Reddit reviews Dry-Packs 750 Gram Silica Gel Canister Dehumidifier - Moisture Indicating

One of these is fucking magical. I have one in my Liberty Fatboy and it's been awesome.

In Hawaii there's humidity everywhere and it can be bad in Hilo. If you have things you really need to keep dry like camera gear, important personal stuff I would suggest going to Costco, buy a big cooler, put you important stuff in there and also put in there some big silica gel canisters which will keep the cooler's contents nice and dry. They look like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Gram-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier/dp/B003QZ6PZ0/

For closets you can buy dehumidifier rods. You can find them locally at stores like ACE Hardware and probably Walmart, Kmart or Target. They look like this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBTCFGY/

For a beer you can drop by Hilo Burger Joint, Hilo Town Tavern, Cronies, I've had friends go to Margarita Village (by the pier), you can also do some tasting at Mehana/Hawaii Nui Brewing (I believe they will refill your growler if you've got one from Kona Brew Co.). I'm not really a beer drinker so other folks may know better.

As for the rain, yes Hilo can be a rainy city but the Big Island has been kind of going through a drought so I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. Kona Longs Drugs usually has sunglasses near the entrance, Hilo Longs Drugs usually has umbrellas near the entrance if that's any indication.

Definitely. Something like this would work and can be put in the oven to "recharge" it.

I had to break this into another comment due to per comment character limits.

The following previously belonged to the above comment, but was moved here due to the above mentioned limts.

> Something you can do now: Build a filament drybox. Seriously, some filaments such as certain Nylons can go bad in just a few hours, depending on ambient humidity levels. All filaments are susceptible to moisture absorption, and ideally should be kept in something like a Spannerhands holder, even while printing, but at worst you should store them in a big plastic tub with silica gel beads to keep them dry.

> If I had to give one last tip, don't stock up on too much filament yet! Seriously! I thought I would be printing mostly in PLA but now that I've had a few weeks to work with it, I've learned I prefer PETG more, and now I have so much extra PLA! I'm sure I'll find something to do with it, but for my final tip I would add "And get a good variety!". Services like MakerBox (referral) let you try a bunch of different filaments on the cheap. It's not a ton of each filament (about 50g), but I love the variety of materials and colors.

Original second level comment begins:

Final Tips: Bonus Round!

1. Extruder Indicators are pretty cool (and USEFUL). You can get the magnets super cheap (or amazon).
   
2. Learn how to do An Atomic Pull (AKA Cold Pull), and learn it well. Do this every time you switch filaments (See "Doing it the lazy way" at the bottom of the page). You'll help remove built up deposits each time, which will help ensure a long, jam free life for you nozzle. This also skips the bleeding necessary when switching filaments (on your next "Load" you'll get a few mm of old filament and then pretty much pure new filament after that, instead of the 100mm or so of transition). You can skip doing a proper Cold Pull if you're using a brand new printer anyway. Just do a lazy pull each time you switch filaments, and then a proper Cold Pull maybe every 100 print hours, or after using extremely difficult (wet or super exotic) filaments to help remove any residue that may cause future jams or other issues. This does require undoing and redoing the idler tension again, but once you've done it a few times you can do the whole pull and filament swap in under a minute (minus hotend heatup/cooldown time). White Nylon is great for proper Cold Pulls, partially because you can crank the temp up very high (which ensures any residual filament in the hot end should also melt), White PLA would be okay for example, but may not properly pull PETG or ABS from the nozzle. White is great thanks to the color, of course, which allows you to see any residue easier; However, any color may be used. If you only ever use PLA, then PLA would be just fine for a Cold Pull. Seriously though, start by doing Cold Pulls from Day 1 and you'll easily cut out 50% of your future issues.
   
3. The small metric fasteners used in the printer are cheap. They are used in a lot of designs found online, so you should stock up (alternate source). The primary fasteners used are M3 Socket Head Cap 0.5 pitch, mostly full thread. You can also get the nuts very cheap. Square, Nyloc, and Hex. I can get the exact lengths used in the Mk3 if anyone needs them, though I'm not sure the exact grade used, it only really effects corrosion resistance.
   
4. You can also Calibrate the Extruder steps/mm and extrusion multiplier. Many people will tell you only the later is necessary but I prefer to do both anyway. Theoretically it does make a difference, but practically you can just compensate for steps/mm with the extrusion multiplier, and for all intents and purposes the result is the same, so "many people" are totally right.
   
