Fusion360: Automatically sized finger-joints

I recommend viewing the newer video at • Fusion360: New and Imp... after viewing this one.
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In this video I design an open-top box with finger-joints for cutting on my Glowforge laser. The size of the fingers in these joints automatically adjust based on the dimensions of the box and the number of fingers that I want to have on any given edge.

[@brianlister6036]

WOW is all I have to say, been using F360 for about a year as a hobby woodworker and my mind is BLOWN away at how easy you made this look, I would have spent hrs making each finger ! Never even knew about the damn Combine option. THANKS !!

[@omar10wahab]

There's a very good tutorial on Udemy by Vladimir Mariano that honestly helped me so much. I will say though I didn't know about the variables and defining them until now but I know about combine and duplicate functions from his class

[@craigokeefe1754]

While it was fast, I was able to follow the concept...I will have to watch it a few more time to be able to use without having to have this video in the background...Awesome video...Thank you

[@jessefarrell9034]

Best video online for creating finger joints with parameters. Thanks heaps!!

[@tiger12506]

Quick tip: Most of Fusion 360's textboxes automatically convert units, so you could type in: 0.125" and it would have automatically figured out 3.175mm for you. (unfortunately 1/8" doesn't work, but 1"/8 does work!)

[@scottfarndell2434]

Just what I was looking for. Best workflow I’ve seen for this.

[@LessLessLessLess]

Super helpful! cleanest workflow for this issue i've found!

[@markrichardson239]

Awesome! That is so fast, I can't believe it. What a great lesson, thank you for taking the time to show these techniques.

[@koos42]

Ah, thank you so much for this. I had been extruding cuts manually, because Modify->Combine didn't sound like the boolean difference tool I was looking for.

[@meperson]

This is really great example how to use parametrization and build scalable design. Thank you! One feedback I do have is that for both pairs of side panels it would be better to build them as a component and instantiate twice - much less work. Building bottom as component would also be good - RULE #1 :-)

[@KennethClapp]

I've been looking for a tutorial like this for a while. Thank you very much! Excellent job!

[@HobbyistMaker]

Kenneth Clapp there are some issues with this model if you try to use it in other projects. I’ve got another video in the works that fixes it, but still need to free up some time to finish editing it.

[@KennethClapp]

Watched your updated video. Keeps getting better :-)

[@HobbyistMaker]

Who knew that building a simple box would help me learn so much about F360.

[@ewanp]

Great job, very clear video thanks. Going to use it with my students

[@leigao6120]

This is the first lesson for me as I started to try fusion 360. Say you did help me a lot and made have confidence to go deeper along the software. Thank you indeed although you did not leave your name.

[@xbateria]

I love it. I just found out about fusion360 and it's awesome. Finally something new and useful to learn!

[@MakersVerse]

Amazing job, I was just about to create something like this myself and you saved me a ton of work!! -Thank-you

[@Azzura47]

This was fun! Thanks for explaining it all so well! I just started using Fusion 360. Now I want to add drawers! Need a monitor Stand with storage.

[@TheFixxxer11]

Very advance level

[@mattiasfagerlund]

Very clear indeed, thanks!

[@karenfisher633]

Thanks for the informative video!

[@MeneerSouabi]

Thanks for the excellent explanation!!!!

[@melodia112]

Thank you! Great video!

[@NeoQJ]

Thanks for the tutorial

[@douglasharley2440]

nice! much thanks

[@deanervik]

Awesome. Thank you so much!

[@carlav5988]

Great video!! Thank you

[@TheAleks1859]

Best tutorial! thank you!

[@laszlocsonka]

Thank you.

[@ModestJoke]

Here's a tip: Consider not using a fixed number for the finger count. Instead, base it off of the material thickness, the length, and a material thickness multiple, then round the result. With the proper formula, if you choose a thickness multiplier of four, then this will result in fingers that are *about* four times the material thickness, but also be a perfect divisor for the overall length. This will let you change the material thickness and the fingers will adjust to make sense for that thickness. (More fingers for thinner materials.) And if you change the height or length drastically, you won't have to change the number of fingers by hand. The expression for lfingers would become "round(length / ( thickness * fingerMaterialThicknessMultiple * 2 ))". It's a pretty easy formula, and you never have to think about the number of fingers. The downside is you can't have large differences in the finger width between the various edges like you do in your example, where the fingers on the height are much narrower than the fingers on the base.

