Filament spool dehydrator mounting adaptor

thingiverse

** REMIX SHOUT OUT ** I'm inspired by Tinkerman's "Filament Dryer / Dehydrator" project and I want to know what existing things can be repurposed as part of this project. Check out: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1618037 I needed a way to restore old filament that wasn't printing well anymore. Research suggested moisture in the filament was the cause, and that it needed to be dehydrated. I found the "PrintDry Filament Drying System" which is specifically designed for this purpose, and noticed it looked similar to a food dehydrator I saw at a local store, with the same temperature ranges available on its control dial. As a maker, I chose to modify a food dehydrator to dry my filament; this turned out to be pretty easy. Here's what I did: 1] I used the base of a "Salton VitaPro Food Dehydrator" which I found for $40. I set aside the trays and lid, keeping them intact and not used for this project. Check out: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/salton-vitapro-food-dehydrator/6000187742641 2] I designed and printed an adaptor piece to hold my filament spool on the food dehydrator's warm air vent, instead of using one of the dehydrator's food trays. • Remix Note: I did not use Tinkerman's "Spool Axes", but I did make use of the step element of his design when I made this one. 3] For a cover with comparable air volume, I found a food serving tray with a dome cover at my local thrift store. It was only a slightly smaller diameter than the dehumidifier, and I got it for only $3. It looks similar to: https://www.amazon.ca/Estilo-EST0314-Multifunctional-Serving-Stand/dp/B016V65CUE/ref=sr_1_2 4] I drilled several holes in the top of the domed cover, to approximately match the volume of the air gaps in the food dehydrator's original lid, allowing air flow for the dehydration process. 5] To prevent cover vibration rattle when operating, I used a piece of soft PVC tubing (similar to aquarium air hose), in which I cut a lengthwise slit, then slid it onto the bottom edge of the cover. Check out: https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/1-8-in-clear-pvc-tubing-nsf/A-p8576308e Sketchup 2017 source files for the filament spool mounting adaptor are included in the thing files.