Silica Gel

[AstroTiger]

Hi Guys

After reading the manual to my camera, canon 1000D, i have made myself unpopular with the wife, spending more money on getting a decent flight case for the whole kt.

Anyway, while sorting it all out, a little packed of silica gel popped out.

Now i used to until recently throw this stuff away. Its a drying agent abosorbs water.

Now i have collected several tiny sachets of this stuff. Does anyone know the best way to recycle it.

now i know you can place it in an oven to dry if you heat it to ~ 100C. Clearly the paper bag its in will be baked at this temperature.

does anyone know of an alternative bag the stuff can be put in to so it can be used over and over (the silica gel i mean)

Thanks

[Black Shuck]

How about making up a little cloth/muslin bag ??

Bill£

[Psychobilly]

I dry my packs out in the microwave... if you get the temp just right the paper will be fine its the glue you have to watch out for... but as Bill suggested any cloth bag will be fine...

Peter...

[Milamber]

Yup - nuke 'em in the microwave, then a quick shake and leave them for a few minutes to cool down and evaporate the moisture.

[Dr Dixon]

The little paper bags it comes in will usually be fine in the oven, a low oven is fine 70 degees will dry it out, just leave it in for a while.

If you do want to put it in something else then you can put it in anything that is porous like a cotton hanky sewn into a packet etc. but the down side of this is that after repeated use Silica Gel gets old and produces dust, repeated drying, particles rubbing against each other etc. etc. so what ever it goes in has to be pretty fine too

[Psychobilly]

I have taped a few bags onto the insides of my Scope Front caps... and pierced a few 1.25" plugs and stuffed bags inside them.

Peter...

I cook all sorts of rubbish in the microwave including builders sand which I use for sandblasting machined parts much cheaper than buying the proper grit... if its really damp does take 10 mis per pound though....

[Milamber]

Or poke some holes in the bottom of a film cannister, drop a bag or two in and poke in your EP hole.

Arthur

[AstroTiger]

some ace ideas there guys, thanks again

i have a major bean bag size bag of gel in london, i am going to tear the place apart looking for it when i get down there this weekend :-)

[Leegsi]

If you want some more we get it at work.

Its not the normal stuff but looks more like cat litter.

It comes in a plasticy coated type bag thats hard to rip. The bag adsorbs at least half a litre of water (As I tested it )

If anyone wants a few bags etc PM me and I will collect a load from work as they come in.

[Milamber]

Interesting... is it dust-free though?

Arthur

[Leegsi]

It seems to be.

Could always bring a load with me to the star party.