SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

Section 1 Overview

This tutorial will step you through modeling a simple skateboard in SolidWorks. The exercise will
teach you almost all the basic tools required to create Parts and Assemblies. You will also learn
how to incorporate CAD files downloaded from the internet into an Assembly.

SolidWorks Interface

Fig. 1
SolidWorks can produce three types of files:
Part: Model of a static object (.sldprt)
Assembly: Model consisting of multiple parts and / or Assemblies (.sldasm)
Drawing: Annotated engineering drawing of a Part or Assembly (.slddrw)
This tutorial will focus on Parts and Assemblies.

Part 1: Base
1. Start by making a New Part . Make
sure the units menu at the bottom of the
screen says (US Customary Units)
2. On the Sketch toolbar, select Sketch ,
then click on the Front Plane. Fig. 2
3. Using the Line tool, sketch the shape
shown in Fig. 2. Note the position of the

1
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

origin . Selecting a line or selecting a pair

of lines using the Ctrl button allows you to
incorporate Horizontal , Vertical , and
Perpendicular relations as needed.
4. Add dimensions to the sketch using Smart
Dimension . Click on a line, and move
the mouse to create a horizontal, vertical, or
length dimension. Click on two parallel lines Fig. 3
to create a dimension between them. Click
on two nonparallel lines to create an angle
dimension. Double click on a dimension to
modify it. The result should look like Fig. 3.
5. When you finish, the sketch should be fully
defined with all black lines. If not, make sure
you have enough relations and dimensions.
6. Click Exit Sketch Under the Features
toolbar, select Extruded Boss/Base , Fig. 4
and then select your sketch. Under
Direction 1, select Mid Plane and enter a
depth of 6 in (Fig. 4). Click .
7. Under the Features toolbar, select Fillet .
With the Items to Fillet box highlighted,
select the four edges shown in Fig. 5.
Specify a Radius of 3 in. Click .
8. Under the Features toolbar, select Mirror
Fig. 5
. Click the arrow in the dropdown in
the upper left corner of the graphics
window. Under Mirror Face / Plane, select
the Right Plane. Under Features to Mirror,
select Boss-Extrude1 and Fillet1. Click .
9. Right Click on Boss-Extrude1, click
Appearances , and Edit Color . Fig. 6
Choose a color. The result looks like Fig. 6.
10. Save the part as Skateboard_Base.sldprt.
Tip: To modify your features, right click on the feature in the Design Tree and click Edit Feature
. To modify your original sketch, right click on Boss-Extrude1 and click Edit Sketch .

2
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

Part 2: Axle

1. Start by making a New Part . Make

sure the units menu at the bottom of the
screen says (US Customary Units)
2. Create a new Sketch on the Front Plane.
Sketch and dimension the profile shown in
Fig. 7. Note the location of the origin . Fig. 7
Select the bottom horizontal line and check
For Construction under Line Properties.
Tip: Construction geometry allows you to
set important relations without cluttering the
model profile.
3. Select everything by drawing a box or using
Ctrl + A, then click Mirror Entities . Since
only one construction line is selected,
SolidWorks will automatically mirror about it.
4. Click Exit Sketch . Under the Features Fig. 8 Fig. 9
toolbar, choose Revolved Boss/Base .
Under Axis of Revolution, right click on the
contents and choose Clear Selections. It
should look like Fig. 8. Select the leftmost
vertical line of the sketch. Click .
5. On the Features toolbar, under the Fillet dropdown, choose Chamfer . Select the four circular
wheel edges. Add a 0.125 in. x 45° chamfer to each. Click .
6. Right Click on Revolve1, click the button Appearances , and Edit Color . Choose a color.
The result looks like Fig. 9.
7. Save the part as Skateboard_Axle.sldprt.
Aside: How else could you have created the part? Do you have to use Revolved Boss/Base?
What are the pros and cons of each method?

