FreeCAD: Pads & Pockets

I'm slowly getting to grips with FreeCAD...

 

...but its certainly been challenging.

In this post I describe how to make a simple structure including holes & cutouts.

a tool-holder for my 3D printer

Rather than document how I designed the tool-holder above, I'm just going to describe the steps used to create a simple "U" shaped model with a few cut-outs.

This is my second post on FreeCAD so you may also want to refer to: http://captainbodgit.blogspot.com/2021/06/starting-freecad-making-name-plates.html

 

starting with a bit of 2D...

Start a new FreeCAD project and select the Part Design workbench.

Select "TOP" on the navigation cube.

Create a new Body.

Create a new Sketch > XY_Plane > Show Grid

Select the "Create a Polyline" button.

Draw a 2D end view (e.g. draw a "U" section that is (say) 60mm wide, 20mm high & 10mm thick)...

...and fully constrain this Sketch.

Close Sketcher.

 

 

...now the 3D bit...

Select Pad > Parameters > set Length (e.g. 15mm)

Now tilt the object (by clicking the arrow below the navigation cube) to confirm that the object is now 3D.

 

Let's add a hole and a slot...

Click to select a face (change view with navigation cube if necessary) and then select Sketcher.

Select the "Create a circle in Sketcher" button and draw a circle.

Now select "Create a rectangle" button and draw a rectangle.

Fully constrain the circle (e.g. use the Lock constraint padlock and Constrain Diameter options).

Fully constrain the rectangle.

Close Sketcher.

 

Select Pocket > Type: Dimension

Note: you could use Type: Through All, but this will also cut holes in any opposing faces.

Set Length to the thickness of the section (e.g. 15mm)

Now rotate the model slightly to confirm that the hole and slot go right through the model.

 

The fully expanded Model "tree" should look like this;

Save project via File > Save

Use File > Export... to save as an .stl file.

Open the .stl file in Cura, slice and send to print!

my Creality tool-holder

So using the basic principles above, I created a tool-holder for my Creality CR-10-V3...

...which holds most of the small basic Creality tools, plus my feeler-gauges and tweezers.

It simply fits to the channel section of the printer frame using 3D printed M4 T-nuts, from a design I found on Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4869053).