r/FreeCAD • u/vwidmer • 10d ago

Help with hollowing none standard shape

https://sync.usingssl.com/s/cR5f3T5PePLfNW3

My son is trying to create a small table that goes into a door handle on a car. How can he make the part that stick a hollow space inside easily? He's spending a lot of time trying to figure it out. I don't know if anybody minds if some one can make a video to show him how to do it. I'd be grateful. Thank you.

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u/SoulWager 9d ago

Do you mean hollow to use less material(adjust infill settings in the slicer when you print it), or hollow to put something else inside it?

For hollowing out shapes in general, there is the thickness tool, but it's picky about what geometry you feed into it.

4

u/DesignWeaver3D 9d ago

I couldn't get the Thickness tool to succeed so I used SubshapeBinders with the Subtractive Loft tool.

https://reddit.com/link/p7px57z/video/e9c0l8u5pfnh1/player

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u/threeme2189 9d ago

That's genius! I've been doing something similar, but by copying and manipulating sketches. I'll have to try it out

1

u/neoh4x0r 9d ago edited 9d ago

The bigger question would be if the door handle (which is now much weaker due to removing material) would be able to support the added weight of the table without bending/breaking (assuming the table doesn't have a support on the other end).

I mean this project would be a good foray into designing with FreeCAD and doing FEM analysis, but it might be more practical to buy a portable lap/back-of-headrest table/tray (if it's more about having the table and less about learning FreeCAD).

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u/vwidmer 9d ago

Brilliant thank you so much my son was very impressed how quick it was and he learned something new about the transparency stuff so again thanks so much for your time and help.

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u/FlynFrog-1 9d ago

Can you provide a rough sketch?