Solidworks help!
 

What's the best way to cut a circular groove around the outside diameter of a shaft in Solidworks? Think a round o-ring groove on a shaft. I've been playing around with fillet and chamfer tools with no success. Any idea?

It seems like I should be able to draw a circle and revolve it around the shaft to cut, but then I can't draw the circle on the plane that is parallel to the axis of the shaft...

Can you do a boolean?

Torus slipped over the shaft.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225766657.jpg


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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1225766694.jpg

In Unigraphics NX, there is a tool for this simply called "Groove". You specify the cylindrical surface, the depth of groove, shape of grove, width of grove, and the positioning on the shaft. And it create it as a feature.

As for solidworks...

Yall are all smarter than I. I suggest carving the groove with a grinder

Well that's your problem, but I am confused as to why you can't get the reference plane in there... Insert a reference plane through the axis of the shaft and get normal to it so you can sketch on that plane. In the correct spot sketch in your circle/rectangle/whatever to revolve. Grab the dimension tool and click the axis of the shaft, the circle, and drag the dimension the away from the circle past the axis so it switches into a diameter dimension (as opposed to a radius.) Now that you have this, click the revolve-cut button on the tool bar (you don't even have to exit sketch mode) and walla- it should get you going.