The lk1 has been a very productive unit for our projects and we are still using the stock extruders and hotends. Maybe the hotends have been changed out but overall they are stock. The tubes get changed about every 40 hours but most of the time if there is an issue with the extrusion it's because the hotend fan fails or loses efficiency.
What happens is the tube melts inside the hotend and collapses on the filament.
Our slicer setup extrudes the filament out completely after a print so we don't get the issue with filament not coming out but if we stop a print we always retract the filament. This is a good way to feel the condition of the tube, pushing the filament into the hotend or pulling it out is a great measure as to the condition of the tube. A normal condition would allow the filament to move right down to the nozzle. This is a learned experience but after a while you can start to tell that there is going to be a problem.

Here is an example of a regular creality hotend and then a custom one. The stock ones work great but the never ending quest to gat better results causes changes that are not always better.

The advanced hotend took some time to get used to, the barrel and the tip have to connect and tightly or it will leak.

Upgraded hot end

You might venture out and purchase a specialty hot end, sometime with a extruder as a unit. This is one here and we will show the differences. Using this is ok , not a must have, and at 30 bucks probably can live without, all the so-called technology really not necessary.

Our journey using the LK! as the basis machine has finally brought us to upgrading the extruder by changing out the seperate assembly with the long tube to a combined unit. There are many options here but our intent is not to break the bank going silly and buying the latest greatest and to just buy a inexpensive solution that works. We tried several and even purchase one expensive small compact one only to return it, we ended up testing 2 units that were both 40 dollars and similar but different in parts. We actually went with the unbranded one because of the location of the motor behind the assembly with the load slot in front

It's only been a week with our upgrades on the extruder hotend combo. So far it's been a mixed bag. One of the creality units had a motor that didn't work, no big deal but still. I have both units running, the red unbranded one twice, it's been hit or miss, I mean 1 great print, then failure, then half ass print. I calibrated the units and am still doing minor adjustments but overall I think it will be positive. The best part for me is the location of the input for the filament, the original setup has you searching behind the left vertical brace for the input hole, this in itself is worth the 40 bucks. Time will tell, I have several tasks stacked up. But as I go along I am still relying on the good old setup on several machines printing quality parts

This box has been updated. The latest is wider but still uses full sheets of birch cut into 24 x 24 pieces. The issue I was having is the box is just wide enough and with internal stiffeners the z axis rubs and the wires for the extruder and x axis

disconnect sometimes. My first build boxes I just put stiffeners on the outside. The latest builds have metal angle stiffeners also, made out of scrap metal

I enjoy working with 3d printing but having accumulated several I figured it was time to setup an exhaust system for the plastic fumes. If you read about this topic you could reach the conclusion as I have it's best to exhaust the air from the chamber. So I needed to build a chamber, first to determine some requirements.

1. Cheep
2. removable hood (low weight)
3. inexpensive (oh yeah said that)
4. simple

   This is the beginning. It starts with a 21 dollar sheet of 5mm birch wood. Why 5mm and not 1/4 in because Home depot figured out a way to save a couple pennies and probably wanted to put a finger in the eye of American craftsmen that believe in the Imperial system
   some scrap 2x4 boards

   This is where it gets tricky, you need to rip the 4x8 down, maybe your local hardware store can do this if you dont have a table saw. (why not? )

The online sale all run around 80 to 100 for some form of cover, blanket, grow tent. This is a single solution that can be replacated quickly, I will put together some 3d printed parts for supports but you get the picture.
add some light, fans etc. Measurement to follow so a cut sheet can be designed. The hood is removable and light, might put some hindges on it to flip it up

The proceedure would be to print, let the part sit for a couple minutes to evacuate the chamber then open, remove and start over.
As far as a heated chamber that was not the point for this mission, keeping the fumes out of the work area was. I will monitor the temp and maybe add a solution

Materials     Top cover

   (1) 4x8 sheet 5mm burch

          Cut    length 24 wide    (half)
                cut ½ sheet into 4 24in panels            qty 4   24x 24

           Cut 2^nd half sheet into 24 x 24  then cut 2 of those down to 19.5

Bottom

This half will be cut into pieces 27in long and 25.5 in long

27 x 21      cut the sheet 27 x24 then cut the 24 to 21

25 1/2  x 19 1/5   same cut the length to 25.5 then reduce the 24 to 19.5

24x43 leftover

Sticks

(2)  2x2 verticals for the back
(1) 2x2 cross support & chamber separator

1x1 throughout for framing
top cuts side lower supports & guide 26in (2)
the rest just piece in as you go

This is a rough out build to get the fit and concepts identified. The next will incorporate 3d printed braces and angles
The total cost should be less than 40 and even less if you get creative