Storing Filament

[johnkattenhorn]

Hi,

Sort of a newbie question, I've read that the filament (PLA, ABS) absorbs moisture so when I change the filament I was put it back in a bag with a silica sachet.

I'm wondering about the filament rolls I leave on the machine sometime for a week at a time. Would they be ok ? Should I be removing them once I shut the machine down since I use it lightly.

Thanks

John

[Michael.P@Raise3D]

I would say that it depends on the climate you are in, here in Santa Clara we get an average of 50% humidity. This means that in our office we tend to bag everything if we are not about to use the machine for the weekend or something on that time frame. If you are not sure about it I would just say to stay on the safe side and bag up the filament.

There are some really nice clear plastic bins you can get from department stores that seal up tight and can make storage of filament easy if you have a moderate amount.

-Michael

[johnkattenhorn]

Thanks Michael,

Makes sense, I think I'll unload the machine if I know I'm not going to use it for more than a day or so. Out of interest what are the symptoms of filament which has absorbed too much moisture, what happens to it ? Go brittle ?

All the best

John

[Michael.P@Raise3D]

Filament that has absorbed moisture can have a number of issues, the short list:

-Stringiness
-Bubbles in prints
-Clogging barrels
-Filament diameter increase (see issue 3)
-Brittle parts

The list of issues is larger then what I have stated but these are the ones that come to mind.

[Matthew Lozano]

Also brittle filament:D

I made the mistake of re spooling from a small to a larger spool to fit my N2, the filament near the center where it was tightly wound exploded over night, as you see in the photo above. I had to remove about half of what was left off the spool before I got too some that would remain intact. It still snaps if left in the printer for a day or so but prints fine.

[johnkattenhorn]

So my take home message is then, look after your filament

[walshlg]

2 gallon zip bags help

[xygote]

I use these Sterilite boxes from Target http://www.target.com/p/sterilite-air-tight-storage-tote-transparent-with-aquarium-blue-latch-20qt/-/A-15066036?lnk=abtest_searchpdp_2. They hold 4 rolls and they do have a bit of wasted space, but what do you expect for 7 bucks.

Also put these desiccant packs in with my rolls https://www.amazon.com/Hydrosorbent-OSG-40-Dehumidifier-Desiccant-Chloride/dp/B015OT106O/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1469202405&sr=8-10&keywords=desiccant.

[rlballard]

This is my way of managing filament:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=588&start=20#p6192

Here is an earlier link:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=602&hilit=container#p5768
BB...

[Zettlinger]

i store my left over rolls in this kind of solution:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:743280

Only thing i added were the clips to close the samla box and i added a layer of silica gel at the bottom (the color changing one orange > green )

[michaelhauser]

I use pickle buckets with the tops replaced with the screw-on ones they sell at Home Depot and some bulk floral desiccant in a perforated tube (e.g., http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:571505).