Solidworks tutorial by Jim Bredt 20240609

Introduction

This tutorial assumes basic experience with Solidworks. If you are unsure how to use the basic tools in Solidworks, then step through the first tutorial which assumes no prior experience.

In this tutorial we will create a Solidworks design for an existing steel bracket, shown below. It is a corner brace from a modular(80/20) metal frame.

In the following section (Tutorial 2b) we will export the Solidworks data to a CNC plasma cutter and fabricate a duplicate.

The design strategy is to create a solid brick that conforms to the outline of the bracket, add holes in the proper locations, and then use the "Convert to Sheet Metal" tool to finish the part.

Change the Units to IPS

Change the drawing units to inches. Click on the () gear icon in the upper left corner of the window. Select the "Document Properties" tab. Make sure the units are set to "IPS" (Inches-Pounds_Seconds). The reason for this is we will be creating data for the Torchmate CNC plasma cutter, and that machine operates in inch units.

When you load Solidworks you will see a dialog box like the one below.

Select "Part" to create a new design for a part.

Creating an Extrusion

Select "Extruded Boss/Base" in the "Features" tab. Select a plane to sketch on.

Sketching the Outline of the Bracket

After selecting a sketch plane, a 2-D Sketch window will open. Select the rectangle tool, draw one, and dimension it as shown below left. If you are not sure how to do this please check here. Use Smart Dimension to set the rectangle size.

Select the line tool and draw two diagonals as shown inside the rectangle. Position the two line endpoint shown along the lower edge of the rectangle using Smart Dimension. If you are unclear how to use the Line tool, please look here in the first tutorial. The difference here is that these lines should NOT be checked "for construction."

Adding a Parallel Relation to the Two Lines

Select both of the new lines by holding down the "SHIFT" key and clicking on both of them. A list box opens up on the left margin of the window that shows common shared properties of both lines. Here you can define them as Parallel. This will make the last of the four endpoints fully constrained for its location.

Trim off Extraneous Lines

Select the Trim Tool and trim off the extraneous corners of the original rectangle. This tool allows you to eliminate extraneous lines by dragging the cursor so it crosses an undesired line, as shown in the figures below.

The correct shape should be a simple polygon with six sides as shown below right. Click on "Exit Sketch to accept the design.

Finish the Extrusion

As soon as you exit the sketch, the "Extruded Boss/Base" window opens again to ask for the thickness. For this part the thickness is 1.5 inches. Click on the () green check-mark to accept the design.

Add Holes to the Design

The holes in the bracket are added almost exactly as the hole was created in the first tutorial. Select the vertical face at the tapered end of the brick, as shown below.

Sketch a line through the center line of this face and select it for construction.

Select the Point tool and add two points along the construction line, space out approximately. Select "Smart Dimension" and click the mouse on one of the points and then the top edge of the sketch area. A set of construction lines should drag out sideways, and an edit box will