0.5mm MK8 Large Nozzle for 1.75mm Filament

The 0.5mm Large MK8 Nozzle for 1.75mm filament is a 3D Printing Nozzle that has a larger external size than most, but offers a 0.5mm output diameter for reasonably impressive accuracy and print speeds. This is ideal for printing at relatively high speeds without sacrificing on print quality, which of course is why it’s one of the most common nozzle sizes available. It is designed to work with extruders with M6 thread, and was originally designed for Makerbot 3D Printers as a replacement part or as an upgrade.

If you are experienced in 3D Printing and are looking for a new nozzle to print small and detailed objects at a relatively fast rate, this nozzle will certainly do the job. If you are unsure of what size nozzle you need to get, however, it’s safe to stick with nozzles ranging between 0.3mm and 0.5mm, as these all offer a great balance between speed and accuracy.

Quick Guide to Changing your 0.5mm MK8 Large Nozzle:

When swapping out 3D Printer Nozzles from other components, we recommend utilising the hot tightening technique for optimal thermal coupling. To do this, simply follow these easy steps, while being careful not to burn yourself of course.

• Unscrew the heat break from the heatsink by about half a turn, to be sure you are not tightening against the heat break in later stages.
• Heat up your hotend to 285°C, but do not overshoot as you risk damaging your thermistor.
• Remove the existing nozzle from the heater block and insert the new nozzle.
• While firmly gripping the heater block, slowly tighten the nozzle. Be careful, however, that you not apply any torque through the heat break, as they are fragile and relatively easy to break when loose.
• Turn off the heating unit and allow the hot side to cool.
• Finally, once the nozzle is installed and cooled down, tighten the heat break back into the heatsink and ensure that there are no loose parts.

The reason for this is that the aluminium heater blocks used have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the brass and steel used in the nozzles and Heat Breaks. This results in a small gap being created between the nozzle and the break inside the block when the hot end is at temperature, but this only happens if the nozzle has been tightened while cold.

*Note: This is not supplied by MakerBot, although it is manufactured to the same specs and quality controlled locally to ensure it functions exactly as expected - while saving you money.