Multiple holes through cylinder at different angles

I am new to Sketchup and am having a frustrating problem.
On my drawing you can see I have a cylinder with holes in it…Each hole is spaced 60 degrees apart.

In order to visualize what Im trying to do, imagine the lines are cylinder shaped holes which connect all the other holes together…Although the lines are on the face I want the holes to be inside the cylinder. How can I do this?

Any help will be tremendously appreciated

I find it easiest to rotate axes for tasks like that. Right-click on the blue axis and select move - you can then set the angles for each hole, draw the shape an push/pull it into a round cylinder of desired diameter. Make sure your main cylinder and new cylinder are grouped individually. Draw the shapes for all 3 tubes (holes you need to cut). Move Axes, draw circle, push/pull to lenght. Then move into position where your holes need to be cut. Select the hole cut tubes first, then your main cylinder. Use Tools/Solid Tools/Subtract and voila… your holes are cut.

Use the “subtract”-tool:

  • Create a solid cylinder with the radius of the hole you want between the existing cylinders and a length greater than the distance between the outer walls of the cylinders to be penetrated (eg center-to-center distance to be on the safe side).
  • Place the solid cylinder where you want the hole and, using the “subtract”-tool, mark first the solid cylinder and then the block with the existing cylinders.
  • The solid cylinder will disappear and a hole will take it’s place.

dummy222222 is on the mark when suggesting the solid tools. Both the subtract and the shell tool made it pretty easy to create what I think is what you are looking for.

solid_tools use_case.skp (306.6 KB)

Awesome, Thanks so much everybody!
BTW Chris, that is very close to what I’m looking for.
The only difference is I want the holes to connect to the bottom of the other holes and extend to the face of the cylinder.

I still have a question…

How do I get the holes exactly where I need them…This is a part that I am going to have made so I need to make sure everything is in the right place.

Adrianbk001

In my previous example the cylinders were created and made as one before they were integrated into the holes.
The were created under the main geometry in the correct xy orientation because I made them by creating a tube and the copied them via the rotate tool’s radial array function (60deg & 5x). All I had to do was elevate them into place under the holes. This was done visually. You can be accurate by just typing the distance you want to elevate or mark the location and inference lock to that elevation.

Here is little video showing you how I made the model below - http://www.screencast.com/t/lLDk0B43TY
In this model I didn’t create the cylinder under the main model but next to the hole itself… then I used the copy+radial array feature built into the rotate tool to align copies with the other holes.

solid_tools_and_intersect.skp (302.9 KB)

Chris Dizon,

Can what you showed in the video be done with basic sketchup?
I have the free version. When I draw the circle it appears on the face of one of the holes, then when I go to push/pull it says 'Cannot push/pull curved or smoothed surfaces?

Sorry, I am very new to sketchup, I’ve only had a few hours on it.

Just hold down control when you use the push pull and it will pull through

Phil

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AH HA, thank you, I really appreciate it.

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