Exposed hotend wiring?
Made it through assembly and a couple of prints when I noticed that it looks like there are some exposed wires coming off my hotend.
Is this cause for alarm, or a usual part of the design? 
That's correct. They carry 24v so not too much hazard but there is a risk of shorting if you clean the hotend with metal tools.
I assume that insulation that will survive hotend temperatures is hard to arrange.
Cheerio,
RE: Exposed hotend wiring?
Thank you! I'll be careful when cleaning it then, and it's going to wind up in an enclosure so fewer chance encounters.
RE: Exposed hotend wiring?
Yeah, normal. Watch out using brass brushes while it's running. You will eventually have a bad day. Nylon brushes generally melt.
Once that connection is made in the heater it's usually solid if you zip tie well. The most likely time to mess it up is a failed print, cleaning with a brash brush, or having to remove the hotend to clean or unclog etc. Just make sure you don't twist it etc. when you have to.