How do I add threads to a hole.

matthew_pitera

Hello,
I'm new to design/OnShape and am looking for some advice. I would like to add some threads for a M3 screw into my design but cannot figure out how to. I reached community project and have found a M3 nut but am having trouble reverse engineering it. Can anyone assist me with this?

matthew_pitera

Hey guys, was able to figure this out thanks to YouTube. I've noticed that this had a few view and wanted to share my solution. Aside from the guy talking a little fast, the video was very informative. Between this video and multiple planes, I was able to complete my task. Hope this helps someone else. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAuh_gQofJA

owen_sparks

Hi all.

This is a popular topic and often forms "one of the first things I must try in CAD". 

In all honesty the initial thought you should ask yourself is "do I need to model this thread?"

This is because they are needy little sods from a performance point of view.  They can be time consuming to model but more importantly they can contain more work for the CAD SW to perform every time it rebuilds than all of your other parts combined.  (Just think how many faces you have if your assembly has 50 bolts in it, and 50 tapped holes for them to fit into.)

From an engineering point of view we want a drawing with a call out to the thread type, which the "hole feature" covers well.  Then our CNC machine has a pilot hole only on the model, the last thing it wants is modeled threads.

If you really really need threads (say for a rendering of finished product, or for 3d printing) then a good tip is to build them but then suppress the feature when you're working on the rest of the model. 

Even in 3D printing placing a captive metal nut in the model (and then pausing mid print to drop it in) is usually a better option.

Just my 2p's worth

Cheers,
Owen S.

owen_sparks

Wow, hands up, who down voted @matthew_pitera 's question?  That was a bit harsh!

Owen S,

matthew_pitera

owen_sparks said:

Hi all.

This is a popular topic and often forms "one of the first things I must try in CAD". 

In all honesty the initial thought you should ask yourself is "do I need to model this thread?"

This is because they are needy little sods from a performance point of view.  They can be time consuming to model but more importantly they can contain more work for the CAD SW to perform every time it rebuilds than all of your other parts combined.  (Just think how many faces you have if your assembly has 50 bolts in it, and 50 tapped holes for them to fit into.)

From an engineering point of view we want a drawing with a call out to the thread type, which the "hole feature" covers well.  Then our CNC machine has a pilot hole only on the model, the last thing it wants is modeled threads.

If you really really need threads (say for a rendering of finished product, or for 3d printing) then a good tip is to build them but then suppress the feature when you're working on the rest of the model. 

Even in 3D printing placing a captive metal nut in the model (and then pausing mid print to drop it in) is usually a better option.

Just my 2p's worth

Cheers,
Owen S.

Thanks for the reply. The project I am working on is for 3D printing and I am trying to keep it 100% 3d printing. While placing a real nut in the print would strengthen it, it does not meet my guidelines. I did take you advice to hide/suppress the threads after creating them. I did notice a little bit more rendering/loading while modifying with the threads on. 

matthew_pitera

owen_sparks said:

Wow, hands up, who down voted @matthew_pitera 's question?  Thant was a bit harsh!

Owen S,

Someone who doesn't like new people

No harm done.

ilya_baran

There is also this custom feature to simplify the process: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/6b640a407d78066bd5e41c7a/v/845d049782179b9faee8b6e6/e/f8aea9e5c33e02eab0854a4f

michael3424

matthew_pitera said:

Someone who doesn't like new people

No harm done.

That's a much better attitude than your down voter has.  One of the best ways to learn is to ask questions.

philip_thomas

@owen_sparks - thank you for channeling your inner-Philip while I was on a plane - please keep it up

Threads for aesthetics = NO
Functional threads for 3D Printing = ok, but then suppress them. 
Learning how to make threads = Fun and learning - but please do not use them in any number in an assembly or in any Part Studio with any others parts. 

This is not a limitation of Onshape, you could cut and paste this into the forum of ANY parametric Cad system.  

Have fun and listen to Owen

owen_sparks

Thanks @philip_thomas, figured it was my turn anyway. 

Fun airplane or commuting airplane?

