I dry it (pla) once when I open a new roll but beyond that just bag it with desiccant. If nothing else, keeping it in a bag or box of some type, rather than out in the open on a rack, keeps it clean and dust-free.
ps… if you vacuum-bag filament, put the desiccant container out in the circumference of the reel, not the center. The center gets sealed off from the rest of the volume in the bag when you vacuum it down.
Unfortunately, most of these discussions skip over the crucial variable - the actual manufacturer of the filament. Not all PLA or PETG is the same. And those ingredient additives make a world of difference in how one should handle the filament for printing.
Personally, I defer to the individuals that actually make the filament that I utilize. They’d know best. As one example - the plant manager for one of my filament suppliers is very clear - neither need to be dried. So I leave my PLA out in the open. I keep that manufacturers PETG in vacuum bags as a precaution and convenience as they’re stored with all of the other PETG (don’t want to make a mistake). The manufacturer suggests that I do not dry their PETG. I merely adjust the flow and temperature when the PETG begins to produces strings. It solves it each and every time. Fantastic filament.
Another example - the Bambu Lab filament - I dry the PETG. That is the recommended action. If I experience stringing, I fine tune the flow and temperature. It solves it each and every time. Does that infer that I didn’t need to dry it? I honestly don’t know. But the supplier is clear - dry it. So I do.
I leave ALL of my PLA (minus SILK and TRANSLUCENT) out and have never dried any of it, regardless of manufacturer. I’ve never experienced anything remotely off with any print. The SILK and TRANSLUCENT do require special handling, which I follow. Even with that, I have lost an entire spool of TRANSLUCENT Bambu Lab due to brittleness. It was stored in a vacuum bag. It was dried. It didn’t help. That stuff is not great filament.
The lesson here - There’s a very clear line of demarkation between those that “have to dry” PLA and PETG vs those that live in the “doesn’t require it” camp. And that strip of land in between can get seriously pockmarked with concussive statements.
I’d suggest you do whatever it is you want to do and treat it like your bathroom habits - not up for discussion. Otherwise you’re likely to get some seriously mixed signals from others. And those signals would be expected as we most likely utilize different filament manufacturers for our chosen supplies. Do your research on your chosen filament and follow those guidelines. Best to you on this.
very good idea thank you That’s ikea boxes right ?
Yes they come in many different sizes that all stack with each other.