Just a little suggestion when using the rechargeable beads. Be sure to use a stone or ceramic bowl if you microwave them. they'll melt into a plastic dish and ruin themselves and the dish.
@BV3D: Bryan Vines - I'm humbled beyond words, thank you so much for the kind words and review, as the description says - this is a set of remixes of an original design by Cagriahiskali, who created the beautiful grid look, I my contribution improved upon it theirs and the contributions of several others. Something that comes up in every set of comments about these is - is the hygrometer measuring the desiccant or the AMS? special care was taken to prevent contact between the hygrometer and the desiccant chamber, and allow the air behind the container to reach the hygrometer without passing through desiccant; while providing a narrow enough shape to allow removal and insertion without removing spools from the AMS. Thanks so much for this video, I'm besides myself.
I don't have yours, I have a different design from a while back but one main problem with the ones I have is you need to remove the spools to then pull out the boxes. Do yours suffer from this same issue? Yours definitely look easier to empty and refile though as the ones I have use a funnel in the top.
Cool, thanks! I'm a new AMS owner, and I haven't printed these yet, but I've also already run into comments questioning what the hygrometer is measuring. You're absolutely right that it is positioned properly. And I think it would show useful readings even if it were closer to the desiccant. All the humidity inside the AMS will spread evenly, also between the silica beads.
Also worth watching CNC Kitchen recent video on drying desiccant, why saturated desiccant should always be removed... and potential toxicity issues with indicator beads.
I can't believe how well this works!. I was at a 3-4 rating on water in the air on my AMS on my X1 Carbon. When I started the Hydrometer read about 55% and within a short while it has maintained 10% (1 rating). Great idea!
@6:28 yes, they can definitely leak bad and they’ll ruin your AMS/circuitry and there’s no reasonable warning of this on the printer out-of-box and probably very worth a design upgrade. Source: personal experience!
I printed all mine solid front. (No hydrometer). As there is a reading on the Bambu Studio. I use the PolyDryer to dry mine. I printed two sets, so can alternate.
I use the ones that go in the middle of the spool, mainly because it also helps keep the spools turning when they get low on filament. I added scale calibration weights in them. But since you can never have too much desiccant, I'll probably add these too. Great video!
I did that at first + 3 pods in the front of the AMS and found that the spool ones are not needed. If you are storing your filament in sealed containers (with dessicants as well) the AMS pods dont need to do much and mine only need changing every 4-8 weeks.
@@nucleochemist Well, except that I'd need something to weight the spools anyway, and I also live in an area with very high humidity. Even with the spool ones and using the original desiccant chambers, I still have to dry my filament routinely, so whether they're needed kinda depends on circumstance.
Thank you for the video. I was able to quickly print the mid - level hygrometer boxes and the result was perfect. Filled them with desiccant and placed them while the X1 was printing. I started at 35% humidity and now I'm at a consistent 10-11%. I was going to make the desiccant boxes for the back of the AMS but there's no need after this mod. I'm very pleased with how this turned out. Best mod so far.
Thanks Bryan for sharing. I have been using AMS Desiccant Boxes for about 2 months and works gr8. Have not needed to recharge yet - still hovering 10% humidity inside the AMS and no issues with PLA filament breaks.
Bryan, Just printed it and now in my AMS! Very cost effective solution to keeping filament dry while just sitting around !!! Previously had desiccant bags loaded in the front. I printed them in black and hardly noticeable... Thank you
I have govee humidity and temperature data logger in my AMS's. also been using similar prints and rechargeable desiccant since day 10. (had to print the ASA boxes first :)) I dry the beads in a filament dryer or in the X1C on the dryer mode :)
Incredibly helpful. Making this right now but split the plate so I could test parts one at a time. I bought a 1gal blue to pink set from amazon as the affiliate links weren't in stock. I'm trying to print in clear petg as my test print in PLA for the hygrometer fitment it was impossible to see the silica's color.
I was constantly getting ratings of 3 to 5 in my AMS, depending on the day. I printed a similar set of cases for reusable dessicant and now get ratings of 1 or 2. I think it was the extra volume that did the trick.
sigh.. ok I won't call this clickbait but saying you never had to replace desiccant again made me think you had something that didn't need maintenance. I've used re-usable desiccant since I got my AMS but changing it every week and recharging the beads is a real PITA. In my mind you're still replacing the desiccant in your AMS. You are replacing it with fresh beads and recharging the olde ones, but you are still replacing the desiccant.
Do you open your ams alot or is it really humid where you live? Because once a week seems like alot. (Iam just starting out and have just did this mod so don't have any experience yet).
@@matthijsarends8631 really humid would be accurate. I live in Florida. That said "Every week" is probably some level of hyperbole as well. But every few weeks is probably accurate. That said, yes I do change filaments maybe not often but commonly.
@@JohnVanderbeckcnc kitchen showed electrolysis dehumidifyers. Only downside is the price of ~250$ for the one large enough to make a reasonable difference. And a 5 min regen in the microwave seems like a reasonable compromise for the much lower cost. Edit: They are called solid state dehumidifyers. They might be the right thing for you.
It helps if you have a routine for filament spool change over….I lift the lid, remove the spool, and immediately close it…then if it’s only part used I place it immediately into its vacuum bag with desiccant. Only then do I get out the new/different spool and place it straight in the AMS, and immediately close the lid. In total the AMS is only open for under a minute for both separate actions…and the first spool is also tucked up snug with minimal exposure. Once you make it a repetitive routine then you can almost do it on autopilot, lol! I would add that I don’t do this out of efficiency or OCD….its more that I’m avoiding the faff of recharging the silica, lol! It’s working for me so far anyway and I’m closely watching the humidity in the AMS. I also dry new spools to precondition them (when possible and time permits) before they go into the AMS and this helps delay the silica change in the AMS. I am quite new to 3D printing, so if anyone has a better way of extending the silica’s use I’m all ears, lol! 😁👍🏻💕
@@trappedinroom1014 That doesn't really matter for me. Even if I never open the AMS I'll still need to recharge it within a few weeks at best. It's not like these things seal all that well when the lid is closed.
Great video, great tip! I got around to doing this today. Be careful opening that package from Amazon! Mine arrive in a plastic bag/envelope. Inside was suppose to be the desiccant in a zip lock. Somebody forgot to zip the lock! The beads were floating around the envelope. Luckily for me, minimal spillage and was able to finish this up. Model, print & video all on target!!! Well worth it!!! Nice job!
