Learn how to use the Thickness Tool from FreeCAD's Part Design Workbench

Contents

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:46 Creating a rectanglar box
  • 01:30 Explaining the options
  • 03:40 Converting the box to a project box
  • 04:50 Creating a simple pipe
  • 06:42 Creating a heptagon box
  • 07:32 Creating a more complex pipe or hose
  • 08:01 Problems when creating a complete pipe or hose
  • 09:41 Final thoughts

The Thickness Tool takes a solid shape and makes it hollow. It is part of FreeCAD's Part Design Workbench.

You can use the Thickness Tool to create boxes, pipes, hoses, etc. The tool works by converting a solid shape such as a boxes, and then removing faces that you've selected to create a hollow shape. This allows you to easily create objects such as electronic project boxes, vases, tool holders, etc.

Note

You don't need to use this tool if you are only creating a straight section of hollow pipe because you can create a sketch with circles defining inner and out diameters, then use the Pad Tool to create the hollow pipe.

Available Options

  • Faces: This option contains the faces that have been selected for removal from the solid. You can add or remove faces as required.

  • Thickness: This option specifies the wall thickness of the created hollow.

  • Mode: This option allows you to select the type of hollow you'd like to create. The options are:

    • Skin: This option creates hollow objects that have a bottom but no top just like a vase or open box.

    • Pipe: This option creates a hollow pipe. The pipe does not have a top or a bottom.

      Warning

      This option does not appear to have been implemented at the time of writing.

    • Recto Verso: There is no documentation describing what this option does, nor is there any documentation in the Part Workbench version of the Thickness Tool so it's intended use cannot be inferred from that tool either.

      Warning

      This option does not appear to have been implemented at the time of writing.

  • Join Type: This option specifies the type of join that is made at the corners of the hollow. The options are:

    • Arc: This option creates a fillet with the radius equal to the thickness of the walls.

    • Intersection: This options causes the corners to be sharp edges (e.g: right angles for 90o corners).

    Warning

    The Join Type option only appears to work when the walls are created on the outside of the hollow, and HAS NO EFFECT when the walls are created inwards.

  • Make thickness inwards: This option causes the walls to be created on the inside of the solid. The length of the outer edges of the wall are those defined by the solid, while the length of the inner edges are smaller.

Important

FreeCAD's Part Workbench also includes a Thickness Tool which is different to the Thickness Tool included in the Part Design Workbench.

The Part Design Workbench's Thickness Tool is intended to work with components designed in the Part Design Workbench where the tool in the Part Workbench is not.

Limitations

  • The Thickness Tool appears to be a work in progress.

    Unimplemented options: This tool has a number of unimplemented options that are listed in the GUI. They should not be listed in the GUI if they don't work because it gives the user a poor experience with the tool.

    I think that removing the options from the GUI would provide the user with a better experience and would cut down on any "I can't make the thickness tool work with xyz option enabled" type posts on the FreeCAD Forum or related Facebook page.

  • The Thickness Tool struggles to create a thickness on complex solids such as lofts. The tool is able to create the thickness on simple lofts such as those representing a pipe, but CANNOT create a thickness on a complex loft where the basis sketches are not very similar.