Pls. help with parts for Solidoodle2

Upgrade the hot end to an e3d v6. You can run any material you want that way and it also produces a much better print because it's just simply more accurate.

trash it. Just buy the e3d v6 hotend from http://www.filastruder.com/ and you wont have that hassle anymore. You cant really run PLA on that stock hot end you have and its not that accurate. The acrylic is cheap and a pain in the butt. Also wood should never be put on one of these.

I agree that the E3D hot end is a good upgrade if you want to print a variety of materials, and because it has a larger nozzle than the original hot end (.40mm vs .35mm), it is less prone to clogging, especially with PLA.  The fact that it can be run hotter than the standard hot end is what allows for the use of more exotic materials (nylon, Laywood, metallic infused filaments, etc).

What statement I do have a problem with is that the E3D "is just simply more accurate".

Exactly how is it more accurate?  What accuracy parameters are you referring to? 

Whatever accuracy (or lack thereof) we see in our models is hardly related to the hot end.  The hot end has one simple job, heat up the filament, and let it flow through it's nozzle, that's it.  There's no "accuracy" involved in that job.

I think what he means is that the thermistor is different (smaller and more precise) and is located where the filament is being melted rather than where it is being dispensed from (thus the heater works harder to travel through more matter).
So yes, it is more accurate in that sense.

Laywood, bronzefill, laybrick, etc, will require something like an E3D for either higher heat (metal hotend over plastic hotend) or the ability to swap different nozzles for expansion. As an example, the only reviews I have read for something like laybrick massively recommends a larger nozzle. (too lazy to find it at the moment)
Of course, of the nozzle is clear on and type of hotend, then yes, it will be as "accurate".

Either way, E3D is the tops when printing PLA and exotics...though stock is "possible".

Actually because of the much shorter distance of the melt zone in an E3d it would be fair to say it is more accurate.
A peek hot end has a long melt zone and therefor when the extruder pushes filament into that long melt zone it is pushing into a pool of melted plastic.  Now it is easy to argue that what goes in must come out.  True but lets factor in ooze and expansion or even contraction of the plastic as the temps fluctuate based on the amount of filament moving through the melt zone.
With an E3d because the melt zone is such a short distance and the fact that the thermistor is measuring the heat closer to the actual molten filament, we can control the heat fluctuations more accurately.  The E3d also creates less ooze because of the shorter melt zone as there is less molten plastic to expand.
Forget about anything stated above and look for proof.  I have never upgraded from a PEEK style hot end to an E3d where after the update where Moire Wasn't more pronounced.  This is because the hot end more accurately produces filament out of the nozzle.  The pulses of the 1/16 stepper have a larger effect on the output whereas a Peek creates a sort of buffer between the motor and the nozzle.

I have had SD3's with stock hot ends that have produce no noticeable Moire until after the upgrade to the E3d.  Of course most of that can then be eliminated with proper VREF calibration or switching to 1/32 drivers.

Based on solid science and absolute repeatable results I think we would have no choice but to conclude that the E3d is simply more accurate than the stock hot end.

Actually that can be the case.  It needs more attention in the area of calibration.  The PEEK hot ends can mask certain calibration issues.  But those issues exist and if you take the time to address them and calibrate properly you'll find that the quality of the E3d's output simply can't be matched.  That along with the flexibility to extrude many different types of filament and the fact that it is near impossible to clog, you  can't beat an E3d.

No, the only thing you need to do is re-upload the firmware without the temperature limit.  When assembling the E3D you need to heat it up to 300C, and the stock firmware limits the hot end temperature to keep from melting the PEEK.  His printer is old enough to have the Sanguinololu which is much easier to flash than the Printrboard.