Michael_Blacksmith
Newbie
Hello everyone! I have had some experience with CAD in the past, AutoCAD, Catia, Ideas, but have been out of the loop for about 5-6 years. Currently I am a shop owner making custom swords and am looking to start working on a production line and would like to utilize modern manufacturing. Most of my designs have complex curves, and don't have to have the tolerances in the thousands, in the hundreds would be more the acceptable.
I am looking for a software combination that would allow me to import a line drawing to use as my profile, and then using wire frame, build the blade and program it for being cut on a CNC mill. Most of the cross sections are wedge shaped, some of them will have hollow ground edges. I have the know how to study up on the software and become proficient, just don't know which direction to take. I know a few people that work at prototype shops that are willing to help out, but they aren't sure on how to get my complex curves built. Also worth mentioning my profiles are first cut and cleaned up as a wood template, so the line drawing would be a clean tracing on mylar, 1:1 scale, scanned into digital format.
Any thoughts as to what would be the best way of going about this?
I am looking for a software combination that would allow me to import a line drawing to use as my profile, and then using wire frame, build the blade and program it for being cut on a CNC mill. Most of the cross sections are wedge shaped, some of them will have hollow ground edges. I have the know how to study up on the software and become proficient, just don't know which direction to take. I know a few people that work at prototype shops that are willing to help out, but they aren't sure on how to get my complex curves built. Also worth mentioning my profiles are first cut and cleaned up as a wood template, so the line drawing would be a clean tracing on mylar, 1:1 scale, scanned into digital format.
Any thoughts as to what would be the best way of going about this?