Modular Filament Storage System - Part 2 (Installation)

[@MrDksmall]

Here I sit with my 8 spools, feeling inadequate 😄

[@RobertCowanDIY]

HA! Time to buy more filament...

[@mafofpv4394]

I give it 2 months

[@Ben...---...]

Me knowing 2 of these drawers is the price of my 3d printer 😅

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@Ben...---...that's just ridiculous.

[@Ben...---...]

@@RobertCowanDIY Major mishap on my part… lol 😂 I didn’t see you bought 10 pairs of the drawer sliders for 132$. I originally thought you bought 2 sliders for 132$ (my jaw was dropped when I thought that) Great build I really enjoyed watching 👍

[@matthewkorsmo7752]

It's not very often when I see a project on YT that makes me antsy to start building it... but I need this. Amazing work!

[@3DEMS.]

For the warping materials on the laser, I use a vacuum platform from the underside. Its good for any material and it works! Used an old vaccum cleaner I found in the trash, printed an adaptor to the box with hole on the top and voila!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

OH that's a neat idea. I'll have to try that. Thanks for the idea.

[@JonathanRansom]

That whole printing station just turned out amazing. I didn't know you could cut out the labels on a fiber laser. Now I want one even more!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, thanks! Yeah, I just couldn't look at my own handwriting, so I needed a better option.

[@wafflecart]

Great project, so clean on the design! Thanks for sharing files on printables :)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Glad you like it!

[@Ernzt8]

Great project! Love the rounded look, handles and labels.

[@ScytheNoire]

When I saw you using only the skinny screws, I immediately thought that wasn't enough. I was thinking that a printed or wood plate that would act like a clamp would have been a good idea. It's what I've done when needing clamping but working on edges.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah, I did a test part and it worked great. Oh well!

[@jamescollard9724]

kudos on an extremely engaging and informative video and incredible product design. thank you for sharing, not only the design and build but the thought process that went into it.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

glad you liked it!

[@Hambone556]

Great build sir! You kept referring to the material as mdf, I'm sure you realize after the fact that it's not but partical board which is the worst for edge finish and chipping. In the future, try using actual mdf and treat it with sanding sealer on all faces and edges. Hand sand and paint. It will look like glass. Also something that has worked great for me in these projects is using a biscuit jointer. Cut the biscuit into the edges and then take some plywood wedges to hook into the biscuits then screw to the spoil board. I wish I could attach an image to make more sense cause this set up works amazing. If you'd like, reply with a email and I'll send some images. Keep up the great work good sir! Jeremy

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, I didn't realize I called it MDF, it's absolutely particle board. I was originally going to use MDF, but already had this on hand.

[@crashkg]

I saw that you're blowing up on Printables. Nice design. I'm by the ocean and relatively humid so I have to keep everything in dryboxes otherwise I would attempt this system.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

For me, dry boxes only do so much, active drying is the only way to get it REALLY dry, so I just dry while I print. That way I don't have to worry about maintaining 100+ rolls of filament.

[@crashkg]

@@RobertCowanDIY I dry then store in cereal boxes and have Bowden tube straight from the boxes to extruder. No gaps. I use the magnetic ptfe tubing connectors.

[@avejst]

Great design Thanks for sharing your design with all of us 🙂

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thanks and no problem!

[@hitf5]

These are some beautiful drawers. It was cool to see different materials and tools used. Also loved seeing the foam as a base for ground tracksaw use (these should really be marketed as a saw base - they're great...but can I ask how you store the panel?) You mentioned conduit...yes, it saves a LOT of money if you use conduit as the "shelf" and wood with holes in it as the side supports. On my filament wall, I used 1/2-inch EMT pipe in 10-foot sections. They are $7 each, cheaper in bulk. They're very rigid, so you can get by with only a few supports in the middle. The rack is 10 feet wide by 8 feet tall and it holds 378 spools. I used 3/4-inch plywood for the ends and two center uprights and they're bolted to the wall with Simpson brackets. The wood parts are sized 8 inches x 8 feet. I drilled 5/8-inch holes every 10 inches and inset from the front and back 1-1/2 inches. After bolting them to the wall, I inserted each pipe and ran it down to the end (slightly oversize holes help with inserting if they're not aligned perfectly). This does take up a whole wall but my printer room is long and narrow so I needed something that did not take up too much floor space. In all, the project was about $180 for the wood, EMT pipe, brackets and screws. And you can scale this for any size and width. They are solid and don't bow in the middle even fully-loaded. And, I can keep some of the sensitive filaments like nylon in vacuum bags and they still fit on the shelf. I wish KZbin had a way of attaching a picture.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I store that panel in the corner with some of my other material storage. I have high ceilings so it's not a big deal. But the foam works great for stuff like this.

