How do I....

[Elokos]

I want to creat a clinder with a o-ring grove on it.

I create a circle then extrude, however when I try to select the outside portion of the cylinder and make any changes. Solidworks errors out and says I must select a valid plane.

I tried to use the plane tool on reference geometry to create a plane on the surface, but now solidworks is erroring out saying I must select a valid point.

Thanks in advance,

-Very frustrated newbie.

 

[brengine]

Pick or make a reference plane that basically cross-sections the cylinder. Plane should go thru the cylinder axis and be perpendicular to the cylinder ends (caps). Make your sketch on this plane. Draw a circle for the o-ring cross-section size and locate it from the cylinder's axis. Then Cut-revolve it about that axis.

You probably won't need this for this operation, but you can turn on the Temporay Axis (under View in the Main Menu) if you're in doubt about where the cylinder axis is. But turn it off when done because things get way to confusing in a large model/assembly, and the computer gets bogged down.

Ken

 

[Mandrake22]

Ken is 99% correct! When he refers to "circle", he of course, is referring to the oring itself. The "groove" sketch would be of rectangular cross section.

 

[Elokos]

Ok, I got the plane assigned via a point on the axis of the cylinder's face.

The plane goes through the middle of the cylinder.

I then draw a circle which is coincident on the face of the cylinder. (half on half off)

Now I can do an extruded cut which only cuts straight away, the revolved boss is greyed out. What do I need to do select, specify etc to allow me the option to do a rotated cut.

 

[Elokos]

Scratch that, I figured out. I needed to add a centerline for the revolve to revolve around.

 

[meintsi]

Your o-ring groove sketch belongs on a plane perpendicular to the cylinder's cross-section.

For example, if you extruded you cylinder from the front plane with the center on the origin, the o-ring groove sketch belomgs on the top or right side plane.

Also, it can be easier if you sketch a centerline in your skecth with the o-ring profile also in order to do your cut-revolve. Otherwise you have to ctrl-select both the sketch and an axis to revolve around in order to do what you want.

Remember...
"If you don't use your head,
your going to have to use your feet."

 

[meintsi]

Love concurrent typing......

Remember...
"If you don't use your head,
your going to have to use your feet."

 

[Vper]

You could draw the profile of the cylinder with o-ring groove in the sketch then do a relvolve.