3d printers for making collets?

[kevoka]

Just curious - does anybody use 3d printers to make collets for their cue work?

 

[iusedtoberich]

I’m not a cue maker, but I’ve been using high end 3D printers for 15 years in my day job. I would not trust them for collets and I’d estimate the TIR would be in the .010” range if you’re lucky, all the way to the .040” range for a lower end machine.

YMMV

 

[kevoka]

I’m not a cue maker, but I’ve been using high end 3D printers for 15 years in my day job. I would not trust them for collets and I’d estimate the TIR would be in the .010” range if you’re lucky, all the way to the .040” range for a lower end machine.

YMMV

That would explain it

Thanks.

 

[Ron Padilla]

I don't recall if it was shown here or on one of the FB pool cue pages, but someone needed a porper collet and reached out to some one on MakerBot page and had one made as I guess the porper are not available, the end user reported back that it worked great! he has not reported to this point of any breakage, so it there is one type that has been made and working ok!

 

[conetip]

The newest printers that use the UV cure and wax support, will make a collet to about 0.03mm for roundness and concentricity. The material choices are getting better , but generally are in the quite brittle range. Not cheap to run either, with the resin at $US800 per litre, not sure of the wax costing. The result might be OK for some, and not for others.
Still not as accurate as making it yourself to suite your setup though. Bob has a video clip about collets and what he does. It is well explained.