The file 'Better Knurled Cap, Better Cap Threads, & Thinner Walled Silica Gel Container 3D Printer Model' is (stl) file type, size is 2.4MB.
Thank you to everyone in the maker community for liking this design all the way up to the FRONT PAGE OF THINGIVERSE!!!
Please give me a like up top if you think this project is useful, and I'd love to read your feedback in the comments if it helps you out or needs improvement.
Update: I've made a solid version of this thing that will have it's own remix, after a few more are printed and quality pictures taken. I named it "Just a Jar" & "Just a Lid". Until then, the files are attached here.
In 3D printing, it is important to keep your filament dry. Practically every type of plastic will take on moisture from humid air. In technical terms, polymers are hygroscopic. PLA and ABS/ASA less so than PETG/Nylon/PolyCarbonate and flexibles, but it will eventually be a problem with enough time in the open air.
The solution is to store open spools of filament in containers which are as close to air tight as possible, and to include silica gel desiccant beads in these sealed containers.
Some containers have an air valve that lets you pull a bit of vacuum after the lid is sealed. I don't do this, and I don't plan to do this, but it is another good step in protecting your filament.
Other spool holders are made with built in heaters, which can dry out your filament if it has already taken on too much H2O. I use this kind of spool holder myself, with one of my silica bead bottles inside the spool. I load my filament in one and turn on the heat every time I print. The spool goes back in an air tight storage tub when I switch colors.
The kind of container people use varies, but spools are always round, and placing your beads inside the spool hole is the most space saving option. This makes the inside spool bead container a popular solution, and many 3D models exist to fit the need.
You print the model, fill it with silica you picked up from Amazon, (or Grainger, U-Line, etc) pop it in the center of your spool, and close the lid to your sealed container.
This remix of Tenshe's design is my contribution.
I started playing with this design just to get some practice in Tinkercad, but picked it back up a few months later and made it a remix worth uploading.
The threads and cap knurling have been taken from a commercial product I've been working on. It makes the cap far easier to work with.
I then spent time thinning the walls of this container to around 1mm, and changed the bottom taper to a more steep (easily printable) angle. It didn't seem necessary to have such thick walls on this project, and your slicer won't want to use supports with this version.
To do 1: Other remixes made the holes smaller to work with smaller silica beads. I didn't see those remixes until this was done. After putting in several days of modeling, prototyping, adjusting, rinse and repeat, it's just not something I have the energy to integrate at the moment. I may add that in the future, or someone else could make a remix.
To do 2: Tenshi has a version of this design made to hold a hygrometer on one end. I didn't need it, and haven't spent time adapting them to my design. I encourage anyone who likes the idea of having an integrated hygrometer to remix my better cap thread with his brilliant instrument mount. This would be a great way to learn Tinkercad yourself!
Inside_Spool_Silica_Gel_Container_v2.2_rcarvalhaes_edition.stl | 2.0MB | |
Inside_Spool_Silica_Gel_Container_v2.stl | 2.0MB | |
Inside_Spool_Silica_Gel_Lid_v2.stl | 665.4KB | |
Just_a_Jar.stl | 343.1KB | |
Just_a_Lid.stl | 629.6KB |