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+--- Thread: Drying Filament (/thread-4340.html)
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Drying Filament - EdK - 08-09-2021
Anyway to dry PLA filament without a dedicated filament dryer? The humidity in my place has been around 50% all summer so I haven't been able to print anything. I want to print some stuff but don't want to invest in a dryer which takes up room. Living in a mobile home restricts the amount of "stuff" I can accumulate.
Ed
RE: Drying Filament - arvidj - 08-09-2021
YouTube is your friend. You will find lots of info from desiccant to oven to dehydrator to vacuum chamber to ...
Here is one to get you started ... https://www.cnckitchen.com/blog/cyo43tzz88uqge65xgwz0wv8yvv3rs ... that I liked because ti seemed to be objective rather than subjective.
The silica along with the filament in a large ziplock bag (some of my spools will just barely fit into a 1 gallon ziplock but other require the 2 gallon bag) might be what you are looking for as you need to store the filament anyway so no additional space.
I did some research related to "how to keep it dry once I get it dry" (I bought a dehydrator but I have more room than you do) and found I can get silica in bulk and bags to put it in relatively cheaply. Then it was simply "regen it in the oven at 250 for an hour or so" to dry the silica out ... just like I do with the silica that is in the dryer in my air compressor lines.
RE: Drying Filament - EdK - 08-09-2021
Where do you get the silica and bags from?
Ed
RE: Drying Filament - arvidj - 08-09-2021
I admit to taking the easy way out (i.e did not look for the absolute best deal on the internet)
Amazon searches for ... rechargeable silica beads, then organza bags, and finally humidity indicator card.
You may want to google "indicating rechargeable silica beads" and decide what color you want ... or no color at all. There may be issues with toxicity if you are into that type of thing.
RE: Drying Filament - Vinny - 08-09-2021
Have you considered using ABS?
RE: Drying Filament - EdK - 08-09-2021
(08-09-2021, 09:14 PM)Vinny Wrote: Have you considered using ABS?
Doesn't that require an enclosure with fume extraction equipment?
Is it more tolerant to moisture?
Plus I have about of dozen rolls of PLA that I'd like to use.
Ed
RE: Drying Filament - Vinny - 08-10-2021
I was worried about the fumes from what everyone was saying so I built a hood over my printer, put in a fan and ductwork, etc. Had to print something before it was finished so I printed it anyway. No fumes. No stink. So I tore all that crap down. I never gave the humidity a thought all the time I printed with ABS, don't put it in any special storage, etc.
RE: Drying Filament - Dr Stan - 08-17-2021
One can also use the crystal type of cat litter as a desiccant.
RE: Drying Filament - rleete - 08-18-2021
A warm oven will dry filament just as well as a dedicated dryer. Lots of YouTube videos to guide you.
I keep my filament in these: IRIS USA UCB-SS Weathertight Storage Box, 19 Quart, Clear which I found at multiple places like Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc. I throw in whatever desiccant packs I can find. No problems with moisture at all.
RE: Drying Filament - arvidj - 08-18-2021
(08-18-2021, 06:08 AM)rleete Wrote: A warm oven will dry filament just as well as a dedicated dryer. Lots of YouTube videos to guide you.
Technically - yes
SWMBO - no