Needing some help..

Hi Guys,

OK the machine is running great now. However i asked my son what he would like to come and watch something being cut, obviously being just like me he jumped at the chance.

BUT his project, is that he wants a JET! something we can hang from the roof in our workshop!! he likes the idea of painting it all up etc.

Now i know this can be done, but my skills with solidworks are limited and i know that a jet will have to be done in layers now this is where i will struggle.

I have the model from GrabCad and thought about doing it in blue foam, glass it so he is able to paint it

I understand that the tailplane, wings and canopy will have to be removed from the plane, im just not sure how i go about slicing the model up in solidworks so that when each layer is cut it fits together... make sense?

so im looking for a little help to try and make this possible.

here is the link to the model, im leaving out the missiles, drop tanks and wheels etc maybe that is something I can learn later

https://grabcad.com/library/f-16-fighting-falcon

Any help would be very much appreciated

I am afraid that I cannot help with the solidworks slicing as I do not use 3d, but I do make a lot of small scale models for our miniatures. The system that I use to ensure perfect alignment is to drill 2 or 3 2.01 mm holes through each layer for location dowels and 2mm cocktail sticks for the dowels (the sticks from our local coop are just about 2mm spot on). I never use a drill bit, but rout out the holes to whatever size hole I need (on larger items I use bigger dia dowels). G.

You should look at the object separately and in order

-first you look at the model and see which cavities will be totally ignored, as they will not be seen in the real life model

-then you analyse the model and see where the unavoidable slices will be and where parts must be made but separately sliced

-having done the unavoidable slices examine the model to see if you could go away using foam only or you will need another material for certain thin parts and so on due to lack of strength, etc.

-now having determined the materials and knowing your local supply thicknesses or what you have at hand slice the model accordingly

- then its the time to draw the locating pins as suggested and reflect them in the sliced geometry

As for making separate bodies from a single body its called "split" or "slice" . here is an tutorial how to do it by planes and here at min 1.30 is how to make the plane at an angle, cause certainly there will be parts that need to be done in separate slices


having done all that you will have to export the parts to your CAM and do them 1 by one and definitely using locating pins for the parts when you flip them as you will have to make some of them both sides.

Thats it.

Most good quality Cam software Like Vectric Aspire or Artcam will do the slicing for you so no need to do it in Solid works or Cad.

Autodesk 123d Make is a free program used to process models for manufacture using lasers and cnc routers in many different ways such as interlocking layers or simply stacked layers. One of its more recent updates has given it the ability to slice up 3d models into 3d layers. I am guessing though an object as complex as a jet will need some processing before to remove parts that need slicing in other directions etc. Its free and pretty easy might be worth a try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

Most good quality Cam software Like Vectric Aspire or Artcam will do the slicing for you so no need to do it in Solid works or Cad.

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But only horizontal simple slicing. Not good if you are doing a complicated real life model of plane, boat and ... with cavities. Aspire is good for general stuff, excels at sign making but has next to nothing 3d capabilities, though again excels in 3d artistic drawing of a model

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boyan Silyavski

But only horizontal simple slicing. Not good if you are doing a complicated real life model of plane, boat and ... with cavities. Aspire is good for general stuff, excels at sign making but has next to nothing 3d capabilities, though again excels in 3d artistic drawing of a model

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That depends if you know what your doing with Aspire.!! . . . . . . What do you think your doing when creating planes to slice in Solidworks.?
All you doing is slicing using planes from Front(x,y) or Right(y,z) view rather than Top view(x,z) or some angled plane.
When you import 3D model into aspire you can choose the position or angle relative to the top down plane used for slicing which is all your doing when slicing in SW using planes then importing into CAM.

Granted the 3D toolpaths aren't brilliant but they are more than good enough for this job.

Cheers for your comments guys, apologies for the delay, I will give them all a view


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