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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Solidoodle Discussion → Anyone sticking Humidity Cards in with filament ?
I wanted something more scientific than 'it feels humid, maybe my filament will be going off quicker'...
So I've bought some of these, as used to ship electronics components and other RH sensitive devices:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-pcs-Humidity … 3a6b727fcc
Anyone else doing something similar? Any other ideas ?
If I were going to do something like this, I wouldn't want to use cards that get used up, but instead, buy a hygrometer that'll just keep working.
If I were going to do something like this, I wouldn't want to use cards that get used up, but instead, buy a hygrometer that'll just keep working.
They aren't single use..
Yeah you can use over again, but usually you need to bake them out to get them back to normal. I would think along those lines, buying some desiccant would be a better use of money since the indicator only lets you know when its too far along. I've been storing my reels in a Ziploc with a pouch of rice rather than a commercial desiccant.
Yeah you can use over again, but usually you need to bake them out to get them back to normal. I would think along those lines, buying some desiccant would be a better use of money since the indicator only lets you know when its too far along. I've been storing my reels in a Ziploc with a pouch of rice rather than a commercial desiccant.
Well, since I have both in my container - i guess the cards will be a nice way to make sure the dessicant or rice isn't over saturated and therefore ineffective...
Dessicant/Rice doesn't last forever you know 
Hunter Green wrote:If I were going to do something like this, I wouldn't want to use cards that get used up, but instead, buy a hygrometer that'll just keep working.
They aren't single use..
I mean something that you just set it there and it just keeps working, you don't have to keep doing something to keep it usable. It's not like hygrometers are expensive.
true - but these I figured I just throw in and don't care about till I see they've turned Pink ... *shrug* Don't happen to have a hygrometer handy, certainly not one that logs or that will alarm or alert me when its over a threshold. Although, for $19, I can build a datalogging one with a LeoStick + Freetronics Humidity module... even use the builtin piezo to actually sound an alarm *shrug*...
I guess I just got lazy for once 
The day after I ordered a hygrometer, MidnightBox posted this one for $5. Nuts. Well, maybe some of you can benefit from it, though you've only got two days to buy one.
Do you guys know what's the recommended relative humidity range to store the filaments?
I actually have a dry cabinet for my camera & lens because I'm also a photographer. The dry cabinet has a built-in digital hygrometer & thermometer and it can control the RH inside based on what you set. But for my photography equipment the RH must be set to a range of 45%-55% and I set it to 48%, so if the filaments are within these range I can place them inside too.
Here is a reference from my dry cabinet's manual but it did'nt mention about plastics.
Relative humidity Protect scope
60%-55% Carbon paper, fax paper, uniques, pictures, money, stamps, printed paper etc
55%-45% Camera, video camera, lens, microscope, binocular glass CD, fion, anode film cathode film, instruments, fur, medicals
45%-35% Metal without iron, semiconductors, circuit board, tungsten wire, IC card, batteries etc
35%-25% Precise measures, optical apparatus, electricity, detector, lens, medical material, etc
25%-15% Special chemical material, medical apparatus, sample, seeds, pollen etc
nice chart but it dont list plastics/ABS. I worked in HVAC most my life and most office/telephone rooms we set at 52% some down to 47% depending on room temp/dew-point to keep condensation nil and low static electricity. gun suplly shops have the humidity control items also for gun safes. dont use the blue granules as they turn to slime when fully absorbed with water, not pretty to deal with. also people comforts like 52% +/- 2 at normal room temp in low 70s so skin dont dry out etc and holds heat well in winter. summer AC with no external source of moisture from leaks etc is dry enough. dont refrigerate plastic as it will condense water onto itself in any humidity. Im still working on how to store my plastic when not in use. containers of some type to save storage room yet keep dry and handy. several sizes of rolls make it harder.
Do you guys know what's the recommended relative humidity range to store the filaments?
I actually have a dry cabinet for my camera & lens because I'm also a photographer. The dry cabinet has a built-in digital hygrometer & thermometer and it can control the RH inside based on what you set. But for my photography equipment the RH must be set to a range of 45%-55% and I set it to 48%, so if the filaments are within these range I can place them inside too.Here is a reference from my dry cabinet's manual but it did'nt mention about plastics.
Relative humidity Protect scope
60%-55% Carbon paper, fax paper, uniques, pictures, money, stamps, printed paper etc
55%-45% Camera, video camera, lens, microscope, binocular glass CD, fion, anode film cathode film, instruments, fur, medicals
45%-35% Metal without iron, semiconductors, circuit board, tungsten wire, IC card, batteries etc
35%-25% Precise measures, optical apparatus, electricity, detector, lens, medical material, etc
25%-15% Special chemical material, medical apparatus, sample, seeds, pollen etc
I think I've read in some datasheets or commercial extrusion guides that you want to shoot for 15% humidity. The lowest I've managed to get in a ziplock with a container of dessicant is about 20%-25% which should be fine. I don't have any trouble with leaving my filament out in the summer which is typically 35% humidity here.
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Solidoodle Discussion → Anyone sticking Humidity Cards in with filament ?
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