How to preserve the filaments?
Hi, when I used the expensive Stratasys uPrint SE printer, I was told to store unopened and opened filaments properly to avoid humidity. Each filament came with some kind of (aluminium?) foil-like bag with a zipper to seal the filament. Do we need to do this kind of thing for Prusament filaments? What is the best way to store both unopened and opened filaments?
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
You need to keep ALL filaments in a zip bag with a bag of silica gel, not just Stratasys. Humidity acceptance is a problem of material, not of a company who makes the filament (some materials accept humidity more, some less...).
So get yourself a bunch of zip bages and some silica gel bags (if not already included with certain filament).
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
I use 1.5 gallon zip lock bags and large desiccant packets normally sold for large storage containers (to 50 gallon). Overkill, but they have been known to suck moisture out of spools of filament, and can be recharged. I use general purpose storage zip locks, and avoid anti-stat bags that have moisture absorbing coatings. Metal foil anti-stat is ok, some filament comes in them, but the ones with coatings, maybe not so good.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZZWGU4
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V3CHKA
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
I use a 12L lock & lock storage container where 4 or 5 rolls of filament will fit and a car dehumidifier bag inside to keep my filament stored and dry.
Also I purchased a cheap electric food dehydrator with thermostatic control (Oypla brand) which has removable tray inserts to allow filament to be dried as well as regenerate the silica gel in the car dehumidifier bags.
This works so well, I now have 4 of the lock & lock storage containers where I keep my open filaments.
The dehydrator is the main thing here and makes noticeable improvements to filaments I have left out and have absorbed moisture, the storage containers and silica gel keep the filament dry but will take a long time to reduce any moisture and even then, only seem to reduce the moisture around the outside of a reel of filament.
Normal people believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
I need to build the printer and sort out the filtration system before using the printer. I got six boxes of Prusament filaments (silver and Vanilla white). Do they come with any sort of moisture protection or just filament in a carton box? Is it recommended to just leave them in the box for the time being or as soon as possible take them out and use one of the above methods to protect them?
Is desiccant packet the same as a package of silica gel?
This is for home use.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
I need to build the printer and sort out the filtration system before using the printer. I got six boxes of Prusament filaments (silver and Vanilla white). Do they come with any sort of moisture protection or just filament in a carton box? Is it recommended to just leave them in the box for the time being or as soon as possible take them out and use one of the above methods to protect them?
Is desiccant packet the same as a package of silica gel?
This is for home use.
Pretty much every filament that I've ever purchased (except for one spool of a promotional color of NinjaFlex) comes with the spool sealed in a vacuum bag with a desiccant pack inside. IMHO, when packed for ship the filaments are protected better from humidity than what most of us can do at home. My advise is to leave the spools sealed until you are ready to print from them. After that, use your personal storage methods. Some use bins, personally I use resealable bags with desiccant (I've just converted all my desiccant from silica gel to zeolite molecular sieve, still pending results to see if it was worth it) and put them back in their original packing box, then store on a bookshelf. I print out a small sample object and tape it to the outside of the box. This allows me to easily identify different brands, and see a sample of the color inside the box.
As far as resealable bags are concerned, Prusament are one of the few filament producers that ship in a resealable bag. Don't poke the bag open and tear it open from the hub, you will ruin a nice thick and sturdy resealable bag that came for free with your filament. 😉
See my (limited) designs on:
Printables - https://www.printables.com/@Sembazuru
Thingiverse - https://www.thingiverse.com/Sembazuru/designs
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
As I was building my MK3/S kit, I encountered a calcium chloride desiccant bag - and promptly disposed of it as shipping material.
Today I realized that might have been included for a reason. Fished through the trash and retrieved the slightly damp bag.
Shook off the coffee grounds and popped it in the oven to warm for a bit.
So - is this thing worth saving for filament? Was that what Prusa intended?
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
As I was building my MK3/S kit, I encountered a calcium chloride desiccant bag - and promptly disposed of it as shipping material.
Today I realized that might have been included for a reason. Fished through the trash and retrieved the slightly damp bag.
Shook off the coffee grounds and popped it in the oven to warm for a bit.
So - is this thing worth saving for filament? Was that what Prusa intended?
Probably not. Each spool of filament already has it's own desiccant bag. The one you tossed was probably intended to keep what ever it was packed with dry. Any use after that is just gravy.
See my (limited) designs on:
Printables - https://www.printables.com/@Sembazuru
Thingiverse - https://www.thingiverse.com/Sembazuru/designs
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
Gourmia GFD1950 has replaced my former PrintDry filament dryer. It is effective and lets me re-dry up to 10 spools simultaneously. The PrintDry could only dry two spools at a time and cost more.
Any spool that has been used goes back through a drying cycle before storage. I store in zip locks each with multiple indicator silica packs.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
Guy, how do you dry 10 spools in that Gourmia? It doesn't look anywhere near large enough for that.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
It's a bit larger than one expects based on specs. Not putting spools on holders about doubles the effective volume. I just place them standing up. The floor of the unit has some ribs that help keep spools from rolling around.
Two rows of 4 spools across and two spools in front. They stack well enough to just make it but still leave space for circulation and a bunch of silicon packs on the bottom being regenerated.
At ten spools at a time, I can go through and periodically re-dry my entire filament collection in a couple days.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
As you can see, it is almost the size of a Prusa. It's at bottom right of pict.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
Thanks!
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
Pictures being easy to convey ideas... now, will someone tell me what color that desiccant chip is showing? lmao.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
The card says to read between pink and blue dots. The cards I have include five dots making it easier. I would say that you're somewhere in the 20% range, which is ok.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
The card says to read between pink and blue dots. The cards I have include five dots making it easier. I would say that you're somewhere in the 20% range, which is ok.
Thanks - I was being a bit sarcastic with the post. Being colorblind (color deficient, really) I often have issues with products that depend on users being perfect color normals. The design philosophy that 12% of American men are excluded from using such things as intended just seems like a bad idea.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
As you can see, it is almost the size of a Prusa. It's at bottom right of pict.
What kind of nice enclosure is that?
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
Just some three levels tall LACK enclosures. Only significant mods on mine are larger cable outlet channels and I stabilize the non-liftable joints with 6 inch corner braces. Other than that, just plain generation 1 LACK design.
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
The card says to read between pink and blue dots. The cards I have include five dots making it easier. I would say that you're somewhere in the 20% range, which is ok.
Thanks - I was being a bit sarcastic with the post. Being colorblind (color deficient, really) I often have issues with products that depend on users being perfect color normals. The design philosophy that 12% of American men are excluded from using such things as intended just seems like a bad idea.
Now you need a camera for each spool and a stream back to your computer so you can colour pick the tab with pixelmator 🙂
i3 Mk3 [aug 2018] upgrade>>> i3MK3/S+[Dec 2023]
RE: How to preserve the filaments?
Amazon is selling a dehydrator similar to mine for $80 today
No more excuses for not having a filament dryer.
Of course, one goes on sale after I don't need another.