Special Bolt Sequence needed for A Science Olympiad project

[CFF]

This may be a crazy request for some of you but I have need to create a mounting mechanism on a lab stand. A Lab Stand has a heavy metal base with a rod protruding out of it. What is this for. I am creating a Photo Gate for the NYS Jr High Science Olympiad Wheeled Vehicle www.soinc.org being held in Western NY. I volunteered fro this and am making the entire system, hardware, software, circuitry. Hey - its for the kids and to put on a good show yah know.

I need to show one assembly in the following order

1. Hex 3/8 dia bolt

2. Washer

3. Washer

4. Hex Nut

5. Length to be determined but most probably a standard 1 1/2" or 2"

6. Wing Nut

7. Washer

I need to show another assembly like this

1. Aluminum block with a hole to slide onto the rod (this is accomplished)

2. 3/8 Butterfly bolt to fastened the block to a location on the rod

3. A 3/8 NF tap hole on the other side to receive the mounting bolt from above.

This assembly will fasten a bud box to an aluminum block slid onto the rod that will contain electronics. This mechanism enables mounting with rotation capability.

I have VW 2013. I do not find any hardware items such as bolts. In the Tool Sets there is a Bolt Nut Inch but it is for bearing surfaces and I need threads all the way.

Suggestions are welcomed

Thanks

Carl

[Benson Shaw]

The bolts and thread products, 2d and 3d are in two tool sets (why?) Look in both the Fasteners and the Detailing tools sets. Set screws, wing nuts, tapped holes, etc are all available. The Machine Components tool set has a 3d shaft with options for threads and any length. But it's kind of laggy. For any of these hardware items, accept the defaults when placing the object, then adjust parameters in the OIP.

If required hardware is not already in your Fasteners, Detailing or Machine Components Tool Sets, add it via the Workspace Editor>Edit Current Workspace>Tools tab. 2d and 3d versions are available for most items. Again, look in both Fasteners and Detailing in the Workspace Editor lists. In the workspace editor, add a tool to your workspace by dragging it (click/drag the text, not the icon) from the list on the left to the desired location in the list on the right.

For full thread bolts, you will probably need to place a 3/8 bolt and a 3/8 set screw or Screw Threads (2d only) on the drawing. Select the bolt, Convert to Group (cmd K), trim away everything below the head. Select the set screw, adjust its length in OIP, snap it to bottom center of bolt head. Group the two objects. Or maybe you could just put a nut on one end of the set screw.

You may have to model the butterfly bolt. But couldn't it be affixed to the rod with a top & bottom nut?

OK, Post back if not working.

-B

Edited February 26, 2014 by Benson Shaw

[CFF]

Benson - thanks for the info.

It seems 8Gb is not enough on this MAC running Mavericks. The WorkSpace editor identifies there is not enough memory to continue. I will address the memory aspect and then use your information

Thanks

Carl

[CFF]

Ok. Memory upgrade made the difference.

This next piece is really for display assembly purposes and also learning more of how to do it.

How can one make threads extend from the Hex head of that bolt to the end. All bolts I select turn into a bearing - non threaded surface. From an assembly point of view it does not make sense that the nut threads where the berating surface is.

What is depicted below is how the assembly will connect to a Bud Box which has wall thicknesses any where from 1/8 to 1/16. The display goes Hex head - washer - through Bud Box - washer - Hex Nut - Wing Nut - washer

The Hex Nut needs to have threads

[img:center]http://www.scgconnect.com/files/Bolt%20Thread%20Length%20example.png[/img]

Edited March 1, 2014 by CFF

[Benson Shaw]

If you are working 2d, there is an all purpose 2d Fastener tool which can be tricked into displaying full thread. If its not in any of current toolset, add it via Workspace editor>Tools Tab >Hardware. Use this Fastener tool to add a Fastener object to the drawing. Accept the defaults. In the OIP, configure it for hex bolt with nut. Set the Bearing length to 0. Checkmark the Adjust Thread Length Automatically. In the Config dialog, set the Nut pulldown to None. Should leave you with a 2d full thread hex bolt.

I don't think any of the 3d hex bolt tools have parameters for full threads. So you have to make one by aligning a bolt head on top of a threaded shaft. Group the combo so you can position it as a unit. Add Solids might also work - I didn't try it.

Start with a 3d hex bolt. Set the length to zero - only the head displays. Or convert the bolt to group (Cmd K), enter the group, and cut off everything but the head.

For the threaded shaft, two choices:

Set Screw or Shaft (Segment type set to Threaded).

Both these shaft options are rather laggy on my system. Work in wire frame. Check progress with occasional render. Might help to turn off the Display Threads options on the various components until ready to render. Select Similar or rigorous classing will help find them all when time to display threads.

-B

Edited March 1, 2014 by Benson Shaw

[CFF]

Benson,

Thank you for all your help and suggestions.

Seems like Nemetschek could improve Vectorworks by adding dimension variable to the 2D-3D bolts to control the length of the thread.

Thanks again

Carl