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So it seems like a terrible waste to just let a nearly-empty spool just sit and gather dust - there must be a good way to use it up, right?

I've done some googling and people have found basically two "easy" approaches to combining the end of one spool with the beginning of another.

The first method involves wrapping the two ends of filament in foil and heating it. "Supposedly" that will create a pretty clean joint and I admit I got it to work once, but that was after about 20 tries, and I haven't been able to duplicate that success a second time.

The second method I found was a set of instructions on how to create your own aluminum heater block with various channels drilled through it. That's a bit more involved than I was hoping...

Is there a better way that would preferably use materials that I, a non-machinist, might already have lying around the house?

3rd way,

get a filastruder and just chop the filament into pellets and re-extrude into a new roll

Firstly, being a frustrated machinist with tools, I want to make up a semi-automatic splicer (in addition to curing world hunger). But until I work out those details, I have learned to manually splice filament using a small butane torch.

I light the torch and stand it on end. I then take the ends of two filaments and hold them close to the flame to soften just the tips of the ends. The ends are then removed from the flame and pushed together to form a flange or ring. This is difficult at first and is usually caused by softening too much length of the filament. With a little practice and quick work only the ends are heated and when the ring is formed around the filament it is square to the axis and uniform. If not square and uniform the centerlines of the two filaments are misaligned and you should start over. After allowing the ring to cool, I snip it off the ring using a set of flush cutting end nippers and lightly sand using an emery board. I then wind the smaller of the two spools material onto the other spool.

I have also spliced the filament on the fly as a spool on the printer is running out. Just spool off the empting spool on the floor and splice to the new spool. Then respool the pile of material winding it on the new spool, hang it and go get a cool drink of your choosing.

I have done a similar procedure with a soldering iron.

Take a peek at this little gadget:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:9850

g.

bubba - that is my favorite option! I will probably do that some day.

watchman - that seems to be the best short-term solution. Thanks for the details, I'll give it a shot.

teoman - soldering iron crossed my mind, but I was worried about solder contaminating the filament. Do you find that is not an issue?

gene - that was the gadget I had found earlier. Seems like it would do the trick well, but I'd have to build it, which I'm not brave enough to do... Hmm, maybe SeeMe should sell a kit for it!

I used a clean soldering iron. I have only done it once. Now i just have a look and if it seems as if the spool will be insufficient, i replace the spool.