noob having trouble shelling a simple lofted shape

frank_paynter

Fridge Container | Part Studio 1 (onshape.com)

Simple part with two similar sketches.  I created a loft between the top surface of an extrude from the bottom sketch and the bottom surface of the top sketch.  When I created the loft I saw two of the loft quadrilaterals were outlined in red, and my shell operation failed with the message "could not shell part with selections".

Any idea what I'm doing wrong here?

TIA,

Frank

martin_kopplow

This loft creates a very strongly distorted surface with tight curvature, so the resulting shell will probably self-intersect when the thickness is close to or larger than the radii occurring in the region.

Also, aesthetically, a loft is not the right way here. You will probably have to create more precise geometry for the surface to work and look good. You'd need at least guide curves, or model the rounded shape in a completely different way. The minimum would be to create the straight and organic parts of the loft indepentently, to gain at least some control: Here, the loft has been done in three parts: The straight vertical sides, the curved center panel, and then the corners. For more wall thickness, the shape will have to be even more defined.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/31213e9dac986d82373ddf1e/w/4a53d773d49d90d4e79fbddb/e/ab5ac131bfa6d860d014916a?renderMode=0&uiState=657de405dad9050dd2b9ffc3

nick_papageorge_dayjob

Your surfaces are no good, that's why the shell is failing. Martin above has one way to improve them.

That said, do you really need a loft? I take it you are making something to sit on your refrigerator door? Take a look at this much simplified shape. Its easier to model, and it is sound from a surface standpoint.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/50b59a00053a485065f8f8bf/v/f5dc44d8bf552c9942098b94/e/83d4330bc332e649850d3d9d