5. You can also Calibrate the PID. You probably won't have to do this for PLA out of the box, but may find you have some temperature swings with PETG or ABS temperatures. The Official Help Article also discusses this method and how to calibrate using the LCD if you prefer. I like to keep my Mk3 settings vanilla (I've never used an M500 directly, and avoid them when I can), so I like to get my PID values manually and set them in my start GCode instead, which also allows me to setup my slicer so each switching filaments automatically switches PID profiles. The bed can be calibrated as well, but again you probably won't need to do this unless you're experiencing temperature swings more than -/+ 5°. One or two degree dips/spikes is perfectly normal (though theoretically can be tuned out, requires proper enclosure for stable ambient temps, etc).
   
   There are tons of other accessories you can get ahead of time. None of these are necessary, but are small things you might end up using (or wanting to try :P), and should help get you started getting a wishlist together. Besides the ones mentioned in this comment (and the one that precedes it) already:
   
   

• Wire Snips beat the included pliers hands down. For $4 how are you not going to pick these up right now? The cutting edge on a pair of pliers sucks and it doesn't help that it's ****ing halfway down the length of the tool. I tried to get away with just using the included tools and simply gave up trying to use the included pliers to cut zip ties. If you have Prime, get a pair of these now. Get a pair even if you don't - they're worth the shipping cost too. Thank me later.
  
• 608 bearings (for prints such as TUSH),
  
• Loctite 222 (helps prevent screws from vibrating free, not necessary thanks to Nylocs used in Mk3),
  
• A humidity sensor (for filament dry box and checking ambient),
  
• An accurate scale (for calculating remaining filament),
  
• A small fan (enhanced print cooling when needed (not very necessary except for ultra extreme bridges), enhanced circulation in filament dry box),
  
• Small bags (for silica beads),
  
• PTFE tube and matching Bowden Couplers (for something like Spannerhands),
  
• Lubit-8 (for the LMU88 bearings),
  
• SuperLube (Silicone Grease w/ PTFE for Bondtech Extruder gear maintenance),
  
• Canola Oil (for lubricating/cleaning filament and seasoning the nozzle/hotend (not necessary with modern hotends)),
  
• Small Brass Brush (also for Bondtech Extruder gear maintenance),
  
• Nozzle Reams (for the extremely rare jam, because you're doing your Atomic Pulls, right?),
  
• Extra Nozzles (no need for the kit, just an example. Hardened nozzles (black) are a good idea for composites, last longer than Brass, regardless of filament used. Prusa Mk3 comes with 0.4mm nozzle preinstalled, but you can easily swap the nozzle),
  
• E3D Hotend Sock (helps lock in heat for (theoretically?) lower current usage and more stable temperatures, also helps keep plastic off the heat block in case of print failure),
  
• Magigoo (or other adhesion aids) (for certain exotic filaments, otherwise not necessary with Mk3),
  
• Tempered Glass or Borosilicate printbeds (for certain exotic filaments),
  
• And of course, Isopropyl Alcohol (70% or better, preferably 91% or better) and Acetone, just to name a few...
  
  Edit: Upon rereading my comment I realized I have a problem.. I own every product I just listed..
  
  ^^Except ^^for ^^the ^^nozzles ^^kit ^^so ^^it's ^^not ^^that ^^big ^^of ^^a ^^problem, ^^right?... ^^Right?!

I have something similar, if a bit less messy. I have a tub with all of my spools of filament in it except the one in use, and a big desiccant pack made for safes. I just make sure to switch filament every few weeks, or more often when it's humid; that's generally not a problem because I also switch filament for other reasons, like color.

It works like a charm. I just need to bake the desiccant every two or three months, which is a lot easier than shoveling a half dozen rolls of filament into my oven.

Here's the pack I am using: http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Gram-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier/dp/B003QZ6PZ0/

I like to keep all my silver (generic or not) shiny as well. So I understand the concern of tarnishing. The only thing that I can think to reccomend is a safe silica container like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003QZ6PZ0

Other than that, someone else might be able to give you good advice. Welcome to silverbugs. All the best

I have that same safe, and I use this dessicant pack. I just pop it in the oven for a couple hours once a month to reactivate it, and it seems to keep the safe quite dry. I also bought these lights and mounted one under the inside top of the safe and one under the shelf, so when I reach in they turn on and illuminate the guns nicely.

