Making a Start in FreeCAD

[Pete WhiteParticipant @petewhite15172]

Freecad is a steep learning curve………….my aging brain told me………

It looked like your intro was easy to follow Dave, but it just did not work for me. Tried Utube vids which again seamed staight forward, same problem it just did not work for me?

I am running Freecad on Linux and it sometimes froze or behaved not as was expected, should have got it faster? I gave it up, but tonight had one last fling with a new install, well it appears to be under control now, I think lol.

Just a heads up for others who might get put off by a part functioning install ?

I will have another go at the key, thanks again Dave for your thread.

Pete

[Ronald MorrisonParticipant @ronaldmorrison29248]

From my experience, all 3D parametric CAD is difficult to lean, probably more so with advancing age. My son sent me a link to this Youtube video that, while quite long, really seems to be a good tutorial. I've only started watching it and have picked up some tips.

Joko engineering FreeCAD tutorial

[DutchDanParticipant @dutchdan]

Dave,

I gave FreeCAD a very thorough trial about two years ago as I'm a big fan of free (as in freedom) software. At the time it crashed on me often enough that the whole experience was very frustrating and made me switch to Fusion360.

I'm keen to switch away from Fusion once FreeCAD is mature enough, and seeing this it might be time for another try. How stable is FreeCAD for you now? Any frustrating experiences, or does it tend to work well for you?

Thanks,

Daniel

[Paul RhodesParticipant @paulrhodes20292]

Similar FreeCAD experience to others.

Running it on a Mac which became smoother and much more reliable with a chunky RAM upgrade.

Still back up my "work" frequently though.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by DutchDan on 17/02/2022 11:56:47:

Dave,

I gave FreeCAD a very thorough trial about two years ago as I'm a big fan of free (as in freedom) software. At the time it crashed on me often enough that the whole experience was very frustrating… How stable is FreeCAD for you now? Any frustrating experiences, or does it tend to work well for you?

Thanks,

Daniel

Works reliably for me on Ubuntu 21.10. Some of the early versions were very unstable, though I think part of the trouble in my case was the software not being idiot proof. Didn't work as I expected and I was guilty of random clicking!

I use Fusion360 as well: I reckon it crashes slightly more often than FreeCAD but way I use F360 is substantially more complicated – FreeCAD for single parts, switching to F360 when joints are needed. I like them both and was sorry when Autodesk removed features from the hobby version.

Dave

[Matt NParticipant @mattn]

I switch between the weekly updated 0.20 "beta" and the stable 0.19 versions on Manjaro Linux and rarely have crashes on either.

[Ronald MorrisonParticipant @ronaldmorrison29248]

Posted by Thor 🇳🇴 on 20/06/2019 12:34:32:

Following Dave's excellent tutorial I tried to make a model of something useful, a tray for my ER 16 collets. A friend of mine has access to a 3D printer where he works. I haven't tried printing the model as my friend is on summer vaccation.

I have tried to write an explanation of what I did here, probably many errors so I assume I will have to revise it.

Thor

A project like this would be easy to print on an Creality Ender 3 printer. While not the most sophisticated printer out there nor the largest, if you have the space to put it that printer is fairly inexpensive. Once you have the 3D printer you will be surprised at how many little projects it will come in handy for. Note that I have no ties to the company, just a satisfied user of one. If you do a search for "Creality Ender 3" it should show you the availability and price in whatever country you live in.

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Ronald,

Thanks. I still haven't treated myself to a 3D-printer but I have got the tray printed in a slightly different form. Prices are coming down so may be this year.

Thor

Edited By Thor 🇳🇴 on 20/02/2022 05:32:36

[DutchDanParticipant @dutchdan]

Thanks guys, I'll have to give Freecad another go. Sounds like they made quite a bit of progress.

Thor, an ender 3 can be had for under 200 euros now. Unlike some of the more expensive machines it's made to a price, so you may have to tinker with it a little. But I've had good experiences with mine. Someone of your skill level should have no problems. I'd just recommend making sure the bed isn't warped at that'll be harder to fix, and the quality control on these machines can be lacking.

[Ronald MorrisonParticipant @ronaldmorrison29248]

Posted by DutchDan on 20/02/2022 08:54:19:

Thanks guys, I'll have to give Freecad another go. Sounds like they made quite a bit of progress.

Thor, an ender 3 can be had for under 200 euros now. Unlike some of the more expensive machines it's made to a price, so you may have to tinker with it a little. But I've had good experiences with mine. Someone of your skill level should have no problems. I'd just recommend making sure the bed isn't warped at that'll be harder to fix, and the quality control on these machines can be lacking.

I replaced the original bed with a glass bed. It needs to be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) regularly but when nice and clean the filament seems to stick really well. When the bed cools to room temp the print comes off easily.

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