Chirpy's Cheapy Hotend

thingiverse

This hotend is crafted from a 3mm OD, 2mm ID PTFE tube, an oak dowel rod, an aluminum block heatsink piece, a 6mm bolt with a 3mm hole, and a MIG welding tip. The thermal break measures 32mm long with a 2mm hole through it, and the heater block is a 10mm x 20mm x 16.5mm aluminum piece with a 6mm hole for the heater element and a threaded 3mm hole for a screw-in thermistor. The metal connector is a 1/4-inch (6mm) stainless steel bolt, cut at the head to form a hollow bolt with a 3mm hole. A washer and nut secure it against the oak piece's thermal break. The nozzle tip is threaded, and its original threads are removed, while drilling creates varying hole sizes for optimal performance. PTFE tape is applied to prevent leaks on the heater block's threads. This homemade hotend has been successfully used with PLA and is expected to work well with ABS too, achieving temperatures around 240°C. Check out the video of it in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5UHJzLdNJk.