Drying PLA+ or bin it?

[Tinders]

Hi Folks,

I didn’t realise PLA+ absorbed water, and my printer and opened spools sit at the top of the stairs by a window and above an area where we dry clothes!

Noticed the PLA was snapping a lot, so it seems it’s taken on water.

Is the PLA basically fit for the bin or could I resurrect it? lessons learned the next spools will sit in a sealed box!

 

[Cyber-Mav]

Dry it out worth doing if its a lot on the spool

 

[Chaos]

You could try heating the bed and puting the spool on it and cover with a cardboard box for a while, or get a filament dryer.

 

[IanAG]

Definitely worth drying, I had some very brittle stuff that would snap even just unrolling from the spool, but after drying it printed fine. That said it snapped a couple of times after still retracting in my AMS so I stopped using it in that.

 

[krisboats]

My office is next to my fish tank so is very humid. A filament dryer makes a huge difference to print quality. Especially ABS and other exotics. Mines only a little sunlu one from amazon for about £40 but it revives filament nicely. spitting and bubbling filaments that string and under extrude become flawless to print with after 8 hours in a dryer.

 

[VeNT]

I stick mine in the food dehydrator for a day. fixes it just fine.

 

[cokecan]

Seems worth drying it out. can't hurt to try

Easiest method as has been mentioned is to heat your bed to 60+ and put the spool flat on it with a box over it. maybe worth flipping the spool over after 4-5 hours and do the other side. I've been doing this for years on an Ender 3 and was pleased to see it's also the advised way to do it on my Bambu too

 

[Tinders]

I’ve put it in my latest HUKD purchase. Slow cooker at 40c for the next 4 hours. There’s still 1/2kg left on the spool and the drying will cost me 50p so worth a try

 

[VeNT]

I'd do it for twice that long at 50c at least

 

[kPATm]

Definitely dry it out. If thats the only place you can store your filament then its probably worth investing in a filament dryer

 

[dtokez]

I've not been able to rescue any filament yet, tried it in the oven at about 50 degrees for an hour but its still super brittle afterwards, from your guys experience sounds like I should try it for a bit longer?

 

[Tinders]

Rescued mine just fine. Shame the printer screwed itself and I just ended up with black wiry hair on a print

 

[dtokez]

Got to love the spaghetti prints

 

[Matt_Hirst]

If I get pla that is snapping but is on a large reel I just loose a few mtr to the bin and usually the sub layers are OK...note I don't have a dryer.

 

[Rroff]

For prototyping and casual stuff drying out is fine, but in my experience it is never quite the same - for more serious stuff quality and strength is generally better with fresh stuff. PLA really doesn't do well with sunlight and/or getting warm in the sun or moisture anyhow so if doing something where that kind of stuff is important better off using something else.

 

[Matt_Hirst]

I've always used pla for my prints, idea behind getting the ender5 is to start using better materials, I need reasonable strength parts that can be used outside...so what would people go to move to?