Bringing The J-Head? Farmer To Market

Bringing a product to market has got to be one of the hardest things a person can do.

The J-Head? Farmer Hotend - I think - is a great hotend. I've packed so many features into this little design! I cannot wait for the world to see it.

This hotend allows you to deal with problems in your own time and just get the printer; printing... This hotend allows you to adjust and calibrate its length for those of you with dual extruders and IDEX printers... This hotend allows you to print fast... This hotend allows you to not spend so much time disassembling your printers for maintenance. -- There are many things that this hotend can do above just printing great.

-- I designed it for Print Farms. --

I spoke with technicians and got the scoop on their 3D Printing pains and set out to design a solid solution to their problems.

-- I retooled my workshop --

I designed new fixtures to hold the parts so that they could be made on a grander scale than previously done. I upgraded tools, gave my CNC machines new capabilities.

-- I learned new skills --

I taught myself mold design for silicone parts to make the new J-Head? silicone socks. I made silicone molds to produce fan shrouds.

The Finstack - a devious little piece of metal

So much work has been devoted to this little piece of aluminum. Countless hours of tweaking and optimizing the tool paths have given me a full machine-finished finstack that looks just like the CAD model. *I view this as quite a bonus

As of early 2022, the finstacks are made on one of 2 Gang Tool Lathes.

The Heater Block & the tail of simplification

Oh, how I enjoy making this part for it uses my absolute favorite machining process - Threadmilling!

Imagine for a moment a fixture plate of aluminum full of little clamps that hold these brass blocks tightly in big batches while a threadmill so tiny, zips around and cuts m3 threads in every hole. Careful you don't sneeze - it feels that the threadmill might break!

As of early 2022, the heater blocks are made in fixture plates on a Mill

The Core Tube

I'm sure there is a story to tell here but all this part makes me think is that I wish I had a Swiss lathe...

As of early 2022, the core tubes are made on one of 2 Gang Tool Lathes

I hope you all enjoy the new J-Head? Farmer Hotend. Good Luck and happy 3D Printing!