Is your filament not printing well? Do you see steam or hear popping sounds as it prints? Does it jam too easily? These are all signs that your filament may be damp. Certain filaments like ABS, nylon, ect. absorb water moisture from the atmosphere and this extra water will make 3D printing very difficult. The good news is that with some simple tools you can dry your filament and start printing with success.
How to Dry Filament
The magic formula for drying filament is warm it up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and keep it there for 3-4 hours. You can do this in several different ways. If your oven can drop that low you can stick your filament on a baking sheet and put in it for a few hours. Most toaster ovens can go down to 100 degrees but it can be difficult to shove a large roll of filament inside one because they are generally pretty small. What we have found works well is a small fruit or jerky dehydrator. They will hold the temperatures and are built to get rid of the moisture coming from your filament.
Its important to remember that the method is not critical. I have used normal ovens, toaster ovens, and dehydrators and they all work equally well. The most important thing is that you can hold the temperature at 100 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours.
Storing Filament to Reduce Water Absorption
Most filaments come in sealed plastic bags when you buy them and have a desiccant inside the bag. These desiccants help keep the filament dry by absorbing the water moisture before the filament can. If you always store your filament in plastic bags with a desiccant inside your filament will be ready to go whenever you need it. If you get into this practice you won't have to go through the trouble of drying your filament to make it usable again.