[@bunker1213]

If I were to do this (and I might not due to the 3D-printing requirements), I would have sample swatches of each filament on the drawer fronts so I don't even need to open the drawer. Swatches is its own rabbit hole, how thick to print vs "transparency", surface finishes, infills being visible through X layers etc, but just some swatches to be able to judge colors would be nice for me.

[@krash22mini72]

These are for 3D printer filament why would you make them if you don't have a 3D printer? Just wondering

[@MicheleFattoruso]

Looks gorgeous. Could also cut down cost by printing the whole faceplate itself. Shouldn't be too hard to do. I'll keep following for the smaller version

[@RobertCowanDIY]

For sure, there are multiple faceplate options and it's easy to design something different. Printing the entire faceplate uses quite a bit of filament and takes awhile though, so this might make more sense for some people.

[@MyJonas28]

Hello! What is the reasoning behind your ASA/ABS recommendation for this project?

[@Basement_CNC]

just watch the 1st video, but basically its stronger and keeps its shape better then pla

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's the only filament that can sustain a continuous load without deforming (creep) that's also stiff enough. PETG is too flexible, carbon fiber-reinforced is great, but most of those base filaments will yield and deform over time with the amount of weight sitting on them.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@Basement_CNCIn short, yes. PLA over time will just collapse in on itself. This whole unit is around 300 pounds, it won't be able to support that over time.

[@Aim-cp4uw]

Could you not beef up some dimensions to use lesser filaments?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@Aim-cp4uwMAYBE, but PLA will always be out since it creeps and deforms under constant load. PETG could potentially work, but I tested out the frames in PETG and they're just wobbly and not practical at all. You'd need some sort of hybrid (like a carbon fiber nylon or something), but you might as well just go ABS/ASA. There's a reason why ABS is so popular for injection molding.

[@philpoulter5746]

Can you share the files for the label jig? Great idea!!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

For sure, here you go! www.printables.com/model/802934-label-jig-1-x-2/

[@GarethLewin]

At the start of the video you said you would talk about alternatives you considered, but I didn't see that later. Any chance you can address that in the future? I want storage but your really cool project is too much for me.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

OH YEAH! I did just skip that part huh. Yeah, I might come back to that when there's an update. In short, my best alternatives were to build this same type of thing out of wood. But I calculated the cost of wood and it would take a few sheets of 4x8, which would end up being about the same as the cost of the filament, but a LOT more work, a lot more cutting, joining, etc. I also looked at ikea drawer systems. They were about the same price, but much less modular and not as dense for the same space/price.

[@Berbelucha]

Love it. An idea how to make each one enclosed: extend main frame around a little and give it a guide channel. Then wrap soft pvc sheet, 0.1-2mm thick around the whole thing. You can even use sealing silicone to make it "air tighter". Do you think it's worth exploring? :)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Not a bad idea! I might incorporate something like that into the next design. I think the end is the problem though, the slides extend past the rear frame, so the end would just be open, even if the circumference was covered. Hmmmm.

[@Berbelucha]

@@RobertCowanDIY some kind of optional end cap might do the job there to enclose it and accommodate the rails? like doubling the frame and giving it solid backplate?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@Berbeluchayeah, that's what I was thinking. Something that would snap into the end of the drawer slides and give a 'back' to it. It would be a fairly big piece of material though. I'll give it some thought, it would certainly add quite a bit more filament/plastic to the assembly.

[@theodornitu]

Indeed it looks fantastic! :)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thanks, I think so!

[@OmegaCreationsChannel]

Great video! Quick question: Why not PLA?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

PLA exhibits creep. Under constant loading, PLA will deform into the load. So over time (maybe even just a week or two) the frames will sag enough to make the drawers not function. PLA isn't good under load for extended periods of time.

[@OmegaCreationsChannel]

@@RobertCowanDIY thanks for your answer 😊 maybe pla with some additives like carnon would be an option. pla-cf or something similar. because if you dont have an eclosed printer it is like you said in the video absolut nasty to print asa or abs 😄

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@OmegaCreationsChannel Unfortunately I looked into this pretty extensively. PLA will creep, it's out. However, PETG with some additives might work. PETG would be fine, but it's not structurally rigid enough. PETG-CF might work.

