3D printed transparent tip jar with embedded "light pipe" for LEDs

[Anonymous]

Hello all!  

I'm working on a tip jar with LEDs underneath.  I want to design it out of 2 bodies - one will be the shape of the jar and the other will be hollow and serve as a path for the reflected light to follow.  I'll also use it as a cutting tool in the main jar body so the two don't overlap.  Here is my initial concept drawing (the square is the LED in the NeoPixel ring):

I have a "core" printed that seems to work pretty well:

I'm now at the point where I need to design the sides of the jar and incorporate the light pipe body into the shape.  I'm having trouble getting the loft I need:

I'm having trouble with the loft command since my starting and ending faces aren't 2d planes.  In the pic above I've tried using a rectangle in an offset plane between the outer edge of the jar and the core and doing a bi-directional loft.  That seems to work, but I still need to extend the shape up and down to the top and bottom of the jar.

I'm still pretty new to Fusion 360, but I'm learning fast!  Can anyone give me suggestions for the best way to do this?  I'm sure I'm overthinking something.

Thanks in advance!

Steve Hurd

Floyds Knobs, IN

[TheCADWhisperer]

Can you File>Export and then Attach your *.f3d file here?

[Anonymous]

Sure, but it will be in a few hours. I'm out at a gig right now.

Steve Hurd

[Anonymous]

I created a new project and exported it without all of the non-essential parts.  I have a mock-up of the jar profile with a sketch for the LED top and the center of the jar.  I also created 2 sketches toward the outside of the profile representing the bottom and top of the outside of the jar oriented to the xy plane.  My current thinking is to use the curves of the profile for both the light-pipe body and the jar body - with each "spoke" of the light pipe being as wide as the LED and the main body of the jar doing a 360 degree revolve.

I can get a successful loft between the LED and jar center profiles including the interior rail from the vertical sketch.  I can't get  a successful outside rail to form even if I bisect the sketch with a line.  I'm planning to have 2 separate lofts (inner pair and outer pair) and have them join at the line.

Sorry it took so long to reply back!

Steve Hurd

[Anonymous]

I'm still trying to figure this out.  Anyone have any ideas?

Steve Hurd

[wmhazzard]

I would try and help but it is not clear to me what you are wanting from the file that you attached. Can you attach the complete model or make a drawing to show what you want. 

[Anonymous]

Sure.  I was trying to simplify things by removing areas of the model I don't need help with - yet! 🙂

I've exported the file but it created it as an f3z file that's almost 6 Mb.  It lets me attach the file to the reply, but I can't get the forum to send the message.  I just gives me the preview message back without the file attached.

Steve Hurd