Using silica gel for storage

[Rider]

I understand that lenses and other gear can be damaged by excess humidity, so I've tried to find a source for silica gel. I've found some on e bay, but given that silica gel by its nature is only good when it's fresh, I'm reluctant to spend money and not have the results I intended. Does anyone else use silica gel to reduce humidity for photo gear storage, and where do you get the stuff from? Is there a better material/method for storage?

[IanG]

You can dry it out again and its as good as new. Just put it on a radiator. When I ran a lab we just put it in an oven.

Ian

[Ron Marshall]

I understand that lenses and other gear can be damaged by excess humidity, so I've tried to find a source for silica gel. I've found some on e bay, but given that silica gel by its nature is only good when it's fresh, I'm reluctant to spend money and not have the results I intended. Does anyone else use silica gel to reduce humidity for photo gear storage, and where do you get the stuff from? Is there a better material/method for storage?

Regenerate in a 250 F oven for 3 hours:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=359233

[Ash]

I'm starting to. I nabbed a bunch of those mini sachets that you find in clothing and leather goods, as I had a few enlarger lenses get hit by damp and fungus when left in the darkroom/shed. I'll check on them in a few days and see what they're like.

I believe desiccants only really work when they are in a fairly sealed environment, otherwise it will attract moisture, rather than draw it away from the more valuable material. Try using sealed bags as well.

[Kevin Crisp]

I use the small ones with the aluminum case and the little window that shows blue when fresh, pink when exhausted. I have a ton of them, I dry them all out in the oven at 250 for about 3 hours then keep them in airtight storage until I need them. doing them all at once saves energy. Toaster ovens work well for this if you have a small quantity, they dry out faster than 3 hours that way. It seems impossible to wear then out, some are 12 years old and work fine. There is also a plastic version made for microwaving which is faster but the plastic eventually cracks. Amazing how much water comes out in the microwave with the plastic ones, it shows you they work.

[GPS]

-snip
I believe desiccants only really work when they are in a fairly sealed environment, otherwise it will attract moisture, rather than draw it away from the more valuable material. Try using sealed bags as well.

They work better in a sealed environment because once the humidity is chemically taken on their surface they made the air dry and keep it as such. Don't be afffraid of them -in no way could they harm -even fully charged with humidity, i.e. exhausted in their drying effect - "the more valuable material" by giving off humidity. That is only possible if heated at 250°F... And if they are in a non sealed environment, it's not their fault either that humidity has its effect on the "valuable material".

[GPS]

I used to buy silica in greater amount and put them to the 35mm film containers with drilled holes and fine mesh pockets. Worked well and I found some use for the containers...

[cyrus]

I understand that lenses and other gear can be damaged by excess humidity, so I've tried to find a source for silica gel. I've found some on e bay, but given that silica gel by its nature is only good when it's fresh, I'm reluctant to spend money and not have the results I intended. Does anyone else use silica gel to reduce humidity for photo gear storage, and where do you get the stuff from? Is there a better material/method for storage?

Silica is only useful in sealed environments. It quickly absorbs humidity, and becomes useless. You can heat it up to drive out the humidity, but then you'd have to quickly place it in a sealed environment.

[GPS]

Silica is only useful in sealed environments. It quickly absorbs humidity, and becomes useless. You can heat it up to drive out the humidity, but then you'd have to quickly place it in a sealed environment.

As all desiccants... Always better than keeping a dehumidifier on to lower the humidity of a room in order to keep the photographica dry, IMHO.

[aduncanson]

As all desiccants... Always better than keeping a dehumidifier on to lower the humidity of a room in order to keep the photographica dry, IMHO.

GPS Please,

What is your argument against using a dehumidifier?

Thanks