Where to look for fully dimensioned drawings? Please Help!

[cancer24]

Hi,

 

I have been learning Autodesk inventor lately, and I am quite excited about it.

 

I have been doing a lot, the problem though I need dimensions to model things, because I am at the beginning stages, and I don't have any sort of experience in design, I mean I have zero knowledge about design principles and philosophies.

 

So my approach has been to imitate what I see, I get pictures like this

 

http://iadesigns.com.au/53_Bevel_Gear_Support_exercise.jpg

 

http://furnituredesignbank.com/Blog/Entries/2011/4/1_8_This_stool_can_be_made_in_various_heights._files/dimensioned%20drawing.jpg

 

 

Like so, I prefer pictorial drawings, they are easier to understand that side views. I am sure there is somewhere to look for these kind of things, so please help me.

 

I tried google images search engine.. key words like "dimensioned drawings", but no avail...

 

Thank you very much!

 

[ReMark]

Go to the library and pick up a book about mechanical drafting. They are usually chock full of fully dimensioned parts that you can then turn around and create in Inventor.

[cancer24]

Go to the library and pick up a book about mechanical drafting. They are usually chock full of fully dimensioned parts that you can then turn around and create in Inventor.

 

I have got many, one by Goetsch... a good one, but it emphasizes on learning principles ... you know, simple shafts, simple gears etc.

 

What I need is drawings of sophisticated assemblies, things like valves and appliances (fully dimensioned if possible). I am sure those ladies and gentlemen who are working for big corporations have lots of drawings of parts and assemblies that they might want to share!

 

Check out this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lIxzgLXcSQ

 

Anyway thanks for the tip.

[cancer24]

Go to the library and pick up a book about mechanical drafting. They are usually chock full of fully dimensioned parts that you can then turn around and create in Inventor.

 

On a second thought, there are websites that allow downloading autodesk inventor parts, the problem is that only the 3D rendering of the part is visible, and you get the choice also of downloading side views of the part...

 

This website comes to mind, very good one.

http://cadenas.partcommunity.com/PARTcommunity/Portal/cadenas

 

I am wondering if there is a way to "explode" the 3D part... I mean it looks like concept of DXF or DWF format in AutoCAD, you get to see the drawing by Autocad, but you can't modify it in any way (no sketches, no features are visible... only a single mass object).

 

I discovered this website long time ago... very educational, but few examples.

http://www.cadcim.com/Students_Project/basic_projects.htm

[ReMark]

Drawings of valves can be found at their respective manufacturer but generally these drawings only provide the most critical dimensions and many are left out on purpose.

 

I don't know that any manufacturer of major appliances will provide fully dimensioned drawings of their products. Again, the best you might get is something with the overall dimensions. After all, the end user doesn't care about that type of minutiae they just care about whether or not the appliance will fit in their kitchen.

[ReMark]

Look at post number four in the link to another thread below. You'll see three books listed. Each contains a multitude of fully dimensioned parts that would keep anyone busy for a very long time.

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?56102-Draw-a-2D-Bolt-and-Pipe-Thread&highlight=Spencer

[JD Mather]

I have got many, one by Goetsch... a good one, but it emphasizes on learning principles ...

 

What I need is drawings of sophisticated assemblies...

I mean I have zero knowledge about design principles and philosophies.

Sounds to me like you are trying to learn to run before learning to crawl and then walk.

Post some examples of the basic stuff you have created so far - then I can recommend sources of more advanced stuff.

[JD Mather]

Check out this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lIxzgLXcSQ

 

That looks like pretty basic beginner stuff - is that an example of what you are looking for?

[cancer24]

Sounds to me like you are trying to learn to run before learning to crawl and then walk.

Post some examples of the basic stuff you have created so far - then I can recommend sources of more advanced stuff.

 

As I mentioned, I am interested to learn the program rather than design philosophies and principles. I learn about gears by seeing good ones drawn and then recreate them in Autodesk Inventor.

 

I am not a drafter by trade or education, I am an HVAC engineer, and I have learned a good deal of drafting in my field by studying good HVAC plan drawings done by professionals. And that's my approach to learn Autodesk Inventor.

 

For example my approach in learning Autodesk Inventor has been like this:

 

I download assemblies and parts like this

 

Drill Machine

http://www.mediafire.com/?1dzjjty5ja2rx13

 

Gate valve

http://www.mediafire.com/?l7bo7j772f1hur3

 

and then recreate them

 

By the way these guys have an excellent youtube channel, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/niveshandnisheeth

 

-----------------------------

 

There is this nice website, it allows downloading manufacturers products in many file formats, including autodesk inventor format.

