I’m looking for suggestions as to how to finish the ends of threads. I.e. from what is depicted in the top graphic, to the ends of the threads shown in the lower photo:
I’ve made garden hose thread using CurveMaker Helix and either Intersect Faces or BoolTools2. Threads without a finish such as in the photo of the commercial garden hose fitting above are serviceable, but I am wondering how to make something like that. So far, for the thread ends, I’ve played around with FFD and gotten nowhere.
How did you create the thread in the first place?
When I model threads and need to have them run out as in that part I generally draw the path for the thread extrusion so it turns in toward the center. Most of the threads I create run out into a chamfer which is simpler to model.
This is just a quick example. The radius where the path turns in should be larger.
Thanks for your reply. To make the threads I studied several videos. “3D Modeling Real-World Threads in SketchUp (3/4-10 UNC)” , and what appears to be your video: “Screw Thread Tut”
I take it you are suggesting just change the end of the helix that is the path prior to running Upright Extruder. When trying this just now, I have been having difficulty drawing an arc along the path the helix would have taken except what would be necessary to produce the desired effect. I have to do other things until tonight when I can see what I can do with your suggestion. Do you have any suggestions that would facilitate drawing a changed arc.
Yes. I just add an arc using the 2 Point Arc tool like so. I added an additional edge to extend the path a little past the end of that arc.
FWIW, this is the completion of the threads using the helix I showed in the previous post and the basic method I showed in the video you saw for the M8 screw.
Here it is in the slicer.
FWIW, in the video I made a comment about small screws not being 3D printable. I have since done screws as small as M6 that are indeed 3D printable and usable.
I couldn’t understand exactly what you are doing with the arc tool. However, I tried to implement what I did understand. I attached a pdf showing my work. I changed the number of segments in the arc after I drew it, so the arc segments would be approximately as long as those making up the helix.
I only had time to run an experiment with the face of two half teeth I gave Upright Extruder to work with that was less than a full turn of thread.
From what I’ve seen as I’ve looked around at online resource material, as I’ve been studying SketchUp, you are a significant provider of learning resources, and you have been so, over many years. Thank you very much for taking the time.
threads question1.pdf (31.8 KB)
Here you can see how the ends turn in.
The arc should be in the correct plane if you draw in that edge toward the center that you can see in my GIF and start the arc on the edge in the helix instead of at a vertex.
Since there’s a large space between the threads in your photo, I made the profile like this:
And the extrusion looks like this.
A tube drawn inside and made into a separate solid object finishes it up. If you’re 3D printing it, the two can remain as separate solid objects that overlap each other.
I wouldn’t say I had a lot of space between my threads. To give you an idea of what I was trying to do - I made this male garden thread as something I could use in various 3D printer projects, but I wanted a better finish on the ends of the threads:
I got to this by trimming the top and bottom off what Upright Extruder put out after I fed it my pattern and helix. In your video “Screw Threat Tut”, as you worked towards the stage depicted above you cut the tops and bottoms off with Intersect Faces, like this:
I think I used BoolTools2 on my garden thread. I’m less proficient with Intersect Faces. The thing is, in the video tutorials I studied, i.e. yours and Tyson’s cited above, both recommend cutting the top and bottom off the Upright Extruder output in order to produce a solid object.
So now, you show a technique that does not involve cutting the top and bottom off. I didn’t realize this until I made some arcs on the ends of my helix and ran Upright Extruder. The output was this:
Anyway, I think I can’t put more time into this until tomorrow night. I really appreciate your effort to explain. I am not fluid enough in SketchUp to quickly redo this project with a different pattern and different plan so it will take time.
Maybe I exaggerated but there’s a fairly wide root and since the threads don’t continue to the ends of the part in the photograph, it was easier to combine the threads with a cylinder.
In the case of the machine threads I do use the rectangular faces to trim the extrusion because I need the threads to be a solid object and the threads run off the ends of the part. In the case of the thread I showed here, there is no need to trim the flat. The thread extrusion was solid immediately without need to do any of that trimming and because the threads end before the end of the part.
Yes. I did. That’s appropriate for the end of a machine screw or bolt. Not needed for the plastic fitting you showed in your first post, however.
Right. As I said, the thread didn’t need trimming. My profile for this thread is just the traingle with the crest radiused, not the rectangle with the entire thread profile drawn on the end.
Maybe try it the way I show it in my images here.
Another shot at it. One turn. Will be two turns when finished.
Copying and flipping eliminates the need deal with both ends in the path since they are symmetrical.
If the thread ends need to overlap you could start with a 1-1/4 turn helix.
I’m confident I can make your suggestions work. The thing is, I’m stuck repairing water damage on a ceiling in one of my rooms, and the job is taking longer than my optimistic idea of how long it would take at the start.
I’ve been enjoying learning 3D printing and getting more deeply involved with SketchUp these last four months. It seems that I can’t open up SketchUp without getting so involved with whatever problem I’m trying to solve I forget all about time or whatever I once thought was important for me to do.
So to get this ceiling repair done I’ve been studiously avoiding opening up SketchUp. I apologize for going dark here. I’ve been telling myself I’ll be able to get back to playing with SketchUp today, each day for a few days now. I’ll be back soon.
Good luck with the ceiling I wish I could recommend a plugin that would fix it for you.
I got my ceiling project done and am back to playing in SketchUp.
Thanks to your advice, I succeeded in finishing the ends of the threads:
I tried running Upright Extruder a few times with the tooth pattern at the bottom of the helix (the end I modified with the arc tool), but this resulted in threads with an unanticipated radius. Then it dawned - the plugin will create threads at the specified radius of the unmodified helix if it starts at an unmodified end.
Making only half of the threads required at a time allows Upright Extruder to complete faster as well. Upright Extruder with 60 segments per turn with 6 turns on this Windows machine takes a long time to complete. I finally realized I could give this SketchUp instance a higher priority with the Task Manager and speed things up even more. I learned more about using Curve Maker, flip along, and the 2 point arc tool while figuring out what you were telling me to do as well. I feel like I know how to make threads now.
Thanks again for your extensive help. .