Part 3: Axle Mount

1. Start by making a New Part . Make sure the units menu at the bottom of the screen says
(US Customary Units)

3
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

2. Right click on the Front Plane and click Show . On the Features toolbar, choose Reference
Geometry and Plane .
3. Under First Reference, select the Front
Plane. Choose an Offset Distance of
0.75 in. Click This creates Plane1.
4. Create another plane that is offset 0.75 in
from Plane1. The result should be Fig 10.
Tip: A faster way to do this is to select a
plane, hold Ctrl, then drag the boundary.
Fig. 10
5. Create a Sketch on the Front Plane. Use
the Center Rectangle to create a
rectangle centered on the origin. Dimension
the rectangle to be 2 in wide by 1 in tall.
6. Create a Sketch on Plane1, and create a
4 in wide by 1 in tall Center Rectangle.
7. Create a Sketch on Plane2, and project the
4 in by 1 in rectangle from Plane1. You can
do this by selecting the four lines of
Plane1’s rectangle and clicking Convert
Fig. 11
Entities . The result should be Fig 11.
8. Under the Features toolbar, select Lofted
Boss/Base . In the Profiles box, select
the three rectangles. Make sure Show
Preview is checked under Options. If the
profile looks distorted, drag around the blue
dots on each of the vertices. Under Start
Constraint, choose Normal to Profile.
Click . You can now Hide the three
Fig. 12
planes. The result should be Fig 12.
9. Fillet the two long edges of the large
rectangular face with a 0.5 in radius fillet.
The result should be Fig 13.
10. Create a sketch on the Right Plane. View
normal to profile using Ctrl + 8. Draw a free-
floating circle and give it a diameter of 0.5 in
using Smart Dimension. Select the
Fig. 13

4
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

circle and one of the fillet radii, and add a

Concentric relation. See Fig. 14.
11. Under the Features toolbar, choose
Extruded Cut . Expand the dropdown
in the upper right corner of the graphics
window and select your sketch. Under
Fig. 14
Direction 1, choose Through All - Both.
Click . The result should be Fig 15.
12. Create a new sketch on the smaller
rectangular face of the part. View normal to
profile using Ctrl + 8. Create a Center
Rectangle on the origin with a height of 2.5
in. Add a Collinear relation between one
of the vertical lines and one of the edges of Fig. 15
the rectangular face using the Ctrl button.
See Fig. 16.
13. Extrude the Sketch 0.25 in Blind up away
from the part.
14. Fillet the six edges shown in Fig. 17 with a
0.25 in radius fillet.
15. Choose a color. The result is Fig. 18.
16. Save the part as Skateboard_AxleMount
Fig. 16
.sldprt.

Fig. 17 Fig. 18

5
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

Part 4: Assembly

1. Start by making a New Assembly . In

the Begin Assembly window on the left-
hand side, select Sateboard_Base under
Part / Assembly to Insert. Click the
instead of dragging it into the window to
place it in the dead center of the assembly.
2. Under the Assembly toolbar, use Insert
Components to add two of Skateboard_
Fig. 19
Axle and two of Skateboard_AxleMount.
This should look like Fig. 19.
Tip: Use the Keep Visible thumbtack to
insert multiple parts easily.
3. Under the Assembly toolbar, choose Mate
. From the list of Standard Mates, choose
Coincident . Under Mate Selections,
select the bottom face of the base and the
top face of one of the Mounts. Click .
Repeat for the second Mount. See Fig. 20.
Tip: A shortcut to accept mates is to right
click in the graphics window.

Tip: Flip backwards mates using and .

Fig. 20
4. Under Mate Selections, click Multiple
Mates Mode . Click the [ in the top left
corner of the graphics window. For the
Common Reference, choose the Front
Plane of the base. For the Component
References, choose the Top Planes of the
two axles and the Right Planes of the two
axle mounts. The result looks like Fig. 21.
Tip: The reason why we could do this is
because we took care to model our parts
symmetrically about the default planes. This
is a good practice to follow in general. Fig. 21

6
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

5. Add a Concentric mate between the

cylindrical face of the axle and the hole of
the axle mount. The result is Fig. 22.
6. Under Advanced Mates, choose Symmetric
. In Mate Selections, choose the Top
Fig. 22
Planes of both axle mounts. For Symmetry
Plane, choose the Right Plane of the base.
7. Under Standard Mates, choose Distance
and enter 10 in. Select the Top Planes of
the two axle mounts. The result is Fig. 23.
8. Save the file as Skateboard_Assembly
.sldasm.

Fig. 23
Part 5: Mounting Screws

1. Open the Skateboard_AxleMount file.

Tip: To open a part from an assembly, right
click on the part and click Open Part .
2. Under the Features toolbar, choose Hole
Wizard . Under Hole Type, choose Hole
. Choose ANSI Inch under Standard and
Screw Clearances for Type. Under Hole
Specifications, choose a #10 size with
Normal fit. For End Condition, choose
Through All.
3. Click on the Positions tab at the top. Click
on the top rectangular face of the mount.
This will begin a new sketch, and
SolidWorks will put a hole at all Point
locations. Create four points and add
Concentric relations with the four fillets. Fig. 24
Click . It should resemble Fig. 24.
4. Measure the hole spacing so that you can
copy it onto the base. Under the Evaluate
toolbar, choose Measure . Under Arc /
Circle measurements, choose Center to