Nice video, thanks! Just a tip: you can also reactivate the dessicant packs in the microwave. Bit more difficult to gauge how much they have absorbed, best done by weight. CNCKitchen had an interesting video on the best ways of reusing them.
There are also insets for the place where the original D-Pads are stored which you can also fill with D-Balls to have even more space/D-Surface. Only thing I don't like is the humidity-sensor inside the D-holders, as this measures the Air just around those but not the general humidity in the AMS air (put another one to the back and see the difference they show). Else its good :)
I decided to commit and ordered a couple Roshal electronic dehumidifiers from Chip45 website. As long as they last a number of years...should be nice. Chip45 has the 3V usb power supply and frames you can print out. I don't have them yet - I'll be doing my AMS and a decent sized dry box.
Also, for rejuvenating the beads, there is also a printable "screen" you can put on a Bambu reusable spool to pour the beads in and then use in any normal filament dryer (home-made from a dehydrator or consumer product). The screen also lets the small chips and bits fall out, keeping only the larger beads (and the large chunks of broken beads).
I’ve had my P1S and AMS for a few weeks. Very pleased. I understand relative humidity and how to use SG. So I looked, and discovered holders on MakerWorld and printed the 5 front ones, centre with humidity gauge, and fillable ones for the 2 rear slots. A bag of SG costs about £6 in the UK, and this is twice as much as is required. The benefit is this allows the SG to be rotated once the RH goes above say 15% and the used SG dried, ready to be reused when required. 😊.
What part of town has the desert?! lol I'm in aurora near DIA and in the house with the AC running it's 35% most of the time, lol, I'm lucky if I get it around 25% in my cabinet. this house is pretty old though, might need some weather stripping upgrades - very jealous!
I have a sealed box that I store my spools in with a paper bag full of the indicator desiccant beads... I've found that microwaving them tends to burn them a bit if they're not fully saturated. That makes the orange beads look darker like they haven't fully dried out. I'm switching to non-indicator beads and just using the hygrometer to tell me when to recharge the desiccant. Definitely going to print those boxes, though!
Just got my X1 Carbon and saw the instructions inside the AMS to take the plastic off but it almost seemed like it meant take them out all together. After I saw this video I realized they are needed and to just take the outer packing plastic off and put them back in the slots. But now I am thinking of the contents of the video and making the tray and buying the orange/green amazon stuff. Very cool video.
Double comment. After a week of having my X1C, I circled back here today. My meter went to 4 after loading up a bunch of filament. I saw a few more dry box designs but the one you recommended looks to be the best. I like how it prints in less than 3 hours too. Hygrometer and orange silica gel coming in 2 days.
I've been 'recycling' silica gel beads for a decade or more using a microwave oven. I always weigh the beads before I microwave them and weigh them afterwards as you can see immediately how much moisture has been removed. This is definitely the way to go.
I ran a test with some rechargeable desiccant - I put some in an open container and pout that inside a closed container with 50% water (desiccant in a boat in a closed system) - It took 24hrs for the desiccant to turn white/clear (used). Taking the desiccant boat out and just putting it back on the table, about 24hrs later approx 1/8th of the desiccant is back to orange, but the "boat" contains a full spectrum from clear-to-orange.
When I asked, Bambu said it was factory dried, and although the spools are vacuum-packed, and the plastic bags are airtight, humidity can still pass through the bag. Someone else in the comments said the same thing about humidity being able to pass through airtight plastic bags. So apparently that's why nylon and other super-hygroscopic filament is packaged in metallic/plastic bags instead of clear plastic.
@@BV3D the response I got was "well, we told you" which I thought was odd. I've bought so much filament from them and even bought two rolls of the HF. One roll came out dry, the other roll came out unusable.
@@probablynotian I was getting poor surface quality on my red PETG HF for sure until I dried it, but the white was doing fine. The red did a lot better after I dried it.
Do the PETG-HF spools come in the clear bags or the metallized/foil bags? I know that moisture can pass through the clear ones. I would be extremely surprised if that's the case for the foil bags. I've done moisture testing with these bags and I find it hard to believe that moisture would go through them.
On my Bambu PET-CF and PAHT-CF spools, it recommends drying on the box before use but also has the foil bags. My theory was the time from drying the spool to sealing varies as the packaging batch is exposed to air during the bagging/sealing stage. Basically the last spool to be sealed would theoretically absorb more moisture than the first sealed spool if they were exposed at the same time. Drying on the customer end would ensure the moisture levels are more consistent.
I've been using the older style Bank of squarish boxes that go in the front of the ams. I like the new additional ones to go on the left and right edge. Also running cylinder-shaped canisters that go inside each spool. That comes in handy on very light spools that tend to lift out on rewind
Nice tips. I just made the containers that fit in the under-spool recesses, and they was a bit of a hassle to install with reels of filament already loaded. The front loaders will be welcome.
I highly recommend printing the dessicant holders in ASA. That way when it's time to recharge you just throw it in the microwave on defrost for 10 minutes. No need to every open or touch the beads. DO NOT use the oven. Less than half way through my attempt the ASA was already starting to melt in the oven.
@@nucleochemist I personally find a few hours in my filament dryer at 65-70 degrees does great, and its right by the printer. it's also worth noting that the indicating desiccants are pretty toxic, so best kept away from appliances used for food.
I’ve heard with this design that the Hydrometer can read more dry than the spools are experiencing. This is because the hydrometer is against the desiccant. I’ll probably leave the center pocket either half full, or even empty to compensate.
These were designed with solid walls seaprating the hygrometer's sensors from the desiccant with a clear path of air from behind the box. the area it's pulling air from would of course be affected by the desiccant, but to a much lesser extent than designs where the hygrometer is literally sitting inside of desiccant with no barrier. tests show a variance of RH% with the same model hygrometers sitting in the front center position in the box with desiccant, vs hygrometers placed in spool centers, and the back of the AMS as 3-5% difference after 12 hours.
