Free or inexpensive 2D cad for clock wheels

[John BaronParticipant @johnbaron31275]

Hi Chris, Guys,

I've used Qcad for quite some time now and drawing a wheel as Dave has done is quick and easy. But like all software it takes a little time and effort to become skilled in its use. One big advantage of Qcad is that you can use the free community edition to learn with. I would highly recommend it.

One big advantage is Qcad's ability to scale an object or part of an object, so having drawn one object you can make multiple copies of those objects at different sizes. Which is particularly useful for gears.

[Gary WoodingParticipant @garywooding25363]

You could probably get an old copy of TurboCAD PP on the cheap. This was done in TCAD V16.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Although mostly regarded as 3D Fusion 360 will happily produce 2D images for free

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I think producing a drawing is not a lot of help, unless you want to check dimensions that will give a good appearance. Sticking it to the job is only good for getting to 20thou of final size and the paper lines will be all scuffed up by sawing.
I suggest as it must have a hole in the middle you decide on the size of the middle circle, the outer rim, the arms. Make a little button that fits the centre hole and has a step that is diameter = thickness of arm.
Set the wheel in the lathe centred up, use a pencil only to mark circles 1mm less than rim circle and 1mm > centre circle.
Use the button to set a sharp tool/scriber in the toolpost to lower then upper edge of the arms and mark the wheel. Index round using the chuck jaws or some other method. Note you are marking to less than the inner and outer limits because you don't want scribed lines in the surface that is not cut away.
Then set the tool to the inner / outer circles and mark those lines being ever so careful not to mark past the arm lines. Best to end up with no marks within 1mm of each corner.
It helps to make a hardened button at the inner circle diameter to use as a filing stop to protect that. When filing the arm edges mount in the vice with the edge of the arm along the top of the hardened vice jaw to be the filing limit. Don't try for rounded corners – sharp ones are much easier unless you are using cnc.

All this is in books and articles by Malcolm Wild for example. He and others have details of jigs and gizmos for marking out wheels and explain the techniques of using safe edge files.

[Chris TickTockParticipant @christicktock]

Posted by JasonB on 30/06/2020 17:11:33:

Although mostly regarded as 3D Fusion 360 will happily produce 2D images for free

Thanks Jason, will take a look, thanks

Chris

[Chris TickTockParticipant @christicktock]

Posted by Bazyle on 30/06/2020 18:06:15:

I think producing a drawing is not a lot of help, unless you want to check dimensions that will give a good appearance. Sticking it to the job is only good for getting to 20thou of final size and the paper lines will be all scuffed up by sawing.
I suggest as it must have a hole in the middle you decide on the size of the middle circle, the outer rim, the arms. Make a little button that fits the centre hole and has a step that is diameter = thickness of arm.
Set the wheel in the lathe centred up, use a pencil only to mark circles 1mm less than rim circle and 1mm > centre circle.
Use the button to set a sharp tool/scriber in the toolpost to lower then upper edge of the arms and mark the wheel. Index round using the chuck jaws or some other method. Note you are marking to less than the inner and outer limits because you don't want scribed lines in the surface that is not cut away.
Then set the tool to the inner / outer circles and mark those lines being ever so careful not to mark past the arm lines. Best to end up with no marks within 1mm of each corner.
It helps to make a hardened button at the inner circle diameter to use as a filing stop to protect that. When filing the arm edges mount in the vice with the edge of the arm along the top of the hardened vice jaw to be the filing limit. Don't try for rounded corners – sharp ones are much easier unless you are using cnc.

All this is in books and articles by Malcolm Wild for example. He and others have details of jigs and gizmos for marking out wheels and explain the techniques of using safe edge files.

Well thanks for the post Bazyle as you can see lots for me to read up on and learn. I note Chris from ClickSpring says he uses a Sharpie to mark out to avoid scribing in the wrong place. I am enquiring from M wild over his spoke wheel. As always some folk do it this way other another at the moment its just looking at the possibilities and taking a view. i have noted your advice.

Chris

[Marcus BowmanParticipant @marcusbowman28936]

Gearotic.com

Not free, but well worth a look. Takes a bit of getting into, but very capable indeed.

Marcus

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

+1 for Gearotic. Generate G-Code directly to cut teeth and spokes.

[VersabossParticipant @versaboss]

Well, I was interested in some features in this (up to now unknown to me) CAD app 'Back to the Drawing Board'.

Tried the whole evening to download the trial version, but no success. Although I had a MS account, and I could login to it, the download window did not recognise it. I went then through the quite complicated route to reset my password and rejoined with a new one. But what happened with that: yes, just the same. I can login to my account, but the download site says sorry, your password is wrong.

As the app is available for different hardware, it seems that the PC (this PC) should be known to the MS account. But what to do to register it – I dunno. Maybe I'm really too old for stuff like that.

Kind regards
Hans

P.S: would Mr, TickToc kplease stop citing every line in every entry, and then answering with one line… ISTR that we had this before, many weeks ago.

Edited By Versaboss on 01/07/2020 22:15:53

Edited By Versaboss on 01/07/2020 22:16:21

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