This is the Best Way to Store 3D Printer Filament
46qt Storage bin: https://amzn.to/3RVJ393
Eva-Dry Dehumidifier: https://amzn.to/3zwavmw
Keep track of your filament and prints with a Free 3D Print Log account:
Transcript
Hey Everyone, and welcome back to Hoffman Engineering. Don’t listen to what your loved ones tell you, you can _never_ have enough 3D printer filament. However, as I started to build a fort from all my boxes of unopened rolls of filament, it dawned on me… I probably should make some more storage boxes.
Thankfully, it is very easy to make proper filament storage. The key is keeping your filament dry. So all you need are two things: First, you need a large, weathertight storage box. Look for ones with a foam seal around the edge, and nice strong latches. That’ll keep humid air from entering the box. Pick the size that works best for you, these are 44 quarts, but I also have 60 quart containers in my storage.
The second important piece is a rechargeable dehumidifier. These will pull any moisture from the air (and the filament), and keep the inside of the container nice and dry. The rechargeable kind are convenient because they can be reused over and over again. I like these units from Eva-Dry. I’ve used these square versions ever since I made my first video about filament storage wayyy back in 2016, and they are still working perfectly. They have a heater built into them, and plug on the back, so when they need to be dry you just plug them in to drive off the moisture in about 6 hours. They also have these newer cylindrical models, which come with a separate dryer base which forces hot air through them, drying them in under 2 hours. Any kind of rechargeable dehumidifier will work, so pick whichever fits your preference.
Now that we have the two pieces, we are ready to store our filament. Grab all of your boxes. Keep it coming. There we go. Then start to place the rolls into the weather tight container. I like to enter my rolls into 3DPrintLog.com as I add them, so I can keep track of how much filament is left on the roll. For new rolls, you can keep them sealed in their bags, or you can open them now. Either way works. The last step is to toss the dry rechargeable dehumidifier into the container, then close the lid. I like to add a label with a Box Number onto it, so I can keep track in 3D Print Log what box each of my rolls are stored in. Makes it easy to find when I’m looking for a specific color.
And there we have it, simple filament storage. So why do we go through all of this trouble to keep it dry? Over time, the plastic filament has a tendency to absorb moisture. Then as you print with the filament, that moisture will rapidly expand into steam, cause inconsistent extrusion, or even bubbles! In this old video of mine, this roll of ABS absorbed so much moisture from the air that you can clearly see bubbles in the extruded filament. I even had to dry it in an oven to remove moisture. But ever since I started properly storing my filament with a dehumidifier, I’ve never had moisture problems. Its an easy solution, and helps keep me organized.
So thank you all for watching how to make simple filament storage. You can find amazon links for all of these products in the description if you want to pick them up for yourself. You can also create a free account on 3dprintlog.com and start tracking all of your filament and prints today. So thank you all for watching, and I’ll see you all next time!
