Introduction: Let's Build "Cubism Gal" Part 2

Part 2 Intro

In this Instructable we continue on after creating our two bodies. These are the finished products design-wise but have to start life as mdf blanks. These blanks comprise layers of mdf glued together. As well we need to setup everything relative to a baseboard. The baseboard is the clamped body and all the blanks are glued with dowels to it. There is more work in creating blanks than creating the design bodies in the first step! Let's go!

Step 1: 12mm Rear Blank

We start with making the blank for Rear. Turn body sideways. Start CREATE - New Sketch on that plane. CREATE – Project / Include – Project use Body symbol and click outline of body to project. Find widest two points and measure depth = 43.964mm. We need to glue thicknesses of mdf together to make up a min of 44mm thick. 4 @ 12mm = 48mm….4mm over and if we use all the same thickness layers it makes it easier for manufacture setup, but a little more machining time. We decide to use the 12mm. Finish Sketch. Turn body to face you end on. Select 5mm wall thickness back face and CREATENew SketchProject outline of body. CREATE – Project / Include – Project use Body symbol and click outline of body to project. Right click and EXTRUDE 12mm. Rename this body Rear 12mm blank RH. Edit that last Sketch13 again. Where the centre of the 8mm dia dowels are, draw those circles. Finish Sketch. Select each circle profile right click Extrude and cut through the 12mm body

Step 2: 12mm Front Blank.

Switch on body Front and turn side on. CREATE New Sketch on XZ plane. CREATE – Project / Include – Project use Body symbol and click outline of body. Measure width at widest points. It’s 69.652mm. FINISH SKETCH. 6 x 12 = 72mm enough to cover the depth plus a few millimetres. We’ll need six 12mm blanks per half, a total of 12. On the Sketch13 select complete profile except four 8mm dia holes. Right click Extrude 12mm. Rename this new body Front 12mm blank RH.

Step 3: Backboard RH

Now if we are going to make a complete handbag and need two mirror versions of “Cubism Gal” then we’ll need 8 of these 12mm blanks. If you want to machine one at a time then you’ll need a backboard to suit one body only. CREATE New Sketch on YZ plane. CREATE – Project / Include – Project use Body symbol and click outline of body. Draw a rectangle around Rear 12mm blank RH allowing about 40mm clearance for clamping. Round size up to nearest 10mm. In this instance 280 x 250mm. FINISH SKETCH. Now select rectangle and extrude -12mm. Operation is New Body. Rename this new body 12mm Backboard RH. Select 8mm dia hole profiles and extrude through the new backboard. We’ll need a Left Hand version of this blank. When it comes to the CAM setup it makes life a lot easier to have a left & right hand version of all bodies! You don’t want to be trying to flip bodies during your CAM setups. It can be done but prone to errors as it can get quite confusing.

Step 4: Backboard LH

Right click on 12mm Backboard RH in the tree Copy – Paste. Now make Z Angle in the pop up MOVE/COPY menu 180 degrees and X Distance -12 and Y Distance -280 – OK. You now have the two backboards superimposed over each other. Notice how the holes don’t line up? Rename new body 12mm Backboard LH.

Step 5: 48mm Rear Blanks

We now need to make a blank as if the 4 layers were glued together. Switch off Blanks. Reselect the thickened perimeter in Sketch13 and CREATE – Extrude 48mm. Rename new body Rear 48mm Blank RH. Now make a LH version. Right click on Rear 48mm blank RH in the tree Copy – Paste. Now make Z Angle in the pop up MOVE/COPY menu 180 degrees and X Distance -48mm – OK. Rename new body Rear 48mm blank LH. We need to move this body so the 8mm dia holes line up over the top of 12mm Backboard LH. Switch off Rear 48mm blank RH and switch on 12mm Backboard LH. Click RIGHT on the top RH corner cube. CREATE New Sketch on YZ plane. Project bodies onto that sketch OK. Measure the distance between one pair of corresponding holes. CREATE – Sketch Dimension. It’s 233.514mm. FINISH SKETCH. Right click Rear 48mm blank LH on the tree. Move/Copy. In the pop up box make Y Distance 233.514mm – OK.

Step 6: 72mm Front Blanks

We now need to make a blank as if the 6 layers were glued together. Switch off all bodies. Switch on Sketch13. Select profile and extrude 72mm – OK. Rename Front 72mm blank RH. Right click on Front 72mm blank RH in tree Copy – Paste. In the MOVE/COPY pop up make Z Angle in the pop up MOVE/COPY menu 180 degrees and X Distance -72 and Y Distance -233.514 mm – OK. Rename new body Front 72mm blank LH. Hide these two recent bodies by switching off eye symbol on tree.

Step 7: Move Front Body to Sit on Baseboard

You thought just creating two bodies in Part 1 was time consuming…creating the blanks and backboards is heaps more work again! Still not over yet! We need to make Left Hand versions of Front & Rear and move them to sit flat on the backboard. Switch off all bodies except for Rear and 12mm Backboard (either one). Click FRONT on top RH cube. CREATE New Sketch on XZ plane. Project bodies. OK. Measure distance from back of Rear to front face of Backboard. It’s 130mm. Now switch off Rear and switch on Front. Project that body in sketch. Measure from back most point of Front to front face of backboard. It’s 119.710mm. FINISH SKETCH

Right click Front in tree Move/Copy. In the MOVE/COPY popup make X Distance 119.710mm – OK. With Sketch13 on select the four 8mm dia hole profiles and extrude cut through Front (1) – OK. CREATE – Mirror Pattern Type Bodies Objects select Front (1) and mirror plane is YZ – OK. Rename new body Front (2) as Front LH and Front (1) as Front RH. For some reason we still have Front in the tree a duplicate of Front RH but without the four holes. Turn that off. Turn on 12mm Backboard LH and turn Front RH off. Click RIGHT on top RH cube. CREATE New Sketch on YZ plane. Project bodies. Measure distance between hole centres to align Front LH with 12mm Backboard LH. It’s 160mm. FINISH SKETCH. Right click select Front LH and Move/Copy. In MOVE/COPY popup make Y Distance -160mm – OK. Hahaa, turn on Front RH and Front LH….are you seeing double?

Step 8: Move Back Body to Sit on Backboard

This marathon is not over yet!

Right click Rear in tree Move/Copy. In the MOVE/COPY popup make X Distance 130mm – OK. With Sketch13 on select the four 8mm dia hole profiles and extrude cut through Rear – OK. CREATE – Mirror Pattern Type Bodies Objects select Rear (1) and mirror plane is YZ – OK. Rename new body Rear (1) as Rear LH and Rear as Rear RH. Turn that off. Turn on 12mm Backboard LH and turn Rear RH off. Right click select Rear LH and Move/Copy. In MOVE/COPY popup make Y Distance -160mm – OK.

With all bodies switched on, you can see your new workbench? A total of 13 bodies in the tree (one is surplus Front). A lot more than the original two we started this Step with.

In the next Step we'll get into some machining.