That was Stefan @CNCKitchen. It's cool technology but yes, it's pricey. For anyone reading this and wanting to watch, here's a link to the video: ruclips.net/video/n7EWexck8NE/видео.htmlsi=0TghHVADqOasvAhX
@@JohnVanderbeck PETG, ABS, or ASA works great my dryer setting is 50c the trick is air flow, make sure they are in the way of the fan that's what's most important. They clear up very quickly too.
@@EatingCtrlV Interesting. I have mixed luck with ABS but I might try printing these up in PETG and see if that works out. It would be a HUGE benefit to be able to just put the whole thing in the dryer, rather than emptying them out, putting in new beads, drying out the old ones, etc. It's a chore I hate doing.
I have a similar setup for my AMS and just recharged my beads for the first time in the microwave - they get super hot, so use a glass microwave-safe pyrex bowl and try not to do too many at once or they don't dry out well. Also, avoid the blue beads that have cobalt in them, as you don't want to be touching cobalt. Finally, note that the hygrometer is right up against the beads, so it is going to show a lower humidity than the average would be throughout the AMS.
note that the hygrometer is separated from the beads by a solid wall and the sensors of the hygrometers face the rear of the boxes through which the grid allows air to reach them without passing through desiccant. the closest sensor location to desicant is an average of 15mm away from eachother, this was specfically designed for this purpose as most of these have the hygrometer sitting in a nest of desiccant. ;)
The organic dyed (green-orange) beads are worse in the long run. Their performance degrades and they will progressively smell worse and worse (as the organic dye degrades and starts to volatilise) if you regenerate them at temps over 100 degC (which is the normal temp minimum that should be used for silica gel). The cobalt chloride doped beads are fine as long as you wash your hands after handling them and arn't somehow making a lot of dust and inhaling it all day long.
II agree with this. In addition, I would put my filament spools in a waterproof box with rechargeable silica gel from day 1. Most hygrometers bottom out at 10-15% but if you calculate the amount of water vapor at that. RH/temp it is so small that the silica gel should handle this. Typical polymers absorb between 1-5% of water by weight but it takes a long time to get there (days to weeks) and even longer to get the water out of the polymer.
I use a couple of those automotive dehumidifier packs in my filament box. They are not as good as silica desiccant, but they get the humidity down far enough, and recharging is as easy as zapping it around in the microwave for 5 minutes. Very convenient. I might give this stuff a go, though you have to be careful with toxic substances when drying out desiccant in an oven you also use to prepare food.
I wonder if you could put the desiccant containers into the P1/X1, and then have the printer "recharge" them (like you were going to dry a spool), so that you don't have to remove the desiccant from the containers...? Probably print in PETG for this. 🤔
The best and cheapest filament dryer is a food dehydrator(25-45 usd), you can also use it to refresh your decicants, both silica gel or bentonite clay works ok and both are available at most grocery stores as kitty litter, just avoid cented or clumping litter.
Recently I got a Dry Cabinet from Production Automation Corporation (PAC). They are made by eDry. So the smallest one is just $200 and keeps 4 filaments very dry. Currently mine is at 4.7% humidity. It CAN dry wet filament, but it does take a few weeks, but no heat. And unfortunately it doesn't work for an AMS, but it is very handy to keep those filaments lying around very dry. Indoor air is about 40% and in the cabinet, under 5%. Nothing to heat, replace or recharge.
Missed a chance to paraphrase A Knight's Tale at 2:00. "His spirit is gone, but his stench remains." which could be changed to "It's usefulness is gone, but it's slime remains."
Love your videos. I think I'm just going to store my saturated beads in a gallon jug until I get a bunch of them, then just dry them all at once. Then I can simply microwave them on a low setting in a 9x13 lass pan (stirring occasionally) until I get a nice even orange.
1. I recommend the oven for drying silica gel. I found the microwave made the beads sticky and clumpy. (I could just be my microwave). 2. A friend just recommended activated alumina which he says works better and last longer.
You should look into using Activated Alumina instead of Desiccant and is rechargable. Its more obsorbent then desiccant and i've been using it in my high moisture prone filament with great results!
The Bambu Lab dessicant can leak, found that out on the weekend. Comes out an oily consistency. Printed the in desiccant holders already, adding these in now. Already had colour beads for spool wieght.
Seems to me the answer would be an automated air dryer, running on filament dryer principles, that fed a constant flow of dry air into the AMS and kept a positive dry air pressure inside. Do the dessicant pouch receptacles dry air coming into the box through vents in the bottom or just dry the air that comes into the box as you open and close it?
I printed a different design of holders for the front of the AMS using polycarbonate and the whole thing goes in the oven. Works perfectly at 105 degrees C. I dont have anything in the original dessicant things in the bottom of the AMS.
Just get a camera dry cabinet and store the filament in that then put it in the ams when you are ready to print. If you need to get humidity out of the filament fast use one of those heated filament dryers before putting it in the cabinet. I print from a dry cabinet and it is so dry the PTFE tube gets statically charged and shocks me if I touch it. Had to ground it lol.
While I'm sure I could find it in his back-catalog, can anyone point me to the model of the ATAT with @-symbols to his left in the middle shelf? Turns out searching for the @ symbol does not have the intended effect :) Thanks!
Hi, you can find my version of it here: www.printables.com/model/499365 I remixed the one I found on Thingiverse to add alignment pins for the legs and head. I used it in my 3D Printed Dad Jokes video, here: ruclips.net/video/fRofqug0WKE/видео.html
Why limit this to a AMS? I use plastic storage totes (zip lock, they have the best seal) i do not have a drying issue, this is just something i have done sense i started 3d printing. when i open a new roll i just toss the packet in the tote. on some of the Qidi filaments with CF I use a SH02 and dry it from 6-12 hours depends on what filament im using. Im going to make one and put it in the tote.
I just got my P1S with AMS, someone recommended this unit to me and it looks great, however I have a concern. It appears the Hygrometer is mounted in the front of the holder, wouldn't the measuring unit on the back on the Hygrometer just be measuring the desiccant behind it and not the actual humidity in the AMS unit? Has anyone tried placing another hygrometer elsewhere in the unit to see if they would read the same?
So far im also using the color changing ones, but with the hygrometer inside i start wondering if the ones without the color indicator wouldn't be more effective / last longer. I've read that a few times, but haven't done a A/B comparison yet.
Been using these beads for months in small jewellery bags, then put them in the filament vacuum bags with the dry filament spools. ps. the humidity here in the west of the UK is constantly 70%.
