Filament Enclosure

[dpmacri]

Just saw this: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/116 ... torage-sol

Honestly, $50 seems a bit expensive for a plastic box But the idea is simple enough -- I might just make my own

[lordbinky]

I am not exactly a delicate person, and I don't rip up zip-lock bags at such a high rate that it is an issue. Even then when I do, I notice it when I do it. And is it really that difficult to leave one corner unsealed, squeeze out the air and finish the seal? Or do the inflate them with humid breath and expect it stay dry ? This seemed more like a solution in search of a problem. It looks nice and all, but it isn't actively drying the filament, and my filament often improves from a drying step right out of the package before use so I'm not gaining anything by skipping the drying process. Good luck to them anyways though

[626Pilot]

McMaster -
Molecular sieve dessicant, 1 ounce: $11.82
UN-compliant plastic shipping pail: $10.89
Lid: $4.24

Amazon -
AcuRite 613 Indoor Humidity Monitor: $9.98

My contraption will hold a lot more filament and I can install a light bulb to make it dry more thoroughly if I want. It also comes to about $40 including the humidity monitor. Making me keep the filament in a case during printing would be annoying because some of my spools (looking at you, SainSmart) are wound badly and will foul up on themselves if I don't untangle them.

Overall, $50 for some milled acrylic and a few fasteners doesn't seem as good as using a big pail with active dehumidification.

[geneb]

Has anyone tried just dumping a few pounds of rice into a 5 gallon bucket, throwing the filament in and then closing the lid?
Give it a few days...and ?

g.

[Jimustanguitar]

Ricetock Max?

[bvandiepenbos]

rice just might work.
good idea.

[cope413]

I've tried rice. It does work, though it doesn't keep the Rh% as low as good desiccant. My rice bucket hovered around 15% and my desiccant bucket got to 5-7%.

[dpmacri]

I've tried rice. It does work, though it doesn't keep the Rh% as low as good desiccant. My rice bucket hovered around 15% and my desiccant bucket got to 5-7%.

Is there a noticeable quality difference when printing filament that was at 15% vs. 5% Rh?

[cope413]

Yes, but it's not major, though it depends on the level of your filament to begin with. Saturated filament left in 15% Rh for a week or so won't dry enough to print cleanly.

If you have dry filament to begin with, 15% is adequate to keep it dry.

[626Pilot]

I've tried rice. It does work, though it doesn't keep the Rh% as low as good desiccant. My rice bucket hovered around 15% and my desiccant bucket got to 5-7%.

Mine is 15% after 24 hours with some molecular sieve dessicant. Ambient is 25%. Is it going to go lower or do I need a bulb?

[cope413]

You should be able to get below 10% without a bulb with the mol sieve...

How big is your bucket? 5 Gallons?

What's the ambient temp?

[626Pilot]

It's five gallons, temp is around 72 in here year round. I loaded up some filament that was in there which simply would not print, and now it does, so I think it's working pretty well.

[cope413]

Yeah, I would bet you'll drop down after another 24-48 hours. If you keep it sealed, you should be able to get it down to around 10%.

[predawnsky]

i like the idea, has anyone used old ammo cans they tend to be cheaper and some are plastic as well