Software to layout & print divided circle

[angelo49]

Hi,
On here and other forums I find that you can use software to draw and print
a circle with an equally divided number of spaces, such as a bolt circle, where you can place the printed page over the stock and punch the hole locations.
Is there any free software that can do this?
I downloaded a couple but it seems they can't do it.
Thanks,
Angelo

[Peter.]

Yes, Draftsight can do that easily.

Like any CAD program it's a bit daunting to start off but there are some good tutorials and once you learn a few keyboard shortcuts you can make basic stuff quickly.

[ken572]

angelo49,

You might want to try this one, called (Bolt Hole Generator)
http://www.geomet-cmm-software.com/KB/C ... B10117.htm

EDIT: Disreguard the above software.. Better Choices Below

http://www.download32.com/bolt-software.html


Ken.

[angelo49]

I have 3 different programs downloaded, allycad, draftsight, and sketchup.
I can't get to the one ken572 placed a link to.
And I'll tell ya, I'm just not built to use them.
They're driving me nuts.
All I want to do is print out a lousy 6" circle with 40 or 60 equally spaced dots
on the circumference
Angelo

[Richard_W]

You could have layed it out by hand several times already.

[ken572]

And I'll tell ya, I'm just not built to use them.
They're driving me nuts.
All I want to do is print out a lousy 6" circle with 40 or 60 equally spaced dots
on the circumference
Angelo

Angelo,

Here is a 40 hole and a 60 hole pattern that you can use and print out.
You will most likely have to go up or down in scale to get the diameter
the way you want it.

Ken.

[Peter.]

I have 3 different programs downloaded, allycad, draftsight, and sketchup.
I can't get to the one ken572 placed a link to.
And I'll tell ya, I'm just not built to use them.
They're driving me nuts.
All I want to do is print out a lousy 6" circle with 40 or 60 equally spaced dots
on the circumference
Angelo

Open Draftsight, click on circle, click anywhere on the drawing and draw your circle, doesn't matter what size.
No look in the box at the bottom and you'll see radius? Don't click on anything just type 75 and hit enter. Now you'll have a 150mm diameter circle.
Hit the space bar (this will repeat the last command, circle. Now hover the mouse over the circle you have drawn, you'll see the center pop up, and if you hover near the circumference near the top you'll see a marker pop up, move to that and draw another circle, set the radius as before.
Now click on the smaller circle you just drew, to select it.
Now go the the top menu and click modify - pattern. A window will open. At the top, select circular. In the box further down, select fill angle and number of elements, set fill angle to 360, put in the hole number you want. tick the two boxes under element base point and on the far right under axis point click on the little box and choose the center of the big circle.
Now when you click Ok, it will generate your bolt circle and all you have left to do is click on the original large circle you drew and choose delete.

If you want to make a cross in each circle for center-punching, do that in the one you draw before you make the pattern.

[angelo49]

Thanks for the photos and the tutorial.
I'm starting to catch on with draftsight.
And yeah, I know I could have laid it out by hand at least 40 times already
Ken, the Bolt Circle 1.5 seems OK but it's not available.
Thanks everyone.
Angelo

[Peter.]

How are you getting along with this Angelo?

[Lodsb]

I posted something to plot and generate/draw/print involute gears the other day. If you take the number of holes and divide by the diameter of the bolt circle, then plug that number into the "diametral pitch" box, the result can be used to layout a bolt circle. I mean, if a guy is desperate...

[ken572]

I posted something to plot and generate/draw/print involute gears the other day. If you take the number of holes and divide by the diameter of the bolt circle, then plug that number into the "diametral pitch" box, the result can be used to layout a bolt circle. I mean, if a guy is desperate...

You forgot to post the link for it??

Ken.

[Lodsb]

It's in the thread called "Involute Gear Cutting", near the end. This might link you to it: http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... 4&start=21

You'll have to install some software from sourceforge.net and activestate.com to run it, but it's all free stuff, no strings. I'll have to work out the exact URL's for those sites if there's an interest, I just don't have them handy.

Basically it throws up a default gear on the screen and has some boxes to set pressure angles, diametral pitch, and tooth count. Hit the DXF button and it makes one of those. It also makes an EPS file that can be printed directly, but since it's primarily intended to design gear cutters I have the script deleting the EPS. You'll notice the program is in plain text - meaning, if it's broke you can fix it. The program is pretty crude but it has all kinds of notes in it. Anyway, I load the DXF into another freebe called Qcad and print it to paper.

As to the topic at hand, bolt circles, if you divide the number of holes by the diameter, and use that as a DP entry, the red circle (pitch circle) intersects the gear teeth. Just pick a flank on each tooth and center pop at the intersections.