Wall thickness for complex shapes/surfaces

[dougp531]

in the process of creating a cover design, I started with a solid chunk of material and removed material until I had the shapes that I wanted. I would like to be able to remove all the material inside the outer shape leaving a specified wall thickness. Is this possible? I have found that with Inventor 5.0 that I cannot create a surface out of splines and "cut" material out to that surface. Is there some other method I should have used to create this part that would make it easier to produce the end result of a cover with a specific wall thickness?
Thanks

 

[andym]

I would have created the outside or solid shape first. I would then have added all the external features that are directly related to or are a part of the finished wall thickness. I would then have shelled the inside to the correct wall thickness, and then added all internal and external features as required. Usually shelling takes place very early on in the design. You can generate some very interesting or complicated features with shelling.

Andy Marshall