I really do believe that small things add up. In our day to day use of SolidWorks, there are little nuances, in our work, that make us a bit less efficient. I know I probably sound like a broken record, as I spend so much time talking about the small things that make SolidWorks that… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part Modeling
My Two Favorite Tools in SOLIDWORKS
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of work with some plastic parts. The parts that I’ve been creating use the Master Model approach. Now this has both upsides and downsides. The technique allows for avoiding the some of the pitfalls of assembly design, such as a complex reference structure. Because everything lives in one part,… Read more »
Properly Terminating a Thread in SOLIDWORKS
So how do we terminate the threads on something like a mason jar or plastic bottle? Unfortunately the Thread Wizard, added to SOLIDWORKS 2016, does not give us a simple option to finish a thread. There’s a couple methods that I like to use. There is one that is quick and straightforward, and the other… Read more »
Properly Terminating a Drill Bit Groove in SolidWorks
It’s relatively simple to create a helical swept cut in SolidWorks. Create the helix, the profile, and then the swept cut. If the swept cut doesn’t pass the entire length of the body, though, you’ll get a flat end that doesn’t really represent the geometry you’d find in a drill bit, screw, or bolt. You… Read more »
Creating a Multi-Body Weldment Cut-List in SolidWorks
If you’ve worked with Weldments, in SolidWorks, before, you’ve probably utilized the weldment cut list in a drawing to keep track of structural members. If you haven’t, the Weldment cut list functions as a Bill of Materials for parts that utilize structural members. Because the weldment cut list applies to multi-bodied parts, you can use… Read more »
Speed up Your SolidWorks Modeling Process with Contour Selection
Reusing sketch geometry can save you quite a bit of time in SolidWorks. Rather than creating multiple parallel sketches to produce different features, you can create a single sketch which can then be used for multiple features. This can be achieved using the contour select tool or the select contour box, in the property manager,… Read more »