Help with threaded parts

I am trying to add a thread to two parts so I can screw them together. This is driving me crazy.
They need to be 3D printable, I have followed every possible Youtube video, forum, even sacrificed a goat to the gods, but it ends in mesh errors that wont print.
Why is it so hard to do?

What happened when you tried?

What thread type, size, etc.?

Can you share the skp file?

The problem seems to be when I try to join the threaded section to the body of the part. Intersect face > With model causes mesh errors.

The thread type and size is not really important, so long as I can screw the parts together.

SKP file attached.
Parts.skp (707.6 KB)

Have you looked at the things I’ve done here on the forum about making threads?

I’m a NooB.
Joined just today.
Although, I have been using Sketchup (in my own clumsy way) for a few years now.

This may help: 3D-printable Jar and Lid using SketchUp and Spirix - YouTube

It requires a plugin, however.

1 Like

Thank you.
Someone should write a cool addon where you just click on a surface and say add thread, like in Fusion 360. Can’t be that hard.

I’ll leave you with the Spirix tutorial and stand down. You should be good.

1 Like

Hmmm … yeah, that will work. I’ll try that.
Thank You :smiley:

Good luck. Just know that threads aren’t really all that difficult in SketchUp. Here are some I did the other day.

One thing I think you would find useful is to use a number of sides for circles that is divisible by 12. 96 instead of 100 in your case.

3 Likes

ahhhhh … that makes sense, thanks.

Just one thing to add to Dave’s replies.

If your model is too small, faces may fail to form. Try scaling up by x1000 and using the Dave method

That is, start with your component(s) at ‘real’ size as you have them, roughly 50mm diameter. Copy the component, scale up the copy by 1000, zoom extents to see it all, then edit the large copy.

When done with the editing, delete the copy, zoom extents again to zoom in on the original, and it should have the the edits in it.

Alternatively, model it in metres instead of mm as you have done.

Then when you export it to stl format for 3D printing, tell the program that the units are mm instead of metres.

2 Likes

Just screwing around.

4 Likes

:rofl:. This is a funny thread.

1 Like

Whaa … send me the skp please. I’m still struggling with it.

Sorry. I didn’t save the file.

That could get you in trouble, Dave. Screwing around without saving … tsk. :wink:

Yeah. Well the truth is, Windows rebooted during the night and however it did it, there wasn’t even a recovered version of the file left behind to open in the morning.

Doncha just HATE that? Just when you get Windows all calmed down, they up and mess it all up again. And don’t even ASK.

BTW, love your tutorials.

1 Like

Dave, How do I find your tutorials?