How to Make a Hole at an Angle to a Face in Inventor

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Synergis Applications Consultant, Jim Swain
I recently had a customer in one of my Inventor Essentials classes ask if an angle has to be perpendicular to the face of the part.
I will typically draw a small flat at the desired angle, then drill the hole perpendicular to that face. But that isn’t necessary. Here is one way to do it:

• Start a new sketch on the desired face
• Draw a line to act as the hinge for the angle of the hole
  • This also allows the hole to be on a compound angle from existing edges
• Draw a point at the desired hole center
• Fully constrain the sketch
• Create a work plane at an angle to the face through the sketched line
• Create another work plane parallel to another face through the sketched point
• Create a work axis at the intersection of the two work planes
• Create a work point at the intersection of the work axis and the part’s face
• Create the hole, using the On Point option
  • Notice that the counterbore is sunk into the part. This needs to be cleared out with another feature, such as an extrusion
• Turn off the visibilities of the sketch, work planes, work axis and work point
• Create a sketch on the face that needs to be cleared out
• Project the face onto the sketch and finish the sketch
• Extrude the cut out

So there are a few more steps to go through than for a hole perpendicular to a face, but sometimes this is exactly what you need.
Jim