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@jamesdhatch - thanks for the info. I knew filament should be at a certain humidity, but for some reason my brain wasn’t computing if that was the same as making sure it was dry enough to extrude properly. As I plan to just store all my filaments in the Sunlu, even if it takes a few days to get it dry, that’s no problem. My hubby said that when I want to print, take it out of the Sunlu, do my print, and put it right back in the Sunlu. I know I won’t go THAT far, and will probably leave filament in the AMS for a week or two, but then I definitely would put it back in the Sunlu.
@chris1 - awesome! I remember your post of your storage. I ordered 2 of the 2-units because it was a little bit of a savings (4%), and to fit all my spools. Here’s my current storage. With the new units, it’ll only take up the space between the electric fireplace and the built-in bookcase. So it’ll save me a lot of room. And if I need more, I’ll have the space where the left little bookcase is. (side note - notice the GF made stuff? The little drawer unit on top of the left shelf, the little Christmas tree by the angel and the little houses in front? I still haven’t fixed the GF lid.)
@evansd2 - I think I had looked at Creality filament before, but thought it all came on cardboard spools, which won’t work in the AMS. I do think 10 spools for $74 is a great deal though.
@dwardio - thank you for the video! Much more informative than Sunlu’s own on their website. Hope Santa brings you two of them - and a pony! 
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Not sure. If you have empty spools could you rewind it onto the plastic ones you have onhand? Having flashbacks to digitizing old family movies, but it did work 
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Cardboard spools work fine. I have several loaded in my AMS units now.
I generally put a large socket from harbor freight in the middle to give it weight and that is only because i didn’t have large ball bearings handy.
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The Sunlu i10? I pre-ordered one! But it says it isn’t shipping until Dec. 
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I’ll pass on the pony. I’m allergic to pretty much everything.
I’d love one of these, though! I only have the S2 dryer right now. haha
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Correct. It isn’t shipping until December, and then supposedly in the order orders were received. So not really sure when I’ll get them, but I know it’ll be worth the weight.
@evansd2 - I probably could rewind them onto plastic spools, and Makerworld even has some “rewinders” you can print out. I’ve read posts on FB where people have dropped a spool or for whatever reason it came undone and asked about it. Most responses were that it was cheaper just to throw it away and buy another, than for the time it took to rewind and potential problems of not winding it right.
@hansepe - I thought it was because the cardboard wore out or warped that they said not to use them in the AMS. It’s a weight thing? I know I’ve seen stuff on MakerWorld where they’ve made holders for the middles of the spools where they put in filament poop and stuff for weight, but I never thought about why it would be needed. I’ve also seen on MW where they make a plastic ring to go around the rims of the cardboard. I just figured I’d stay with the plastic.
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You can get some spools that don’t roll well, but you can usually straighten them. I’ve never had one that i couldn’t use and I’ve used a bunch of them. I prefer buying reels for the plastic spools but it is a fairly recent thing where manufacturers other than BL are doing that. I’ve never used or needed the outer edge covers.
Yes, the cardboard weighs less than the plastic spools so they get pulled and bind towards the end of the spools. A little weight to keep them settled in the roller is all it takes. The printed inserts are a good idea and I’ve used them too.
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Good to know, thanks. I’ve only bought Bambu and Sunlu spools, which are both refillable. I did buy some filament from Hobby Lobby, which works fine in my printer, but their spools are not refillable.
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I ordered the dryer bundle with filament - not that it was much of a deal, but I liked the idea of getting 4 random spools and maybe end up with some interesting colors for once.
They ship fast, the filament showed up the next day. So what did I get? Two spools of black “Easy PA” and two spools of clear polypropylene. So much for interesting colors.