Purchase something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003QZ6PZ0/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1502768623&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=silica+moisture&dpPl=1&dpID=51-vVkHaYfL&ref=plSrch

Put it in your kegerator and it'll keep the moisture under control. No water at the bottom :)

If the case is air tight you could throw one of
these in it.

I got something like this from Home Depot. It might not have been this exact one, but it's similar. Latching lid. It'll hold 5 or 6 spools, no problem and you can see right through the sides and top.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite-70-Qt-Ultra-Storage-Box-19888604/204606576

Then, I got a couple of these. They suck the moisture right out of the air and when the beads on top turn greenish, you just take the lid off and bake them for several hours to drive the moisture off and recharge them. This size is designed for large home safes and can service 50 or so cubic feet, so it'll last long enough in the box to not be a nuisance and constantly needing recharging.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B003QZ6PZ0/

Finally, I got a battery powered hygrometer with an alarm on it, set it to 30%, and threw everything in the box. A single canister keeps the box at around 25% humidity, and that's with nothing done to the lid to make it seal better and be more airtight. The other canister stays in the box, but sealed up in a couple of ziploc bags to keep it from picking up moisture. When the grains in the canister turn green or the alarm goes off, the sealed up canister comes out of its bag and replaces the in service canister. The in service canister goes into the oven for 6-8 hours to recharge (don't forget to remove the lid so the window doesn't melt). Once it's recharged, I let it cool, then it goes into the ziploc bags ready for the next swap.

One of those canisters will bring the humidity in the box from 60-70% down to 20-30% in an hour. Two tops.

I got this from amazon, which I have seen somewhere here in /r/3dprinting recomended

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QZ6PZ0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm using these. Cheap, Amazon Prime eligible, they seem to work pretty well. The seals aren't exactly great, but they should keep out anything not too determined.

I also add a large silica gel dehumidifier to the dextrose container to help prevent clumping. I dry it out in the oven every couple months.

I use two of these containers, one for PLA one for ABS:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DJOP2/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Then I put two of these in each container:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QZ6PZ0/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are very big, bigger than most car oil filters. At the rate they are going (in Florida) I probably won't have to bake the silica but every 6 months. So maybe that would be an option for you? My humidity meter doesn't go low enough to measure the humidity when the container is closed and sealed (it has an o-ring on the lid). I think the meter won't go below 22% humidity or something along that range.

When you open up the container cool breeze comes out of it (again in Florida outdoors).

this one is what I have but the only gel colored is the one in the lid. When baking, the steam rises and the gel in the cap never actually dries properly if you keep it vertical. Need to test it more with drying horizontal or even upside down to see if the colors reset properly.

There are special reusable colour-changing silica gel packs that you can buy.

They start out one colour - like red, but once they become saturated with water and no longer work, they turn blue. Then you dry them out and use them all over again.

I would recommend picking up some of these to keep with your art materials.

If they never turn colour, you know your supplies are safe.

If they turn very slowly, you'll know you don't have too much to worry about.

If they turn right away, you know you need to redesign your art storage ASAP.

more info: https://www.protoparadigm.com/news-updates/recharging-reusable-indicating-silica-desiccants/

non-affiliate amazon link: https://www.amazon.ca/Dry-Packs-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier-Moisture-Indicating/dp/B003QZ6PZ0

Mostly air tight box with two big cans of desiccant:

http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Gram-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier/dp/B003QZ6PZ0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409714081&sr=8-3&keywords=dessicant

I have a bin with multiple spool rollers with tiny drilled holes for my filament, all the filament stays in the box and comes out through the tiny holes, so it stays dry and dust-free. Plus I don't have to move it around, once its in there, its good.

I have used a bigger metal containers more desiccant for the money and a good container
http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Gram-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier/dp/B003QZ6PZ0/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1464254806&sr=8-12&keywords=dessicant

Someone mentioned putting Mimi litter in a sock:
http://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Litter-Crystals-Absorbent-Lightweight/dp/B00I6N5WCE/

https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Gram-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier/dp/B003QZ6PZ0/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1472750900&sr=1-9&keywords=dessicant

Enough of these, and any reasonably tight cabinet becomes a dessicator.

Are you talking about these?

http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Gram-Silica-Canister-Dehumidifier/dp/B003QZ6PZ0/