SolidWorks: Simply Extruding

The beginning of the week is always busy, so I don't get much spare time to play around with SolidWorks. Monday I opened a blank sketch and didn't get much further than just making up something funnel-shaped and moving the lines around a few different ways.

Today I had a little more time, and actually started over on the pizza cutter as I had decided I should do in order to fix my original goof-up. I sketched the guard, and soon was ready to press the extrude button.

Like the "revolve" function, the "extrude" function automatically draws the solid part on the screen, except instead of going in a circular shape, an extrusion extends a sketch along the X-Y-Z planes, expanding a flat sketch outward into three dimensions. There a few options from which to choose in order to customize the extrusion as needed, such as depth and thickness.

I added the required extruded cut and completed the part with fillets on the four corners as described in the book, and saved the re-made guard for use in my corrected pizza cutter.

I decided against re-doing the arm, blade, cap and rivet as those are all correct. Tomorrow - or at the first opportunity - I will re-do the handle, and then should be able to reassemble the pizza cutter correctly.

The book is due back to the library this weekend. Last time I took it in to re-check it as I was already past the 2nd check-out time: I don't know if this is different other places. Our library allows two weeks for a book to be checked out, then you have the option to renew your checkout over the internet or by phone for an additional two weeks.

After the four-week renewal time, you must return the book or begin to accumulate a fine of $0.05 per day. If you physically take the book to the library to show it really is still in your possession and not lost, you can renew it for another two weeks (as long as no one has placed a reserve on the book).

That's where I am now. Up to the six-week mark. I may have to relinquish the book for a bit this time. I did back in December I think it was; someone had requested it, and I could not renew. It was returned quickly, much to my happiness.

I can't imagine it's in much demand since it's for the 2004 version of SolidWorks. I really should just buy myself a newer book. Well, there's one on my wish list now, and it's actually for SW2007.

On an entertainment side note - we watched "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" tonight - the one with Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy. That was fun. I love to watch Jeff Goldblum. He is a master of dialogue - and just simply fascinating overall.

Now I just have to hope I don't dream of flittering white root hairs climbing around me. Lovely fodder for a 3am rousing, yes.