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Universal ball joint created in SolveSpace

February 14, 2025 — BarryK

I'm learning how to create 3D components in SolveSpace, earlier posts:

...actually, after stdying more tutorials, that extrusion limitation is not a limitation; bevels can be created on the extruded corners.

I spent most of today learning how to create a ball-joint. I want a 3D component to represent a flexible joint; ball-joint or heim-joint. It doesn't have to look exactly like the actual physical joint, just close enough to convey what it is. Movement must be in three dimensions, not flexible only in 2D.

Finally got there, this is what it looks like:

img1

The SolveSpace file is here.

The trickiest thing was to get it to be flexible in three dimensions, not just flex in 2D. The trick was, need to start with menu "New Group -> Sketch in 3D" and create two lines, joined at one end. After that, can use the "lathe" feature to extrude tubes around each of the lines, and a sphere in the middle.

It works! I made the arms approximately matching the 10mm ball-joint that I already own, described in this blog post in March 2024:

img2

Quite a lot of fun constructing these components; putting them together into a complete trike may be a challenge, and will certainly test just how good SolveSpace is.

There are a couple of nice SolveSpace tutorial-series on YouTube:

"SOLVESPACE introduction"
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNBWyhqEoKESBQIh1dyZpdGR-tyUh-3_

"SolveSpace - Beginners"
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAjLwYQPgaBafzQTLA84IkTOptOdIsUX

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