New member from Australia

Jonathan C · #1 10-31-2012, 08:00 PM

Hello All, I'm a metalworker from Melbourne Australia. Most of my interest is in sculpture now but I also do everything from modifying and making farm equipment for my skid steer to designing patient lifting equipment. About to launch into an English Wheel build, already have a beautiful set of Hoosier wheels.
Experience with and own mig and tig, tools include lathe, mill, tube benders, bar benders, sheet metal rollers etc etc etc! Work out of a nice big shed on some land we have down in the south east corner of the Australian mainland.

Here is a link to my current exhibition at a local gallery

http://www.withoutpier.com.au/gallery/JonathanCowcher

Joe Hartson · #2 10-31-2012, 09:55 PM

Jonathan, welcome and thanks for the introduction. Hope you enjoy the site and find it helpful. Thanks for joining us.

HEATNBEAT · #3 10-31-2012, 10:10 PM

Hi Jonathan and welcome!

Peter Tommasini · #4 10-31-2012, 10:17 PM

HI Jonathan welcome to the forum
Melbourne? where?
Peter

Jonathan C · #5 11-01-2012, 12:37 AM

Hi Peter,

Spend about half my time in Hampton and the other half down on our property near Fish Creek on the way to Wilson's Prom.

Just as an aside, do all my design work and sculpture design on Solidworks if anyone needs a hand with a dxf file for laser cutting or anything like that.

Cheers, Jonathan

David Gardiner · #6 11-01-2012, 02:26 AM

Hi Jonathan,welcome to the forum. I like your work. Is that stainless steel you are working in? I envy your nice big shed and the whether as winter approaches here in the UK. There is quite a bit of info on here about wheeling machine builds. Kerry is very knowlegable about these things and has shared lots of info.

David

Jonathan C · #7 11-01-2012, 06:01 AM

Hello David, thank you for the kind words. Yes the material is 316 stainless, 1.5mm thick, about 16g, all my sculpture is meant for the great outdoors!

steve67 · #8 11-01-2012, 06:00 PM

Welcome Jonathan, I'm new here myself and have found everyone very nice.
I'm trying to self teach myself Solidworks at the moment. So I may pick your brain some time if that's ok. Cheers...

Jonathan C · #9 11-01-2012, 11:31 PM

Sure Steve, more than happy to help, which version are you running? The only way I came even close to being competent was by being forced to design and draw literally hundreds of parts, everything from moulded foam to turned parts to sheet metal to tube bends. I did a course at RMIT and then just plunged into it. Absolutely incredible resource once you get your head around it. All the sculptures on my link were drawn in Solidworks and the rolled stainless pieces were all drawn 3D, exported to Rhino and turned into surfaces and flattened. Then finally re-imported to Solidworks and turned into dxf files for laser cutting. I'm too stingy to upgrade from 2007, bad enough buying a copy, crippling to upgrade it every year and have to re-learn!

steve67 · #10 11-02-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan C

Sure Steve, more than happy to help, which version are you running? The only way I came even close to being competent was by being forced to design and draw literally hundreds of parts, everything from moulded foam to turned parts to sheet metal to tube bends. I did a course at RMIT and then just plunged into it. Absolutely incredible resource once you get your head around it. All the sculptures on my link were drawn in Solidworks and the rolled stainless pieces were all drawn 3D, exported to Rhino and turned into surfaces and flattened. Then finally re-imported to Solidworks and turned into dxf files for laser cutting. I'm too stingy to upgrade from 2007, bad enough buying a copy, crippling to upgrade it every year and have to re-learn!

I have SolidWorks 2007. The more I look at it the more I think I will have to go and do a course. I'm only just starting with it. I've had a look at the tutorials both in SolidWorks and on YouTube. But still very early days.

Cheers Steve...