Print in place Desiccant Container and Storage Container

Was looking for a desiccant container, but the question always came up: what do I do with that container of desiccant when I don't need it?  The desiccant just kept absorbing moisture and eventually was no longer functional.

Hence the storage container for my desiccant containers.

But wait.. why not just print them all at once?  Challenge accepted!

So the containers themselves are 50 mm in diameter and 50 mm tall and hold about 50g of silica.  The initial idea was to have them placed in the centers of spools while in storage bags.  But of course, you can scale them to whatever size you need.

The containers uses a printed pull-off support, which you remove and discard after printing.  Pliers are helpful and prevent and sharp edges from getting to your fingers.

Then you simply wiggle the smaller containers back and forth until they break free.  Pliers are also helpful here.

Then you careful separate the two smaller containers and remove the pull-off support.  A de-burring tool may be needed to remove and leftover supports. 

Airtight?

I've checked these with water.  They are not 100% air-tight, but pretty close.  I've had silica inside it for months and it still hasn't changed color yet.

If you think this may be an issue, you can make some kind of rubber seal or just place tape around the outside of the storage container.  

Note on choice of desiccant:

Consumer grade desiccant (what you and I can buy online) is usually B-Grade and contains a lot of broken pieces.  Most desiccant holders have holes which are too big and most of these broken pieces start falling out over time, making a mess.  Once filled in this container, just give it a shake to get those broken pieces out.

Other solutions:

I also have an on-spool desiccant container if you are interested, which also contains around 50 g of silica

And these humidity sensor clips let you keep an eye on what is going on inside your sealed bags of filament.

Last, but not least, my cheap 5-spool dryer setup may also be helpful to you.

Usage:

Not just for 3D printing!  I also use these whenever I store anything that needs to be kept dry, like clothing or pictures.  

Happy printing!