Wanted: Workflow for two Parts

[atzensepp]

Hello FreeCAD-experts,

I want to create a mount that connects a tube to a rectangular rod with FreeCAD (0.18) as shown in the Picture.

Beamholder.PNG (54.04 KiB) Viewed 985 times

My workflow is:

Lower Body: (straightforward)

• Create a solid (cube) and make a bar.
  Convert it to a Body
  With Sketches create material takeaways under the bar and another one for the Opening for the rectangular rod
  Then create a hole Array with sketcher on the top
  Pocket it thru all
  Create other Sketches to take away the sides
  Pocket
  Create a circle at the left side
  Pocket thru all to get the shape for the tube

Upper Body: (somewhat lost)

• Create a shape binder of the left side
  Create a Datum plane
  Sketch the cover profile
  Extrude over the same length of the orignial part
  Then create a hole Array with sketcher on the top - (The same as for the lower part, how could I reuse the drawings from the lower part?)
  Pocket it thru all
  Pocket away the upper tube cover (How should this be done? With Sketches of faces?)
  pad stuff that goes into the rod spacing (On a Datum plane?)

I usually use Sketches on faces which mostly works but I have heard that this is not the best way to do it.

My main Questions are:
1. how can I create the inner takeaway at the top and the filll at the Bottom?
2. how can I reuse the drill pattern for both geometries?
3. how can Datum planes help here?
4. What is a suitable workflow for this?

Help hightly apprechiated.

regards
atzensepp

My FreeCAD-File is:

Antenna Rod Holder 2.FCStd

(165.08 KiB) Downloaded 29 times

[chrisb]

(If you wan to use a list, you have to prepen each item with [*][/mono])

Lower Body: (straightforward)
Create a solid (cube) and make a bar.
Convert it to a Body

you should use the box available in PartDesign instead

Pocket away the upper tube cover (How should this be done? With Sketches of faces?)

I don't understand what sketches of faces are. You could use a sketch and a pocket

My main Questions are:
1. how can I create the inner takeaway at the top and the filll at the Bottom?

I don't understand. Is the takeaway you are talking about the inner of the tube? You correctly didn't create that in the first place.
What "fill at the Bottom" are you talking about?

2. how can I reuse the drill pattern for both geometries?

Use Sketcher CarbonCopy

3. how can Datum planes help here?
4. What is a suitable workflow for this?

Have a look at this page, especially the paragraph about creating stable models

[papyblaise]

I redid your project without taking into account all your dimensions
I take advantage that your objects are symmetrical and that they have a general axis (the tube)
I draw the profile of the base in the XY plane and the symmetric extrusion
In the YZ plane (perpendicular) I draw the 1/2 hole and the profile of the base and pocket
in the XZ plane I draw the holes and pocket
Sketching the holes in an independent plane allows me to reuse it for the other part: they will be perfectly aligned
I do the same with the top
and make the other half pieces by miror in the Part workshop
Making shapebinder increases file size and is not always useful
sketches in basic plans rather than referencing faces makes the project more robust

[Kunda1]

OP, please correct title of thread: it seems you intended to write 'Wanted' instead of 'Santed', correct ?

[atzensepp]

OP, please correct title of thread: it seems you intended to write 'Wanted' instead of 'Santed', correct ?
[/quote
Done

[atzensepp]

Many thanks for your hints. I will have a look into:

Use Sketcher CarbonCopy

Have a look at this page, especially the paragraph about creating stable models

[atzensepp]

Many thanks papyblaze for your cool solution!

My Learnings:

• Draw Sketches in the space not attached to faces (better for reuse)

• Use Symmetry (here it would be interesting to make use of the XY-plane symmetry)