Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
So per the title I'd like to make a single-spool drybox. I have one I made that holds six filaments from a giant ziplock bin, but the way it's set up on the middle table of a 3 lack stack is somewhat annoying to service.
There are naturally a wealth of ready-made food storage containers that are airtight out there - but even with dimensions it's not easy to gauge how well a spool will fit due to sloped sides, etc.
I'm curious what other folks have found for airtight containers that fit most of their spools well. Ideally something wide enough to fit Vincet's auto-rewind mechanism. Bonus points if it's cheap enough (e.g. under $10) so I could potentially replace my mega-bin with individual ones for easier change-outs of a single spool.
Best Answer by vintagepc:
You have fortuitous timing 😛
I actually *just* finished doing the writeup and whatnot when I got an email notification of your reply.
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/22023-auto-rewind-sistema-5l-drybox
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Well... I toss spools in a 2 gallon ziploc bag with a fresh packet of deisccant and stick it back in the manufacturer's box. Wouldn't that do what you want?
and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Not really, I'm looking for something I can leave attached to the printer for some length of time and actually run a PTFE tube into for things like flex/soluble.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
I use a Rubbermaid 22 cup container and this rewinder mod:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3697106
along with this desiccant holder:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3713880
to hold the rechargeable desiccant I purchased from here:
https://www.amazon.com/Hydrosorbent-OSG-40-Dehumidifier-Desiccant-Chloride/dp/B0037Z8K3E/
You will need some long bolts with a bunch of nuts to provide the counterweight for the gravity fed rewinder, and you have to play around with how much weight is needed for a full spool, but once set you should be good. Also, I no longer have the link, but I used a PC4-M10 screw connection from Thingiverse on the front of the container so I could use a PC4-M10 pass through connector and slide the tubing through it into the container, making it all but air-tight. I am happy with it.
EDIT: I went through all this trouble for the same reason you want to do it...water soluble filament for supports.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Are you talking about this style? I never really looked at those because the narrowing part of it seems too narrow for the spool.
Could work, maybe less than ideal because I already have a set of spring auto-rewinders.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
I use a airtight container with a hygrometer, silica gel and an adapter, which gives me a clear view, see attachment. If needed, i can put the adapter online on thingiverse ..
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00BUKKBTO/
https://www.amazon.com/Round-2-5ltr-Container-Lock/dp/B00BUKKBTO/
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B071DDYFNS/
https://www.ebay.de/itm/312417882338
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Maybe something like this?
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Maybe something like this?
Yes, except the container in question seems to have been out of stock for some time. I suspect that is the container type CyberSarge was referring to.
I use a airtight container with a hygrometer, silica gel and an adapter, which gives me a clear view, see attachment. If needed, i can put the adapter online on thingiverse ..
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00BUKKBTO/
https://www.amazon.com/Round-2-5ltr-Container-Lock/dp/B00BUKKBTO/
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B071DDYFNS/
https://www.ebay.de/itm/312417882338
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately $30 for one container is somewhat more than I'm looking to spend. At that price I'd rather spend the money on a roll of filament and just print one of those printable dryboxes.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Update - may have found something after stumbling on the right combo of keywords on Amazon, for $8. Will order and post back if it works out.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
These seem like their similar enough
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWDTZB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LJcqEbNCA3HT 2" target="true">Rubbermaid 1776473 Racer Red 21 Cup Dry Food Storage Containers - Quantity 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWDTZB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LJcqEbNCA3HT2
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
These seem like their similar enough
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWDTZB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LJcqEbNCA3HT 2" target="true">Rubbermaid 1776473 Racer Red 21 Cup Dry Food Storage Containers - Quantity 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWDTZB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LJcqEbNCA3HT2
Yep, those are the type of containers I use. That one with the hand hold cutout would be too narrow there and it would brush against the sides, which would make it useless.
You can buy them in sets of 4 as well.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
I thought something like this to fit over a printed base with rollers included, but at £20, a bit steep.
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: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
The container I bought arrived today. It does not fit the normal auto-rewinder out of the box, but I think it will with a few minor modifications. Seems to be just the perfect size for a spool!
Stay tuned, will post any modified parts and an update when I get to that point.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Any update? 😀
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: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
You have fortuitous timing 😛
I actually *just* finished doing the writeup and whatnot when I got an email notification of your reply.
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/22023-auto-rewind-sistema-5l-drybox
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
Good idea, I am building a LACK enclosure and thought about something similar as a mount on the side of the enclosure.
I don't quite get the reason people bother with the air line fittings for their tubes, an interference fit works perfectly and I have never had a join come apart and if it does eventually wear a little, just print a new one.
The air line fittings have sharp teeth to hold the air line in under pressure, these damage the tube, and after repeated re connections, the tube is damaged, in 3D printing, we don't experience these sort of forces trying to pop the air line out.
Just print a thin 8 to 9 mm dia 12 to 15mm high round part, with a 4mm or 4,2/3 dia hole with a shoulder about 9mm down and give it a try, you may have to play with values to suit your particular airline and give it some bevels to make it easier for the tube to be inserted, but you will find it holds tightly.
This is exactly what I use for my reverse bowden setup which makes it easy to unload filament as I simply pull the tube up to expose the filament when unload it, loading is push it through the tube till it sticks out the end, put the filament in the top of the extruder until it starts to get drawn in and slide the tube back into the top hat, no need to tug or press release rings etc.
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: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
At least in my case:
- because there's an internal o-ring for additional sealing,
-I use 3mm ID tubing to feed from the spools to the MMU. The walls don't have the rigidity to survive a friction fit very long and need positive retention
- I don't use the kind that has a step and stops the PTFE. Mine allow the PTFE to pass all the way through to minimize junctions as possible jam points.
Certainly with an MMU better to know it's secure than risk having it pop out during a print, given how finicky it can be.
For everyone else? Probably convenience and knowing it'll fit in one shot without needing to mess with prints and print tolerances.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
I didn't know that there were air fittings like this that have a path for tube straight through!.
Yes, with an mmu, secure is better.
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: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
They're a little harder to find here in the US, but pretty cheap if you don't mind the wait on the slow boat from China. And they're M6, not the stupid fat M10s everyone has glommed onto that tend to add bulk to whatever you add them to. The keyword is indeed "passthrough" when searching, often they'll be pretty visible in the picture as such.
I'm not 100% certain, but I *think* the colouring may be an indication - e.g. blue fitting, non passthrough, black = passthrough. At least, I've never observed a blue passthrough and a black non-passthrough while price hunting for these.
RE: Looking for a single-spool drybox... What cheap ready-made containers have you found?
My experience with air fittings is that the colour is due to the brand, SMC = Blue Norgren = Black, Chinese knockoffs, anything, red, blue black green etc.
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.