I've noticed is that the desiccant trays at the bottom of the AMS (I have both) soak up moisture significantly quicker than the front set. I guess this makes sense since moisture is heavier than air and should thus naturally sinks. Who knew? :P In short, my ANS finds it easier to stay dry with the bottom trays and I'm not sure the front ones contribute much until the bottom are near saturated. A shame, since they hold a LOT more beads.
@@Trust_me_I_am_an_Engineer I'm confused. You say moist air sinks and give reasons why but then wonder why the gell at the bottom absorbs more water? Because the heavier than air water falls down into them, no? "Humid (or moist) air rises , because it's lighter than dry air.", says who? Then why does it rain downward?
@@Trust_me_I_am_an_Engineer Maybe you were actually replying to someone else? In any case, to address: "Humid (or moist) air rises , because it's lighter than dry air."
@@gruvinnz Says who? Everybody who has had scientific training :) But you don't need to believe me. Go on google and type " is moist air heavier than dry air ?" Cya.
@@gruvinnzSo the tricky things about water is it actually is lighter than air when it is a vapor (MW of 18 instead of 32). Water is only a liquid at room temperature because of the strong attraction between water molecules.
Just a small update for those who've asked: 9 Variations have been added for hygrometer variations, including different snap mounts for this round hygrometer (horizontal, vertical and 45 degree)
Good information. Why did you decide to now replace the back holders with the ones you shared at the start of the video. You are already using replaceable desicnat so that didn't make sense to me why you wouldn't replace those also. See time about 3:21. Seems like you would use both types to get most humidity removal. Especially since it appears you already printed them. Just curious on your thoughts.
I want to see an affiliate link for the t-shirts you wear :) I totally need this one lol . Really great design which I will use one day when I can get an ams unit and a bambu lab printer :(
I noticed on Amazon that they are sold out on the desiccant beads you linked to. Is there another brand you would recommend? I looked at some on Amazon, but they all had horrible reviews.
if you want to microwave them, ASA is your best bet, the microwave as you know, won't heat up the plastic, but the beads get so hot they'll melt PLA right through.
I have similar dryers in my AMS, but you have to take the spools out to take them in and out. Can these ones be inserted while the spools are in? Also, I use my filament dryer to dry out the beads. Just make sure you don't print them out of PLA.
I went with "KYZ FF2 High Airflow Spool Desiccant Holder" and put it in every roll of filament. The advantage is that I can also pre-dry the rolls in my Creality dual roll dryers and also vacuum seal them after use. Basically, the desiccant stays with the roll until the roll is empty, gets re-dried when I think it's needed with the roll, and when the filament is done, it's time to microwave the beads! I used PETG to print them because I think the threads are smoother. If you want to print them, please, for the love of what you pray to, do NOT print with support. It doesn't need them, and adding supports will ruin your print. Don't ask how I know. Oh, I also use them with my son's A1 Mini and AMS Lite. Instead of mounting the filament on the AMS, we leave them in dedicated Creality dryers and loop them into the AMS from there. I wish you could do the same with the AMS for the P1/X1 but their filament travel is too long fot it to work. But you can use the AMS bypass to feed directly from the dryer if you print a lot of especially hydrophilic filament. (Yes, the sucker I am, I bought 2x double packs - that's almost another A1 Mini in price.)
WOW! Thanks so much again Bryan! I just found out today that my SPILLPROOF AMS Desiccant boxes are now an official Bambu Lab Maker's Supply kit :O
That is awesome! Congrats!
Just a little suggestion when using the rechargeable beads. Be sure to use a stone or ceramic bowl if you microwave them. they'll melt into a plastic dish and ruin themselves and the dish.
and if you want to ignite the microwave use a paper plate!
@@StephenKeating Yeah, I'm sure it would!!! Even the Ceramic dish I use gets so hot, that I must use a hot pad to remove it from my microwave!!!
That slicer trick note is more than worth the cost of admission! This just simplified a Raspberry Pi case design I'm building.
love it!
@BV3D: Bryan Vines - I'm humbled beyond words, thank you so much for the kind words and review, as the description says - this is a set of remixes of an original design by Cagriahiskali, who created the beautiful grid look, I my contribution improved upon it theirs and the contributions of several others. Something that comes up in every set of comments about these is - is the hygrometer measuring the desiccant or the AMS? special care was taken to prevent contact between the hygrometer and the desiccant chamber, and allow the air behind the container to reach the hygrometer without passing through desiccant; while providing a narrow enough shape to allow removal and insertion without removing spools from the AMS. Thanks so much for this video, I'm besides myself.
Hi Joey, I'm super glad you liked the video! 😃
I don't have yours, I have a different design from a while back but one main problem with the ones I have is you need to remove the spools to then pull out the boxes. Do yours suffer from this same issue? Yours definitely look easier to empty and refile though as the ones I have use a funnel in the top.
@@JohnVanderbecknope, you can insert and remove them without removing the spools. 👍
Cool, thanks! I'm a new AMS owner, and I haven't printed these yet, but I've also already run into comments questioning what the hygrometer is measuring. You're absolutely right that it is positioned properly. And I think it would show useful readings even if it were closer to the desiccant. All the humidity inside the AMS will spread evenly, also between the silica beads.
Also worth watching CNC Kitchen recent video on drying desiccant, why saturated desiccant should always be removed... and potential toxicity issues with indicator beads.
I can't believe how well this works!. I was at a 3-4 rating on water in the air on my AMS on my X1 Carbon. When I started the Hydrometer read about 55% and within a short while it has maintained 10% (1 rating). Great idea!
Mine too - until the desicant changed from Orange to Black (!) - Replaced it and back to normal nice numbers :)
@6:28 yes, they can definitely leak bad and they’ll ruin your AMS/circuitry and there’s no reasonable warning of this on the printer out-of-box and probably very worth a design upgrade. Source: personal experience!
Oh, ouch! I'm sorry that happened to your AMS!
First time 3D Printer here. I just got my Bambu Lab P1S & AMS. This is the first thing I printed. Amazing! Thanks for making this video.
I printed all mine solid front. (No hydrometer). As there is a reading on the Bambu Studio. I use the PolyDryer to dry mine. I printed two sets, so can alternate.
