1

Topic: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

There are some guys selling a "filament dryer" for $80
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160511- … evice.html

It looked vaguely familiar, so when I poked around on Ebay, I found the exact same machine being sold for $25! It is nothing more than a food dehydrator like you would use to dry fruit, jerky or whatever.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Tray-Electric … Sw-CpX92y-

Then I found this one which as a fan as well as heater, for $28. So, I'm about ready to pull the trigger.

Has anyone else tried something like this? Sure seems better than several hours in the oven or whatever.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fan-Food-Dehydr … 036284570?

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

2

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

This can be made much easier.

Place the filament rolls in a large plastic crate and place a linen bag with a litter of cats. This can be dried again and again in the oven and reused.

3

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Oh My LOL . For those who do not know Edwin  is German and uses google translate to post here . Sooo am sure he meant Cat litter . Not a " a litter of cats"   
Anyway @ Heartlander i expect a food dehydrator would work fine and IIRC has been discussed before.

As far as using a desiccant One way is  mixing equal amounts  of clumping cat liter with calcium chloride.  the calcium pulls the moisture out of the air  and the litter holds it. 

IMHO  probably the best is use a dehydrator to dry and plastic container with desiccant for maintenance.
I am still chuckling  over this one.


Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

4

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Tin Falcon wrote:

Oh My LOL . For those who do not know Edwin  is German and uses google translate to post here . Sooo am sure he meant Cat litter . Not a " a litter of cats"

HAHAHA
Google translate has its perks wink

Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!

5

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Too late! I tried the litter of cats. They looked a little wet so I put them in the oven to dry for a few hours. And now, damn, that's just sad.  tongue

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

6

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Edwin, friend, if you don't understand why we are laughing, this is Cat Litter:
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.greatpethealth.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F02%2FCat-Litter-Box.jpg&f=1

This is a Litter Of Cats:
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pets4homes.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fclassifieds%2F2013%2F09%2F29%2F436120%2Flarge%2Fstunning-litter-of-5-kittens-for-sale-5248411a9323e.JPG&f=1

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

7

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Google Translate "kitty litter" to "a litter of cats"

Classic.

Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!

8

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

smile smile


I am glad that the Google Translator can provide amusement. I do not know the correct names in English. So I apologize even if what I write is not always to be understandable, simply ask in doubt.

But we like to use the grains that are used in cat toilets. They are filled in a linen bag to prevent the dust and dry it in the oven. This works great and costs almost nothing. It is practically the same material used in dry boxes.

9

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Yes still chucking over this one . It is all good. No feeling or Litters of cats harmed in this presentation!
Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

10 (edited by Tin Falcon 2016-10-09 22:44:00)

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Heartlander back to your original question. If you want to dry filament a filament dryer is realy the right tool. The food dehydrators will work fine fro drying desiccant packs. the difference is in the height of the drying trays. You will never be able to put a spool of filament in  a food dehydrator the trays are too shallow. you can use to dry sample and unspooled partials . so a bit more money for the right tool.

If you has a way of making a clinder spacer to fit between trays then it would work fine.  but you would need to mod an off the shelf unit.
Sorry the vision of cats in the oven thew me lol.
Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

11

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

a very simple, cheap dryer can be made out of a 5 gallon bucket, some calcium chloride (aka: Damp Rid) and one of the metal hood type work lights that takes a standard incandescent light bulb.

place the damp rid in the bottom of the bucket, filament on that, a 40w light bulb in the work light, and place it over the top of the bucket, let it sit overnight...
the heat of the bulb will warm the filament enough to drive the moisture out and the damp rid will absorb it.

this type of work light:

http://soliforum.com/i/?gBPcIIT.jpg

SD4 #1 & #2 - Lawsy carriages, E3D v6, Rumba controller board, mirror bed plate, X motor fan, upgraded PSU & Mica bed heater
SD4 #3 - in the works ~ Folgertech FT-5, rev 1
Printit Industries Beta Tester - Horizon H1

12

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

A good idea with the lamp. With us, there is unfortunately only one old incandescent light to buy. The sale of these lamps has long been prohibited in Germany. We only have led or neon lamps and they are cold.
  The vision of cats was not meant by me as a joke. We really do it. You just have to find the right material and then it is more effective and cheaper than the sundry containers offered on the sunday.

