Building Tube Assemblies in Solidworks + (Normalizing & Keying)

This video explains how to properly draw tube assemblies in Solidworks in order to have it ready to tube laser cut. The video explains creating a main sketch and mating master tubes to that sketch in an assembly. It then shows how to notch tubes to fit to one another with a cope. When the tubes are complete, they are then normalized. Adding tube keys is shown to help with fixturing tube assemblies.

[@blkmtnfab]

This is so awesome. Thank you for the detailed explanation and clear instructions!! I really appreciated how you explained what to do, but also what happens if you don’t follow along the way you are instructing. Great video!

[@jeffgoodrich9895]

You're my hero. Best tube video!

[@kevinkillsit]

An absolute masterclass! I really enjoyed this one, thank you for all the great attention to detail and explanations for each step. Fun to learn something new after so many years in SW.

[@kwittnebel]

Pretty high level stuff. Thank you.

[@maxrybold1531]

Deleting the faces, of the tube, turns the solid into a shell. An alternative method would be to use “Extrude Surface” that has the coping profile corresponding to the tie-in angle. Then the usage of “Cut With Surface” can notch out the solid.
Now, it may appear that the surface profile is challenging to find but its sketch boundaries are always driven by the thickness of the tubing and the tie-in angle, which is all you need…

[@MMMMMMMMMMBALLS]

Hey, How would I do this with a radi? I got a line -> radi -> line. how would I make it into one tube? Amazing video!

[@freelectron2029]

very nice video. you have mad cad skills. im trying to build a model of a tube frame out of 40mmx40mmx4mm raduised aluminum square tube. having issues with mating the square tube so its "clocked" correctly. i had to two sides of my square sketch perpendicular to centrreline and line make one face parralel with a new plane.

[@mattbarton2417]

How does this process work with bent tube sketches? Love this Video and the process btw!!

[@chrishilton6049]

do you have a video showing how to detail these bodies in a drawing in the case of hand making?

[@wlightning07]

when I went to vertex the other tube goes away...