Where do I find dessicant?

[goon]

I am looking for small dessicant packets that would be the right size to stick in an ammo can with some ammo for long term storage. What local types of stores and in what sections would I find it in?
Or will have to order it from someone?
Thanks.

 

[Kim]

aAot of women shoe boxes have the little packets in them.

 

[GRIFFIN1]

It's 100% silica gel, and you you can buy it at Wal-mart or Target. It doesn't have to be this brand of crystal cat litter.

I just poured the stuff in the bottom of the box I use to store my ammo, but if you wan to get fancy, you could put it in a sock and tie the end.

 

[Sindawe]

Hmmm...local venders... Taxidermist's or dive shop perhaps? As for ordering....

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?hl=en&sa=N&resnum=0&q=Desiccant&spell=1&tab=wf

 

[goon]

Cool. Didn't know that about the cat litter.
Thank you.

 

[camp_gunner]

A quick web searh turned up these sources:

http://www.jbprince.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=166
http://www.brasspack.com/tl/Dessicant_Pack.html
http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=SL911
http://www.agmcontainer.com/desiccant/
http://www.tigerpak.com/tpbin/wkf?MAIN+show=MoistureControl.htm&SONumber=
http://www.hsdcstore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=145
http://www.humboldtmfg.com/c-1-p-64-id-1.html


This is an interesting discussion on using dessicants
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214889
This is the Midway web site http://www.midwayusa.com/

This one is counter-intutive but it may work.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/dried/msg0713133229244.html?/dried/msg0713133229244.html

Hope this helps

 

[ceetee]

It's funny, but I was looking for a source of those things a while back. The only place I could find that carried them, sold them mostly to packers, shippers, manufacturers... people that need to buy them by the truckload. Consequently, it just wasn't cost effective for me to buy them for what I wanted them for (long-term storage of luggage).

Now I find out that I coulda used kitty litter?

Harumph...

 

[HankB]

I bought mine from MidwayUSA. They had large cans (suitable for a gun safe) and small packets (suitable for an ammo can - smaller and thinner than a pack of cigarettes.)

Both sizes had the silica gel enclosed in an aluminum container, and included an indicator so you'd know when you had to "bake" the saturated crystals in the oven to drive off the absorbed moisture and renew the silica gel.

 

[SJG26]

Go to any Frank's/Michaels/ craft store.......

And buy a can o' FLOWER DRYING CRYSTALS........real silica gel.

I fill tube/gym socks w/ it ----hang where required-----bake once every 4 months or so to regen (don't bake the sock!!) if it needs to be or not!

Beware of the calcium chloride dessicants - while they DO suck out the moisture - the container then is a saturated chloride solution - spills stain like heck and it is VERY corrosive liquid!!

The crystals come in 1-5# cans........much much less expensive than the Official Midway/Cabelas etc brand!!

P.S.
Are you sure on that kitty litter make-up???I know its clumping, but wasn't aware of any profound moisture absorbing ability(other than the obvious cat-use!!)

 

[hso]

Griffin1 et al,

If you want to use cat litter for a humidisorb be careful to only purchase the "Fresh Step Crystals Cat Litter" instead of any of the other products. Most of the rest are Bentonite clay.

Don't neglect oxygen absorbers. http://waltonfeed.com/self/upack/oxyintro.html

 

[cngerms]

Online laboratory supply companies carry dessicants of all varieties. www.fishersci.com is one possibility. Any time I need something like that I just explain that I am a medical sales rep (which I am) and that I need the item for reagent storage/transport.

 

[HankB]

These are on sale right now for $3.99:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=799452

They're 4" long, 2" wide, and 1/2" thick, sized just right for an ammo can.

 

[Sylvan-Forge]

Another DIY dessicant

Drywall is pretty hygroscopic.
You can bake some at 300 deg or so for a few minutes to drive out any moisture.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

 

[Linux&Gun Guy]

You can also take epsom salts(MgSO4*7H2O) and bake it in the oven or the microwave till it is rock hard

then break it up and use it.

 

[wingnutx]

Electronics supply store.

 

[Firehand]

oo7 beat me to it. Cut a rectangle of drywall, smooth the edges so it doesn't crumble pieces off, and bake it two or three hours. Can cut pieces to fit a large or small box.

 

[rangerruck]

any electronics store that has a receiving area gets in lots of electronics, boards, chips, car stereos, etc. they are all packed in boxes. Every one of those boxes probably has a dessicant pak in it. just ask for some.

 

[Sheldon J]

I get all I want for free at work

they pack large bags of it in the large containers of vit. con. the guys that do the mixing just throw them away.

 

[Mannlicher]

its amazing that so few folks know how to do a simple web search for products.

 

[WeedWhacker]

Don't be so hard on folks who don't know how to make the most of web searches. Not everyone knows that certain brands of cat litter are made with silica gel, and may not think to investigate it. More and more "common" words are being used by advertisers and dilute results so much that it's often a wiser use of time to simply ask those humans who probably know the answer.

 

[SNEAKS]

What is a good temp to bake some dessicant in the oven?

 

[Firehand]

The bags I have with instructions on them said 160-180 degrees as I recall.

 

[HerrWolfe]

Griffin...thanks for heads up on the product. Makes sense to me to get it for use later....will not go bad but might have to heat to dry out before use.

 

[entropy]

I get them free at work, too. Try asking at Wal-Mart, they might save some for you, they usually get tossed. I got some bigger ones from my last job that I keep in my safe.

 

[hso]

You should "bake" any dessicant for 12 hours at 200 F to be sure to get all the moisture out.

If you don't intend to move it immediately to your air-tight storage container you should put it into an air-tight container to store it until then. The contailer should have as little free volume as possible.