Filament Storage Processes

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Christian79
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Filament Storage Processes

Post by Christian79 »

I am still using the same ABS filament I purchased in 2013 and have begun to wonder if filament storage with respect to ABS is really as big of a deal as people thought it once was. I have 10 rolls of ABS that I keep in their own box and bag, aside from that I don't do much else. The bags all have desiccant packets however, I assume after 4 years they are not much help. I print in my finished lower level that stays a constant 65f and around 38%-42% RH. I would love to hear what others are doing.
Xenocrates
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Re: Filament Storage Processes

Post by Xenocrates »

For my filament, I usually keep them in air-tight buckets using screw open lids I bought at Menards, with about 50-60 desiccant packets scattered in the bottom of it. I print in a insulated but un-temperature controlled barn. Most rolls come out of the bucket, and get used up on an open spool holder. However, since I run a heated enclosure, I may also be baking moisture out of the filament before it gets to the hotend. For more sensitive filaments such as Nylon, ABS-MG-94, and PMMA for .15 nozzles, I keep them in a similar bucket that has a central spindle, and they go in a bowden tube to the entry port on the Bondtech extruder. I've yet to have any real issues with environmental contamination on filament, although the bed is another matter (The area it is in is a woodshop/workshop, and between the laser and gantry router sharing the space, there is often a lot of junk that can get at the bed when the to the enclosure is left open.)

At the college lab, we usually have 3-5 spools open for the 18 printers. We went with that route since it lets us keep students from wasting too much filament (Anyone but a lab-tech or similar gets a few meters spooled off at a time, and if it's short, I just swap the filaments before it runs out). However, I have noticed that the 2.85 filament is more sensitive to moisture somehow (It may be that it's slower to get wet throughout, but is also unable to dry out, and the printers there are largely unenclosed). As such, we store the spools in buckets with desiccant between semesters and over most weekends.
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Rostock Max V2, Duet .8.5, PT100 enabled E3D V6 and volcano, Raymond style enclosure
Automation Technology 60W laser cutter/engraver
1m X-carve router

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Re: Filament Storage Processes

Post by 3D-Print »

I also use 5 gallon buckets with a sealed lid with desiccant. This has worked well for ABS and the few other types that I have on hand.

Here is the Lid I use which will snap onto any standard 5 gallon. Gamma Seal Lid - White (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KAY4S2/re ... kzbWVW9C8A)
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IMBoring25
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Re: Filament Storage Processes

Post by IMBoring25 »

Knock wood, I've had luck so far with ABS stored long term with no special provisions, provided it's plain ABS. The transparent has been jamming on me after long-term storage.
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