Desiccant Packets

[XVIga_Rob]

Where do you buy the small (1" or 1.5" in length) desiccant packs?

Maybe a hobby or craft shop? I've asked at Sportsman's and a couple of LGS's and struck out.

[BigJ]

eBay has thousands to choose from. Amazon too.

[XVIga_Rob]

I'd like to buy localy, assuming tax is less than shipping charges

[Germz]

why not just go to a shoe store and take them out of the shoeboxes...for free?

[BigJ]

I'd like to buy localy, assuming tax is less than shipping charges

Hit up your local Hobby Lobby or Michael's type store and grab a 5 pound bag of silica gel beads, used for drying flowers. Make sure use one of the always-running 40% off one item coupons too. Like this one: http://m.hobbylobby.com/coupon

Now go buy a pack of large cone number 4 coffee filters.

Then, fill each with a tablespoon of the silica beads; you need about 5grams to cover the volume of one 50cal ammo can. One tablespoon is worth about 15 grams.

Staple the top closed, and you're good to go.

For me, I prefer the indicating type desiccants, so grabbing a 50cnt bag of these is the way to go: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170407682101 They say they don't recommend recharging them, but I think they cook up just fine at 180deg.

[XVIga_Rob]

I just put together an Amazon order and included some of the 1 grahm packs. I keep my pistol ammo in peanut butter jars. 9mm in the small jars and .45 in the madium jars (100 each).

[WARTFROG]

Call me crazy. If you have ammo in peanut butter jars. You need to go buy some ammo.

[teg33]

I buy desiccant in here www.widgetco.com free shipping on order over $40

[kouye]

I buy a large box of desiccant bead from an LGS that is meant for drying a gun safe. I transfer a small mount to small burlap bags (3"x3") that have draw strings from Michael's. This seems to be a better/cheaper alternative than buying online.

[XVIga_Rob]

Call me crazy. If you have ammo in peanut butter jars. You need to go buy some ammo.

I have a regular supply of them and, they make great storage containers. Just doing my part to recycle (brass & plastic)

[74c5]

ebay
40 gram for primed brass in containers.
900 gram for the powder box.
recharge in the oven

[BigJ]

ebay
40 gram for primed brass in containers.
900 gram for the powder box.
recharge in the oven

Where ya getting those numbers from? 5grams is good for approx 648 cubic inches; a 50 cal ammo can is 462 cubic inches. 900grams would take care of about 67 cubic feet, or a box roughly 3ft x 4ft x 5ft.

Exactly how big of a powder box ya got there?

[74c5]

Where ya getting those numbers from? 5grams is good for approx 648 cubic inches; a 50 cal ammo can is 462 cubic inches. 900grams would take care of about 67 cubic feet, or a box roughly 3ft x 4ft x 5ft.

Exactly how big of a powder box ya got there?

Dessicant is cheap. Powder isn't. When your day job is with pyrotechnic powders, you learn to be conservative. The 40 and 900 come with integral indicators....very nice to have. The 900 goes in a wooden box, wood holds a LOT of moisture.
Also, do a bit more research on those numbers of yours and find out what they really mean in terms of how much moisture they'll absorb.

[BigJ]

Dessicant is cheap. Powder isn't. When your day job is with pyrotechnic powders, you learn to be conservative. The 40 and 900 come with integral indicators....very nice to have. The 900 goes in a wooden box, wood holds a LOT of moisture.
Also, do a bit more research on those numbers of yours and find out what they really mean in terms of how much moisture they'll absorb.

Agreed on the indicators. I'm a big believer in them, especially when we're talking long term storage of stuff like powder or ammo.

In terms of how much moisture a gram of silica gel beads will absorb, to the best of my knowledge (I'm not a desiccant expert, but I've worked the google machine overtime on this subject over the years) the numbers I quotes are generally accepted values used by food producers to judge how many grams they'd need to protect their product. Also, there's a point called "Equilibrium capacity" where adding more desiccant is pointless; its the point where the desiccant has pulled so much moisture out of the air that the air retains a stronger hold on the moisture molecules than the desiccant can exert. Adding more once equilibrium has been reached simply wont make the air any drier.

In other words, 40 grams in a sealed ammo can wont and cant absorb any more moisture than 5 grams can and will.