[@OmegaCreationsChannel]

@@RobertCowanDIY allright. Thanks for your answer :) with petg cf i would be happy too :)

[@Vipcioo]

I have to say, it looks... Good. Well thought out, well done. And now it will be... BUT. BUT what about humidity? What I will say is that I have shelves where I keep all my spools in airless bags. At least I'm sure they're not wet. Unfortunately, you won't be able to provide that with this project. So either you didn't do it or I'm bloody blind and didn't see it?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I discuss this pretty thoroughly in the first video. In short, keeping 100+ rolls of filament perfectly dry and ready to use is near impossible. Additionally, most rolls will still need to be dried for the duration of a print, so drying is done WHILE printing, rather than spending the time, resources and energy to keep them all dry while not in use.

[@henryhbk]

Polycarbonate or filled Nylon?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I'm not sure what you're asking?

[@josephcarson]

Sorry if I missed it but is this filament storage system Airtight? basically I'm just worried about the moisture. Currently I'm just using clear plastic bins and I had the anti-moisture beads in bags and all the plastic bins. TIA

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's not sealed. I address this in the first video. It was a compromise, but I had my reasons: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGTHe4JpiteGnc0

[@caneloANDRETTi]

This is.....awesome!

[@bernardtarver]

I missed why you couldn't sub in PLA or PETG for ABS or ASA.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Check the first video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGTHe4JpiteGnc0. In short, PETG isn't nearly rigid enough and will sag/flex way too much and PLA will deform or creep under load.

[@GeorgeGraves]

Well - the good news is tha the humidity in that room will be nice and dry.....after the filament soaks it all up.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha.

[@nateclark1347]

Why did I click on this thinking you were Sam Reich from Dropout and had started a 3d printing channel without me knowing? 😂 But seriously, great vid!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, I had to look him up. I kinda see it.

[@nateclark1347]

​@@RobertCowanDIY Yeah, not quite the same. But both fantastic beards and content!

[@trkoo]

That looks great but now everytime you want to use any engineering filament to its full potential you are going to have to spend the night drying it... Key feature for any filemament storage should be Humidty control.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah, I struggled with this and have discussed this a LOT in the comments. In short, I prototype in PLA and while I'm creating a design, tweaking things and printing prototypes, I have a roll drying. So when I'm ready for the final part, it's good to go. This has worked out for me as I rarely go straight to printing in the final filament. For THIS project, I did the same thing and had a couple rolls of ASA in dryers while other parts printed. This works for ME, but everyone is going to be different. I just couldn't come up with a simple way to actually keep ALL rolls dry, it wasn't practical when I weighed cost vs. storage density. This was my compromise.

[@trkoo]

@@RobertCowanDIY Also please take note everytime you dry your filements you can damage them. Ofcourse depends on the temp you dry them but it does hurt them. Maybe you can vacuum seal them than still use your storage system. 👍👍 Anyways we love what you do and any project you work has amazing engineering detail and we love it... So keep up the great work... And the craftsman ship of the storage looks great. 👍👍

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@trkoo Huh, I'd like to know more about this, it's the first time I've heard that drying can damage the filament. Do you have any more details on this?

[@Srfingfreak]

I think your fiber laser is running IR? If you upgrade to UV lasers they mark photolytically instead of thermolytically and are a lot more versatile as a result. I've used one to gently kiss 0.001" polycarbonate with a marking, and blast through 1/8" G10 composite as well. Are you doing anything for humidity management? PS I'm glad I'm not the only engineer with terrible handwriting, haha! There's a reason we use tools...

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's not UV, it's the standard wavelength for fibers, forgot what it is. I'm not sure what you mean though, cutting through aluminum generates heat. polycarb and g10 are a bit different.

[@erikcederb]

A 5W UV (355nm) laser marker is also more than twice as expensive as a 50W fiber (1064nm) laser marker which makes them a fair bit less accessible.

[@freelectron2029]

3:44 thats not MDF. its called chipboard. how do you not know what MDF is? how embarrassing for a "youtuber"

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Maybe you misunderstood. I said MDF isn't great to screw INTO, I'm referring to the MDF spoilboard which I'm screwing into. The panel I'm cutting is chipboard/plywood, agreed. But I'm referring to the spoilboard here.

