Helix/Spiral

[macduff]

I think I'm loosing it. When I create a helix and use clockwise it looks like a lefthand thread. And when I create a helix and use counterclockwise it looks like a righthand thread. Am I missing something? I just want to create a typical righthand thread.

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 5.0
Dell T5500 Windows 7 Pro (64-bit)
Xeon CPU 2.53 GHz 6.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro 4000 2 GB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[ArtL]

Big MAC Are you removing material, like a machine operation on a shaft, or adding a 60 deg pointy thing on the dia of a shaft, also
are you starting at the end of the shaft, or at the termination point of the threads down the shaft? what way you go makes a difference as to Rhand or Lhand spiral.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Look from the other end.

The CW & CCW notations refer to the direction a point, moving away from the Start Point, travels while creating the helix. Unless the Reverse Direction option is used, the resultant helix direction is not always intuitive.

 

[macduff]

CBL............you funny guy!

I have 2 different threads on my part and started the sketch's from 2 different ends from the start of the helix. I think I have it now.

ArtL,
Yeah, doing something like that.

Righty Tighty, Loosey Goosey

Thanks,

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 5.0
Dell T5500 Windows 7 Pro (64-bit)
Xeon CPU 2.53 GHz 6.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro 4000 2 GB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[TheTick]

I think it depends on the sketch plane direction.

 

[rollupswx]

Here is an idea.
Roll up the feature tree.
Save in a rolled up state.
Right click on the filename and select Send to Compressed (zipped) folder.
Attach the resulting *.zip file here.
Someone will make sure you go down the right (helical) path.

 

[rollupswx]

I think there is a Cut Thread tutorial (or at least a file you can reverse engineer) somewhere on this site

http://www.mikejwilson.com/

 

[macduff]

I'll have to watch the tutorial at home tonight. I don't have java here at work.

Thanks!

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 5.0
Dell T5500 Windows 7 Pro (64-bit)
Xeon CPU 2.53 GHz 6.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro 4000 2 GB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[TheTick]

What I have found...

"Clockwise" and "Counterclockwise" refer to the direction that the helix is taking as axial position moves away from the plane of the sketched circle. Nothing to do with LH or RH fastener threads.

The sense of direction for CW/CCW is when looking from the sketch plane's positive normal (i.e. "front face").