Easy High Temp 3D Printer Filament Dryer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2023
- We continue adding to the 4-color Frankenprinter with a new filament dryer which can feed four spools at once to the printer. It can reach temps suitable for drying PETg and ASA filament for 3D printing, too!
*** This video was posted before Sunlu announced their 'FilaDryer S4', which has a lot of the same features as this DIY version for roughly the same cost. Might be worth looking into.
Check out the full 4-color IPEX Frankenprinter video:
• The World's First IPEX...
Tinkercad models for the heater mount and fan shroud. You will likely need to customize this for the fan you use.
www.tinkercad.com/things/8ncb...
Parts Used:
Storage Bin: www.homedepot.com/p/Ezy-Stora...
PTC Heater: amzn.to/46uHs1v
The size I used is the one labeled '12V 100W 98*32*26MM'
Blower Fan (example) amzn.to/43aqVg7
Power Supply: amzn.to/3NFss83
Control Board: amzn.to/3NE6mTx
Neoprene: amzn.to/3rjbViY
Heat Shield: amzn.to/3JGo6fS
Credits:
Footage borrowed from
CNC Kitchen: • Vacuum VS Dehydrator! ...
My Tech Fun: • 6 filament dryer test ...
3D Printing Nerd: • Filament Dryer: Food D...
Animation of filament bubbles: magigoo.com/
Music: www.bensound.com - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Seeing Noctua fans makes me smile.
You'll also need a vent fan as the heater may get the moisture out of the filament but it will stay in the box and be reabsorbed
Agreed. That was added in a follow up video
Dude, this is amazing, THANK YOU. I've already got one of those exact bins setup as a dry box, and this will work great to complete it. Think that I'm going to build one each for PETG, ASA, and nylon. Again, THANK YOU for the info on the electronics.
I built mine that checks all your boxes for about $30 I’ve planned on getting around to making a video how. If there’s enough interest it may give me the motivation.
Oh and it also doubles as an annealing oven
Would love to see that, I am planing to build one for myself. Inspiration is welcome.
2 months and no content. I guess he didn't receive enough pre-post praise signaling.
@@JHEIII someone send me a bread maker and i will make the video on how to convert it and ill send it back as a filament dryer. haven't had the extra funds to buy one from ebay, and had a friend said they'd bring me one but still has not.
I thought all you needed was interest, but now its $30...does that include interest? @@nickisghosty
actually, Eibos Easdry takes AC directly with C8 cable, for 4rolls, you just need 4boxes and 3pc Y split cable or 1pc 1to4 split C8 cable. total will cost you about ~240USD, but building your own is always fun. But the new one SUNLU coming out soon is just $129only, the 4roller FilaDryer S4
First time finding your channel but i loved the vid!
Excellent video, i was contemplating building my own dryer, this helps. Keep it up. Subscribed and liked.
Thanks for the sub!
I'm actually building this exact same system with almost the exact same components but I want to control the heater with a ESP32 (for fun). I subscribed to your channel.
Nice one
Instead of using neoprene and a heat shield, could you test putting the heated box inside of a larger box for double insulation?
Great suggestion. Nesting the box might be a better option than the neoprene. I'll try that out.
Good video. Nice to see someone who understands that you need heat and airflow, not just decicant.
Question, does the thermostat board toggle the coil and fan off and on as needed if a temp set is programed ?
yes, although if I were to build it again I'd put the fan on a separate switch so it can keep circulating air even when the heat is off.
Hey, why don't you turn those bmg extruders into sherpa mini/micros? I think you could fit 3 on each printhead easy with those extruder.
I build mine using a EPP Box. That's the black sort of Styrofoam looking boxes delivery services use to keep your food warm. They are good to about 120 °C. For me that turned out cheaper than a plastic tub + insulation.
Very smart idea. I really wanted something clear to see the spools, but I suppose adding a view window to an EPP Box could work.
