<p>In general, <em>maybe</em>. But you need to have plastics that will bond with each other (so you need to know what the existing surface is) and you need to have a clean unobstructed path for the nozzle to get where it needs to go.</p>
<p>In your specific case, this is a battery. Having a 200+ ˚C metal heater block and nozzle tip a few mm away from it, where any wrong move could puncture and short the battery, seems like a really bad idea. I would instead look at recreating the missing part with epoxy resin or something. You could 3D print a mold (note: apply a release agent to the surface!) for this, or you could just glob on more than you need and file the excess off.</p>
<p>If you have a steady hand, a 3D pen might also be an option, but the same concerns about &quot;proximity to battery&quot; as above apply.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-24T04:06:26.900Z
Yeah, print separately and file to fit before glueing
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-22T19:09:36.127Z
2022-03-22T19:09:36.127Z
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
<p>I chipped off a bit of my otherwise perfectly usable laptop battery and would like to rebuild it. Consider the following picture:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MZMwC.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MZMwC.png" alt="chipped off battery connector of a Thinkpad x270 battery" /></a></p>
<p>Now compare it to what is visible e.g. <a href="https://www.batterybuy.co.uk/battery-lenovo/pic_big_Zoom/thinkpadx240-3cell-1.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>. I'm curious if it's possible to point a few cameras from a different angle at the bad and manually operate a typical 3D printer (let's say, Creality Ender 3) so that it's me operating the extruder, not a program. Does it have any chance working on that uneven surface?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-29T13:37:12.417Z
Frame challenge: Does the battery clip securely into place in the laptop and properly power it as is? If so, just leave it alone.
FreeMan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-30T15:12:15.903Z
@FreeMan that's the problem - it doesn't clip without that missing piece. And when it disconnects, the laptop shuts down, instead of using the back-up battery because it's not disconnected the normal way.
d33tah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-30T15:21:21.993Z
That sucks. I asked because some batteries I've used have a latching mechanism that's totally separate from the electrical connections.
FreeMan
<extrusion><recycling>
Is it possible to manually 3D print on an uneven surface?
d33tah
# Is it possible to manually 3D print on an uneven surface?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-22)

I chipped off a bit of my otherwise perfectly usable laptop battery and would like to rebuild it. Consider the following picture:

[![chipped off battery connector of a Thinkpad x270 battery](https://i.sstatic.net/MZMwC.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/MZMwC.png)

Now compare it to what is visible e.g. [here](https://www.batterybuy.co.uk/battery-lenovo/pic_big_Zoom/thinkpadx240-3cell-1.jpg). I'm curious if it's possible to point a few cameras from a different angle at the bad and manually operate a typical 3D printer (let's say, Creality Ender 3) so that it's me operating the extruder, not a program. Does it have any chance working on that uneven surface?

**Tags:** extrusion, recycling

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Frame challenge: Does the battery clip securely into place in the laptop and properly power it as is? If so, just leave it alone.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 that's the problem - it doesn't clip without that missing piece. And when it disconnects, the laptop shuts down, instead of using the back-up battery because it's not disconnected the normal way.  
> **username_1**: That sucks. I asked because some batteries I've used have a latching mechanism that's totally separate from the electrical connections.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-03-22. Score: 3

In general, *maybe*. But you need to have plastics that will bond with each other (so you need to know what the existing surface is) and you need to have a clean unobstructed path for the nozzle to get where it needs to go.

In your specific case, this is a battery. Having a 200+ ˚C metal heater block and nozzle tip a few mm away from it, where any wrong move could puncture and short the battery, seems like a really bad idea. I would instead look at recreating the missing part with epoxy resin or something. You could 3D print a mold (note: apply a release agent to the surface!) for this, or you could just glob on more than you need and file the excess off.

If you have a steady hand, a 3D pen might also be an option, but the same concerns about "proximity to battery" as above apply.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Yeah, print separately and file to fit before glueing  

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