[@EirikBrandalf]

That laser does indeed sound fantastic!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

RIGHT?! I really like having it around, even if it is for stuff like this (which is completely overkill and not really the best reason for getting one).

[@EirikBrandalf]

@@RobertCowanDIY Listening to it again now, and it really sounds like something straight out of a Chris Watson album. Field recordists would swoon over this

[@talbech]

I really like the finished product and your video content. Am learning a ton from watching you. Currently converting 400m2 workshop for personal use. Excited to see your small factor models. Actually working on something similar very much inspired by your build.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nice! My goal is to just give people ideas and share little tricks I've learned along the way. I'm glad it's working!

[@marsgizmo]

inspiring project! 👏😌

[@RobertCowanDIY]

thanks!

[@3Dgifts]

Love the project. What laser? Can it cut through up to 3/16th aluminum?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's a Cloudray QS-50. Fiber lasers can really only do a mm or two. For that thickness, you need a completely different type of laser. These will only do VERY thin metals. They're mostly for marking. Cutting thicker metal with a laser really isn't something practical for a home shop.

[@scereth2813]

Robert, if you squared off the corners of the frames, then plywood or other sheet product could be added as sides, top, bottom, and back. This, could give a modicum of air tightness and perhaps help with the humidity. Also, having lexan or acrylic drawer fronts cut, might be nice to see through. just some thoughts. If i was worth a hoot with CAD i would remix it with those changes in mind. Love the idea and might be printing some myself soon.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Correct. I am planning on a design tweak with squared corners to allow 'skinning' the whole thing.

[@mrskwrl]

What was that hand tool you used for cleaning up the holes you drilled through the spoilboard?

[@GeedsGarage]

I really enjoyed watching this. So question why wouldn't PLA or PETG be good for this?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

PLA exhibits creep, meaning it will sag over time under load. And PETG is way too flexible and will just bend with weight.

[@bami2]

The metal nameplates really tie the room together. And actual comment: Awesome finish to a great project. I don't mind the open storage system: if you have a bunch of filament dryers that work while the print is going on I think that should be sufficient and probably more energy-efficient than heating up a large volume that leaks air and moisture in every time you grab a spool. As long as you have some time to spare before starting a print it should dry the outside filament first and continue drying as the spool empties, instead of having to dry the entire spool and keep it dry which would probably trap some moisture on the inside of the spool.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, thanks. I REALLY thought about individually bagging and drying each roll and storing them like that, but it's SUCH a pain, it's easier to just dry when I go to use it, like I've been doing for years.

[@LifeofAntontheOfficial]

What is the name of the shelf?

[@bendernakamoto]

very cool project. My immediate thought is filament swatches on front to designate current drawer contents

[@RobertCowanDIY]

For ME, I didn't really want that, but I have an idea. I'm working on a solution for that. Stay tuned!

[@bunker1213]

@@RobertCowanDIY I can see why it doesn't match your esthetic of your drawers. I might have just made a filament swatch grid where a row/column might match a single drawer and be able to have all of the swatches on one single grid. I have an A1 and unfortunatly there isn't quite enough space under the printer, but that would have been a practical place to store the grid. Maybe it makes more sense near the CAD computer anyway, depends on when in the process you want to choose the filament (or order a new one that may be a better match). Your video and design thinking inspired me, thanks.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@bunker1213 Nice! I like inspiring people to come up with their own solutions! For me, I just wanted the clean look and I kinda like 'shopping' for that perfect color.

[@ZoeyR86]

make a double drawer reduce the number of slides by half. Thanks for the idea I'm going to look at making a sealed version of this. I have 2x bambu x1 Carbons with 4 ams each and 2X P1S with 2 ams each. I have added soldstate dehumidifier to all ams with a 20w heater and 2 fans in 4 of them

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nice! Best of luck!

[@RalphArson]

i love this project and finishing my first drawer, but i would like to see what are your favorite remixes and also i may end up submitting a remix for a larger drawer since i like the look and simplicity

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I haven't really looked at the remixes because mine is all made and done, ha!

[@Marcus_Caius]

Awesome storage 👌 For the record your face plates are made of particle board not MDF. MDF is nasty stuff 😫

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah, I made an oops ;-)

[@elwixsto]

panels mdf? looks like particle board..?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's particle board with a thin veneer.

