TJ Schwarz

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I began my CAD (Computer Aided Design) and knife design career in 2012 while studying Mechanical Engineering at Boise State University. This would lead to a now decade long career of designing and making knives. Schwarz designs have made their way into many hands as a result. From building custom knives, to 3D printing prototypes, to designing for large factories, CAD has played a crucial role in my business.

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DesignInCAD.com

 

This website was created as a platform for sharing my knowledge about CAD and its use as a knife design tool. I personally view CAD as just that, a knife DESIGN tool. It is common to design knives outside of CAD with physical prototyping or sketching and then translate the finished work into CAD for manufacturing purposes only. It is my goal to teach the ability to use CAD throughout the entire design process itself.

 

I have found that much of the Fusion 360 educational content out there is not knife specific. There is much to learn from more broad Fusion 360 tutorials, but knives have certain features that are tricky to model correctly. A model can appear clean and exact, but in many areas, such as the primary bevel, model robustness and adjustability is of utmost importance. In addition to that, file management and timeline cleanliness can become an issue when modeling the complex components and assemblies that comprise a knife. I aim to teach a knife specific set of skills for managing these concerns.

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Fusion 360

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In the beginning of my career, and through a large part of it, I used SolidWorks as my go-to modeling program. Then came the advent of Auto Desk's Fusion 360, which offered many more features for a fraction of the price. When starting my own manufacturing business a few years ago, I decided to add Fusion 360 to my workflow, largely as a result of its CAM (Computer Aided Machining) features. Much of what I learned during thousands of hours in SolidWorks was directly applicable to Fusion 360. After spending a few years in Fusion 360, and utilizing it to build my manufacturing business, I have decided that it would be a great time to begin sharing what I've learned.