Silica Gel Case / Spool End Cap for Vacuum Sealing Filament

thingiverse

This is designed to be used in conjunction with my filament spool wall holders here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:923016 I store filament on my wall, but lately I've been worried about moisture causing printing issues. (See here: http://3dprintingforbeginners.com/how-to-store-3d-printing-filament/ ) Inspired by the above post, I decided to vacuum-wrap my filament. But how do you vacuum-wrap AND hang them? That's where this Spool Endcap comes in. You put the filament and this piece inside the bag, then pull the back side of the vacuum bag through the middle hole. Now when you suck out the air, there will be a central hole in which you can hang the filament. The piece doubles as a silica gel holder. Pour the desiccant through the hole on the bottom and then snap on the cap. Here's what you'll need: 1. My filament spool wall holder: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:923016 2. Medium-sized Ziploc space bags: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VCB4S 3. Color changing silica gel, such as this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00967K0MG One case of silica gel is enough for at least three spool end caps. When the silica changes from orange to green, simply recharge by taking out the silica, placing it on a pan, and heating it in the oven at 250 degrees for a few hours. Recommended print settings: .2mm layer height, 15 percent or more infill, no support structures. Now you can keep your filament moisture-free while still hanging.