I have the same issue where humidity can reach 50% or more. I bought a filament dryer for PETG and it worked though I don't use that much anymore as the fan is loose and makes a horrible noise. I recently discovered though that I don't really need it.
Now I use a small sealed storage container with blue desiccant and a hygrometer and keep the filament in the storage container even while printing. I do have to change the desiccant every couple of months though. Or just put the desiccant in a toaster oven for a couple of hours at low heat and it is ready to use again.
I didn't have the same kind of luck with desiccant alone, but I'm glad that's working for you. Also, be careful with the blue stuff. The cobalt chloride used is fairly toxic. I've switched to the red/green silica. www.agmcontainer.com/blog/desiccant/indicating-silica-gel/
a very simple method for drying filament that is completely free and can work if you need is to put you filament on your printers bed heat up the bed and cover with a filament box. this works very surpassingly well
100% agree. I've seen that recommended a bunch. I wanted something I could dry, store and print from all in one. But if you just need to occasionally dry some filament, there are easier options.
So I have a few of the Eibos and they seem to work rather well by drying outside air and pushing it through the case. This pushing out any moisture that the filament releases as it heats. So a thought for you. Why not add a limited vent of fresh air directly to the fan? It could be as simple as drilling a 1/4 hole in the back of your tupperware and into the backside of the blower fan case. Any outside air should be pulled in by the fan and then pushed through the heater. Thus creating positive pressure inside your dryer and then vent it out through a smaller hole on the top of the tupperware. You could even make some plugs to open and close them rather easily.
That's a great idea. I may test that out.
Thank you Greg, really appreciate your testing, explanations and hardware suggestions. A couple of questions: 1. Do you have a wiring schematic/graphic showing the component wiring for the box? 2. Do you have a directional vent/fan to purge the moisture, or did you add desiccant?
I use desiccant, and I added some vent ports I can open to let the warm moist air escape through convection. There are some details in the follow up video. For wiring, the control board's amazon page shows the basic wiring diagram. I used the 12v example. Simply replace 'Load' with the PTC heater element. The fan can be run on the same 12v lines shown as input to the board, add a switch if you like. m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619fYZzK99L._SL1001_.jpg
Nice setup! Just ordered my items to complete this setup, how exactly did you wire in the power supply,jack,fan? Any pictures would be great
Wow! Awesome work Greg!! I wish I'd seen this before last week - I picked up a cheapish dry box for $42 to keep PVA dry... I typically don't have issues with PLA - but since I'm planning to pursue your Frankenprinter upgrade, I may be revisiting this video again in the near future. Also, do you have bed leveling issues? That's another typical problem with these printers... I'd like to upgrade to ABL - just wondering if you've considered it.
no bed leveling issues, but calibrating the 3 additional nozzle xy offsets is kind of a pain. I'm testing out Ember Prototypes camera-based calibration tool, which has been wonderful so far. www.emberprototypes.com/products/cxc
Thanks for the great video. Where is the link for the silicone filament stopper you mentioned in the beginning of the video? I even searched the page of comments and didn't find any comments on it.
information on how those are made are in this video, and the link to the Tinkercad models used are in that video's description. th-cam.com/video/PwUXMJeUcRE/w-d-xo.html
Hi. Nice video and nice job. Thank you for sharing your experience. I arrived here looking for ideas for making also my own filament dryer. I think you need to open little holes on top of the dryer to allow the moisture to go out. Is the dryer getting any kind of moisture or fine condensation underneat the lid?. It looks to me that your dryer is faster drying than the silica desiccant absorbing. What I have planning so far is using a simple old fashion 100W light bulb instead of the PTCs heaters you used. As another option I would like to test the ceramic heating elements in those hair straightener flat irons that are very cheap in thrifty stores. These irons also comes with temp control that should work for limiting the max temp. For the light bulb a simple dimmer should also limit the temp (installed after the temperature controller). Also we can get better results if we slowly rotate the spools while drying. For this task I have on hand a couple carnivalized microwave oven tray rotation motors that I'm still thinking how to make them to rotate at leas three spools each. Anyways, I'm sharing my ideas on how to bypass buying the PTC and that beefy power supply. Happy 3D printing! and cheers!
