Bradb-3a

Reverse Engineering Project - Key



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For the reverse engineering project I did a key. When I first started I planned everything out very well. I used a couple pieces of graph paper and I traced the key on to one piece. Then I simply dimensioned the key on the paper and scaled everything by one number to make the key bigger. This was my plan when I first started and it worked out very well. As I drew the key out and dimensioned it I also thought about what tools I would be able to use in order to actually create the key with the program. All of this worked out great because I was able to sit down and have the basic shape of a blank key made and in 3D on the program within about 30 minutes. The only part that I wasn’t able to plan out ahead of time was the slots on the key because I didn’t know exactly how I was going to approach that. Also the jagged edge of the key was very difficult. I was not able to get it to look like the key that I started with because I had to use the string line tool since I did not have the measuring tools to make it precise. Other than that the key was pretty easy. It mostly involved making a block, cutting slots, and putting in some blends.=====

Two Objects from the Sizzling Solids Book



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This week I had to do two objects from the sizzling solids book. The two that I chose didn’t really teach me anything that I didn’t already know and they were really easy to do because the book told me everything. The only thing that I really learned was how to create the indent in the front of the bottle. I probably could have done it any way but the way that they showed me was a lot easier than what I would have done because it showed me a new tool. The first sizzling solids didn’t teach me anything because it was almost the same as a drawing that I had done before. These skills could be applied to the real world because again we were dealing with real world objects. I’m not exactly sure what the first drawing would be used for but the second is a bottle that it used for a lot of things. I believe the one I did is an oilcan. I didn’t run in to any problems because the book explained everything in detail. These sizzling solids books were actually more detailed than the regular keycreator book. There was no room for me to be creative because all I did was follow directions. I was successful because I finished both of them in one class period.=====

Two Extra Credit Sheet Metal Bends

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This week we worked with the same things. On these two extra credit objects I used the sheet metal bend tool and I drilled holes in the object as well. It was a lot more difficult to do the sheet metal bend with these drawings because I had to figure it out myself. It was hard to start with the blue print and bake all of the relief cuts, and do the right lines for the bends without any help. These skills will help me in the future because I was forced to figure most of this stuff out and I found some shortcuts as well. Just like in the last drawing, all of these skills could be applied to the real world because there are a lot of real objects that involve bending metal because it is a stronger object if it is all one piece. The only problem I ran in to was when I tried to extrude the profile to make it a 3 dimensional object. Often times it would say that there were gaps and I would have to go a trim all of the lines to make sure nothing was overlapping. Sometimes I would also have to extend lines to get rid of the gaps. It was hard to be creative because there is really only one way to do a sheet metal bend but I was successful because I managed to finish that drawing with little help.=====



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In this drawing I worked mostly with the bending tool in order to bend the object like metal. I learned a lot more about sheet metal bends and I also worked with cutting slots in the sheet metal. What I learned this week will definitely help me in the future because the next few drawings deal with the same thing, and bending sheet metal is a long process so practice is good. These tools are used in the real world every day for all different parts. The bracket is a part that is used everyday an there are many other things that require you to bend metal in order to get the shape that you would like for an object that you need. The only problem that I ran in to with this drawing was when I went to do the bend. It was a little difficult because you had to do relief cuts and you needed to make sure that you bent it at the right angle and had the right sheet thickness. There wasn’t really much room for success because this was a practice drawing. I was successful because I finished it.=====

Yo-yo Mold





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This week I was making a mold of the yo-yo that I made last week. I worked mostly with the subtract tools and the level tools. This drawing was not that hard because I just used the yo-yo I had made and I subtracted it from a block in order to get the sides of the yo-yo mold. I learned a few different techniques with the subtract tools and I used the unite tools quite a bit but other than that, there weren’t very many new tools to used with this mold. A lot of these tools could be used in the real world because for every object there needs to be a mold for it. A lot of these tools are also used because most of the time it is easier to subtract and object from something instead of trying to create it like that. The only problem I ran in to was when I was trying to take a screenshot of the mold. It was hard to get a good screenshot because all of the lines seemed to blend together. When I changed the depth and look of the mold, the color mad it hard to see the curves. I fixed this by working to get the right angle so there was no glare. I also took multiple pictures so that I could get different angles. The only way that I could really be successful was by finding an angle that made the picture less confusing. I also was a little creative with the type of view that I used.=====

