Final rendered model of our windup clock

When approaching modeling this clock, and any other model, I first try to divide it into parts. Obviously every product has its parts, and naturally you would go model one by one. This is that kind of model where your don’t have to think about which part to model first. This is obvious, first you need a clock body, then you can go about modeling which ever part. Here I first created the body, then the back plate with screws, then the front plate without numbers, bells and hammer, legs, and then in the end made the numbers and handles for the front plate.

STEP 1

Ok, in this step we will be creating the body. Since I lost every clock I had like this, I had to model it from reference images from the internet. So, we don’t have the measures, or technical drawings, but we need to model by eye, looking at the various images and approximate the lengths, distances and so on.

I created a template for my default usage with grid extents set to 10. So, make sure you do the same with Snap command, and clicking on the Extents options and input 10.

Now, we can start modeling. Since we don’t know what the accurate dimensions are, we will need to use our old method of trial and error. We will first create three straight lines with Polyline or Line command.

img1

Next thing would be to connect these lines with curves, and that we will do with BlendCrv command. Make sure you use G1 for both ends, so we get tangency.

img2

Using Join command make sure those lines are all joined together. So, next thing would be to create a surface out of this section curve, and we’ll do that with Revolve command. But, before that, we need to turn on the Record History option, so we can work on the surface by simply editing the curve.

img3

Now, if we select our initial curve, and using PointsOn command turn on the control points and if we move those points, we will automatically update the surface as well. If we used Record History that is.

img4

Ok, next thing would be to adjust the curves a bit so the surface is little more accurate. Try to make something like on the image below:

img5

Using OffsetSrf command, we need to offset this surface to inside by 0.3 units. So, make sure you flip the direction normals when in OffsetSrf command, so they point to inside.

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Then, simply, with BlendSrf command blend the gaps and Join the four surfaces.

img7

INTRODUCTION

I really liked modeling this model, it turned out really good, and I must say that it was pretty easy to model it too. However, there is fairly enough playing with Osnap, but then again, when do we not use Osnap frequently? Anyway, to get you started, you first need to download some kind of blueprints I made for you out of this model. You just gotta love that Make2D command!!!

Blueprints reference

STEP 1

First things first, we need to setup our blueprints. Not only import them into Rhino, but also position and scale to fit the dimensions marked on them. First, go to Front viewport. You can expand it by double clicking it. Next, using PictureFrame command browse for blueprints you previously saved to your computer. Now, you don’t need to worry about how to position or how big you should make it. We will fix that in a bit, but just make sure your blueprints are not tilted. For that you can use Snap, or even better Ortho.

PictureFrame

Move from blade tip

Scaled blueprints to fit the line length

Another line

pic

Ok, first things first. We need reference image which will help us model this little bugger. So, please use this one, and position it on the background of Top viewport. Make it 40 units (make sure you’ve got your Snap turned on) in width.  Like so:

STEP 1

Then using Rectangle command create one rectangle like on the image (please note, if you followed the above intructions then you will have absolutely no problem aligning with using snap rectangle corners according to the image)

You can explode that rectangle into 4 lines with explode command, and then offset upper and lower ones by 2 units towards inside:

Now, create an Arc using Mid Osnap option  and position it like on the image. (you will have to turn off the snap option, and turn on the Ortho for moving the arc straight). After that trim off the lines you don’t need with Trim command.

Ok, lets get to the third dimension now Join all curves and lines, and extrude them with ExtrudeCrv command (make sure you have Cap set to yes). Extrusion distance is 5units:

Now, offset joint curve by 0.5 units, and move that offset curve upwards (from Front or Right viewport) by 0.5 units, and extrude it by 4 units.

Using FilletEdge command, set the fillet radius to 0.6 units, and fillet all edges (of both outer and inner objects).

Now, using Rectangle command (make sure you click on Rounded in Rectangle options before setting first corner) create rounded rectangle in Top viewport and position it like on the image below:

Copy it 5 times, and mirror those 5 so you get something like on the next image:

Using Project command, project those curves on both objects:

Trim the upper surface with upper curves like on the image, and inner curves with inner surface:

You’ll have to end up with something like this:

Now, isolate two curves like on the image. We will create surface between those two.

As you can see, there are actually couple of lines and couple of arcs combining these two curves. So, at each intersection of lines and curves, there is an end. So, using End Osnap option, and Perp we will create cross section lines.