All great ideas! I hope the plan works for you. In a follow-up video, I did add holes to allow for the warm, damp air to escape: th-cam.com/video/R93u8XLAhz8/w-d-xo.html
All these filament dryers remind me a bit of how you could once go into a store and find a selection of floppy disk and CD storage cases. I wonder whether someone will figure out how to make some compatible coating that makes the need for dryers obsolete (I know there are some more 'hydrophobic' materials available, but they still absorb moisture - just a lot slower). Or perhaps even a way to extrude from blocks instead of having the space and materials waste of rolls.
Im planning somthing similar but for an enclosure so I can print ABS on my SV06.
Hi Greg. My name's Chris. I just finished setting up my Prusa XL, and over the last week I've assembled all the items to make this same filament dryer box. From home depot to amazon, I've got most of my box assembled and neoprene adhered. My question for you is, how do I wire up the thermostat controller? And From the Tinkercad models you uploaded, it does not include the thermostat to box bracket- was wondering if you could post that since I have the same box, fan, and controller as you recommended. Thanks so much for everything. Best regards.
I've added the thermostat box mount to the Tinkercad link. It's a pretty hasty design I think it could be remixed into a better one. It includes a small hole on the side for a 5mm barrel jack connector for the power supply, and a second for a 12v 20A switch I use to turn the whole thing on and off. There is a wiring diagram on the Amazon page for the thermostat board. I followed the 12v wiring example, adding my barrel jack for the power supply line and the switch on the + power line. The whole thing mounts to the box with long 3mm bolts. I just grabbed those from home depot. Hope this helps!
Whatsup with that crinkly filament going into the extruder?
Your IPEX printer is wild, very cool!
If you need/want a calibration tool for the XY offsets, let me know and I'm sure we can send one over to you 🙂
a calibration tool would be a huge help. Manually calibrating all four hotends has been a chore.
@@mightystudiosvids more than happy to send you one. Can you shoot me an email with your address & phone number? Then I can mail one out to you 🙂
Are you getting any heat creep issues with your wiper set up? Or do you heat the extruder up each nozzle change? I’d like to use your mode but I like to have each nozzle always at operating temp to speed up print time
Unused nozzles drop to a stand-by temperature when parked, and then heat up on demand before leaving the parked position. It does make transitions between hotends slow, but I've found it works best for quality and to keep power use in check. Operating four hotends at once is asking a lot of the stock power supply that came with the donor printer.
I've been tuning my build of Marlin to allow unused nozzles on the opposite carriage to remain hotter so those transitions to the opposite carriage can be faster. An unused nozzle on the operating carriage still sits at the stand-by temp so it doesn't ooze onto the print while it's sibling nozzle is printing.
Thinking about bringing fresh air in through a bed of desiccant. A small vent on the upper level to vent it. I have a smaller one that just fits 3 rolls, using a reptile heater. The heater is junk for this. Only a few degrees above ambient.
The vents are a great idea. I added some in the follow-up video with plugs so I can seal them back up after drying. th-cam.com/video/R93u8XLAhz8/w-d-xo.html
I might build this... the s4 is almost out tho lol
Hi, I like your video, i want to ask you something. Have you ever tryed your box with Nylon or TPU, because i want to try it with those filament. Thank u
I've used it with TPU, but not Nylon. I'm not sure it can get warm enough to dry Nylon.
Okok, thx, What were your results using TPU? were better than using Silica Gel ? Thanks for answer me @@mightystudiosvids 😁
I'm making this. Any idea to spin the rolls inside as it dries for even distribution of heat?
spinning the rolls wouldn't work for me because I often print from them while the dryer is running. I suppose they get some rotation from that action. If you are worried about even distribution, I'd be tempted to boost up to a larger fan rather than try to rotate the rolls, but either would work.
