Desiccant Container Dispenser/Passive Dryer

A first-in, first-out dispenser to hold (and allow to dry) 34mm versions of @gdrag's "Silica gel spool containers."
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updated May 13, 2026

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Fair warning, you need two things for this print to make any sense: a large dry cabinet and a printer with at least a 360 x 360 x 360 print area). 

I use an EDry dry cabinet that maintains 2-3% relative humidity. It holds upwards of eight 1kg spools of filament and two of these desiccant dispensers/dryers. I use desiccant containers (my own 34mm remix of @gdrag's excellent "Silica gel spool container" design) along with a set of +/- 40 Rubbermaid 21 Cup Container passive dry boxes and EIBOS vacuum bags, to keep filament dry after initial drying (including while printing).

(Product links are not affiliate links.) 

See timecode 5:01 in this BarrittWorks video for a brief view of these dispensers in use:

These dispensers are also (passive) dryers in the sense they are constructed from an open grid that allows desiccant containers to dry while stored. As containers slowly work their way through the dispensers (first in, first out, each spends two weeks or more gradually moving down toward the output before being used again). The dispenser holds 13 desiccant containers.

These dispensers are large. They are sized to fit--just barely--on an Prusa XL's 360x360x360mm print bed. I've included two versions (3MF and .step): a one-piece that prints vertically (and slowly, roughly 16 hours) with a couple of organic supports, and a two-piece that prints horizontally more quickly and without supports (but must glued, or even rubber banded, together). Both horizontal pieces do (just) fit on one XL print bed and can be printed at the same time (a roughly 10 hour print). I've been using a version of these for a couple years, but have refined the design (see all the trial prints in the images) for this release. 

For glueing I recommend applying a bead of CA glue (I use FastCap's 2P-10 adhesive) to one surface, fitting the pieces together (tongue and grove so they line up automatically)  and then spray a brief hit of CA glue accelerant along the seams. It will immediately be ready for use.

I print both versions with with 0.4 high flow nozzle, 0.25mm layers ("Speed" preset in Prusa Slicer) using Overture PLA Pro. For the vertical one-piece version I turn on organic supports and paint support contact pads only on the upper out feed curved surface and on the bend where desiccant containers change direction as they roll down (see the GIF image for support placement). 

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