The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Monthly Science: New Silica Gel

The last two months of temperature and humidity data from inside the basement safe indicate that Spring is becoming Summer down there:

Basement Safe - Temp Humid - 2013-06-30
Basement Safe – Temp Humid – 2013-06-30

The new bag of new silica gel beads once again dropped the humidity below the Hobo datalogger’s 15% threshold, so I don’t know the actual humidity. The indicator cards packed inside the silica gel buckets report they’re below 10%; that’s dry enough for me.

However, the bag now weighs 539 g, so it’s pulled 31 g of water out of the air over the last month. The old gel accumulated 63 g over five winter months, so there’s much more water in the air these days! The safe still has a tape seal around the door gap; perhaps a better gasket is in order.

The glitch at the end of May shows the datalogger coming upstairs on a hot, humid day, going back into the safe with the old silica gel tray, then, after a short pause for some Quality Shop Time, snuggling up next to the new bag. The mid-month glitch shows a peek inside the safe…