I'm having trouble with the Slot tool

mark_nahabedian

I'm not able to make an accurate enough measurement in the screw holes for this part

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/5ea02c7708d3e42bf5c7c22b/w/1590be5a74c3a8daa0f2e085/e/34f4a2c4e6a21a816c63b69f

so I'm trying the Slot tool.

I opened the sketch named "sketch of vise jaw face".

I added a small horizontal line centered at the center point of

each screw hole to serve as the center line of each slot.

When I select one of those lines (using "Select Other"), and then

slect the "Slot" tool, nothing happens.

The documentation implies that when I pick the Slot tool while I

have a curve selected, it should show a dimension box for

controlling the width of the slot.  That doesn't happen.  No

slot.  No dimension box.

Due to my poor eyesight, I have my computer set to a dark theme,

so my background in OnShape is black.  I don't know if that is

making some things invisible.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

Nick_Holzem

After you select the line, window select also works, click the slot tool. A preview will appear of the slot shape. Mine defaults to 20mm and is often too large. Try zooming out if you are zoomed in. The next left click will commit the slot. You can resize it after. If this doesn't help enter a support ticket. Slots appear to work with most sketch entities: lines, arc, splines, bezier, and conic.

mark_nahabedian

Thanks.

I was zoomed in so far that the outline of the slot wasn't visible.  I was zoomed in that much so that I could select a line segment that is 0.03inch in length.  tt's insane that the default size of a slot be orders of magnitude bigger that the path that defines it.

My part has two mounting holes that take #6 machine screws. I've not been able to measure the spacing of those mounting holes accurately enough.  I'm trying to turn those #6 clearance holes into slots so that I can mount the part without its position being sloppy in the other direction (otherwise I could just make the hole bigger).

What I see when I create the slot as you suggest is two circular arcs that appear to be concentric with each end point of the line segment that is the defining path.

If I select one of those arcs I get a pop-up in the lower right that prompts "radius".  If I edit that then the arc gets elongated rather than decreasing concentrically.