Garden Railway Forum

Living in a high humidity climate I am having trouble with my PLA+ absorbing water and causing problems mostly stringing and blobs with the occasional breakage due to it going brittle.
At the moment I am using vacuum bags with silica get to store the filament and taking it out to do a print but it is a bit of a pain to take the filament out after I finish printing.
Talking to a couple of blokes at a gaming store (they 3D print their Warhammer scenery for the games they run) about the problem and they suggested using a dry box because while printing the PLA can absorb water and ruin a print.
I looked at some dry boxes on line but none of them fitted my situation, (lack of power points).

While searching the net for DIY solutions I found a couple but this one stood out as it will fit on a shelf right above the printers and doesn't require power. It is now a WIP to be built once I get the parts.

https://www.printables.com/@CAD_Dude_24 ... ons/494369

https://thangs.com/designer/marsgizmo/3 ... 20V3-12690

Found another that looks even better uses a dehumidifier box the same as put into cupboards or rooms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsYR6t ... RickyImpey

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 4:36 am
While searching the net for DIY solutions I found a couple but this one stood out as it will fit on a shelf right above the printers and doesn't require power. It is now a WIP to be built once I get the parts.

https://www.printables.com/@CAD_Dude_24 ... ons/494369

https://thangs.com/designer/marsgizmo/3 ... 20V3-12690

That looks very interesting Graeme.
Please let us know how you get on once you have all the parts.

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 6:00 am

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 4:36 am
While searching the net for DIY solutions I found a couple but this one stood out as it will fit on a shelf right above the printers and doesn't require power. It is now a WIP to be built once I get the parts.

https://www.printables.com/@CAD_Dude_24 ... ons/494369

https://thangs.com/designer/marsgizmo/3 ... 20V3-12690

That looks very interesting Graeme.
Please let us know how you get on once you have all the parts.

I updated my original post to add this one that looks very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsYR6t ... RickyImpey

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 7:58 am
I updated my original post to add this one that looks very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsYR6t ... RickyImpey

You must have done your update whilst I was watching the video from the original!

I agree this latest one you've found does look quick and simple and relatively cheap to make. It's a good idea to simply put the reel in and seal it and leave it closed until it's all used up, rather than keep opening it - I assume you've seen his subsequent rewind mod?
I've never found humidity to be a real problem here, but for you I can fully understand the need.

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:23 am

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 7:58 am
I updated my original post to add this one that looks very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsYR6t ... RickyImpey

You must have done your update whilst I was watching the video from the original!

I agree this latest one you've found does look quick and simple and relatively cheap to make. It's a good idea to simply put the reel in and seal it and leave it closed until it's all used up, rather than keep opening it - I assume you've seen his subsequent rewind mod?
I've never found humidity to be a real problem here, but for you I can fully understand the need.

No I missed the rewind mod that looks interesting.

The more I watch his videos the more interested I get.

I know you have a lack of power, but you honestly can't beat a heated box, I use one on each of my printers, it just works It even weighs the reel so you know exactly how much is left, a bit gimmicky I know.

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:23 am

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 7:58 am
I updated my original post to add this one that looks very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsYR6t ... RickyImpey

You must have done your update whilst I was watching the video from the original!

I agree this latest one you've found does look quick and simple and relatively cheap to make. It's a good idea to simply put the reel in and seal it and leave it closed until it's all used up, rather than keep opening it - I assume you've seen his subsequent rewind mod?
I've never found humidity to be a real problem here, but for you I can fully understand the need.

I am starting to gather the parts for making a couple of these, the dehumidifier he used I have used as well in a cupboard that had mould issues in 4 weeks the bottom container was full of water.

I may not use the rewind as I am planning on using bowden tube all the way to the extruder and use one of these to seal it when not in use.
https://www.printables.com/model/2940-p ... ment-catch

I had printed the parts for two of these dry boxes and once I had them together I realised that the rewind mod would be very handy.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4787740/files
Note; I did print a 7mm wedge to straighten up the box so it did not have such a lean toward the back (bottom of the box) and it stood up straighter.

After printing parts for close on 30+ hours, I had all the parts to build my first dry box with a rewind feature.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4909334

The parts for a second one are on the printer and should be ready in 10 hours (tomorrow morning).

Mod time was about 10-15 minutes.
This has been by far the largest print I have done, but it was worth it.
Price wise I will use about half of a $30 reel of filament, $7.50 each for the box and the dehumidifier pack, so for about the cost of a roll of filament I have a box where I can store reels till they are spent all nice and dry.

Any future builds will have the geared spindle as standard, I had to replace the original so I now have 2 spindles spare that I looking at re-purposing.
When putting into a slicer you will have to take parts from both Thingaverse pages

Overall I am very pleased with the boxes as they will suit my situation perfectly.

Of Note there are a couple minor niggles that can be worked around very easily they are;
1. Sistema have changed the design of the food containers so that the clips are now on the lid so the locating slots on the base plate have no where to slot into.
2. The recommended bolt for the rewind handle is to long at 40mm I found it fouled the side of my filament rolls so I cut mine to 35mm to give clearance (35mm lengths are available)
https://www.amazon.com.au/SECCARO-Stain ... B07QHVK39C

Front showing gear on the spindle RH Side showing filament outlet and the plug that seals off the PFTE tube when the box is not in use. LH Side showing the dehumidifier pack

Very impressive work Graeme.
Please update on its actual effectiveness in a month or two.