[@dog2bert]

Did you 3d print the stand for you T handle allen wrenches?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nope, they come with that.

[@eric_io]

What size rack shelves are you using?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3a0pZh3hN6tkLc

[@forestbirdoriginals4917]

Will you and your team be at Opensauce?!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I'm not sure? I won't be going, but some of the Copperhead team might be there.

[@SteveKompel]

Would be nice to print a chip of the spool and add to the front

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I have a couple ideas, check back next week. ;-)

[@michaeldokken6253]

First off, this is an awesome! I love the idea. To help lower the cost per unit, why not do 3 units per pair of slides? The slides hold 100 lbs, each unit holds 8-9 rolls of filament. 18 rolls of filament weighs around 40 lbs. The slides are more than adequate to carry that. IDK... I've been digging through the remixes and noticed it hasn't been done yet.... Just a thought....

[@Defyant123]

Way cool design and workmanship 👍 i'd just struggle with this design with over 360 rolls....

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah, that's quite a bit of filament! I'm most likely going to add a few more drawers on the bottom, I think ~200 rolls is about all I really ever need. BUT, I don't do a lot of colors.

[@BoysAndBricksFilms]

Definitely saving this design for when I get a shop/office! What brand and color is the bright orange on the top of the stack on the left at 8:56?

[@MarkRouleau]

Link to the laser please?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's a Cloudray QS-50 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3jHkoSOabmmnbc

[@kreation1935]

Any thoughts on using carbon fibre PETG over ASA? I’ve been looking for a better solution to storing my filament, good job on this. Just would rather not print this much ASA, but agree with your reasoning for choosing ASA over PLA and regular PETG.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

A PETG-CF would most likely work, since PETG doesn't really creep. But the cost would probably be a bit more, right? But I think it would work. You could always print a single frame, load up some weight and come back in a month to see if it's deformed. I haven't really seen many tests with PETG-CF and sustained loads. PETG is just too flexible, but the CF really does help stiffen it up.

[@kreation1935]

Thought I’d give an update since I seen on part one someone left a comment asking about PETG. While I still agree with Robert that regular PETG would not last. I printed four drawers in Eryone PETG CF and put them in 2 IKEA besta cabinets screwed together for depth and three months with no issues. And that’s with having nine full or almost full spools on the second level of drawers to stress test. Due to not being the best at printing ASA and my only enclosed printer being in my home office fumes are a concern. This is an option if anyone wants to give it a shot.

[@TheNinsaa]

Exscellent design, that really is a net setup. I do have two points of interest: First, as you stated in the first video, this is an open design, so the spools will accumulate moisture over time. Stefan from CNCKitchen recently did a Video on solid state dehumidifiers and as part of that, he found out that dessicant does indeed remove moisture not only from the air, but also the spools itself overtime. Im not sure how you would seal these Units, but maybe its food for thought. Second, you state that you will dry the filament before the prints? I don't own one of these Dryers and always thought it would take hours to dry a spool before you can print with it. What Dryer do you use? Thank you so much for yout Time

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I saw Stefan's video. I might load up some desiccant in there, but the worst offenders (nylon) will never be adequately dry with desiccant alone. I use a Sunlu V2 filament dryer. Yes, it takes many hours, but I just plan ahead. I usually have a roll or two inside a dryer already. I usually plan out projects, I'm designing in solidworks while filament is drying. So when I'm ready to print, the filament is good to go. I'll prototype with cheaper PLA, then print in the final filament. It works for me.

[@TheNinsaa]

@@RobertCowanDIYThat is indeed a nice and thought through workflow, in that case that makes alot more sense! Thank you again for sharing

[@mitchellmorgan5012]

Nice!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thanks!

[@bigreadbaron]

Sorry if I missed it, but what is the reason it can only be printed in ASA or ABS?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Material properties. Check out the first video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGTHe4JpiteGnc0 In short, PETG is too flexible and PLA will creep over time, causing it to collapse under weight. You need something that is both strong (rigid) and won't creep under load. The best choices are ABS/ASA.

[@bigreadbaron]

Got it! I really love this setup and will be trying to recreate it at home

[@saltwaterrook4638]

You need to build a vacuum table.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah? what for?

[@saltwaterrook4638]

@@RobertCowanDIY for work holding

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@saltwaterrook4638Ah, yes. One day!

