I've been using my 3D printer to make drill jigs, and thought I'd share. The plasitc jigs are good for a couple rounds of holes, and you can add a brass bushing if you need to make lots of parts from the same jig. The results are CNC-accurate -- way more accurate than anything I can do with a center punch. The plastic (or brass) guides the bit to "exactly" the location you need. In the pictures below, the holes in that bracket line up exactly with the mating flange. Just thought I'd share in case the idea is useful to anyone...
3D printing for accurate drill holes...
- Thread starter tom86951
- Start date
good idea. you can also buy hardened drill guides from mcmster carr & places that would make it a permanent guide
nadogail
Well-known member
Why spend a little money to buy a tool, when with a lot of money you can make your own with Bragging Rights
cvairwerks
Well-known member
We’ve been proofing modification and short run repair tools like this for years now at work. Engineering can print a test tool overnight, proof run it the next day, and if good and going to be multiuse, send it out for buildup. For a one time repair task, do the repair and send it to the recycle bin.
jkeyser14
Well-known member
We do a lot of stuff like this at work. You can also 3D print jigs to hold complicated parts for machining.
I have had several, but my current printer is by far the best. It's a Lulzbot Taz 6. It's open source, so can be modified to your heart's content to print just about any material available, and it just keeps going and going and going.... Sadly, Lulzbot is suddenly under new ownership and the early indicators are not good from my perspective.
There are also a host of cheaper printers these days that can do this kind of thing with ease, e.g., Prusa, Ender 3, etc.Possibilities are endless right? I just printed a stand to paint the bracket those holes were for -- so I could get all sides at once without hanging it from a wire and blowing it around with the spray paint.
jkeyser14
Well-known member
Possibilities are endless right? I just printed a stand to paint the bracket those holes were for -- so I could get all sides at once without hanging it from a wire and blowing it around with the spray paint.
Yup. We don't mess with hobby printer though. Those things have turned out to be a waste of time.
niget2002
Well-known member
Must of my CNC router was printed on my 3d printer.
I use my printer a lot for electronics enclosures or for brackets for hanging things on the wall.
I use my printer a lot for electronics enclosures or for brackets for hanging things on the wall.
e36jon
Well-known member
Here's a link to a great article from Pankl where they discuss using rapid proto tooling for F1 part production:
https://pankl.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/3D_Druck_Bericht_PANKL.pdf
I was surprised that they are using Form Labs printers which are high end hobby grade. I've used one of these at a client and was impressed with the print quality and the variety of available resins.
https://pankl.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/3D_Druck_Bericht_PANKL.pdf
I was surprised that they are using Form Labs printers which are high end hobby grade. I've used one of these at a client and was impressed with the print quality and the variety of available resins.