I use the ones that go in the middle of the spool, mainly because it also helps keep the spools turning when they get low on filament. I added scale calibration weights in them. But since you can never have too much desiccant, I'll probably add these too. Great video!
I did that at first + 3 pods in the front of the AMS and found that the spool ones are not needed. If you are storing your filament in sealed containers (with dessicants as well) the AMS pods dont need to do much and mine only need changing every 4-8 weeks.
@@nucleochemist Well, except that I'd need something to weight the spools anyway, and I also live in an area with very high humidity. Even with the spool ones and using the original desiccant chambers, I still have to dry my filament routinely, so whether they're needed kinda depends on circumstance.
I used to do that until one day for some odd reason the insert was actually causing one of my spools to not spin properly.
Thank you for the video. I was able to quickly print the mid - level hygrometer boxes and the result was perfect. Filled them with desiccant and placed them while the X1 was printing. I started at 35% humidity and now I'm at a consistent 10-11%. I was going to make the desiccant boxes for the back of the AMS but there's no need after this mod. I'm very pleased with how this turned out. Best mod so far.
Thanks Bryan for sharing. I have been using AMS Desiccant Boxes for about 2 months and works gr8. Have not needed to recharge yet - still hovering 10% humidity inside the AMS and no issues with PLA filament breaks.
Bryan, Just printed it and now in my AMS! Very cost effective solution to keeping filament dry while just sitting around !!! Previously had desiccant bags loaded in the front. I printed them in black and hardly noticeable... Thank you
You can also put some of the desiccate in reusable teabag for the lower chamber desiccate locations. More cannot be worse.
That's a very good point!
Thanks for this video, I'd seen quite a few people mention doing this but I never saw them go into much detail. This was very useful.
I have govee humidity and temperature data logger in my AMS's. also been using similar prints and rechargeable desiccant since day 10. (had to print the ASA boxes first :)) I dry the beads in a filament dryer or in the X1C on the dryer mode :)
So much nicer than what I was using.
Incredibly helpful. Making this right now but split the plate so I could test parts one at a time. I bought a 1gal blue to pink set from amazon as the affiliate links weren't in stock. I'm trying to print in clear petg as my test print in PLA for the hygrometer fitment it was impossible to see the silica's color.
Useful video which saved me a problem before it became a reality! Liked and subbed.
I was constantly getting ratings of 3 to 5 in my AMS, depending on the day.
I printed a similar set of cases for reusable dessicant and now get ratings of 1 or 2. I think it was the extra volume that did the trick.
Planning on doing exactly this with my P1S very soon. Thanks for the vid!
sigh.. ok I won't call this clickbait but saying you never had to replace desiccant again made me think you had something that didn't need maintenance. I've used re-usable desiccant since I got my AMS but changing it every week and recharging the beads is a real PITA. In my mind you're still replacing the desiccant in your AMS. You are replacing it with fresh beads and recharging the olde ones, but you are still replacing the desiccant.
Do you open your ams alot or is it really humid where you live? Because once a week seems like alot. (Iam just starting out and have just did this mod so don't have any experience yet).
@@matthijsarends8631 really humid would be accurate. I live in Florida. That said "Every week" is probably some level of hyperbole as well. But every few weeks is probably accurate. That said, yes I do change filaments maybe not often but commonly.
@@JohnVanderbeckcnc kitchen showed electrolysis dehumidifyers. Only downside is the price of ~250$ for the one large enough to make a reasonable difference.
And a 5 min regen in the microwave seems like a reasonable compromise for the much lower cost.
Edit: They are called solid state dehumidifyers. They might be the right thing for you.
It helps if you have a routine for filament spool change over….I lift the lid, remove the spool, and immediately close it…then if it’s only part used I place it immediately into its vacuum bag with desiccant. Only then do I get out the new/different spool and place it straight in the AMS, and immediately close the lid. In total the AMS is only open for under a minute for both separate actions…and the first spool is also tucked up snug with minimal exposure. Once you make it a repetitive routine then you can almost do it on autopilot, lol!
I would add that I don’t do this out of efficiency or OCD….its more that I’m avoiding the faff of recharging the silica, lol! It’s working for me so far anyway and I’m closely watching the humidity in the AMS. I also dry new spools to precondition them (when possible and time permits) before they go into the AMS and this helps delay the silica change in the AMS.
I am quite new to 3D printing, so if anyone has a better way of extending the silica’s use I’m all ears, lol! 😁👍🏻💕
@@trappedinroom1014 That doesn't really matter for me. Even if I never open the AMS I'll still need to recharge it within a few weeks at best. It's not like these things seal all that well when the lid is closed.
Great video, great tip! I got around to doing this today. Be careful opening that package from Amazon! Mine arrive in a plastic bag/envelope. Inside was suppose to be the desiccant in a zip lock. Somebody forgot to zip the lock! The beads were floating around the envelope. Luckily for me, minimal spillage and was able to finish this up. Model, print & video all on target!!! Well worth it!!! Nice job!
Nice video, thanks!
Just a tip: you can also reactivate the dessicant packs in the microwave. Bit more difficult to gauge how much they have absorbed, best done by weight. CNCKitchen had an interesting video on the best ways of reusing them.
Thanks for the video. I will definitely be printing these.
There are also insets for the place where the original D-Pads are stored which you can also fill with D-Balls to have even more space/D-Surface. Only thing I don't like is the humidity-sensor inside the D-holders, as this measures the Air just around those but not the general humidity in the AMS air (put another one to the back and see the difference they show). Else its good :)
I decided to commit and ordered a couple Roshal electronic dehumidifiers from Chip45 website. As long as they last a number of years...should be nice. Chip45 has the 3V usb power supply and frames you can print out. I don't have them yet - I'll be doing my AMS and a decent sized dry box.
That's next-level! Cool!
Also, for rejuvenating the beads, there is also a printable "screen" you can put on a Bambu reusable spool to pour the beads in and then use in any normal filament dryer (home-made from a dehydrator or consumer product). The screen also lets the small chips and bits fall out, keeping only the larger beads (and the large chunks of broken beads).
Yeah I've used a couple of these (hint, don't print them in PETG LOL, use ASA/ABS)
Can you share the link to the printable "screen"? Thanks!!
I’ve had my P1S and AMS for a few weeks. Very pleased.
