Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape.

First time visiting? Here are some places to start:
  1. Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
  2. Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
  3. Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
  4. Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.

If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.

How do I cut an axle shaft to a chosen length?

deepak_limayedeepak_limaye Member Posts: 6
Hi,
(I’m typing on behalf of my daughter that is trying to use onshape for her first vex robotics project).
I wanted to cut a 12 inch axle shaft to 4.5 inches, and the videos I watched always clicked at two features like holes or edges to measure distances. How can I measure from the end of the shaft to 4.5 inches along the length and use the extrude tool to cut it there? Please let me know, every time I try it, it seems to measures all the way to the end of the shaft. I am unable to select a point along the shaft to stop measurement. 
I would appreciate any help.

Best Answers

  • MichaelPascoeMichaelPascoe Member Posts: 1,698 PRO
    edited September 2022 Answer ✓
    Hi @deepak_limaye, Welcome to Onshape!

    There are many ways to do this, some ways are much better than others depending on how the part studio was built. Please share a link to your Onshape document for more detailed help. Also, if you plan to get into Onshape, the Leaning Center Pathways are extremely helpful for learning Onshape.

    You can see the sizes and distances of the things you click at the bottom right of your screen.

    In general, it is best practice to edit the original feature that the axel was created with. In the gif below for example, I edited the original sketch to be 4.5in instead of 12in.

    However, if you want to remove part of the axel using extrude, you could:
    • Click the end of the axel, or a sketch that is at the end.
    • Extrude.
    • While in extrude: Select "Remove", then select "Up to face", then select the face you want to extrude to.
    • While in extrude: Select "Offset", then type the offset distance you would like to extrude to.
    Note when modifying simple faces like this, "Move face" is usually better than extrude. This way the face id's do not change later on.



    Learn more about the Gospel of Christ  ( Here )

    CADSharp  -  We make custom features and integrated Onshape apps!   cadsharp.com/featurescripts 💎
  • Evan_ReeseEvan_Reese Member Posts: 2,060 PRO
    Answer ✓
    ooh @MichaelPascoe nailed it! Now just configure the offset value with a variable, and you can drop it into any assembly at any length.
    Evan Reese / Principal and Industrial Designer with Ovyl
    Website: ovyl.io

Answers

  • MichaelPascoeMichaelPascoe Member Posts: 1,698 PRO
    edited September 2022 Answer ✓
    Hi @deepak_limaye, Welcome to Onshape!

    There are many ways to do this, some ways are much better than others depending on how the part studio was built. Please share a link to your Onshape document for more detailed help. Also, if you plan to get into Onshape, the Leaning Center Pathways are extremely helpful for learning Onshape.

    You can see the sizes and distances of the things you click at the bottom right of your screen.

    In general, it is best practice to edit the original feature that the axel was created with. In the gif below for example, I edited the original sketch to be 4.5in instead of 12in.

    However, if you want to remove part of the axel using extrude, you could:
    • Click the end of the axel, or a sketch that is at the end.
    • Extrude.
    • While in extrude: Select "Remove", then select "Up to face", then select the face you want to extrude to.
    • While in extrude: Select "Offset", then type the offset distance you would like to extrude to.
    Note when modifying simple faces like this, "Move face" is usually better than extrude. This way the face id's do not change later on.



    Learn more about the Gospel of Christ  ( Here )

    CADSharp  -  We make custom features and integrated Onshape apps!   cadsharp.com/featurescripts 💎
  • deepak_limayedeepak_limaye Member Posts: 6
    Great, thank you so much! I’ll pass these to my daughter and ask her to send a link to her project. I really appreciate it! 

  • deepak_limayedeepak_limaye Member Posts: 6
    Hi @MichaelPascoe, here is a sample axle that she imported from the VEX website via a CAD file. It is 12 inches long, but for her middle school project they may cut it to 4.5 inches. The end will be flat as a result of course (the original has a more multi-faced end).
    I will work with her to try the approaches you suggested tonight. 

  • steve_shubinsteve_shubin Member Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2022
    @deepak_limaye

    https://cad.onshape.com/documents/e06d0332165e3f32709c2526/w/20c5bd608ee5e75dd2bcc753/e/54980a7d81432dee836cecda



    @MichaelPascoe always has the best of advice

    As Michael pointed out, there are many ways this can be done

    There just happened to be something funny about this derived object. When I tried to move all five faces at one end of the axle, well it just flattened everything out

    So I had to come up with something else

    Here is one of those alternative ways of doing it

    First thing is to create a Mate Connector or Plane that is offset HALF of the 4 1/2 inch distance from the end of the part. In other words, the mate connector or plane is going to be 2 1/4 inches from the end of the part

    Then, you mirror the part about the mate connector or about the plane

    But the trick is to have your mirror set to INTERSECTION

    This will create a 4 1/2 inch part with the exact ends that your derived part has

    Part Studio 1 shows it being done with a mate connector 

    Part Studio 2 shows it being done with an offset plane


  • MichaelPascoeMichaelPascoe Member Posts: 1,698 PRO
    edited September 2022
    Thanks @steve_shubin!

    @deepak_limaye
    In this case, Move face will be the best feature to use.

    Change the move face settings to what you see in the gif tutorial below. Make sure you select the flat face first because this is what the feature will be measuring from when you offset from the "Up to entity".



    Learn more about the Gospel of Christ  ( Here )

    CADSharp  -  We make custom features and integrated Onshape apps!   cadsharp.com/featurescripts 💎
  • steve_shubinsteve_shubin Member Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2022
    @MichaelPascoe

    I don’t know if the gray matter is slowing down or what. But this one is something that just didn’t come to mind - for some weird reason

    Maybe I’ve never played with the translate part of move face before ?!! 

    Anyways, thanks for showing that Michael.


  • matthew_stacymatthew_stacy Member Posts: 475 PRO
    @deepak_limaye, you might also try using the "Split" tool for this, in conjunction with a mate connector.
     

  • eric_pestyeric_pesty Member Posts: 1,461 PRO
    Also,
    If you want to take it up to the next level, use the "move face option" as shown by @MichaelPascoe, and control the "Offset" with a configuration variable.
    Then you can make the shaft any length you need from within your assembly without having to create anything or editing the part (just right click on the shaft and "change configuration" and type a new length!
  • steve_shubinsteve_shubin Member Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2022
    I could not get offset to work properly

    Because when you use offset, it flattens the rounded corners on the end of the part

    When Michael showed that it could be done with Translate, well that was eye-opening to me

    Translate will not flatten those corners



  • dirk_van_der_vaartdirk_van_der_vaart Member Posts: 533 ✭✭✭
    @eric_pesty
    Thanks, I was waiting for this , so many roads leading to Rome but this is clearly the most elegant. :smile:

  • Evan_ReeseEvan_Reese Member Posts: 2,060 PRO
    Answer ✓
    ooh @MichaelPascoe nailed it! Now just configure the offset value with a variable, and you can drop it into any assembly at any length.
    Evan Reese / Principal and Industrial Designer with Ovyl
    Website: ovyl.io
  • deepak_limayedeepak_limaye Member Posts: 6
    Wow, thank you all so much! These are great approaches, and really educational! 
Sign In or Register to comment.