Why aren't 3D printed poker chips a thing? (1 Viewer)

Honestly, I'd expect the machine time to bring the cost up to CPC / Paulson levels, and the tactile experience of any printed objects I've been around has always been pretty poor. Those are the big downsides I see.
 
Yeah, I don't think there's much of a market for lightweight, single color, plastic chips or else I wouldn't see so many of the old interlocking Bicycle chips at the thrift store.
 
it's viable, but you need a high-end dual-extruder printer with enough surface area to do a bunch at once... even then, the weight, feel, and sound are just really awkward when compared to even the crappiest plastic or CC chip out there... that said, I've entertained the idea of 3d printing plaques with glow-in-the-dark filament for denominations... but even then, they're light and feel kinda cheap
 
Weight. Durability. Cost. Characteristics. All pretty significant drawbacks independently, but when considered jointly......
...exhibit A.
1594944268252.jpeg
 
There are easier and more economical ways to make plastic poker chips. But they're still undesirable - plastic chips don't check any of the boxes for enthusiasts.
 
Not a fan of Bud Jones, Matsui, nor Abbiatti.
That's your opinion. Just don't claim that all plastic chips are garbage. Edit: I'll also not bet good money you haven't actually tried all of those chips.
 
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actually, the high end full colour printers could do a really good job at these

the biggest problem is that they are $$$$$$

I did some work ~15 years ago with them and you could do really amazing stuff
 
At what point did I write plastic = garbage?

Plus if you would have quoted my entire post - I was referring to the low end dice chip nonsense.
You added that in after I wrote my post. I literally clicked reply, I did not selectively choose that. You sneak-attacked me!
 
All plastic chips -- high-end or not, regardless of manufacturer -- suffer from the inherent poor play characteristics of plastic chips. Some are worse than others, but none are outstanding in that area.

Some of 'em sure are pretty, though.
 
All plastic chips -- high-end or not, regardless of manufacturer -- suffer from the inherent poor play characteristics of plastic chips. Some are worse than others, but none are outstanding in that area.
Not to cause another stink, but what do you specifically mean by "poor play characteristics"? Slipperiness is the only one that comes to mind for me, and that's fair.
 
That's pretty much everything. If the chips are slippery, I don't need to hear about anything else.
Well, if you go with an oversized chip from BG or Abbiati, the slipperiness is much less significant. I had a set of BG Europa Lithuanias, and the 43mm chips did not slip at all. Stable as any clay chip. But yes, many brands are slippery, but one major benefit, is they're easily accessible. Even premium ones used in casinos you can buy, unlike with clay chips, which is why they appeal to me so much. If GPI were to sell to the public, I'd be all over Paulsons, but a bit of slipperiness is a tradeoff I'm willing to make to avoid paying 5 times original pricing.
 
Not to cause another stink, but what do you specifically mean by "poor play characteristics"? Slipperiness is the only one that comes to mind for me, and that's fair.
Given that lack of stack stability and overt slickness due to insufficent surface tension friction seriously affects the usage of a poker chip during play, it's a pretty major flaw..... and one that negatively decides the fate of plastic chips for many users.

Most people simply don't like chips that are harder than necessary to handle and count, do not stack solidly and are prone to easily falling over when barely touched or surroundings bumped, or act like exploding barrel projectiles when picked up in bulk.

Other undesireable issues that affect some plastic chips include suction effect (where chips stick together), and excessive weight when metal slugs are used (common even in many high-end plastics, in an attempt to counteract the inherent slickness).
 
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Given that lack of stack stability and overt slickness due to insufficent surface tension seriously affects the usage of a poker chip during play, it's a pretty major flaw..... and one that negatively decides the fate of plastic chips for many users.

Most people simply don't like chips that are harder than necessary to handle and count, do not stack solidly and are prone to easily falling over when barely touched or surroundings bumped, or act like exploding barrel projectiles when picked up in bulk.

Other undesireable issues that affect some plastic chips include suction effect (where chips stick together), and excessive weight when metal slugs are used (common even in many high-end plastics, in an attempt to counteract the inherent slickness).
All fair. I love plastics anyways, and I don't think that'll stop anytime soon, but very understandable. :tup:
 

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