Best storage for filaments
I have been storing my filament spools in the ziploc bags with desiccant as provided when I bought them...but sometimes I can't get the seal right on the bag and a few days later my filament is too "wet". I found a good solution: I bought several 2 gallon (8 litre) buckets with gamma seal lids ( search for "gamma seal lids" from your local industrial supplier and you should find it). The lids have 2 large o-ring seals, and mount to the buckets with one o-ring, and include a screw-on large cover that tightens on with another rubber o-ring. The assembly of bucket plus lid is air tight and holds, almost perfectly, 3 1kg spools of filament. Throw in your desiccant pacs and tighten the lid and you have easy, space-efficient, dry, storage for your spools. I love it.
RE: Best storage for filaments
I've never heard of filament going 'too wet' in only a few days. What's your relative humidity like?
I have basically two categories of filament. First is those I use regularly and use up regularly, meaning several weeks to a couple of months. For those, I keep them out on the spool rack above the printer, and I have not noticed any difference between a new spool and one that's been out a couple of months. The RH in the home office is typically in the low 30 percent range.
For those filaments I don't use regularly and want to keep dry, I have two, soon to be three, dry storage boxes made out of generic Home Depot storage tubs. Each one has an el-cheapo humidity gauge (roughly US$10-ish) and four of the silica gel dry packs. When the internal humidity starts creeping up to the high 20 percents I take the dry-packs and bake them in a warm oven. I do not open these often, only to remove/replace spools that I use only occasionally, as each opening introduces room air into them, out of which the dry-packs have to suck moisture.
That's the way I do it, others do it different ways.
RE: Best storage for filaments
@jsw
I guess I was imprecise with my time estimates. My Ziploc bag was unzipped for about 2 weeks, not a few days, for the filament I had trouble with:after that time I heard distinct popping upon extrusion and adhesion troubles. You wondered about RH and I should explain that I am at my summer lake property where RH is anywhere from 60 to 95% inside our unconditioned house. Under these conditions I think the moisture did affect my filament;maybe my tubs and lids solution will be overkill when I return to my airconditioned/dry city home?
RE: Best storage for filaments
[...] Under these conditions I think the moisture did affect my filament;maybe my tubs and lids solution will be overkill when I return to my airconditioned/dry city home?
There's no such thing as too dry. If you've got room for the buckets, it's a great solution for longer-term storage. I've had PLA get very stringy in a matter of days under the right conditions. Just keep a good inventory of what's in what container so you don't end up with duplicates.
RE: Best storage for filaments
I have used large containers and smaller ones. I am more partial to single role storage. I like the PrintDry Spool Containers or the Rubbermaid 21 cup Containers.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Best storage for filaments
@bobstro
That is what I did last weekend - an inventory list - there comes the point you loose control of what filaments do I own (and where they are).
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: Best storage for filaments
@clemens-m
Isn't that the truth. I have too much filament.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Best storage for filaments
@charles-h13
You're probably right about single spool storage but unfortunately I couldn't find an easy or low cost supplier of your recommendations in Canada and the three-spool tub approach was only C$12 (US$9) or C$4/spool. Can't beat that anywhere.
RE: Best storage for filaments
Isn't that the truth. I have too much filament.
I'm getting quite the collection too. I am making a third drybox in which to store a number of 1/4 to 3/4 spools left over, mostly in oddball colors such as 'Castle Limestone Gray' and 'Primordial Earth' and a few solid colors such as blue and yellow and others. It seems like I use up the blacks, whites and neutral gray (and the Prusa-equivalent silver-gray) regularly but I have quite a bit of left-overs. I've also barely touched that Amazon Basics sample pack (originally 20-some colors, IIRC), which I spooled on smaller spools and which fills the better part of one of the dryboxes.
RE: Best storage for filaments
@charles-h13
I would say it is the same with the number of printers - I own 3 and 1 would be enough to fulfill all my needs. Maybe that is the problem with a hobby - you don´t need all these things, but you want all of them.
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: Best storage for filaments
@clemens-m
If you run Octoprint, there's a new plug SpoolManager that might help.
RE: Best storage for filaments
@towlerg
It is ok. It is not as feature rich as the old filament manager. My son has it running and I use a central database to manage my spools. I am Not certain that spool manager can do that with multiple printers and PIs.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Best storage for filaments
@charles-h13
Exactly my problem 👍
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: Best storage for filaments
@clemens-m
Do you think there is interest in the filament manager plugin continuing. I can talk to him about maintaining it. He is a professional programmer.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Best storage for filaments
@charles-h13
It would be a nice feature to have somewhere a database, which could be used from two ore more octoprint instances to track filament consumption on a specific spool and to know how much material is left. I would like to have something like that, but I am not able to do that.
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: Best storage for filaments
@clemens-m
I will discuss it with him tonight/.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Best storage for filaments
@charles-h13
I am very interested in your feedback!
best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)