I understand relative humidity and how to use SG. So I looked, and discovered holders on MakerWorld and printed the 5 front ones, centre with humidity gauge, and fillable ones for the 2 rear slots.
A bag of SG costs about £6 in the UK, and this is twice as much as is required. The benefit is this allows the SG to be rotated once the RH goes above say 15% and the used SG dried, ready to be reused when required. 😊.
I am blessed to live in Denver where the relative humidity indoors is regularly
I envy your low indoor relative humidity. 😊
What part of town has the desert?! lol I'm in aurora near DIA and in the house with the AC running it's 35% most of the time, lol, I'm lucky if I get it around 25% in my cabinet. this house is pretty old though, might need some weather stripping upgrades - very jealous!
I live in Phoenix, AZ where its 15% outside, but inside your house is much different. 35%-40% is typical, which is too damp for most filament.
@@A1N0 I want that big filament closet Filament Stories has ;D
Have you thought about printing in ASA? I did so I don't have to remove the desiccant from the containers when recharging
I have a sealed box that I store my spools in with a paper bag full of the indicator desiccant beads... I've found that microwaving them tends to burn them a bit if they're not fully saturated. That makes the orange beads look darker like they haven't fully dried out. I'm switching to non-indicator beads and just using the hygrometer to tell me when to recharge the desiccant. Definitely going to print those boxes, though!
Just got my X1 Carbon and saw the instructions inside the AMS to take the plastic off but it almost seemed like it meant take them out all together. After I saw this video I realized they are needed and to just take the outer packing plastic off and put them back in the slots. But now I am thinking of the contents of the video and making the tray and buying the orange/green amazon stuff. Very cool video.
Double comment. After a week of having my X1C, I circled back here today. My meter went to 4 after loading up a bunch of filament. I saw a few more dry box designs but the one you recommended looks to be the best. I like how it prints in less than 3 hours too. Hygrometer and orange silica gel coming in 2 days.
Please test with the hydrometer in an opposite corner from the desiccant.
I've been 'recycling' silica gel beads for a decade or more using a microwave oven. I always weigh the beads before I microwave them and weigh them afterwards as you can see immediately how much moisture has been removed. This is definitely the way to go.
New subscriber here! I've watched a couple videos of yours, and you have helped me tremendously with these. Thank you so much for the great videos.
I ran a test with some rechargeable desiccant - I put some in an open container and pout that inside a closed container with 50% water (desiccant in a boat in a closed system) - It took 24hrs for the desiccant to turn white/clear (used). Taking the desiccant boat out and just putting it back on the table, about 24hrs later approx 1/8th of the desiccant is back to orange, but the "boat" contains a full spectrum from clear-to-orange.
That PET-HF filament is the first filament I've bought from them that needed to be dried out of the factory packaging. Wild stuff.
When I asked, Bambu said it was factory dried, and although the spools are vacuum-packed, and the plastic bags are airtight, humidity can still pass through the bag. Someone else in the comments said the same thing about humidity being able to pass through airtight plastic bags. So apparently that's why nylon and other super-hygroscopic filament is packaged in metallic/plastic bags instead of clear plastic.
@@BV3D the response I got was "well, we told you" which I thought was odd. I've bought so much filament from them and even bought two rolls of the HF. One roll came out dry, the other roll came out unusable.
@@probablynotian I was getting poor surface quality on my red PETG HF for sure until I dried it, but the white was doing fine. The red did a lot better after I dried it.
Do the PETG-HF spools come in the clear bags or the metallized/foil bags? I know that moisture can pass through the clear ones. I would be extremely surprised if that's the case for the foil bags. I've done moisture testing with these bags and I find it hard to believe that moisture would go through them.
On my Bambu PET-CF and PAHT-CF spools, it recommends drying on the box before use but also has the foil bags. My theory was the time from drying the spool to sealing varies as the packaging batch is exposed to air during the bagging/sealing stage. Basically the last spool to be sealed would theoretically absorb more moisture than the first sealed spool if they were exposed at the same time. Drying on the customer end would ensure the moisture levels are more consistent.
I bought a 30 pack of dessicant packs on Amazon and it also came with instructions on recharging them in the oven.
I've been using the older style Bank of squarish boxes that go in the front of the ams. I like the new additional ones to go on the left and right edge. Also running cylinder-shaped canisters that go inside each spool. That comes in handy on very light spools that tend to lift out on rewind
Nice tips. I just made the containers that fit in the under-spool recesses, and they was a bit of a hassle to install with reels of filament already loaded. The front loaders will be welcome.
I didn't know about Bambu Labs desiccant. Thank you for this information, I'll be taking your advice!
I highly recommend printing the dessicant holders in ASA. That way when it's time to recharge you just throw it in the microwave on defrost for 10 minutes. No need to every open or touch the beads. DO NOT use the oven. Less than half way through my attempt the ASA was already starting to melt in the oven.
Microwaving has no thermal control. Not a good idea. Use a good digital oven with fan (i.e., not a thermostated or analog convection oven.)
@@nucleochemist
I personally find a few hours in my filament dryer at 65-70 degrees does great, and its right by the printer.
it's also worth noting that the indicating desiccants are pretty toxic, so best kept away from appliances used for food.
@@Corvus.2606 u can also use aluminium-oxid desicant beeds, that are not toxic and can lower humidity even mor effectivly.
I’ve heard with this design that the Hydrometer can read more dry than the spools are experiencing. This is because the hydrometer is against the desiccant. I’ll probably leave the center pocket either half full, or even empty to compensate.
These were designed with solid walls seaprating the hygrometer's sensors from the desiccant with a clear path of air from behind the box. the area it's pulling air from would of course be affected by the desiccant, but to a much lesser extent than designs where the hygrometer is literally sitting inside of desiccant with no barrier. tests show a variance of RH% with the same model hygrometers sitting in the front center position in the box with desiccant, vs hygrometers placed in spool centers, and the back of the AMS as 3-5% difference after 12 hours.
Someone somewhere here on youtube used a chip that moves moisture out. It runs on a batery and keeps the filament dry. The catch is the price.
That was Stefan @CNCKitchen. It's cool technology but yes, it's pricey. For anyone reading this and wanting to watch, here's a link to the video: ruclips.net/video/n7EWexck8NE/видео.htmlsi=0TghHVADqOasvAhX
Instant win for ex-desiccant rant
I printed these in clear filament and just heat them up in my filament dryer when I can see the color shift.
