Is it feasible to print an 18350 “short” tube for Convoy S2+ on a 3D printer? Anyone happen to have an STL file for it?
Or would it not work due to how precise the threads would need to be? I guess the other problem is that it would not carry electricity either, so that would have to be addressed, too.
Thanks!
Exactly. Do you have a solution for this problem?
Also the cost of manufacturing for a 18350 tube is minimal, that’s why they are sold for so cheap!
I don’t know how your average 3D printer would go doing the fine threads?
(18350 battery tube - Convoy flashlight)
I’ve done quite a lot of printing /design, no it is not worth printing the tube.
I’ve made tail caps and body to body adaptors in that thread, its not too fine for a well tuned printer. Body tubes would be the same, is just threaded outside and longer, its an easy print.
BUT, you won’t get the diameter of a metal tube. Wall thickness at that dia isn’t stiff enough. Thinner gets harder to print too. I know, I tried to get it in several materials, for battery storage tubes with the metal caps, it just wont go.
The problem is, with a thick enough wall to work, and a hole at a tight(press in) fit to an 18mm battery, it gets too big for the stock metal head and tail cap threads.
MAYBE if you could print in ABS or ASA for strength, and run it at 0.2mm nozle/line, you could eek out the tolerances, but thats above my abilities/pay grade.
The lesser problem is conducting electricity. I’ve seen guys do a thick wall and run a strip of copper down a groove in the inner side of the wall on aluminum, . Or a couple grooves, with wires. It would work in plastic just as well(actually better with thicker walls come room for better wire gauge. ) I did such things for the conversion I printed to make a straight light out of a Wurrkos HD15. its fiddly and time consuming to get all the tolerances to not stack up against you, but it would certainly be possible. but again, I couldn’t do it where 18mm fit inside it, and still threaded on a stock cap/head dia.
Worth it or not depends on the time you want to put into it, and your enjoyment or not. I have so far enjoyed the engineering, modeling and printing challenges… But thats up to you too… Is it worth the time vs getting a cheap aluminum tube.
I have all the threads pre modeled, I could throw a few stls on Printables, and you merge them into a tube of your design… I could throw together a plain(or even textured) tube too, thats easy… But like I say, whether its printable to be functional or not is not good odds.