Member postings for lee webster

I think Mintronics are your next port of call. Phone or email, not sure which. It will be interesting to see your progress if you ever feel like posting a screenshot sometime.

Did you eventually find it easier, more productive, than Turbocad?

Ahh, but which version?

Those name plates are excellent Jason. Very difficult to do in Designspark, but a bit easier in SolidEdge. What programme did you use?

Martin,

Solidedge is very good at text manipulation. I was surprised at what it could do, so yes, nameplates mainly. If it's just plain extruded text with draft for casting, then Designspark can do that. I didn't get into text with Alibre. I could see why so many recommend the programme though.

Lee.

Hi Nigel,

Any progress with Alibre? I tried it for a few days, and as good as it is, it isn't for me, so I have un-installed it. I will continue to do my main work with Design spark, and wander into Solidedge when I need serious text design.

Good luck.

Slow down a bit Jason! I'm only on day three. Thanks for the suggestion though, that's a good idea. I will learn my mistakes on the first several designs then try to produce something workable.

Thaks David, I will set that later. Some of my engine designs can have thirty odd parts, it's much easier to keep track if they have a name!

Thanks Jason.

I fired up my cad computer as soon as I saw your reply, altered the names of the 3 parts, and the the name of the assembly file. Works perfect!

I have the trial version of Alibre Atom 3D and I have been using assembly to design a small engine. It's only practice so the design is rubbish. But when I create a new part within the assembly, not import a part, I can't seem to rename it. The Alibre forum seems to be divided on whether this is a problem or not. I get the impression that there is a workaround. Is there?

Three points.

One. I believe I read somewhere that when microsoft released win10 the chinese government wouldn't allow it to be released in china, without all the spyware being removed. Microsoft did this. Now, I did get this info from the internet, so take it as you will.

Two. An interesting point that might be a bit off topic. What cad programmes run under Linux? I know you can install a programme that will allow win progs to run under Linux. Not just cad of course, what programmes that we here use, cad and 3D slicers for me, what else runs under Linux?

Three. I installed the trial version of Alibre Atom 3D a few days ago. So my cad computer got connected to the net for the download. Now my Solitair card game suite won't run properly. I think microsoft took the oportunity to install updates and copy all my secret files.

Hi Russell,

My boat tail A7 looked a lot like yours when I bought it. But being me I had to make a new body. I also own another 1930 based A7 special left to me by a friend. She bought it in 1958. The owner/builder told her that he got the aluminium for the body from a local RAF base that was scrapping a Spitfire. It could be true! My third A7 is a 1933 saloon. It too was left to me by my friend. She bought it in 1960-61 because the special was uncomfortable during the winters. The special was her first car, the saloon her second. Many other A7s followed, but she kept these two. Now I am looking after them. I hope to get the saloon on the road soon-ish.

Your A7 is perfect just the way it is. Someones pride and joy and I bet it still turns heads today.

I wish I had the skill to have made them by hand. I am just glad that 3D cad software and 3D printers are available.

The best thing about owning an Austin Seven is meeting people who used to own one. To see their memories flooding back never gets dull. My Dad used to say to me that one day even a mk3 Cortina would be a collectors car. I laughed of course, but now they are. How often do you see one?

Hi David.

I had another go at drawing a piston with internal little end bosses before cutting it in half and mirroring the part. This time it worked pefectly, only, of course, both halves joined back together. I created an offset plane and did the mirror again to produce the two halves set away from each other. I think what caused it the first time is that I also tried to mirror the cutter that cut the piston in half, so no need for a suport ticket. I am still working my way through creating an assembly. It's not something I have used in any other cad programme.

Thanks for the info on Design Expert, I will take a look.

Two of my sisters stayed with me last week and they saw the model car for the first time. I hadn't told them I was building it and that they would be getting one of them. I put one together as best I could with sticky tape and white tack. Still a lot of work ahead, but getting there. Three pictures with a 50p for scale.

The whole car, apart from the klaxon, was drawn in DesignSpark Mechanical. The klaxon was drawn in Solid Edge. The body and front axle were printed in pla on an Ender3, the green and grey parts were printed on an Anycubic Mono 4K resin printer using water washable resin. Virtually no smell from the resin, but the isopropol alcohol cleaner whiffs a bit!

I would also use chipboard flooring. It depends on what you will use the workshop for. If you know where the machinery is going. mark out an area big enough to accomodate the machine and don't put flooring in that area. When I did my workshop, I did half and half. Half with chipboard and half just concrete. The concrete section was for the cars to be worked on (pretty sure the chipboard could have been used there too) and the chipboard half is where I did my woodwork. I also laid vinyl tiles on the chipboard, so it was easy to keep clean and never damaged a sharp tool that was dropped on it.

Thanks David, I did try using the scale/mirror command, but again the part dissapeard. I know it's something I did, I need to use the software more. I will have a go at assemblies later. If I like the software I will look at the pricing for each version. Are there any trials for those?

Thanks JasonB.

The first thing I designed was a piston as in my previous post. I couldn't see any way to split it, so I drew a rectangle from the middle out and extruded cut one half away. I then tried to mirror the part with no luck, the half I was trying to mirror dissapeared and a mirrored part was created the other side of the plane . I tried both versions of the mirror with no luck. When I tried with a more simple part, I got the mirror to work, so, a bit more experience needed here. I will try making an assembly as you describe this evening. Gardening calls! Beetroot and red onions to be planted out.

Lee

I too have now installed the trial version of Alibre Atom3D Nigel. At least I can now follow along with what you are doing.

I installed the trial version of Alibre Atom3D today and I've had a play with it. I couldn't find a way to split a body into two separate pieces, I will keep looking at that. I also looked at MOI used by Martin, "Blowlamp", there is a 90 day trial period with the software. My first impression with Alibre is that might not do what I want, or rather, what I am used to. I have to carry on regardless!

One thing about Alibre is having to draw each part of a construction consisting of many parts, and then make them into an assembly, like a small engine for instance. In Designspark and Solid Edge, each body can be created by using references from another body. The cylinder can get some info from the head, etc. It doesn't seem that Alibre works that way.

I now have my cad computer disconnected from the internet until Alibre asks for a connection, so I can't watch instructional videos unless I have my internet (slow) computer on.

Twenty eight days to go! Wasn't there a film with a similar title?

Some interesting ideas to think about. Now I need to download the trial version and try these out. I will make sure my cad computer is ready to go online this evening.