You made a box with a heater inside, okay but ...
How do you evacuate the moisture from inside the box ?
How do you make sure the moisture won´t creep back in once you turn off the heater ?
this is my biggest issue even with most of the dryers on amazon im looking for a larger system like this but i want to really be able to seal it up for long term storage
@@wesleyluce4609 I guess the way easier and cheaper solution would be to dry it in the box and then simply seal it up with some silica gel packs in a vacuum pack.
The problem is not the drying part is the keeping dry part. All those (not even cheap) plastic Chinese boxes heat up the filament to drive the moisture out but then they fail to evacuate it and seal it all up. As soon as you turn off that heat the moisture with diffuse right back into your material.
With the current design I vent the moisture out by opening the lid every few hours while drying. There is also a fair amount of desiccant which absorbs the released moisture more readily than the filament. Since making the video I've decided a vent I can open and seal on the top would be easier. Once the bowden tubes are in place between the box and the hotends I'll be able to test how well the system remains dry after the box has cooled.
@@mightystudiosvids Alright, let´s see how well it works =)
I use calcium chloride
Something that I never understood is how does the humidity scapes if the box is completely sealed? Doesn’t it build up condensation inside on cold weather?
th-cam.com/video/R93u8XLAhz8/w-d-xo.html
Hey, just curious as to why you went for a DC PTC heater and power supply. Wouldn't it be easier to just use a ac ptc heater and ac stc1000 to control the temp?
Typically I work in dc because I use microcontrollers like the arduino in most projects. In this one, it was just habit. I haven't worked with the ac components, so I couldn't say how well they would function or how safe they would be in this kind of enclosure.
What did you use, and how did you make the spool holder?
the spool holder is just a piece of PVC pipe.
At 1:58, you have a tool on the left side of your desk with the blue flexible arms. What is that and where can I get one? thx.
Just search for 'Helping Hands' on Amazon. Tons of options. Here's the one I have amzn.to/49OxNE7
Bro holy shit what is this printer?! This is genious... is this a zero waste mulit color printer?
Yeah! You can see more about the printer here: th-cam.com/video/aYOCjpKOlpE/w-d-xo.html
Thanks buddy@@mightystudiosvids
Is the fan and ptc heater listed the larger ones?
I'm not sure what you mean for the fan. It only comes in one size. I placed a link to the one I used in the description. For the PTC heater, if you follow that link you'll see it comes in multiple sizes. I used the one labeled '12V 100W 98*32*26MM'. Hope this helps
@@mightystudiosvids ok that's what I was wondering about the larger heater I thought you went with a larger fan as well.
it's crazy how marked up the pricing was for so many of the components you used in this project, just because you purchased them from amazon. $11 for a ptc heater, $10 for a 12v blower fan, $11 for an XH-W1219 thermostat? $15 for a plastic box??
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Is that tub an Ezy Storage Waterproof tub? If so I'd say that tub is far better than the "basic clear plastic watertight tub from Home Depot". The Ezy Storage Waterproof tubs are actually tested and certified to have an IP67 ingress protection rating. I've been using these for years to store all kinds of things and there's nothing out there at the price point that keeps moisture out like these boxes do in the hot and humid summers where I live. The only caveat is that they're NOT tough boxes and you can't throw them around full of heavy items. If you don't bang them around though they're fantastic.
same tub, yes.
Trying to find a box - i click on url and it fails Any ideas please
What size is it
Looks good
search for "Ezy Storage
18L/19Qt Waterproof Clear Latch Tote". They are $15 at Home Depot in the USA
So if filament absorbs humidity, water in the air, does that mean the 3d print product can also be affected by humidity and water? I've seen people printing shoes with TPU. But in my knowledge, PU shoes material falls apart, deteriorate by the time because of it's hydrolysis and absorbed water. So does product printed by TPU absorbs water and falls apart over time?
