Not many people know this but many 3D printing filaments have a "shelf life". Sort of like food, it is important to keep filaments dry.
https://youtu.be/x9VLcrPzQ2w
Filament Dry Box - 3D Printer
https://youtu.be/x9VLcrPzQ2w
For certain filaments like nylon it is absolutely crucial that it is kept dry. Otherwise the filament will absorb water in the air and begin popping when printing. It is good practice to keep all your filament dry, which will help to extend its shelf life. For other filaments like PLA, PET, and ABS it isn't super critical that it be kept dry but it does prolong its life. There's a reason why they ship you filament in a vacuum sealed bag with desiccant in it.
Plus keeping everything in one place is nice for organization. Once you get more that 2 or 3 rolls of filament, it's nice to have it all in one place, rather than one roll on the floor and one in the closet...
I have about 8 rolls of filament, not a ton, but i needed something like a plastic tote to fit them all. So that's where i started. You need to use a tote with a lockable lid and one that has rounded over edges to provide a large surface to be sealed. Also it's nice if the tote is clear, that way you can see what you have in there. Those totes with the double hinged lid's won't work because they cannot be locked air tight.
The good thing about this is that it doesn't cost anything, as long as you have an extra tote lying around.
To make the tote air tight i sealed up the drain holes under the handles and the rim with silicone caulk.
You can't use the super cheap caulk that is only like 10% silicone because it will harden.
You want to make a pliable "gasket" that will move and deform to fit tightly on the lid.
There's a $6 tube of caulk that's 100% silicone, but i use the cheaper stuff. It goes on white but drys clear.
I put all the little desiccant bags in the bottom of the tote. And it's also a good idea to keep the rolls in their plastic bags for another layer of protection.
There's not much too it, but it's nice to know you can store your filament for a longer time this way, and even better knowing it's all in one place.
I also made a dry box for when the filament is connected to the printer. This can hold multiple rolls on a PVC pipe, but i typically only put 1 roll in there. More info about this and the enclosure in another blog post.
http://davewirth.blogspot.com/2017/04/enclosure-for-3d-printer-cheap-and-easy.html
Plus keeping everything in one place is nice for organization. Once you get more that 2 or 3 rolls of filament, it's nice to have it all in one place, rather than one roll on the floor and one in the closet...
I have about 8 rolls of filament, not a ton, but i needed something like a plastic tote to fit them all. So that's where i started. You need to use a tote with a lockable lid and one that has rounded over edges to provide a large surface to be sealed. Also it's nice if the tote is clear, that way you can see what you have in there. Those totes with the double hinged lid's won't work because they cannot be locked air tight.
The good thing about this is that it doesn't cost anything, as long as you have an extra tote lying around.
You can't use the super cheap caulk that is only like 10% silicone because it will harden.
You want to make a pliable "gasket" that will move and deform to fit tightly on the lid.
There's a $6 tube of caulk that's 100% silicone, but i use the cheaper stuff. It goes on white but drys clear.
I put all the little desiccant bags in the bottom of the tote. And it's also a good idea to keep the rolls in their plastic bags for another layer of protection.
There's not much too it, but it's nice to know you can store your filament for a longer time this way, and even better knowing it's all in one place.
I also made a dry box for when the filament is connected to the printer. This can hold multiple rolls on a PVC pipe, but i typically only put 1 roll in there. More info about this and the enclosure in another blog post.
http://davewirth.blogspot.com/2017/04/enclosure-for-3d-printer-cheap-and-easy.html
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