Foreword

Note: I use the blender interface for freecad (as I’m using blender regularly). Just right-click in the main window and select navigation-style> blender (shown in the 2nd video).

Note: After my initial tests with FreeCad, I opted for blender and the great blendercam for design and gCode generation for complex parts (like airfoils). See my motivation.

Functionality Shortcut
3D rotation middle mouse botton + move the mouse
Move the view shift + middel mouse button + move the mouse
Scale mouse wheel or ctrl + middle mouse button + move the mouse

0. Getting Freecad

Freecad provides appImages / binaries for Win / Mac / Linux. Just download and execute it. We will base this tutorial on the current stable release 0.18

Video – 0

1. Getting started: prepare for body creation

We will open part design and create a sketch (which is a 2D drawing, allowing for constraints etc.) which will then be the basis for the 3D body

Video -1

2. Sketching a square, using constraints, extrude to body

Video -2

3. Adapting the geometry

How to use the underlying sketch (the constraints therein) to adapt the body geometry. This illustrates a basic design feature I like in freecad: all the steps build on oneanother (its like filters / adaptors applied in sequence). You can adapt almost all of them later on an the result will be adapted.

Video -3

4. Making a pocket

You can easily match a sketch on a face of a 3d body, do some 2d design and use it as the basis of 3D body modification.

Video – 4

5. Adding an island

Video – 5

6. Configure the path workbench, create the pocketing operation

Video -6

7. Visualize and correct the finishing allowance

In the last video we generated the pocketing operation; checking the visualization we recognize that we had used the wrong sign for the finish allowance and correct it here

Video – 7

8. Export gcode

Video – 8

Open points

  • check if we could have holding tabs generated: thanks to @edwardvmills: holding tabs are called ‘tags’ and are available as a ‘Dressup’ on an operation. tutorial tbd.
  • we use 5mm in z. add a short video to show how to use a plunge angle and smaller milling depth per pass
  • 3d milling


Feel free to dicuss your questions in the related discussion thread