Now, using Sweep2 create a surface using two curves as rails, and other cross lines as cross sections:

Copy and mirror to fill the rest of the gaps:

Join all surfaces, and using FilletEdge command fillet new edges (do not worry, you can select everything with your bounding box, as there is no other edge that can be filleted except the ones we need ) . Use 0.1 units as filet radius.

RESOURCES

STEP 1

We will start from the bottom up. So, first we will model the bottom plate. Create two circles from the top viewport, one 11.9cm in diameter (if you see a diameter option in Circle command, click it so it turns into Radius – that means the diameter is on) and other 11.5cm.

Then we will need three more circles (you can make them anywhere, just make them concentric). Make them 0.3cm, 0.6cm and 0.8cm in diameter.

Now, using Mid, Quad and Cen options in Osnap, position these three little circles on the End (or Quad) point on the outer bigger circle. And move those three from right to left by 0.85cm.

Now we need three more groups of those 3 circles. So, we will use Arraypolar, and array them 4 times around the center of bigger circles (in my case that is 0,0 as I usually have my models in the origin).

Now, select the inner circle of two big, and outer circles of each three-group circles and move those circles up by 0.25cm (from front viewport):

Now, select and copy the inner circle of two bigger, and move it up by 0.55cm

Now, copy the outer circle, and move it up by 0.8cm:

Now, back to those 3-group smaller circles. Select the inner one (4 of them) and move up by 0.75cm. Then, copy those moved circles, and move the copied ones up by 0.2cm.

Now, pick one group of circles, and we’ll start making the boss. Create a surface between two smallest circles. I used extrude, but you can use Loft as well.

Now, the bottom one, I’ve extruded it to the bottom small circle (here, if you want to use loft, you need one more circle that is in the same construction plane as the bottom smaller circle).

And then, extrude the biggest circle to the upper small circle:

Now, we need to create the surfaces between inner and outer circles. We’ll do that with PlanarSrf.

Join those surfaces, and ArrayPolar like we did for the circles.

Now, we’ll make the bottom surface, so select outer circle, and 4 little ones and using PlanarSrf make a surface with 4 holes (just run PlanarSrf command and hit enter):

Repeat the same step for upper 5 circles:

Now, using the Loft command, make a surface out of outer circles (Use the straight sections in style option) :

Join those surfaces, and we’re done with the plate.Theres just one thing to do, that is fillet the edge. So, using FilletEdge and 0.1cm as radius, fillet the shown edge:

Ok, first, sorry for delay, I’ve been meaning to write this one down for 4 days now.

I must say that I’m pretty happy with this one, it turned out very accurate and great. I really like it! And it is pretty easy to model it. So check it out:

RESOURCES

1042008419.jpg

STEP 1

Ok, first things first, so lets start with tubular part. The part where the motor and heater is. I’ve measured 120mm the length and make a line with Polyline or Line command (the length of our reference image is 190mm). We will make three circles two on the start and end of line, and one 30 or 40mm from the left circle. You need to offset them by 2mm, or simply make another circle. I made another circle, so in the end I ended up with 6 circles. Far two right circles are in radius 26 and 28mm. The far left two are 34 and 36mm, and the inner two are 35 and 37mm.

Using InterpCrv command make a line connecting three outer circles. (use Quad option in Osnap for easier snapping). Next, do the same step for 3 inner circles.

Using Sweep2 for first and second rail select outer two circles, and for cross section curve select Curve we made earlier.

Make an ellipse and position it like on the image below:

Next, from Front viewport use Project command to project that ellipse onto our tubular surface. You will get two curves on the surface, and we need only the front one. Using it, we will trim the surface and make a hole:

Now, we’ll move onto handle. I like jumping from one part to another, I guess you already found that out

From top viewport using reference image, outline outer edges with InterpCrv. Just to make sure, I made a straight horizontal line in Top viewport (using Ortho) and trimmed off the two curves. Now, we are sure those two curves has endings in the same cplane.

Create another ellipse, this time one radius 15mm and other 13mm. Using End and Quad options in Osnap, position the ellipse between two curves, first move it to the end of one curve, and using PointsOn command, stretch the ellipse to fit the other curve’s end.

Copy that ellipse, and position it like on the image below. You also need to stretch it with moving control points so it touches both curves. I have also made this ellipse 4 points higher. So, select upper three control points and move them 4 units up, and then move lower three control points and move them by 4 units (mm) down.