Drying filament is more about print quality. Water absorbed by the filament becomes steam during the printing process as it boils passing through the hot nozzle. These little steam pops can upset the quality of your print. Once printed, a TPU part will still absorb some moisture from humid air but I don't think it drastically impacts the life of the part.
We used to toss our phones inside rice if we ever spilled liquids on them. It would be interesting to try it
Better to use use silica gel or CaCl2. They are way more aggressive.
Could a seedlings heat mat be a possibility of heating source. No offence but 8 amp is alot.
No offense taken. 8 amp at 12 volts is about 100W, which is the light bulb wattage used in old easy-bake ovens. It's a lot of power, for sure. Seedling mats I'm familiar with top out at about 30 degrees Celsius, so I don't think they'd get the box warm enough to do much.
let me add my PC exaust attached to spood holder box, I play 4k games and filaments get dry :P
The watts consumed determines temperature inside a sealed enclosure, all else being equal.
ANY 90 watt heater will produce more heat than ANY 80 watt heater, period.
(actual watts consumed, not rated watts).
There had to be some other variables causing the different readings, air flow direction etc.
You need an actual thermocouple probe inside the enclosure.
Also, moisture CANNOT leave a sealed enclosure.
As soon as the heat is off the moisture goes right back in the filament.
It must be vented.
There is a thermocouple in the enclosure. It's part of the circuit board controller governing the whole thing. Vents were discussed in the follow up video: th-cam.com/video/R93u8XLAhz8/w-d-xo.html
I backed SUNLU's kickstarter and am getting 2 dryer for $170. So I can dry 8 spools. It's hard to build a cheaper dryer..
drop us a note if you do a review of those dryers. Hope they work out for you. 8 spools and once is fantastic for the price.
IMHO,
I just thinking about it, so my thoughts.
PTC heater AC, 12$
Thermostat with NTC thermistor AC 3$
Box and everything else is just variables, and depens on personal tastes. Even cheap portable oven with digital thermostat will works
I cirrently think about some metal container, because it will be more fire safe and with this, it will be possible to fire up to 120 Celsius for nylon stuff
Definitely would agree on using metal containers for 120 Celsius. I doubt this design could even provide that much heat.
Great project but in the long run, just get yourself one of these bigger "metal" food dehydrators for $ 35,- they go up to "real" 80°C and can hold 4x 1kg spools.
discussed that a bit in the video. Too bulky for my needs, but if I ever see a used one at a garage sale I might try it out.
Update video posted. Thanks for all the feedback! th-cam.com/video/R93u8XLAhz8/w-d-xo.html
The tinkercad link is not working anymore.
Thanks for letting me know. I grabbed the updated link from Tinkercad www.tinkercad.com/things/8ncbi2JHml9-filament-box-heater
Thank you very much.
interesting
I REALLY like your design, but when you gave the cost breakdown to build it, you left out the cost of the power supply you used. I just happen to not have one of those lying around in my shop. 😱 GREAT VIDEO!!!!!!!!!
Thanks! The power supply I used was $30. It's shown in the cost breakdown at 6:22 in the video and linked in the video description.
i just place an electric skillet filled with salt or rice ( for buffering heat ) and dissecant packs around. it all goes inside a big plastic container. put piece of glass on top, and the spools on top of that. set the skillet to warm and wrap the whole thing with a blanket. my fire hazard nightmare can dry 8 spools at once after 12 hours or so of running.
Interesting approach. How do you regulate the temperature?
And then.. the Sunlu S4 exists for ~150€.
The video was made before that existed. As I say in the video description, it's worth a look.
screw that extruder! yep a filament maker on normal 3d printer
You mean an auger to print directly from shredded plastic? That would be amazing.
@@mightystudiosvids any source feeder particle powder
@@mightystudiosvids also color mixing of powders on the fly
@@mightystudiosvids Pellet-fed printers are amazingly expensive.
@@Jkauppa Additive blenders have been on the market a long time and may be good for inspiration. Maguier comes to mind.