Are filament vacuum bags worthwhile?
Are filament vacuum bags worthwhile?
I finally got a filament drying box and I'm using it prior to and during prints. It seems to be helping. I'm a bit of a color queen, so I keep a pretty big backlog of different filaments. I've been storing them in vacuum bags but the vacuum bags often seem to lose some of their vacuum after a few months; the whole process is a bit of a pain. Is this really worthwhile or as long as I'm using the drying box can I forgoe the vacuum storage? If vacuum storage is still a good idea, are there better bags I should be looking for that don't lose some of the vacuum after a few months or is that pretty standard?
Airtight storage bins + silica beads = win.
Hardware store buckets with rubber seal lids have worked great for me for the last 6 years or so. They fit 5x1kg rolls perfectly and there’s room for silica packets down the middle and sides.
I live in a subtropical area.
Short answer: YES!!.
I now religiously use a filament dryer, VAC bags and loose silica beads that I bag my self into DIY teabags and then redry in the oven.
I also make sure to dry new filament for 24hours before using it the first time...
Since I started doing this for PLA and PETG, many of my previous my print issues dissapeared...
Depends where you live. I live in a desert so humidity isn't an issue, but dust is. I keep most of my filament in bags just to protect from dust. The only one I actually vacuum seal is tpu. Pla, pla+, and petg all do fine without. If I store it for more than a year though, I run it through the dryer first. Or at least have the dryer running while I print from it.
Instead of those bags with a valve take a look a the kitchen department. They have vacuum seal machines used for sous vid cooking.
This is practically identical to the original packaging and can hold the vacuum for years to come. Leave the bag longer than required to allow it to be resealed multiple times (roughly 3cm are cut with each opening & resealing).
For the frequently used filaments place them in a drying box.
I wouldn't bother with vacuum bags If I were you. I think it's fine if you're using a drying box after the filament has been sitting out a while. Doesn't hurt to try and find out at least...
Personally, I just use a big plastic storage bin with a bunch of silica desiccant in it. I just busted out some polycarbonate (notoriously hydrophyllic) recently that had been sitting in there for 4+ months and printed straight away; no stringing or anything.
The big issue for long term storage and exposure to moisture is hydrolysis, in which over time water molecules infiltrate and alter the polymer chains of the filament, causing the mechanical properties to degrade. Hydrolysis is, to the best of my knowledge, not reversible by simply driving the filament as the water molecules become incorporated into the polymer chain.
That said, simply storing your filament in your vacuum bags and tossing in some dessicant pouches before you seal it should drastically increase the time you can store filament before running the risk of it degrading noticeably.
Personally I just have a large plastic bin with a rechargeable dessicant device that keeps things relatively dry and I haven't had any issues storing filament long term.
I printed a few of these: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4820432 And bought a few of these: https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExBOJ6F Then store everything in vacuum bags after print. Works great for me!
That's pretty cool! Can't imagine it fits in every spool though.
After reading these comments and thinking about it, I've ordered some silicon sealed cereal containers and some 100g color indicator dessicant packs. Decent dessication seems more important than fussing with bags and vacuums. After investing in the bags and now all these cereal boxes and pricey dessicant packs, I'll admit I've thrown way more money at this issue than I had expected to, but hopefully it's an easy to use long lasting solution to protect my filament library.
I don't think its a big deal if vacuum bags get lose, they are still protecting the filament. Just vacuum them again and put some silica gel inside.
I just use some large Ikea zip lock bags and keep the silica packs that came with the rolls inside with it. I've had very few issues with PLA and PETG and I live in the PNW where it rains a lot.
For PETG and TPU absolutely, for ABS, probably.
For PLA it’s alright. I live in a high humidity area and so PLA left out for a few weeks tends to get brittle or have issues. But in reality even then it’s generally ok depending on the brand.
All that is to say if you live in a high humidity area get a filament dryer (or make one) and maybe a big thing of desiccant beads.
Put those in a tub and dump your filament in there and you’re probably good to go.
I put filament in my dryer and run the filament via PTFE tube to my printer.
So new filament goes in there and dries for a few hours before I print with it.
Anything I’m printing with goes in the dryer out of the tub and is usually fine but if it’s been sitting there for a few days or it's going to rain I run the dryer.
But if its hygroscopic like PETG, etc it goes from a bag into the dryer, the dryer’s run while it’s in there and then back into the bag (along with a small canister of gel beads)
The vacuum isn’t so much of a deal as long as there’s somewhere for the moisture to go hence the dessicant beads.
TLDR: littleblue’s comment + bag up hygroscopic filaments
How long do these beads last before you need to dehydrate the beads?
I don't live in a humid environment at all.
I would still keep everything bagged of course, but would be nice to not have to vacuum them each time and then re vacuum after a few weeks when the seal is failing.
They have some that change colors letting you know when it’s time but it’s months. Especially if you’re in a dry climate