What did you print them in that holds up enough to recharge the beads without deforming the material?
@@JohnVanderbeck PETG, ABS, or ASA works great my dryer setting is 50c the trick is air flow, make sure they are in the way of the fan that's what's most important. They clear up very quickly too.
@@EatingCtrlV Interesting. I have mixed luck with ABS but I might try printing these up in PETG and see if that works out. It would be a HUGE benefit to be able to just put the whole thing in the dryer, rather than emptying them out, putting in new beads, drying out the old ones, etc. It's a chore I hate doing.
I have a similar setup for my AMS and just recharged my beads for the first time in the microwave - they get super hot, so use a glass microwave-safe pyrex bowl and try not to do too many at once or they don't dry out well. Also, avoid the blue beads that have cobalt in them, as you don't want to be touching cobalt. Finally, note that the hygrometer is right up against the beads, so it is going to show a lower humidity than the average would be throughout the AMS.
note that the hygrometer is separated from the beads by a solid wall and the sensors of the hygrometers face the rear of the boxes through which the grid allows air to reach them without passing through desiccant. the closest sensor location to desicant is an average of 15mm away from eachother, this was specfically designed for this purpose as most of these have the hygrometer sitting in a nest of desiccant. ;)
The organic dyed (green-orange) beads are worse in the long run. Their performance degrades and they will progressively smell worse and worse (as the organic dye degrades and starts to volatilise) if you regenerate them at temps over 100 degC (which is the normal temp minimum that should be used for silica gel). The cobalt chloride doped beads are fine as long as you wash your hands after handling them and arn't somehow making a lot of dust and inhaling it all day long.
II agree with this. In addition, I would put my filament spools in a waterproof box with rechargeable silica gel from day 1. Most hygrometers bottom out at 10-15% but if you calculate the amount of water vapor at that. RH/temp it is so small that the silica gel should handle this. Typical polymers absorb between 1-5% of water by weight but it takes a long time to get there (days to weeks) and even longer to get the water out of the polymer.
Hi Brian, would love to see what you could come up with trying to print "glass" with clear PETG.
I use a couple of those automotive dehumidifier packs in my filament box. They are not as good as silica desiccant, but they get the humidity down far enough, and recharging is as easy as zapping it around in the microwave for 5 minutes. Very convenient.
I might give this stuff a go, though you have to be careful with toxic substances when drying out desiccant in an oven you also use to prepare food.
I wonder if you could put the desiccant containers into the P1/X1, and then have the printer "recharge" them (like you were going to dry a spool), so that you don't have to remove the desiccant from the containers...?
Probably print in PETG for this. 🤔
Lovely Monty Python soliloquy!
Remarkable bird, innit? Beautiful plumage!
@@BV3D”I’ve got a slug.” Subscribed just for the dead parrot callout.
@@aspectratio703 Haha! Thank you!
It’s just pining 🤣🤣🤣
The best and cheapest filament dryer is a food dehydrator(25-45 usd), you can also use it to refresh your decicants, both silica gel or bentonite clay works ok and both are available at most grocery stores as kitty litter, just avoid cented or clumping litter.
This looks great especially for PETG, though i've heard PLA is fine at 40-50% even.
My P1s is in the mail. These will be waiting for it when it arrives. Printed on my Ender3 V2. 👍👍
Recently I got a Dry Cabinet from Production Automation Corporation (PAC). They are made by eDry. So the smallest one is just $200 and keeps 4 filaments very dry. Currently mine is at 4.7% humidity. It CAN dry wet filament, but it does take a few weeks, but no heat. And unfortunately it doesn't work for an AMS, but it is very handy to keep those filaments lying around very dry. Indoor air is about 40% and in the cabinet, under 5%. Nothing to heat, replace or recharge.
Missed a chance to paraphrase A Knight's Tale at 2:00. "His spirit is gone, but his stench remains." which could be changed to "It's usefulness is gone, but it's slime remains."
I used Dry & Dry silica gel beads. Fantastic...
I see that there's both blue and orange available on Amazon. Do you have a preference?
I like blue
Love your videos. I think I'm just going to store my saturated beads in a gallon jug until I get a bunch of them, then just dry them all at once. Then I can simply microwave them on a low setting in a 9x13 lass pan (stirring occasionally) until I get a nice even orange.
1. I recommend the oven for drying silica gel. I found the microwave made the beads sticky and clumpy. (I could just be my microwave).
2. A friend just recommended activated alumina which he says works better and last longer.
Make sure you only use LOW power, don’t let the SG get too hot and gently stir every few minutes.
I have yet to see HOW dry is dry enough for filament and what hygrometers are actually accurate, how about a follow up on that topic?
Love the shirts! Oh and your content is awesome too. 😊
Haha! Thanks, my wife gets these shirts for me as birthday and Christmas gifts. 😁
I liked the Monty Python homage. My storage dry box is a 5 gallon hardware store bucket with the tight sealing lid and some of that same desiccant.
You should look into using Activated Alumina instead of Desiccant and is rechargable. Its more obsorbent then desiccant and i've been using it in my high moisture prone filament with great results!
The Bambu Lab dessicant can leak, found that out on the weekend.
Comes out an oily consistency.
Printed the in desiccant holders already, adding these in now.
Already had colour beads for spool wieght.
Great video! I intend on doing this project. However, I don't see the dry box files for the Rectangular Hygrometer.
Seems to me the answer would be an automated air dryer, running on filament dryer principles, that fed a constant flow of dry air into the AMS and kept a positive dry air pressure inside. Do the dessicant pouch receptacles dry air coming into the box through vents in the bottom or just dry the air that comes into the box as you open and close it?
I printed a different design of holders for the front of the AMS using polycarbonate and the whole thing goes in the oven. Works perfectly at 105 degrees C. I dont have anything in the original dessicant things in the bottom of the AMS.
The first time a dried mine in the microwave I put it in what I thought was a microwave proof bowl, it wasn't and it exploded!
Yikes! 😧
I save the desiccant packets from PLA reels. I open them and pour the desiccant into a holder I printed.
