18650 Battery Size Gauge

thingiverse

All 18650 batteries are far from identical in every aspect. Filament materials, printers, and slicers also vary significantly in their capabilities. Before designing a cell holder, I sought a reliable method to determine the precise hole size required for a specific brand of battery, material, and printer. Several measurements of 18650 cells led to diameters ranging from 18.05 to 18.30 mm in diameter. Therefore, the gauge I created features hole sizes spanning from 18.00 to 18.50 mm in diameter, with increments of 0.05 mm. Cura initially informed me that this was "too large" for my Creality Ender-2 printer. However, after specifying that the bed was 10mm larger in both the X and Y directions, Cura's concerns were alleviated. This particular print requires approximately eight hours to complete on an Ender-2 printer. Update: I needed additional range so I designed a gauge with 16 holes ranging from 18.00 to 18.75 mm in diameter.