Using a filament-based 3D printer, you know that filament is vital. Not only do you need filament to create prints, but you also need to store it in a safe and moisture-free environment. It can be not easy, especially if you don’t have the space for a designated filament storage area. That’s where dry filament boxes come in! In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of using a filament dry box and how to choose the right one for your needs.
What Are Filament Dry Boxes?
Filament dry boxes are storage containers specifically designed to store filament. They come in various shapes and sizes, but all dry filament boxes have one thing in common: they protect the filament from moisture and humidity. It is essential because filament can quickly become damaged by exposure to moisture. The damaged filament can cause problems with your prints, including poor quality, warping, and even clogs.
Why Use A Filament Dry Box?
There are several reasons why you should use a dry filament box:
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Protection From Moisture And Humidity
As I mentioned earlier, exposure to moisture can damage filament. A filament dry box will help keep your filament safe and protected.
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Easy Access
Filament dry boxes often come with easy-access doors, so you can get to your filament without having to open the entire container.
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Space-Saving Design
Filament dry boxes are designed to be compact and efficient, so they don’t take too much space. It is significant for people who live in small apartments or dorm rooms! And if you don’t have room on your desk or workstation, most filament dry boxes also come with wall mounting brackets that allow them to be hung vertically from any flat surface (like a wall).
How Do I Choose A Suitable Filament Dry Box?
Few factors should be considered when choosing a filament dry box:
Size: What size filament spool do you need to store? If it’s a large filament spool, then select a filament dry box that will hold at least one or two filament spools in addition to the filament currently being used.
Color: What color filament are you using most often? A filament dry box can be made from any material and painted. So as long as your filament doesn’t react with whatever paint was used on its exterior surface (i.e., if plastic melts when exposed to heat), there shouldn’t be an issue here!
To What End Should I Be Concerned About The Filament?
It’s a reasonable and understandable inquiry. In the end, since it’s made of plastic, it shouldn’t be able to absorb any water. Although most thermoplastics used in 3D printing are hygroscopic, this does not prevent those from absorbing moisture from the air if they are not adequately covered. As a result, merely keeping your filaments out in the open might produce poor-quality prints.
Because of this, the following impacts on your filament aren’t particularly appealing. For example, these are some of the things that can happen to your filament once it absorbs moisture:
- Intensified fragility
- Deterioration of the filaments
- The expansion of the diameter
- Increasing the diameter of a circle
- Corrupted filament
- At the heated end of the filament, there is bubbling/hissing steam.
- Extrusion requires a higher temperature.
An engineer at RepRage and a 3D printer expert, Clinton Freeman, says that some filaments are worse for moisture absorption. Nylons can absorb 18 hours’ worth of water before showing any signs that they have been moistened. It is concerning because PVA (a standard support structure used afterward) could dissolve in a liquid state due to its chemical makeup. It would cause problems within our printers and other parts like hot ends OR even require replacement depending on severity.
Use Vacuum Bags Whenever Possible.
Humidity and moisture are the banes of all filaments. A costly plastic case will do nothing to protect your precious spool from unwanted influences like this, which is why you should purchase an anti-humidity box for storing it in. However, these can be expensive.
Suppose money isn’t something we’re worried about right now. In that case, there’s always a vacuum sealing bag – they keep everything away, including lightning strikes, so that no nasty things get stuck onto our favorite material either inside or outside its package.
Remember that they aren’t Ziploc bags (which you close at the top) since they don’t always get out all the moisture. Purchase bags with an opening for your vacuum cleaner to ensure that all life-saving oxygen is evacuated from the pack.
The Use Of Silica Gel Doesn’t End With Shoes.
You’re going to want these packs of silica gel if you are printing with PLA. They might come included when purchasing your new filaments. Still, I recommend holding onto them because, as mentioned above, this material absorbs water more than ABS or even richness plastic.
If you want to get serious with drying out your filament, then silica gel packs might be a better bet. These change color from yellow/orange (depending on ambient moisture) and can last for months without becoming saturated or evaporating into thin air! Place them inside sealable Ziploc bags; Tupperware containers–anything that won’t let air in—to keep things neat while they wait their turn behind glass windows during this process.
In the end, rice is not as effective at preventing your filament from drying out. It’s also quite challenging to find in stores and may be expensive if you buy it instead of using silica gel packs which will work just fine.
Make Use Of Your Filament Regularly.
It’s fantastic that filament comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Keeping too many and forgetting to use them all, or just not utilizing the ones you have, is not a good idea if the filament is left out in the open for an extended amount of time.
Keep in mind that storing filament for more than 12 months may result in moisture absorption, depending on the filament. The best thing is to acquire just what you need and utilize it within a few weeks/months.
Bonus Points:
- Instead of utilizing color-shifting desiccants to show humidity, litmus strips may be used to do so in a short amount of time.
- Always remember to remove your filament when you have completed printing.
- There’s always the option of 3D printing your spool holder to keep the filament safe from dampness.
- Create your own “dry box” using information from numerous online sources.
- Dehumidifiers are effective — plug it in overnight when it indicates “wet,” and you should be good to go the following day.
Concluding Thoughts
You can’t have a good 3D print job without using high-quality filament. But you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a high-quality filament. You can use the tips in this article to make your prints better, no matter what type of filament you use. Some of these tips might sound extreme, but they will help you save time, money, and tables from being flipped in frustration. Plus, you could always produce your filament whenever you need or want to. Just remember that your filament is precious.
You should always research the materials you want your prints made from before making the prints. That way, you will be prepared and know what to do. Thanks for reading!
