Description
A spool has a habit of running out three hours into a nine hour print. The printer keeps going, the extruder keeps pulling, and the part is lost. A splice done properly turns that loss into thirty seconds of work.
These connectors are short PTFE tubes, thirty seven millimeters long, with a one point eight millimeter inner bore and a two point six millimeter outer diameter. The bore is sized so that 1.75 millimeter filament passes with minimal play, which is the difference between a splice that feeds and a splice that binds at the hotend. The PTFE wall resists the heat soak that reaches the feed path on a long print and keeps friction low along the whole length.
They also solve the routing problem in a printer with an enclosure or a top-mounted spool, where the run from spool to extruder passes several joints. Replacing a worn or kinked section of guide tube with one of these keeps the filament path straight. Sold in packs of one hundred or two hundred, which is the right quantity if you maintain more than one machine or share a workshop.
The cheapest part in the printer is also the one that decides whether the print finishes.
What Makes It Different
- ✦ 1.8 mm inner bore sized for 1.75 mm filament.
- ✦ 2.6 mm outer diameter fits standard pneumatic couplers.
- ✦ 37 mm length suits splice joints and guide-tube repairs.
- ✦ PTFE body keeps friction low and resists heat soak.
- ✦ Cuts filament waste at the end of a spool.
- ✦ Sold in 100 and 200 piece packs for multi-machine shops.
- ✦ Also usable for bowden tube repairs and feed-path extensions.
Why the Bore Diameter Matters
Filament needs a bore with clearance, but not much of it. A bore that is too tight grips the filament and raises extruder load. A bore that is too loose lets the filament wander, and the path through a long guide section stops being predictable. At 1.8 millimeters against 1.75 millimeter filament there is just enough clearance to feed freely while the filament stays on axis.
The thirty seven millimeter length is the other half of the design. It is long enough to bridge a splice joint and hold it straight, and short enough to sit in a feed path without adding meaningful drag. Shorter connectors pull apart under tension. Longer ones add friction without benefit.
Technical Specifications
- Item type: PTFE tube connector
- Inner diameter: 1.8 mm
- Outer diameter: 2.6 mm
- Length: 37 mm
- Filament compatibility: 1.75 mm
- Material: PTFE
- Pack quantities: 100 or 200 pieces
- Fitment: Standard pneumatic couplers
- Heat resistance: Suited to feed-path temperatures
- Color: Translucent white
Where It Belongs
Print farms use them to splice near-empty spools into a fresh one instead of scrapping the remainder. Anyone running a Bowden tube setup uses them to repair a kinked or worn guide section without ordering a full replacement assembly. Enclosed printers with long feed paths use them to join tubing runs. Repair shops keep a pack on hand because a failed tube is a five minute fix with a connector and a two day wait without one.
The EastSupplier Promise
- ✓ Inner and outer diameter checked on a sample before dispatch.
- ✓ Pack counts verified, not estimated by weight.
- ✓ Bulk quantities for print farms quoted on request.
- ✓ Shipped from EastSupplier stock with tracking.
Questions Buyers Actually Ask
Q: Will these fit my Bowden tube setup?
A: They suit standard pneumatic couplers with a 4 mm outer tube fitting and are intended for 1.75 mm filament. Measure your existing tube fitting before ordering if your printer uses a non-standard coupler.
Q: How do I splice filament with one?
A: Heat the two filament ends, push them together to form a joint, trim the flash, then feed the joint through the connector into the extruder.
Q: Do they work with 2.85 mm filament?
A: No. The 1.8 mm bore is sized for 1.75 mm filament. Using 2.85 mm material will bind and jam.
Q: Can they be cut to length?
A: Yes, though the ends should stay square and burr free, since a rough edge will scrape the filament.
Q: Will the connector deform near a hotend?
A: PTFE holds up in the feed path. Direct contact with a heater block is outside its range, so keep it clear of the hot zone.
Q: Why buy 200 pieces?
A: One pack covers a multi-machine workshop or a print farm, where connectors are consumed during guide-tube repairs.
Q: What is the outer diameter for?
A: 2.6 mm fits standard pneumatic couplers and push fittings used in Bowden tube setups.
Q: How many connectors does one spool splice need?
A: One connector per joint. Keep a short connector on the bench rather than cutting it from a guide tube, since a square cut matters.
Q: Do they work with abrasive filament?
A: Abrasive materials wear PTFE over time. Inspect the bore if you print carbon or glow filament regularly and replace the connector when it starts to oval.
Q: Can these be used as a guide tube replacement?
A: Yes for short runs. For a full length Bowden tube, use a continuous tube and reserve these for joints and repairs.
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