Dry Filament Storage @ $11 each

thingiverse

I got tired of the plastic bags that don't last very long and needed to be vacuumed to remove the air, so I decided to try to find an affordable permanent alternative. I finely found a suitable container I could use that didn't break the bank. These cereal storage containers were about $5.00 each (with a coupon in the ad), were hermetically sealed and just big enough for the one kilo spools I had, with enough room for desiccant packs and rollers to facilitate dispensing. The rollers are attached with 2 - 3 ½", ¼ - 20 bolts through 15/32" holes drilled in the sides, 1" up from the bottom and 2 ¾" in from the front and back of the containers. The bolts are secured with ¼ - 20 nylon insert lock nuts and ¼" washers. Tighten the nuts so they are just snug with the sides of the container to keep air out but not tight enough to inhibit the rotation of the spools. Some filament spools will seem snug against the insides of the container, but seem to feed just fine. The 7/16" holes for the PTFE fittings are centered on the front (the side opposite the hand grips) 1 ½" down from the rim. I placed the hygrometers in the cap in the top and the holes measure 1 ¾" by 1". I've added a template for the hygrometer cutouts. You can print it, but make sure the scale at the bottom measures exactly 3" on your print. Cut them out, they will fit inside the lids exactly and give you a placement for the hygrometers. I used PTFE teflon Bowden tubes that were 1 meter in length and cut them in half for a good usable length. This way I could set the container behind the printer with enough length to reach the filament feeder and remain flexible at any height of the print head. As a bonus, with this setup, you can leave the filament attached to the printer between print jobs, unless you are changing to a new color or type of filament. To keep all air out of the containers, when in storage, I cap the Bowden tubes with end caps. The PTFE fitting is not my design, I downloaded it from somewhere, but I can't remember where or to whom to attribute it to, my apology. I bought all of the items (with the exception of the bolts) on Amazon. I am not affiliated with Amazon nor do I get any rebate, commission or other remuneration from Amazon. I merely list them here so you can refer to the items I used, you can purchase them from your favorite source. Cereal Storage Container https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087FBCNKN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_ o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 PTFE Tubing https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094FSQ7VT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asi n_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Rubber End caps https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V8MWP9F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_as in_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 PTFE Tube Fittings https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P2XRCC1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asi n_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Humidity Meters (Hygrometers) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X3KG67S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asi n_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Desiccant Packs https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X3DLK8F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asi n_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Lock Nuts https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B4GU90/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asi n_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1