Help with Fusion design, 1911 grip

Looking forward to completed pics.

@Griff Let me start by saying I have no idea what these look like in person. Based on pics, it looks like a constant shape (not sure if that makes sense…too tired to post). I wouldn’t bother with a loft. I’d just use a cut extrusion. Gimme a minute.

Like this? Same deal with the .zip (@WillAdams Can we get some file extensions added to the upload list?)
1911 compact mk2 GRIFF v0.zip (151.3 KB)

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Ducked out of a family affair to take a look at your file. Thank you.

I’m going to print one. I think it is exactly what I was looking for, I’ll delve deeper in the a.m. and report back upon my understanding of how you did this.

This is a huge help!

Got to get back now…oh, printer is doing its thing.

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Not sure if you noticed, but I put a taper (2 degree maybe) on the cut. Again, I have no idea what these look like.

you’ve got it neil.
the final geo is all preference/non critical.
the outside profile and the bolt holes are the main thing which it looks like hes got situated.

you can check GrabCAD for a ton of 1911 files readily available to compare/contrast to as well.
Fusion360 has some great tutorials and YouTube is always a great resource for some basic CAD info

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Thanks. Checked grabcad, tons of stl files, not a single cad file for the officers 1911 grip. Also, tons of F360/tutorials but if you don’t know what your searching for I.e. plane on an edge (thank you @neilferreri) the huge number of tutorials can be daunting. Haha I watched a few hours worth prior to my initial post. Plus 10 s of hours over the past couple of years. I knew there had to be an easier way.

Ok, thanks again. I’ve muddled my way through your wonderfully easy solution and have managed to duplicate it on my own. Printing another prototype now.

One thing I can’t work out, you noticed I’m sure, the long edges of the grip are not parallel. This results in a rise in the edge front to rear on the side of the grip opposite the plane along path. Any way to fix that? I guess like a plane along path that is an average of the two? Hmmm I guess I could draw an angle at that average and use it?

Edit. Setting a plane along path to the average of the two worked pretty well. Adding a taper angle of 0.98 made it perfect.

Now I have a basic template, fully customizable. Just need to learn to decorate it.

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction.

Totally understand.

Found a couple helpful Youtube vids, I’m guessing you already came across

CAM toolpaths for 1911 grip

CAD 1911 grips. Take similar approach but in the F360 workspace

Yeah, thought I hit the jackpot with the CAM vid…no CAD though.

I’ll checkout the other one. Thanks for the link.

@Griff I see what you mean with the non-parallel sides. Here’s a loft version…there were some issues with your original sketch (maybe why you had so much trouble with it), so check it before you use this one. It’s good practice to fully constrain a sketch, so modifications don’t throw something off. There were a few points that looked coincident (in the same spot) but were actually a microscopic bit off. i fixed the stuff I needed to, but it may have thrown off a critical dimension. I don’t think it did, though.
https://a360.co/2CutPDn

You can go to thingiverse, download an STL of a plain 1911 grip, and then customize as you wish…

True I suppose for some of us. Not me, I’ve had no luck modding stl files, too many triangles and too many errors following cleanup in meshmixer on top of too little experience on my part. I’d rather start with a clean drawing.

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@neilferreri thanks much for the 2nd approach, much appreciated.

And the tips. Someday I’m going to buckle down and really learn Fusion.

Ok, I really like the loft technique! Never yet used it for a project.

It’s simple and very tweakable.

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I’m usually winging it. I have the benefit of teaching a bit of CAD to 7th and 8th graders. Most of what I learn is from trying to help with their designs.

Well, in that case, I’m happy I can hang in with the seventh graders!

Any of them ask about the pink circles?

Ha! You’d get a kick out of their work. The age group is not known for their attention to detail. This semester, I had at least four kids submit designs with their own engraved names misspelled (we 3D print, carve and laser stuff). Three inch boxes with lids that are a quarter inch too small because 0.2 is the same as .02, right?

We don’t use much F360 in class yet…without looking, I think they are projected points. I have a hard time seeing the colors in Fusion…for as powerful as it is, I can’t get the contrast right.

:thinking:, projected points…on my way to google…

I helped my granddaughters STEM class several years ago with a UAV project. Discovered I’m no teacher.

@neilferreri

Thanks to your help and inspiration I’ve continued along the Fusion 360 learning curve to come up with, I believe, a fully constrained design.

1911 Right Mk5 Deco 1 v1.f3d.zip (285.4 KB)
Thanks again!

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