of the ‘cube’ portion of the object disappearing, but that didn’t affect my ability to create tool paths for the holes, it may (or may not) have been related to an issue with creating a face mill tool path to skim 0.02" from the top surface though.

If possible, I also want to create a toolpath to actually use the single point threading tool to create #10-32 threads for at least the top 0.25" in each hole as well. Having a good threaded start will make fully threading all 75 holes (for clamping) much easier.

But this is precisely why I think we should start talking about having a meeting at the space. Each of us are getting familiar with presumably at least some different aspects of the software, so we should be able to learn from each other and get productive faster.

I am also taking Franks go cart class, because I think much of the material he is presenting with Autodesk Inventor will be applicable to FreeCAD, once we translate the software interface.

P.S. I am running FreeCAD 0.14 on Ubuntu 14.04

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#5

This is on my list to learn, but so far I have been putting more time in with open SCAD instead. So i dont have much to contribute, but quite interested in listening.

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#6

I’m in, lots of 3D devices, need to input to them.

#7

I’m in I have some projects that the Radio Controlled group will be partaking in and will need to learn CAD for them.

Also anyone who has experience with 3d printing, cnc machining, and vacuum forming as well as mold making please get in touch with me we are going to be working on a larger scale classroom project which will require these area’s of knowledge.

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#8

I just got introduced to 3D printing and PCB milling at the DMS. Being new to object modeling, I experimented with CAD softwares and found FreeCAD to be most intuitive with my CS background. Glad to have found this group. Do we have some sort of weekly/monthly meetup planned ?