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  1. #1

    my first print, what to do after im done

    Hi guys, i just purchased a FFF Mono-price mini 3D printer, and i ran the test print on the card, when i'm done for the day printing, should i leave the PLA in the nozzle extruder or cut it from the spool and run the remaining.

  2. #2
    PLA will absorb moisture from the air, cut the filament an inch above the drive and put the spool in a dollar store vacuum storage bag and suck out all the air. Next day fire up the hot end, retract the 3 " of filament and load the spool again.
    A $60 food dehydrator is a good tool to have on hand to dry out your filament when it get wet and starts to string.. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  3. #3
    Engineer-in-Training
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    What size of vacuum storage bags do I need? If I buy the
    food dehydrator shown at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1, what about the container that holds spools of filament?

  4. #4
    The dollar store around here only sells "Large" bags.. 17.5" x 27.5 which is really too big for a single spool but they are a buck each, so no big deal.
    For the dehydrator, take a pair of side cutters and remove the circle of mesh in 2 or 3 of the shelves, what ever is needed to fit the spool. Here is the video I found prior to buying it myself. Note that 140 F is a bit too hot for PLA, it gets a little stuck together on the spool.. I use 135 and just set it to run for 9 hours before I go to bed. ABS and Nylon 140F for even longer..
    Note that this is rather noisy and makes heat so I keep it in the basement.. not something you want running in a bed room or other living space if you can avoid it.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_8L...lassesRequired

    I also bought large descant bags to go with each spool and they get tossed into the dehydrator each time the spool is done.. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by airscapes View Post
    The dollar store around here only sells "Large" bags.. 17.5" x 27.5 which is really too big for a single spool but they are a buck each, so no big deal.
    For the dehydrator, take a pair of side cutters and remove the circle of mesh in 2 or 3 of the shelves, what ever is needed to fit the spool. Here is the video I found prior to buying it myself. Note that 140 F is a bit too hot for PLA, it gets a little stuck together on the spool.. I use 135 and just set it to run for 9 hours before I go to bed. ABS and Nylon 140F for even longer..
    Note that this is rather noisy and makes heat so I keep it in the basement.. not something you want running in a bed room or other living space if you can avoid it.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_8L...lassesRequired

    I also bought large descant bags to go with each spool and they get tossed into the dehydrator each time the spool is done.. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    Thanks for the advice, do i have to do this the filament is not in use such as dehydrator, then store in ziplock bag ?

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Tesla View Post
    Thanks for the advice, do i have to do this the filament is not in use such as dehydrator, then store in ziplock bag ?
    Not sure I understand the question.. You should store your filament in an air tight "something" with descant when it is not being used (like when you are done for the day).
    I use vacuum bags so I can suck out all the air. I have a dehydrator so I can dry out the spool when they start to print a lot of strings (sign they are getting too wet). This will happen even if you store it in air tight bags.. Like when I am printing a bunch of big stuff that will run all night and all day, after a couple of day if the weather is humid, the PLA will start to string. You don't "Have" to do anything but you will know when things get too wet as your prints will not look good..

    I guess if live in the desert southwest or climate where humidity is below 25%-30% most of the time you could just leave it on the machine until it is all used up. However here in the PA in the Delaware Valley where the Relative humility is in the 80-90%+ a good part of the year can't do that even with AC on all the time.. room get to 45% humidity and after about 4 days of that the spool needs to be dried..

  7. #7
    Engineer-in-Training
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    Are there filaments that are not affected by humidity? I tried to print a working model of a 3-speed manual transmission but it didn't work well.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by airscapes View Post
    Not sure I understand the question.. You should store your filament in an air tight "something" with descant when it is not being used (like when you are done for the day).
    I use vacuum bags so I can suck out all the air. I have a dehydrator so I can dry out the spool when they start to print a lot of strings (sign they are getting too wet). This will happen even if you store it in air tight bags.. Like when I am printing a bunch of big stuff that will run all night and all day, after a couple of day if the weather is humid, the PLA will start to string. You don't "Have" to do anything but you will know when things get too wet as your prints will not look good..

    I guess if live in the desert southwest or climate where humidity is below 25%-30% most of the time you could just leave it on the machine until it is all used up. However here in the PA in the Delaware Valley where the Relative humility is in the 80-90%+ a good part of the year can't do that even with AC on all the time.. room get to 45% humidity and after about 4 days of that the spool needs to be dried..

    Got it, after i'm done printing dehydrate it then store ?

    I'm seeing many build dry box, i guess the dehydrate then place it in the dry box and don't take it back out of the dry box?
    Last edited by Tesla; 06-03-2018 at 08:15 PM.

  9. #9
    um.. no.. I just dry the stuff out when it starts to string.. at the end of the day I cut it just above the extruder drive and put it in a bag and suck that air out.. As I said. 6 ways to sunday to keep you filament dry.

  10. #10
    Super Moderator curious aardvark's Avatar
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    Jul 2014
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    a lot depends on how humid your environment is and what filament you use.

    Most of my filaments isn't stored in bags.
    I usually leave the filament in the printers and don't have any probems.

    Things like nylon and pet-g need to be in an airtight bag with desiccant, but pla - not so much :-)

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