Putting draft on Text for 3D printing/casting

[landguard11-20]

Our community group uses a lot of cast aluminium small name & identity plates. As we cast other items already we would like to cast these plates ourselves. The plates contain nothing more than Numerals or plain Text.
We would like to create the stl file in FreeCad and then 3d print ready for casting.
The problem I am having is getting a draft (approx 5%) on the text. This is what I am doing:-
In DRAFT producing a shape > creating string Wording - usually between 3 & 10 characters > choosing font ( usually Arial or Tahoma)
Go to PART workbench > Extrude- Along 3mm > Taper outward angle 5% > When I then click OK the text is deleted!!. If I don't fill in the Taper outward angle box the text appears extruded as expected. I have tried editing by going back into extrude combo view and changing draft angle but nothing happens.
My mind is now a foggy mess from trying to create a simple?? process.

Is there anyone in the forum who show me how I can put a draft on some text??

thanks

[chrisb]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Taper doesn't work, if B-splines are involved, and they are most frequently used in strings. You can try the PartDesign Draft dressup, or with some additional effort create lofts on different sizes of the string.

You may upload your file for further recommendations, but it can be difficult if the font is not available on other systems.

[Cekuhnen]

U could also based on how complex the letters are create loft profiles via sketcher
and then use part WB loft and boolean cut

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[TheMarkster]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Taper doesn't work, if B-splines are involved, and they are most frequently used in strings. You can try the PartDesign Draft dressup, or with some additional effort create lofts on different sizes of the string.

You may upload your file for further recommendations, but it can be difficult if the font is not available on other systems.

I just tried to extrude a sketch containing 2 bsplines on a taper. It failed with a positive value, but succeeded with a negative value.

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Another issue is if the sketch (or in this case shapestring) contains inner wires extrude cannot work with a taper.

[chrisb]

I just tried to extrude a sketch containing 2 bsplines on a taper. It failed with a positive value, but succeeded with a negative value.

Thanks for the find. I'm sure it didn't work the last time I tried, but who cares if it works now . Could be the current OCC.

[landguard11-20]

Thanks to you all for your answers. From our point of view the drafting can't be done in FreeCad in a simple way so that any of our group can produce drafted text.
We have spoken to our current supplier of cast plates who has agreed to let us have a 3d printed model of our plates for us to cast. They will all be supplied with the text drafted. They did tell me that they use Autodeck software and have no problems in drafting text. Since the yearly subscription to Autodeck is more than our yearly budget for materials we will take up the offer of 3D printed models.
thanks

[M4x]

Would it the possible to make an 2D offset and make use of loft?

[chrisb]

we will take up the offer of 3D printed models.

Please upload a file anyway. With luck you will be positively surprised what can be done with FreeCAD.

[landguard11-20]

Thanks chrisb for the offer.

We have since discovered that on Thingiverse an Australian guy, Mark Presling, has made available for free, to fully drafted fonts, Calibri & Tahoma which are perfect for casting.

[obhwen]

I also would like to be able to extrude a taper on Fonts of my choice, so I can make forms for casting.

I have attached an example of the text and font that I would to use.

Thanks.