Yo-yo

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On this drawing I used the copy entities and the level tool to create different levels that basically just saved certain parts of my drawing while still staying on the same open Keycreator file. I also worked on sweeping the yo-yo at an angle to make one side and I made divots on the inside of the yo-yo to make it look like the real thing. The levels tool can help me because in future drawings there are a lot of different steps so it will make things easier to be able to save certain parts in case I mess up and have to come back to it. Quite a bit of things in the real world could be made using these tools. One of them is indeed the yo-yo that I just made and there are other small objects that have many pieces to them, so the levels tool will help a lot. One of the problems I ran in to was placing the middle spindle. It never ended up in the direct center of the yo-yo. Solving this was fairly easy because I just had to use a different view to click the correct line so that the spindle was right where it had to be. There weren’t many opportunities to be creative with this object because it told me what to do. The only way I was successful was because I finished the drawing and took a good screenshot of it that even shows the Spindle.=====

Rod Guide

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With this drawing I was working on rotating a block instead of slanting the block like in the last drawing. This drawing was also different because I started out with a 2 dimensional drawing of the bottom block and I then extruded it to make it 3 dimensional when normally I would start with a 3 dimensional block. In this drawing I learned a lot more about blends and dimensioning because of the different techniques that I was forced to try in order to get it right. I also learned how to rotate a block on a surface, which was very helpful and was actually not too hard. This is another object that I do believe is also used in the real world so these skills could be very useful, especially in the future of the course because the drawing are only getting harder. I big problem with this one and the last one was the blends and dimensioning. The blends make it so there are more lines and it is hard to get the right line. I solved this by talking to the teacher who basically said to get as close as I could get to the right number. I also had a problem blending the bottom of the center block in to the surface of the bottom block. After the teacher helped me with this and could not get it he said to simply mention it as a problem that could not be solved at that time. I think I was successful in the way that I rounded the top of the block at the right radius even after the block was rotated. I was successful in doing this because I should have cut the curve before rotating, which would have been easier but I found a way to make it work.=====

End Bearing



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With this drawing I was working on how to create a slanted block with a hole in it. As you can see in the picture above, the end bearing has a slanted block directly in the center of a bigger block. The hole in the block is not a simple one because I had to cut a hole with a bigger diameter at first and then finish with a hole that has a smaller diameter. This is different from the previous drawing because I had to do it in two parts; the bottom block first then I put the slanted block on after. I have learned how to frame a block with lines and then sweep it to make the actual block. This is very useful and with help me in the future because framing the block makes it easier to create blocks at a slant. This tool could be used in the real world everyday and one good example is the end bearing that I created because these are used everyday. The big problem that I ran in to with this block was slanting the block. I tried many different techniques before I found one that worked and it was still difficult to finish. I think that I was successful in finding a way to slant the block and in dimensioning the whole object. Dimensioning was especially hard because of the blends. The blends make it so there are a lot of extra lines and it is hard to grab one.=====

45º Elbow



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On the 45º elbow I worked mostly with the sweep tool. I made a square block for the base and then I placed a circle on the base. I then used the sweep tool to take the circle and sweep it at an angle to make a cylindrical object that curved as it went up. The only thing that I learned how to do with this drawing was using the sweep tool. This will be very helpful because there are a lot of objects that have tricky shapes on them so it will be much easier if I can just create the shape 2 dimensionally and then go back and sweep it to make it 3D. This tool is used for many different things in the real world I’m sure but this 45º angle is also a perfect example of a real world item. This is often used for connecting pipes that need to curve. It is also used to connect pipes in to the ground because the round end hooks up to the pipe and the square shaped end hooks to the ground. One of the big problems with this drawing was dimensioning because when you add bends, it creates multiple lines and it is hard to find the right one. I solved it by zooming in far to click the right line. Another problem was with trying to dimension the width of the cylinder. I tried to dimension it like they did in the book but every time I did that, the dimension showed up in the middle of the cylinder so you couldn’t see it. I think I was successful in the ways that I dimensioned. This was one of the hardest objects that I have ever had to dimension and that was the part that the book didn’t show you how to do for this object. There wasn’t really any room for creativity because this was a practice drawing where the book guided you through it.=====

Extra Credit 20-203





In this drawing I had to cut a square shaped hole in the block and make it go straight through at an angle. I also had to cut one side of the block off to make it 20 degrees. Cutting the square hole parallel to the 20 degree slant was different then previous drawings because I am used to only having to cut a round hole straight through the block without having to slant it. I learned how to make an auxiliary view for my object to help make certain dimensions. I also learned how to cut a square shaped hole at a slant and cut a slice of the side at a certain angle which will help with my next drawing because the block is at a slant. The auxiliary view will also help because when I’m trying to dimension a slant I need it to flat when I’m looking down at it. These tools are used in the real world with many different objects because not everything is solid, things have holes through them and they can be out of shape or have divots that I now know how to make with these tools. I ran in to a couple problems, one of them was dimensioning the slant. It was hard to figure out how to make the auxiliary view and before I did that the dimensions were coming out wrong. I think that I was successful because I got it done and was able to dimension everything even though I haven’t done this for about 6 months. This will help in the future because I want to be a mechanical engineer.