I'll have to think of more Philipisms to adopt....

Owen S.

3dcad

@owen_sparks
Few tips for getting deeper into Philipisms:
- Shorter answers, go straight to the point.
- Use funny image if possible, it's worth thousand words.
- Short lists are much more efficient than long paragraphs
- Always remember to encourage for cadding and having fun in the last line.



I still think that if cad can't handle threads, it's not users fault. Cad should have automated performance load recognizion and auto-simplify stuff that slows it down and calculate more details when zooming in / computer has time to perform. Similar to keyshot rendering, when you move model it's very crispy but when you let it stand for a moment it's like a photo.
But I do agree that no one should spend time modeling threads, they should be auto-modeled with hole tool for aesthetic purposes

ps. I just realized there could be a philip-bot integrated into Onshape UI to keep designers in right track

philip_thomas

Rami - We agree with you - it's not the users fault - we are looking at ways of having the CAD just do whats right!
(and thinking about aesthetic thread representation ) 

3dcad

We need thumbs up icon into smilies.

Jake_Rosenfeld

(type : +1 : but without the spaces)

philip_thomas

@owen_sparks @3dcad

Owen / Rami - what if we started using this?

lemon1324

@philip_thomas

I believe you meant to say:

owen_sparks

@Jake_Rosenfeld That's very good.  Are there others we should know about?
I feel this should be included:-
 
@philip_thomas That's awesome, many up votes to you sir.  Read it at 4 this morning and thought "how did he justify the text like that" followed by doh, less typing, yay.

@lemon1324
Interesting, what is that?

Owen S.

owen_sparks

3dcad said:

Few tips for getting deeper into Philipisms:

- Shorter answers, go straight to the point.
- Use funny image if possible, it's worth thousand words.
- Short lists are much more efficient than long paragraphs
- Always remember to encourage for cadding and having fun in the last line.

It's only funny if it's based on truth, and that's perfect.

3dcad said:

ps. I just realized there could be a philip-bot integrated into Onshape UI to keep designers in right track

It's funny you should say that.  I proposed a help avatar (almost entirely unlike the Microsoft office paperclip) to be made up of a composite of the features of the OS employees.  I can't image why but it didn't get taken up. 

In other news I'm still not entirely convinced Ilya is real.  I have a sneaking suspicion he's a genius level AI that escaped from a cold war supercomputer and has sought refuge in an Amazon server farm...

Hmm, might be time to get a carbon monoxide detector in this office.
Owen S.

philip_thomas

@ilya_baran - the gig is up - looks like you failed Owens Turin test.

ilya_baran

@owen_sparks
I am a real person -- I feel it with every byte of my body.

3dcad

3dcad

owen_sparks said:

@Jake_Rosenfeld That's very good.  Are there others we should know about?
..

Not all but most of them, write : and any letter to see available options


Now, print this and put it on top of your work papers to produce better material into forums

owen_sparks

3dcad said:

owen_sparks said:

@Jake_Rosenfeld That's very good.  Are there others we should know about?
..

Not all but most of them, write : and any letter to see available options


Now, print this and put it on top of your work papers to produce better material into forums

Awesome, Thanks @3dcad

So:-
Monitor 1 = Partstudio
Monitor 2 = Assembly
Monitor 3 = Forum
Monitor 4 = Drawings Emoji List

Perfect, thanks

Owen S.

owen_sparks

Hi folks.

Thanks to @lougallo pointing out we can reveal a facet count (control D) it's time to put some numbers to the theory.

This is a 25mm thick disk with twelve threaded holes.  Threads are M12x1.5

Without threads = 8.2K Triangles:-



With threads = 942K Triangles:-



So I've made my model 113.6435 times more complicated by adding 12 sexy looking but mostly pointless threads.  Now imagine there are 200 of them, oh and 200 bolts to go with them...

Owen S.

scott_willis165

I wonder whether something could be done using textures?

Ste_Wilson

I sometimes just drop a helix in so I have a cosmetic reminder in the model that a hole or shaft is threaded.