Just get a camera dry cabinet and store the filament in that then put it in the ams when you are ready to print. If you need to get humidity out of the filament fast use one of those heated filament dryers before putting it in the cabinet. I print from a dry cabinet and it is so dry the PTFE tube gets statically charged and shocks me if I touch it. Had to ground it lol.
The Sunlu 4s filament dryer holds 4 spools and keeps them dry for half the price of the cheapest camera dry cabinet I could find on Amazon.
Dude, you rock thanks so much for sharing this information!
While I'm sure I could find it in his back-catalog, can anyone point me to the model of the ATAT with @-symbols to his left in the middle shelf? Turns out searching for the @ symbol does not have the intended effect :)
Thanks!
www.printables.com/model/499365
@@BV3D thank you very much!
@@chrischtea You're quite welcome!
Thx! How much desiccant was needed to fill all the boxes?
Great MP reference! Also...I really want to know where i can find that @@ model
Hi, you can find my version of it here: www.printables.com/model/499365 I remixed the one I found on Thingiverse to add alignment pins for the legs and head. I used it in my 3D Printed Dad Jokes video, here: ruclips.net/video/fRofqug0WKE/видео.html
@@BV3D Thanks!
Check out the Eva-dry E-333 Mini Dehumidifier. You can plug it to dry it out. Someone needs to design an enclosure so this can fit on the AMS.
thank you this was great info i never knew
Why limit this to a AMS? I use plastic storage totes (zip lock, they have the best seal) i do not have a drying issue, this is just something i have done sense i started 3d printing. when i open a new roll i just toss the packet in the tote. on some of the Qidi filaments with CF I use a SH02 and dry it from 6-12 hours depends on what filament im using. Im going to make one and put it in the tote.
Gotta love the tshirt
I want one
I just got my P1S with AMS, someone recommended this unit to me and it looks great, however I have a concern. It appears the Hygrometer is mounted in the front of the holder, wouldn't the measuring unit on the back on the Hygrometer just be measuring the desiccant behind it and not the actual humidity in the AMS unit? Has anyone tried placing another hygrometer elsewhere in the unit to see if they would read the same?
So far im also using the color changing ones, but with the hygrometer inside i start wondering if the ones without the color indicator wouldn't be more effective / last longer. I've read that a few times, but haven't done a A/B comparison yet.
Been using these beads for months in small jewellery bags, then put them in the filament vacuum bags with the dry filament spools. ps. the humidity here in the west of the UK is constantly 70%.
@bv3d Do you have another link for the Silica Beads? Looks like those are sold out.
Good idea though they do make rechargeable desiccant packs now.
I've noticed is that the desiccant trays at the bottom of the AMS (I have both) soak up moisture significantly quicker than the front set. I guess this makes sense since moisture is heavier than air and should thus naturally sinks. Who knew? :P In short, my ANS finds it easier to stay dry with the bottom trays and I'm not sure the front ones contribute much until the bottom are near saturated. A shame, since they hold a LOT more beads.
@@Trust_me_I_am_an_Engineer I'm confused. You say moist air sinks and give reasons why but then wonder why the gell at the bottom absorbs more water? Because the heavier than air water falls down into them, no? "Humid (or moist) air rises , because it's lighter than dry air.", says who? Then why does it rain downward?
@@Trust_me_I_am_an_Engineer Maybe you were actually replying to someone else? In any case, to address: "Humid (or moist) air rises , because it's lighter than dry air."
@@gruvinnz Says who? Everybody who has had scientific training :) But you don't need to believe me. Go on google and type " is moist air heavier than dry air ?" Cya.
@@gruvinnzSo the tricky things about water is it actually is lighter than air when it is a vapor (MW of 18 instead of 32). Water is only a liquid at room temperature because of the strong attraction between water molecules.
Just a small update for those who've asked: 9 Variations have been added for hygrometer variations, including different snap mounts for this round hygrometer (horizontal, vertical and 45 degree)
I used one of these today and it infilled the hygrometer mounting space. Any suggestions?
can you take them out with filament inside the AMS?
Good video and good advice. Thanks!
Thank you sir.
Most welcome!
You can use dessicant packs too. Also microwaveable.
Good information. Why did you decide to now replace the back holders with the ones you shared at the start of the video. You are already using replaceable desicnat so that didn't make sense to me why you wouldn't replace those also. See time about 3:21. Seems like you would use both types to get most humidity removal. Especially since it appears you already printed them. Just curious on your thoughts.
How much desiccant did you end using to fill all of the boxes in the model?
I want to see an affiliate link for the t-shirts you wear :) I totally need this one lol . Really great design which I will use one day when I can get an ams unit and a bambu lab printer :(
I noticed on Amazon that they are sold out on the desiccant beads you linked to. Is there another brand you would recommend? I looked at some on Amazon, but they all had horrible reviews.
Is there any problem with the microwave being contaminated after the drying? That is one thing that CNC Kitchen mentioned.
Does it matter which type of PLA? Great video.
Question: what is the best material to print the boxes with? Would PLA be an issue in the microwave?
if you want to microwave them, ASA is your best bet, the microwave as you know, won't heat up the plastic, but the beads get so hot they'll melt PLA right through.
I have similar dryers in my AMS, but you have to take the spools out to take them in and out. Can these ones be inserted while the spools are in? Also, I use my filament dryer to dry out the beads. Just make sure you don't print them out of PLA.
I went with "KYZ FF2 High Airflow Spool Desiccant Holder" and put it in every roll of filament. The advantage is that I can also pre-dry the rolls in my Creality dual roll dryers and also vacuum seal them after use. Basically, the desiccant stays with the roll until the roll is empty, gets re-dried when I think it's needed with the roll, and when the filament is done, it's time to microwave the beads!
I used PETG to print them because I think the threads are smoother. If you want to print them, please, for the love of what you pray to, do NOT print with support. It doesn't need them, and adding supports will ruin your print. Don't ask how I know.
Oh, I also use them with my son's A1 Mini and AMS Lite. Instead of mounting the filament on the AMS, we leave them in dedicated Creality dryers and loop them into the AMS from there. I wish you could do the same with the AMS for the P1/X1 but their filament travel is too long fot it to work. But you can use the AMS bypass to feed directly from the dryer if you print a lot of especially hydrophilic filament. (Yes, the sucker I am, I bought 2x double packs - that's almost another A1 Mini in price.)