13

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Edwin, thanks for the tip! Tin, here's the unit I bought, because of the deep open space (after you take out the trays).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222257908779

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

14

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Edwin :
We know your post was meant with the best intentions. Please we were not laughing at you. It is just a funny example of automated  translation translating words and changing meaning of the phrase.
You are welcome my friend and your input is valued. . I can only imagine what my posts look like or read like in German.

Heartlander:

You could always cut the bottom out of a five gallon bucket and set it on top of a dehydrator if the filament does not fit in the stock chamber.

Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

15

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Hi Tin,

I am therefore not angry, or offended .... smile

I see it as amusing and funny, even if it is sometimes difficult to understand everything in the right way. Therefore, it is also no problem for me and I try to learn. Our school English has only very little to do with the reality and makes it also not easy to recognize the mistakes in Google.

Thanks Tin

16

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

love this group LMAO.
we find humor so easy thanks to 'modern technology  I watched an TV episode of Shark Tank last week and some guys where promoting a Cel phone dryer (similar solution to Filament dryer) they had a company design a small air tight box about shoe box size compartment with a low heat warmer and small vacuum pimp (I figure about $500 material max) they paid $60,000 for prototype an stated cost would drop to about $30,000 LMAO some people need to use brains like Edwin here to find a more reasonable cost way to do a job. ;^)

Thanks for the break from all the high tech low output of modern day news! we all needed it.
Mitch

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

17

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Tin Falcon wrote:

Edwin :

Heartlander:

You could always cut the bottom out of a five gallon bucket and set it on top of a dehydrator if the filament does not fit in the stock chamber.

Tin

That is what I am going to do as I already have the dehydrator.

Tom

I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!
Wanhao Duplicator I3 Plus with glass bed, MK10 All Metal Hot End

18

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

I wonder if you could flip a dehydrator upside own a sit it on top of a bucket . Guess i need to pull mine out and look at it.

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

19 (edited by wagnmkr 2016-10-17 18:06:06)

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

I'm trying that as we speak and I see no reason why it won't work.

Tom

I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!
Wanhao Duplicator I3 Plus with glass bed, MK10 All Metal Hot End

20

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Can you weight he filament before and after the dry

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

21

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Got a roll of nylon on the go ... 1236g to start, and I will weigh it again tonight when it is done.

Tom

I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!
Wanhao Duplicator I3 Plus with glass bed, MK10 All Metal Hot End

22 (edited by wagnmkr 2016-10-19 14:06:35)

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

So, 10 hours of drying time ... 120f (50c) ... roll of filament is about 1 1/2 inches below the dryer top. (Filament roll sitting on an empty yogurt container in a 4gallon bucket) .. started at 1236g and ended at 1228g. That's 8g of moisture in 10 hour. I have no idea how that stacks up against the big boys, but I think it will work for me.

Edit in: tried the nylon this morning and it isn't dry enough yet so I will but it back in the drier.

I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!
Wanhao Duplicator I3 Plus with glass bed, MK10 All Metal Hot End

23

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

I used food dehydrator. After 8 hours didnt see much of a difference.

Fat kids are harder to kidnap!

24

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

A new company called PrintDry that not only allows drying of filament, pellets, and dessicates, but also allows you to print while in the act of drying. I have been in contact with them randomly over the last few months to get a tester unit for review, but they have stopped responding to any emails.

Makes me wonder if they are still in business hmm

Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!

25 (edited by wagnmkr 2016-10-20 21:50:03)

Re: Anyone use a food dehydrator like this to dry filament?

Apparently they have just launched a kick-starter campaign to get going. Their machine looks like a food dehydrator with custom trays.

I did my experiment at 50c ... would a slightly higher temp work better do you think? Also, I had the dryer upside down and it was blowing down into the pail. Would it be more effective the other way 'round, with a wee hole in the bottom of the pail for through, warm air flow?

I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!
Wanhao Duplicator I3 Plus with glass bed, MK10 All Metal Hot End