[@azdronedude]

Great video I was looking to build something like this not as big but on the roller thanks for sharing

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Gotcha. You'd need some sort of frame, but maybe just using 2x4s or something to hold the system in place would work.

[@fernandooliver7005]

nice toys, can you adopt me :)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

If you can clean my house and take care of the yard, I'm in.

[@fernandooliver7005]

@@RobertCowanDIYhahaha good one, great vid.

[@DominicGiles]

Looks Amazing. Very practical for a very specific use case.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

With the drawer slides being made in multiple depths, it can be quite versatile for many applications. This wasn't even designed for that rack, I was going to put it in a closet with shorter slides and in another workbench area as well.

[@xXcagllariXx]

Youre probably aware of this trick, but a really good one is using painters tape and superglue. Painters tape on both the spoil board and the workpiece and then superglue the work down to the spoil. The painters tape makes for quick and easy cleanup.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Oh yeah, I've used that before, but it would have been quite a bit of tape and glue. I also tend to get some glue leaking out of the sides too, which would have been messy. If I had used larger fasteners, it would have helped.

[@peterwalker5413]

I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy! ❤😂 Well done!👍 Looks really really good. Nice job!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thank you! 😁

[@Kartvel]

Thank you for your design. I have X1C and I had to remix it to fit my print volume. I loaded your models into Fusion, converted them into solids and cut 7 mm out of the middle of the frames and fron and back plates. It barely fits the printer but it worked. I only use Bambu filament and their spools fit with few mm of clearance but they open and close without problems. I am not sure if other brand spools would fit though. I hope I can have your permission to upload them to printables as a remix.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nice! Yeah, I made it open so people could change it. I have a design revision planned to make it much smaller.

[@SJDunker]

Very strange that you store nylon in this case. If store nylon in bag or box with silica, you.may print it immidianetly or after light dry, but you must dry your nylons 8-20 hours.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I have had bad luck printing nylon from a freshly sealed bag. I ALWAYS dry it beforehand. As I've said in other comments, I usually test designs ahead of time (or just spend time in solidworks doing the actual design) and dry filament while that's happening. It doesn't really slow me down if I plan ahead. If I know I'll be working on a project tomorrow, I'll just throw some filament in a dryer overnight. I almost always have SOMETHING in a dryer, depending on what project I'm working on.

[@willtron4327]

Turned out very professional, I would say it was well worth the money! Have you looked into filament dry bags so that you don't always have to worry about drying filament before using it? I use the Sunlu ones and they have worked pretty well so far for my needs.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Unfortunately, there's not enough clearance for bags. It 'works', but they kinda catch on everything. I should really just make a video about my 3d printing workflow. I prototype in PLA and then switch to the final filament after the design is tested. So during that prototyping phase, I can easily toss filament into a dryer. It's not a concern if filament isn't 100% ready to go all of the time.

[@condorman6293]

I run a farm of 30+ printers and have been desperately searching for a cabinet that: can hold 200+ rolls, is dust proof, and, depending on the cost, can regulate humidity. It's a pipe dream, I think.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yeah, this really isn't made for that application. I'm sure there's something else that could work. I was looking at Ikea Maximera drawers (with a 3d printed organizer inside) using their cabinets. It gets a BIT costly, although not THAT much more than what I did. It would be fairly well sealed and pretty easy to add dryers inside. But I would STILL dry filament while using it.

[@BraxtonMeyer]

this system is really awesome. i think if i were as deep into 3d printing as you are. the only thing i might change would be just making the pulls an accent color for aesthetics.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

black IS an accent color!!!

[@pinecone606]

I'm like terrified of storing nylons and other sensitive filaments without some sort of moisture control. How do you mitigate the moisture absorption in all these filaments? Do you just frequently dry filament for a day prior to use?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I cover this in detail in part 1. In short, you can't practically keep several dozen rolls of filament dry at all times. So when I go to print something, I just dry the filament and print with it IN the dryer. Keeping rolls dry is one part of it, but keeping it dry WHILE it prints is the second. If you already have to dry it while printing, might as well just dry it ahead of time too. For me, it's impractical to keep everything dried and ready to use as it's very wasteful (bagging everything up, or running dryers to keep moisture low, etc.)

[@motionsick]

Why wont PETG work?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Check out the first part, you can see how flexible the PETG is. It's 'tough', but not 'strong'. All we need here is strength and for it to not creep.