7
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

Center . Measure and record the

dimensions of the rectangular hole pattern.
5. Open the Skateboard_Base file.
6. Move your mouse over the horizontal blue
Rollback bar at the bottom of the Design
Tree. Drag it up one level to Roll-back to
Fillet1. See Fig. 25.
7. Click Hole Wizard. Under Hole Type,
choose Countersink . Choose ANSI
Inch under Standard and Flat Head Screw
(82°) for Type. Under Hole Specifications,
choose a #10 size with Normal fit. For End Fig. 25
Condition, choose Through All.
8. Click on the Positions tab at the top. Click
on the top rectangular face of the board (the
side that the flange bends towards). Use a
combination of construction lines and
references to constrain the location of the
four hole locations. Use the hole pattern
dimensions from Step #4. Make sure the
pattern is centered, and that its center is Fig. 26
5 in. from the base’s midline. See Fig. 26.
9. Right click on the Roll-back bar and click
Roll to End.
10. Right click on Mirror1 and click Edit Feature
. Under Features to Mirror, add the Hole Fig. 27
Wizard feature. The result is Fig. 27.
Tip: Rollback is a good way to insert a feature into the middle of the Design Tree. It would have
been possible to add a second Mirror feature to copy the holes, but it would be poor style.
Aside: Countersunk and counterbored holes prevent screw heads from sticking out above the
surface. The holes are drilled with a standard drill bit, then again with either a countersink or a
counterbore (Fig. 28). In tight tolerance applications, counterbored holes are preferred because
they avoid over constraining the part.

Socket Head Flat-Head Socket Counterbore Countersink Combination Drill &

Cap Screw Cap Screw Countersink/(Center Drill)

8
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

11. Return to the assembly and check the hole alignment.

Tip: Use Ctrl + Tab to switch windows.
12. You will now download a matching screw and nut to include in the model. Go to mcmaster.com
and download the SolidWorks model of a #10-32 x 1” Phillips Flat Head Machine Screw
(Fastening & Joining > Screws & Bolts > Flat Head Screws > Phillips Flat Head Screw > (10-32,
82°, Standard Head, 18-8 Stainless Steel, 1” Long) and 10-32 Nylon Locknut (Fastening &
Joining > Nuts > Locknuts > Super-Corrosion-Resistant 316 > 10-32).
Aside: Unlike regular nuts, locknuts won’t come loose under vibrational loading.
Tip: Downloaded CAD models often have
visible sketches and reference geometry
(see Fig. 29). You can hide these by right
clicking on the items in the Design Tree and Fig. 29
clicking Hide . Alternatively, you can turn
off their visibility using the Hide / Show
Items icon at the top of the window.
Aside: At some point, take some time to
fully explore the McMaster-Carr inventory.
You’ll be amazed how much you will learn.
13. Insert one screw and one nut into your
model. Using a combination of Concentric
and Coincident mates, constrain it to Fig. 30

a mounting hole as shown in Fig. 30. If you

cannot get the concentric mate to work, try
this method:
• Click, View > Hide / Show > Temporary Axis
• Select the mating Temporary Axes instead of circular features.

14. On the Assembly toolbar, click Linear Component Pattern . For Components to Pattern,
select the screw and nut. Under Direction 1 and Direction 2, highlight perpendicular edges on
the top face of the base, and use Reverse Direction as needed. For Number of Instances,
enter 2. For Spacing, enter the required hole spacing. Click .
15. Under the Assembly toolbar, click the dropdown under Linear Component Pattern and choose
Mirror Components . Choose the Right Plane as the Mirror plane and select the
LocalLPattern1 you just made to mirror your four screws and nuts to the other side. Click .
16. The final skateboard is shown below. Congratulations! Section 1 is now complete, now you
need to complete section 2.

9
SolidWorks Skateboard Assignment Tutorial ME 13/113

A Few Notes

As beautiful as your skateboard may be, it’s only a rough approximation of the actual thing. Many
simplifications were made for ease of modeling. For example, a wheel and axle assembly designed
as it’s currently implemented would have way too much friction and wouldn’t allow the wheels to
rotate independently. This would prevent you from turning. On actual skateboards, the wheels are
independent, and a ball bearing sits inside each one to reduce friction.

On the subject of turning – for real skateboards, the axle mount (or “Truck”) is designed as shown in
Fig. 32. It consists of two main parts, and the clever geometry allows riders to turn by leaning side-
to-side. How would you go about modeling those two parts?

Fig. 32
This raises the question of when it is ok to make approximations, and when it is best to CAD every
single detail. Early in the design process, you should make lots of simplifications in the modeling to
quickly get a rough idea of what the final system will look like and what big-picture spatial
constraints need to be taken into consideration. On a final design that is ready for manufacturing,
the parts must be modeled in their final form and every part should be included to check for any
assembly issues.

10