Next, using that second bigger ellipsoid and two handle curves, we will make a sweep2.

Using DupBorder we will duplicate border of newly created surface. We will get two closed curves, and we need the little one only, as we already have the bigger one. So, now, delete the surface, and again create sweep2 rail between two rail curves, and using now three closed curves:

And now, we have a handle! Next, we will blend the two surfaces, so use BlendSrf command. Note that we need to check the Same height shapes option:

Hopefully you got something like on the image below:

Resources

Blueprints (required registration, but I think it is worth!)

STEP 1

Again, in this tutorial I have also skipped the blueprints setup.

First, create 3 outline curves in Front viewport with InterpCrv and bridge two upper with one line using polyline (good to have osnap Near option turned on)

Next, split those two bridged curves with that created line (bridge).

Create using InterpCrv outline for the handle section, and offset by 1 inside.

Trim the two curves and split outline curves.

Then, from right viewport, create three lines, and Fillet the corners with 1 unit. Offset that curve by 1 unit inside, and you will create another instance of this curve, but this one won’t have filleted corners.

Extrude those two curves and trim two newly created surfaces with the curves in Front viewport.

The two curves for handle section need to be positioned on the center of your base surfaces. I’ve done that by first creating the surface with Surface from 3 or 4 Corner Points command (SrfPt) and I positioned that surface on the middle of my model. I’ll use that surface for future centerings (I hide it when not needed).

When you moved those two curves to the center, extrude them according to image below:

Here, I’ve used BothSides option in Extrude command. Notice the Top viewport to see the extrusion distance.

Blend the edges of coresponding surfaces, check image below for reference…

Connect blend curves with lines on the mid

Using Network Surface command create surface out of two blend curves and one line.

Do this step for 3 other parts, and join the surfaces. Next, we need to blend the inner and outer surface… I used 0.5 for both sides blend bulge.

In the picture above you can see that I didn’t use blend for connecting the two network surfaces, instead I used Sweep2. Do that 3 more times for other surfaces.

And for the little 3 curved surface corners I used Sweep1:

Resources

cinch_connector.pdf

STEP 1

Ok, lets begin. First, using circle command you make one circle with center in origin of coordinate system (that is 0,0). Start in Right viewport. As I usually use my slide rule tool to measure dimension, I have my round measures in diameter, not radius. So, when you clicked where the center of circle will be, next you need to specify in command line that you want to input Diameter (you can, of course, divide my diameter by two, and input radius, if you feel like doing more work). Now, input our first diameter, so type in command line 3mm (that is 1.5mm radius in case you were wondering). Note that I used millimeters, so one box in grid is one millimeter.

Next, we need another circle, with the center positioned like the last circle, but bigger diameter. So, start circle command, type in 11.5mm and hit enter.

Next, we need the third circle, that one will be the same diameter as last one (11.5mm) but we will move it by 15mm right looking from Front or Top viewport. Using copy and past commands you can copy that circle, and using move command, you can move it by 15mm. Now, another circle, just 3mm to the right from the last one, and make that circle 7.4mm in diameter. Copy that circle, and move it to the right by, again, 15mm. Now, copy the first circle (the one with 3mm diameter) and move it right so its center is in the same place as the last circle (that is 33,0). You should have a series of circles like on the image below:

Now, using Loft command, start clicking on circles the same order as we created them. When prompted with loft options, select from drop down menu Straight sections, and click on Closed Loft check box. That should make you a base model like on the image below:

STEP 2

In this step we will be making some details. So lets start from the right side.

First, create in Right viewport a rectangle 1mm high, and make it longer than the smaller diameter part.

Move that rectangle by 2 mm left, and position it in the middle of our base model:

Next, create another rectangle, and position it like on the image (here you will find very useful snap turned on, and in osnap End property.

Copy that rectangle, and move left by 2mm. So there is 1mm between each rectangle. Keep doing this step until you have six of them. Then, you have to mirror them according to the middle of your base model. Check the image below:

Now,using ExtrudeCrv command extrude those rectangles so they go outside of your base model. Make sure you have Both sides to Yes, and Cap to No.

We will use that extruded rectangles to trim our base model. So, using trim command, trim off outside of your rectangles (easier if you do it from Top Viewport), and base model too (easier from Front viewport – look the image below, where the red dots are, you need to click [while in trim command of course]).

Using FilletEdge command, fillet the upper left edge of our base model. Set the fillet radius to 0.3mm. You should have something like on the image below: