Storing abs and pla between prints

Hi guys,

Ive been leaving my filament out overnight between prints, both pla and abs.
Could i be getting moisture in the filament if ive left it out attached to the printer for 2 or 3 days?

Ive been getting better and better prints as i get it tuned.
Yesterday i did 2 really good prints of a wades extruder and the geared wheels.
Pin sharp edges, all the holes were round, good dimensions and the couple of bridges that were really good.

Today i cant get a good print. It looks like its over extruding and the head is crashing into the print as it gets higher.
This is a filament guide ive printed sucsesfully before. But with a bit of a warp on one leg due to bed adhession
problems that i have since got over by using abs juice. So decided to re print it.
I double checked the bed level and its spot on. I get a good bead sticking to the bed on the first layer.
But the the time it gets higher it drags.

My stepper drivers have been spot on since i tuned them and they are fan cooled so i dont think im missing steps on the z axis.
My prints until today have been getting better and better especially since i switched to abs from pla.
Id had some adhesion problems till i tried first kapton tape then abs juice as its cheaper.
The whole printing experience has been getting getting more predictable till today.
The only thing i can think of is am i suffering from changes to the filament.
Its the same roll ive used all week.

Could it possibly be moisture related as i left it out and not sealed in a bag with silica gel between prints.

Gordon

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2014 07:43PM by gordonendersby.

Ive just realised something as i was just reading the pictoral troubleshooting guide.
I did hear something that sounded like a pop or crack during extruding before i walked away and left it to it.
Could this be caused by moisture.
I havnt heard it before today.
If it is moisture can i dry it out?
Ive put it back in a sealec bag witn silica gel for now.
Im also going to try another abs filament tomorrow to see if i get better results.

Gordon

PLA is pretty sensitive to moisture. It's a problem if you are in an area with high humidity. ABS while it can absorb moisture it's not half as much as PLA.

I don't print PLA but I keep my ABS in 5 gallon pails with screw on lids and a large desiccant in the bottom for long term storage. I leave the rolls I use often though out in the open (50%-60% humidity) and have little problems with ABS. Just a note, most plastic bags are not 100% moisture proof. Thicker bags or better yet air tight buckets are better storage and use a desiccant.

Yes, popping noise can be moisture.

How long are we talking about for moisture to effect abs?

Many people leave a print running overnight so filament could be out for maybe 12 hours.
I left mine, attached and unsealed, for convenience over several days in a warm room in southern England.
It has been a fairly humid summer though.

It would be good to have a rough idea.
12, 24, 48 hours, how long is too long to leave it out.

We have an airing cupboard above our heating and hot water system that is constantly warm in the house.
I keep my welding rods in there to prevent moisture getting at them.
Maybe i should kick the linen out completely and store the filament there as well.
WAF(wife acceptance factor) could be drastically reduced though.

Gordon

After putting out a new seeled spool of abs and finding the same print problem i finally went back over all of the settings in cura.
Some numpty had left 100% fill on. Id used it in an experiment on a small print last time.
I blame it on tiredness and stupidity.
So i hadnt set any other settings to take account for the extra density of the plastic.
So not the effect of moisture. Strange though that this is the first time id heard the pops and cracks even with the new spool.

Id still like to know your views on the effects of leaving abs or pla attached to the printer for extended periods of time and humidity.
Id like to take account of this with approprat storage.

Thanks

Gordon

I've never "stored" my filament. I've had PLA out in the open for a year and a half and never a change per filament. My printer has been what's changed, as it no longer holds a tuning and doesn't even get fully tuned anymore. I haven't had a flat wall for a few months.
The PLA hasn't changed how it's printed since the start. I've never had them inside a package beyond taking them out of the shipping package. Alabama isn't Florida, but it's definitely not dry either. Of course, they've always been inside.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

I've left PLA out as well, for months, no issues, except for one spool of black, which started giving me bad prints after just a few days. This was one spool out of 20 or so, and I'm pretty sure it's just a bad spool. The worst I have seen happen with PLA is I had to up the temp a few degrees after it had been out a long time. As for how long, even in a humid environment, a few days isn't going to matter.

Some ABS did show issues over time, it became more brittle, however this was brittle ABS to start with. The other ABS I had showed no change after months and months of sitting out in high midwest humidity (80%+).

Thats reasuring.
I thought i was going to have to be really careful with it.
I may still store it in the airing cupboard between uses as its the driest place in the house.
And it will keep the welding supplies company.

Gordon

Quote
MrDoctorDIV
I've never "stored" my filament. I've had PLA out in the open for a year and a half and never a change per filament. My printer has been what's changed, as it no longer holds a tuning and doesn't even get fully tuned anymore. I haven't had a flat wall for a few months.
The PLA hasn't changed how it's printed since the start. I've never had them inside a package beyond taking them out of the shipping package. Alabama isn't Florida, but it's definitely not dry either. Of course, they've always been inside.

Ditto.

I don't remove a spool from the packaging until I start to use it, but once it's open, I just toss it back into a drawer where is can sit for weeks and weeks before I take it out again. I have never noticed a difference in printing characteristics. Both PLA and ABS.

Neither PLA nor ABS gave me any moisture problems, ever. In contrast Nylon, Ninjaflex and other elastic materials take up moisture like sponges and need to be dried.

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