[@corellitube]

this is not working as a valid expression. I think that is may be the "round". Is there another way to write this that may work?

[@sebastianl511]

Awesome!

[@perynal]

12:55 when placing the contraint to the bottom I get a message: Adding this dimension will over-constrain the sketch. Choose OK to create a Driven Dimension. How can I fix this?

[@BRadFPV]

Good stuff! Very helpful!

[@nhrust]

great, thanks a lot! But how about kerfing?

[@tiger12506]

kerfing needs to be done in CAM side, not CAD side, IMO. I do it with "stock to leave", and give it a negative number.

[@kraken3d718]

Is there a easy way to set an offset for the fingers? I wanted to use this with CNC and need some space (.15 or .20mm) for assembly. Great info and really cool way for a ton of different applications.

[@HobbyistMaker]

I find the easiest way to set offsets for CNC is in the CAM package, not in the model itself. If you create your toolpaths in the CAM package, you can adjust the settings as needed.

[@ziomalZparafii]

Everytime you use rectangular pattern (for sketch or features), you leave default "3" for another dimension you are not using. Does it not create 3 copies in the same place? I always dial that to 1 but it's a bit annoying to remember about it.

[@HobbyistMaker]

At the time I made this, if either the distance or quantity was 0 on an axis, it would not be used. I have not been able to do anything with F360 since last fall, so I do not know if that is still the case.

[@abulka]

Wouldn’t you need the notch holes slightly bigger than the fingers, to account for real world fitting?

[@WmSrite-pi8ck]

If you were to select the faces on the other side would that eliminate the arrows pointing to the origin and thus get rid of any need to use negative numbers? Or is it always pointing towards the origin point as a coincidence. It's not a big deal but it just seems like it always wants to go the exact opposite way you need it to and the only reason I can think of that it would always do that is because it also happens to be the origin point for XYZ.

[@misohlavati]

Hello, is there a parameter that will allow you to change the thickness of the material so that everything works?

[@thetoolzshed]

hi Could you do a tutorial for designing boxes with t-slots, so you can add nuts and bolts to hold pieces together? Thanks! :)

[@DianTomov_ST_Dupont_Lighters]

Hello, on my project the: front, back left and right panel wasnt exhange their dimmensions. I follow all your step but they wasnt automaticaly resized. how can I fix this?

[@MilanKarakas]

Sounds complicated. I found 'makercase' web page where I can define dimensions and number of fingers and it will calculate for me. Then just download SVG or other file system. I am interested in doing living hinges, and all I found is pretty long video explaining how to do in Fusion 360. Yet, I was unable to replicate this work and everything was messed at final design. Can you do some tutorial about living hinges and how to calculate/make them? Thank you in advance.

[@jonscncworkshop2798]

Hi Excellent tutorial but at 16:10 when you create the 3 point rectangle it constrains itself on the 3 points you click on, when I try it I only get it constrained to the bottom panel and when I change the parameters everything works fine except for the height on the left and right panels any ideas?

[@iluvatarbzh5584]

It's a shame that fusion 360 is so outdated with laser cutring features. Freecad with laser cut interoocking mod is so convenient you can do this in 3min automatically

[@SuspiciouslyGady]

It's a shame freecad is just so difficult to use as a beginner. Nothing makes sense

[@prozix3d]

noob question but why fingerw need to time 3?

[@ClemensTolboom]

We have the start finger + hole + end finger == 3 items * fingerw we do not have to repeat the pattern I think

[@PapoochCZ]

What if I need to account for a kerf? Is there an easy way to do this?

[@HobbyistMaker]

I generally avoid kerf compensation as part of the model; although, there are times that it is still necessary. I try to stick with compensation using the Fusion360 CAM module. See this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnylqYauaLmpZ80

[@JaBananause]

Do you think it is possible to cnc mill a box like that? Due to the corner problem I’m not sure it will fit, any input?

[@HobbyistMaker]

Yes, it is possible to CNC mill a box like this, but you need to account for the corner problem by adding dogbones to the profile. For the first time in a while, I will have some time next week to post more videos. I will try to add one for this.

[@RobertGlotzbach]

@@HobbyistMaker Amazing video, thank you :-) Did you manage to do that video with dogbones?

[@jptram0005]

Merci Merci Merci

[@onkarkitekt]

14:30 🤔😶‍🌫️