[@Apathec3D]

Why not just 3D print the entire front of the drawer? you had the printer and the filament. nut you still get to use the fiber laser

[@RobertCowanDIY]

No real reason, I just wanted to use up the piece of wood instead. You could ABSOLUTELY just print the faceplate instead, it just uses quite a bit more filament, but you could use something cheaper, it doesn't really have any load or stress on it.

[@aaro_n]

I have that same racking. But I used sealed bins with renewable dehumidifiers to store everything

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nice, that works too!

[@Tarbard]

Very nice and the laser labels look great.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thanks!

[@andreask.2675]

Great video! :) The fiber laser sounds like a 56k modem from the 90ies. 😂 What model is it?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's a Cloudray QS-50 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3jHkoSOabmmnbc

[@aly-tek7190]

Impressive design, I love it! Thanks for sharing :)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thanks, and you're welcome!

[@aj_mcnamara]

I love this, I'm going to have to work it into my shop. Well done!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Go for it!

[@therick0996]

"because i can" is the best reason to use an expensive tool

[@RobertCowanDIY]

right!?

[@alpenmerlin]

I love this project, it looks absolutely awesome. Would you mind sharing which shelve you use? Looks like a properly build heavy duty shelve and I didn't find a suitable one yet. Thanks.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Check out this video, all is explained in there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3a0pZh3hN6tkLc

[@alpenmerlin]

@@RobertCowanDIYThanks a lot! I don't live in the US, but it helped me to understand what to look for and I found a similar one here in NZ. Thanks again!

[@cees9314]

It does look fantastic, indeed. Well done !

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Glad you like it!

[@eric_r_colby]

Still loving this design! I think I’m going to print a transparent PETG front plate with filament swatch holders on it so I can see inside. I’m converting my basement to my mini workshop inspired by you, so thank you! Gotta ask though, where’d the XL go? Does it fit on that rack or did I imagine you putting it there? Do you think you could enclose it at all on that rack for asa work? I need an AMA session with you during a live stream or something haha. Love this channel.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, thanks! I'm still not convinced there's really a way to keep 100 rolls of filament at the ready. Whenever I go to print something with filament that requires drying, I'm usually printing stuff over the course of a day or so, so it goes in a dryer DURING the whole job. So for me, there's no real reason to spend the time, energy and resources to keep it dry all the time when it's just going to be put out in the open when it gets used. Regarding the filament swatches, I have a potential solution. I'm working on it right now and I might have something to show next week. I think it will be a good compromise for people (like me) that don't want to actually load up all their filament just to print a test part...

[@eric_r_colby]

⁠​⁠@@RobertCowanDIY I completely get it with drying and see your point about drying while printing. I’ve ordered a few dryers as well. I was referring to the Prusa XL on the rack though. How did it go with placing it, if it fit, and how was the shower curtain enclosure idea when it’s in the rack for printing ASA for example? I have a rack as well but it’s the one from Costco and only 24” deep

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@eric_r_colby I haven't moved it over yet since I would need to move the Creality K1 (I don't think all 3 would fit and still be usable with all the dryers. So I'm still deciding where I want everything. but the XL will totally fit on the rack, no problem, I've measured many times. The top shelf is high up enough to clear the tool heads.

[@freelectron2029]

not keen on storing my filament exposed to the humidity. definite no. you seem more interested in what things look like rather than there function.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

You commented on part 1, so you must have hear me discuss my decision on keeping it all open. Sealing this much filament and maintaining it's moisture levels is just wasteful, it's far more economical and practical to dry as needed. But hey, I only care about what stuff looks like!

[@freelectron2029]

@@RobertCowanDIY its wasteful to put your filament in a cereal box with dessicant, a sealed humidity controlled box or a vacuum bag, wtf? drying doesnt bring your filament back to new, you know that right? moisture depletes the filaments propertys beyond what an oven can fix.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@freelectron2029 it does not.

[@14768]

I didn't watch the whole video so maybe you addressed this but without some way to keep those dry storing that much filament isn't a good idea. Old filament creates enough print problems without it being old and wet. I have recently had to throw away so many rolls of PLA and PETG just for being old and I keep mine dry (less than 20% RH). And with having that much storage it means some of those spools may sit for years without being used.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I discussed this in the first video, check the chapters: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGTHe4JpiteGnc0 In short, I dry my filament when I use it. Sure, it might sit for awhile, but if I'm printing for several days, moisture can be still be an issue unless you're actively drying.