 

http://cadenas.partcommunity.com/PARTcommunity/Portal/cadenas

 

But the problem, when download the file and open it in Autodesk Inventor, you get to see the 3D body only, no sketches, no features etc.

 

Much like when downloading DWF or DXF and try to open them in Autocad, you get to see the drawing, but you can't modify them or see who they were made! I am wondering if you know a way to "explode" these parts to see how they were made?

 

 

I appreciate your kind response.

[cancer24]

That looks like pretty basic beginner stuff - is that an example of what you are looking for?

 

Yeah, they are basic now, but they were not 2 months ago!

I would be glad to see drawings of parts and assemblies like this one.

[cancer24]

This website is amazing!

http://cadenas.partcommunity.com/PARTcommunity/index.jsf?pageid=3146

 

For example, I was able to download Alfa-Laval pumps and valves in Autodesk Inventor and autocad format! That's generous of them!

 

An I get to see the features and the sketches in the project browser! I can't ask more than that!

 

Thank you everyone for the tips, any further tips will be appreciated.

[Devented]

http://www.the-blueprints.com/

[JD Mather]

There are a bunch of tutorials in my signature and I've posted many sample files here in the past to show some advanced techniques.

[cancer24]

http://www.the-blueprints.com/

 

Wow, that was amazing!

 

Thank you.

[cancer24]

There are a bunch of tutorials in my signature and I've posted many sample files here in the past to show some advanced techniques.

 

Thank you JD Mather, i will go through your stuff.

[SLW210]

Many manufacturer's sites have drawings available for download. Dodge, Rexnord, McMaster-Carr and Goodyear are just a few I use all of the time.

[QualityEngineer]

Errrmmm. I'm assuming that im not the only one thinking this, but il say it anyways... Autodesk Inventor, like many CAD programs out there, are based around the philisophies and requisite knowledge of engineering principles. thats how these programs work. You have the design,then you use the principles fo the program based upon the rules of engineering to produce your digital prototype or CAD design.

 

Thats how Autodesk programs work so you going ahead and learning Inventor thsi way is all well and good, but it serves you absolutely no purpose at all in doing so as all youll do is learn how to digitally render and produce 3d parts, but youll have no practical knowledge of engineering adn the rules that Inventor is based upon and, by matter of process, learning to use Inventor would include learning the principles and rules that the program is based around and limited by...

 

My avice to you is, whiel youre out there having fun reproducing someone elses drawings, pick up a book and read basic engineeering principles and engineering drawing. youll be better off for it and will increase your knowledge and mabe, youll increment on the drawings youre replicating and design something from scratch. This should really be your goal.......

 

Thats my 50 pence worth, hope it helps.......

 

QE

[Bishop]

Something else you can do is look for gun blueprints. There is a very active CNC community devoted to making receivers for, among other things, AR-15s and 1911s. There's plenty of blueprints out there for them, as well as the Sten and the PPSh. One of my first projects in Inventor was going through the Sten MkIII blueprints and making all the parts, then assembling them. (electronically, I mean - I didn't actually build a machine gun!!!) I learned a huge amount from doing this. Couple months back I found my old files from that, and was just amazed at how crudely I'd done it. I may go back again and do it over, see how much better I can do with my current level of skill.

[cancer24]

Something else you can do is look for gun blueprints. There is a very active CNC community devoted to making receivers for, among other things, AR-15s and 1911s. There's plenty of blueprints out there for them, as well as the Sten and the PPSh. One of my first projects in Inventor was going through the Sten MkIII blueprints and making all the parts, then assembling them. (electronically, I mean - I didn't actually build a machine gun!!!) I learned a huge amount from doing this. Couple months back I found my old files from that, and was just amazed at how crudely I'd done it. I may go back again and do it over, see how much better I can do with my current level of skill.

 

Yeah, I thought a bit about your tip, actually it might be very powerful.

 

Not a lot of manufacturers want to share their blueprints with the public, but gunsmith, sure they like to share them motivated by many reasons, which I would not go through them right now.

[cancer24]

Many manufacturer's sites have drawings available for download. Dodge, Rexnord, McMaster-Carr and Goodyear are just a few I use all of the time.

 

Actually that was quite good... I looked through dodge parts... seems to me promising.