Newbie needs quick help
Posted by cafoster76 on Nov 15, 2024; 10:22pm
URL: https://forum.librecad.org/Newbie-needs-quick-help-tp5725650.html
I am completely new to LibreCAD and wanted to see if there was a quick/simple solution to what I'm trying to achieve. I have not yet watched any "beginners" videos (although I plan to do so, after I get this project completed for a friend - kind of in a time crunch on getting my final result for him using a quick-fix.)
We are both hobbyists (model rocket building and flying), and have an Open Rocket (.ORK) file of a kit that he wants to upscale to a factor of 4.81 - it is an old Estes kit of the Javelin model rocket that has a BT-5 airframe (body tube) with an outer diameter of .0541", and I want to upscale it to a 2.6" diameter body tube (BT-80). I use a tool that a local laser cutting business has online for free, using LibreCad to create a final DXF file that I can load into Lightburn and laser cut the fins to scale for the 2.6" dia. airframe tube.
What I'm trying to achieve is to add fintabs to the final cut; fins root edges are usually glued to the surface of an airframe (body tube). However, when higher thrust motors are used the increased thrust can literally rip fins off of the airframe upon launch. Instead, "through-the-wall" (TTW) mounting refers to fins that protrude through a slot in the airframe and are glued to the internal motor mount tube, and the airframe surrounding the slot. This construction technique significantly strengthens fin joints and motor mounts and the section protruding through the slot is referred to as a fintab.
Since I am so new at LibreCAD, I have followed step by step directions on converting my upscaled ORK file to a DXF using the free tool that this laser cutting business has online. Open Rocket allows you to add these fintabs, and save the modified ORK file. However, the free online tool does not factor in these fintabs, so it is just the basic fin shape - minus the fintabs.
I am wondering how I can modify the imported DXF block (on a 12"x12" frame) to add these fintabs using LibreCAD. I have included screenshots of what I originally get (Image1.jpg) when I import the DXF created by the free tool, and I basically modified the screenshot to show what I want to get as a final result, so these measurements are not accurate and only provided as an illustration of what I'm trying to accomplish, so that I can then load this modified DXF into Lightburn and cut my fins with the laser cutter to include the fintabs. Image1.jpg shows what I get as a final result of the free online tool output. Image4.jpg is what I want the final cut/output to look like after laser cutting.
Is there a quick/simple number of steps I can take with LibreCAD to achieve this? Would I be better off watching the beginners videos (which I plan on doing after this is completed) first before attempting to do this myself? Any help or pointers to accomplish this quickly would be appreciated and would give me some basic steps I can take for other DXF files created by this online tool.
URL: https://forum.librecad.org/Newbie-needs-quick-help-tp5725650.html
I am completely new to LibreCAD and wanted to see if there was a quick/simple solution to what I'm trying to achieve. I have not yet watched any "beginners" videos (although I plan to do so, after I get this project completed for a friend - kind of in a time crunch on getting my final result for him using a quick-fix.)
We are both hobbyists (model rocket building and flying), and have an Open Rocket (.ORK) file of a kit that he wants to upscale to a factor of 4.81 - it is an old Estes kit of the Javelin model rocket that has a BT-5 airframe (body tube) with an outer diameter of .0541", and I want to upscale it to a 2.6" diameter body tube (BT-80). I use a tool that a local laser cutting business has online for free, using LibreCad to create a final DXF file that I can load into Lightburn and laser cut the fins to scale for the 2.6" dia. airframe tube.
What I'm trying to achieve is to add fintabs to the final cut; fins root edges are usually glued to the surface of an airframe (body tube). However, when higher thrust motors are used the increased thrust can literally rip fins off of the airframe upon launch. Instead, "through-the-wall" (TTW) mounting refers to fins that protrude through a slot in the airframe and are glued to the internal motor mount tube, and the airframe surrounding the slot. This construction technique significantly strengthens fin joints and motor mounts and the section protruding through the slot is referred to as a fintab.
Since I am so new at LibreCAD, I have followed step by step directions on converting my upscaled ORK file to a DXF using the free tool that this laser cutting business has online. Open Rocket allows you to add these fintabs, and save the modified ORK file. However, the free online tool does not factor in these fintabs, so it is just the basic fin shape - minus the fintabs.
I am wondering how I can modify the imported DXF block (on a 12"x12" frame) to add these fintabs using LibreCAD. I have included screenshots of what I originally get (Image1.jpg) when I import the DXF created by the free tool, and I basically modified the screenshot to show what I want to get as a final result, so these measurements are not accurate and only provided as an illustration of what I'm trying to accomplish, so that I can then load this modified DXF into Lightburn and cut my fins with the laser cutter to include the fintabs. Image1.jpg shows what I get as a final result of the free online tool output. Image4.jpg is what I want the final cut/output to look like after laser cutting.
Is there a quick/simple number of steps I can take with LibreCAD to achieve this? Would I be better off watching the beginners videos (which I plan on doing after this is completed) first before attempting to do this myself? Any help or pointers to accomplish this quickly would be appreciated and would give me some basic steps I can take for other DXF files created by this online tool.
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