I have never tried printing with nylon or PP… not sure I will any time soon, but now I have them.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/376845730526?toolid=10001&customid=2294b248ba8211f1a9a81ea1f4a80bf30INT
Buy 6 get 4 free, ten spools for $96. Not sure if that’s a great deal, I don’t have a 3d printer these days – sold my old elegoo mars, I jut didn’t use it enough and resin workflow was always difficult to do on occasional scale. If you did a lot of resin, a wash station and curing box etc made sense and simplified things, but I never got to that point. Besides, the first generation Mars machines were really slow, subsequent models have gotten much faster per layer.
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Here is where 3D printing really shines; creating something that doesn’t exist or is readily available. I was asked to create candy dishes with roosters on top for a surprise 50th birthday party for a person who loves gamecock fighting. Disclaimer I do not condone or agree with animal fighting in any way, but I do live in South Carolina which is home to the Gamecocks, so it’s a thing. This birthday boy is Mexican and Grew up watching rooster fights.
So anyways back to 3D printing, I found two models on Maker World that I merged together in Fusion 360 to create a bowl/rooster combination that they can place on tables at the party filled with Mexican candies. I have 25 rooster bowls for the tables, and one large one to be used as a center piece on the main table.
The ability to create something unique is another reason to love all these maker machines.
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@chris1 - I did see that option. What a shame they didn’t send you something like rainbow or marble or something. The clear could be fun, but black is something so standard. When I ordered, I just decided I’d rather buy my own filament so I know exactly what I’m getting and that it’ll be something I’ll use. I already have the 8 rolls of TPU that I know I’ll never use. And I needed to order 4 and not just 1. I think they should send me free spools just for ordering more!
@evansd2 - price sounds good, but I haven’t bought on ebay for more years than I can remember.
@pubultrastar - those turned out amazing!
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They look really cool, and that’s a good idea I’ll keep in mind - party dishes for any occasion.
Just never post it on Reddit, they’ll jump down your neck.
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Unless you say they’re for those who are farmers and love chickens. 
We’ve had two roosters and love them both. Well, one died, and because he was the first rooster we ever had, and he was a great rooster - friendly and very good at protecting the hens from hawks, we actually buried him when he died. The other rooster is still alive and well and doing his job.
We have many of those around here that raise them for the other purpose though. You can tell because of all the little separated “huts” with the roosters tied to them. They can’t say they’re sold for fighting, but are “game birds.” Right after we’d moved to TN, we were on our way home from shopping in a nearby large city and saw a bunch of the little huts near the freeway. We actually drove up to the farmhouse and talked to the farmer and asked what all the little huts were, as we’d never seen anything like that. He’s the one who told us that. He swore that he didn’t sell them for fighting, but did sell them to a lot of guys who took them over the border (didn’t say which border), and actually had truckers hop over the fence and steal them (so he got a guard dog). Since then we’ve seen them in many places, including one just a few blocks away from us, although that place has either greatly reduced their stock or moved them where you can’t see them from the road.
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Oh, I meant the “NOT FOOD SAFE!@!!11” people.
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I was wondering about that, though. What’s the food safety situation with filament prints?
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Tiny gaps and ridge between layers hold tiny food particles, is my understanding.
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Yeah I always thought it was the filament itself that was unsafe (and toxic contaminants from the process of printing). But in addition to that, the tiny gaps (microscopic) where moisture and bacteria get in make it impossible to clean (even the dishwasher, which I would have thought would be enough with the sanitize setting, but nope).
I know some people think that type of thing is not important, but after having a child with cancer, I have different thoughts about things and I’m pretty conservative about things like that. (And after having severe allergic reactions to things also, haha.)
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@chris1 - oh! Silly me!
Yeah, they say any filament isn’t food safe unless you spray it with a food-safe resin. I made a couple little boxes with lids that we use for nuts and candy, but we don’t store anything in them and the food isn’t in there long enough (and definitely isn’t a wet food), that I haven’t worried about it. I’ve also read that part of the unsafe food element is the type of nozzle, especially if made of brass. My nozzle is stainless steel. As far as the Mexican candies for @pubultrastar’s dishes, maybe they’re wrapped and might not have to worry about it at all?
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