Sketchup/TinkerCAD - 2020 frame mount hole for box

[blkprometheus 0]

I have a Raspberry Pi 3 that's running Octoprint, which is connected to my Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus.  I found a case on thingiverse that I want to use, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1771908, but I want to mount it to the 2020 frame of my printer.  In order to do that I wanted to modify the case stl file to add a mounting hole on either side of the case.  I've attached a picture of what I want the mounting bracket to look like. I'm new to both Sketchup and TinkerCAD, but can anyone recommend how best to do this?  I've done some Googling, but just haven't found anything to help me with doing this yet.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[rowiac 53]

Here's one way you could do it in TinkerCAD.  The attached images apply to each step.

 

Upload the .stl file you want to modify into TinkerCAD, then

1. Add a cylinder next to the part and size it as necessary
2. Add a box as shown and resize it
3. Shift-select the cylinder and box and group them
4. Add two cylinder holes as shown
5. Shift-select the cylinders and the previous shape and group them to create the tab
6. Add a cylinder hole for the mounting hole
7. Group the hole and the tab to complete the mounting tab

I hope that helps.  Once you get comfortable using TinkerCAD, you should consider graduating to Fusion 360.  It has a lot more capabilities.  I would avoid using Sketchup because it tends to create non-watertight meshes that will cause trouble in slicing for printing.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I do not know Tinkercad, so I ask about importing, or creating a vector line and just extrude without all the booleans?

[blkprometheus 0]

Hi Rowiac,

 

Thank you so much for your answer to my question.  It's very easy for me to understand and follow.  Based on your recommendation, I'll definitely give Fusion 360 a try.

Hi Kmanstudios, your suggestion seems a bit advanced for me at this point.  But I'll do some research on it and see if it works for me.  Thanks

[Smithy 1,146]

1 hour ago, blkprometheus said:

I'll definitely give Fusion 360 a try

You should definitely go in that direction. On the first sight and when you are new to CAD you think omg this Fusion360 is nothing for me, too complicated. But it isn't - you have to learn a few basics (check out Youtube, there are very good tutorials) and then you will see, that most things are much easier and faster than in Thinkercad.

[blkprometheus 0]

Thanks Smithy 👍👍

[johnse 31]

There are a couple of basic ways to describe 3D parts. What @rowiac showed you is adding and subtracting 3D primitives like cylinders, cubes, and spheres. Another is to make a drawing in 2d of the cross section and then extrude that profile into the third dimension.

 

These two fundamental methods can be used together and Fusion 360 supports both (& more).

 

I can recommend the “Learn Fusion 360...or die trying” videos. They show the latter method and got me over many of the stumbling blocks where the sketch editor didn’t behave the way I expected it to behave. He stresses the importance of specifying dimensions in sketches. I would also stress the importance of naming things...especially in complex designs.

 

Also, while Fusion 360 Is a paid service, it provides free licenses for students, and for startups—small businesses that make less than $100,000 per year. The startup license lasts for one year, but what they don’t say loudly is that you can renew that license every time it expires.

[rowiac 53]

Creating the mounting tab would definitely have been a lot easier in Fusion 360, since as @johnse mentioned, you could draw the profile of the tab and extrude it in one go.  I have limited experience with TinkerCAD, so I thought I'd give it a try and go step by step so that a complete newbie might be able to do it.  I hope it helps.

 

@kmanstudios that's how TinkerCAD works...lots of booleans.

Edited July 11, 2019 by rowiac

[blkprometheus 0]

Thanks everyone for your replies, very helpful 👍👍