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  #61  
Old 02-12-2014, 11:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyal View Post
Thanks, fazool! Great idea. Just wondering how you feel about it nearly one year later?
Love the idea still.

I've tried clay pot humidifiers, oasis humidifiers, planet waves soundhole humidifiers. I like this one the best. It lasts the longest between refills. It feels safer to me against drips/leaks. Its the cheapest and easiest to maintain.

I also like that I can make it any size I want, and by adding more or bigger vent holes I can ramp up the humidity.

Right now, I've been using these for a year, as you said. I would say I am extremely pleased with them.

I keep a small jug of distilled water soaking gel beads. When its time for a recharge, I get new soaked beads and put them in. I put the old dried out beads in the jug and shake it gently then in a week or two everything is recharged.
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  #62  
Old 10-03-2014, 12:09 PM
CandyApple CandyApple is offline
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Guess what I'm going to be doing this afternoon?

Thanks Fazool!
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  #63  
Old 11-01-2014, 08:13 AM
stevestarr stevestarr is offline
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Hi Fazool
how did you make the template for drilling the holes?
thanks
Steve
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  #64  
Old 11-01-2014, 09:20 AM
Tom West Tom West is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pearl B View Post
Thats a good idea! Thanks for posting it.
+ 22
Tom
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  #65  
Old 11-03-2014, 09:39 AM
joeguam joeguam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
You know, I've wondered the same thing and I'm not really sure. I don't know how efficiently they absorb moisture from the air. To dehumidify, it might be simpler to just use some white rice - that's sort of the traditional solution.
Rice does not work, I've done extensive testing on dehumidification because I live in Guam and we have around 85%RH year round. If you want a product similar to the water beads but to function in reverse to dehumidify instead, Home Depot sells "Damprid" which I'd imagine you could open up & do the same with fazool's simple design in this thread. I have not tested this, so I have no idea how long it will last or if it'll even reduce the RH in your case to 45% where you live. Furthermore, I have no idea if the Damprid will reduce the RH in your case to LESS THAN 45% - which could get problematic.

I keep all my instruments in a room that has an air conditioner running constantly. Here in Guam, the A/C set to 72 degrees removes moisture in the air and keeps the RH between 45-55%...but YMMV.

Great idea fazool, if I ever have to travel stateside with one of my ukes or guitars, I'll be making one of these. No offense, but I wouldn't trust the grommet to hold a solid object suspended in my soundhole when moving the case around (ie. traveling or going to a gig). Any little bump would surely dislodge that thing from the strings. I'd use a simple plastic piece that can rest across all six strings...or maybe even cover the soundhole to prevent additional evaporation. Just my opinion.
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  #66  
Old 11-06-2014, 01:33 PM
stevestarr stevestarr is offline
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got all my stuff thru the mail today. 50cm across the top of my pots, 50ml volume
Each one takes approx 25 beads. The tops of mine are a softer plastic so a sharp fat needle was better than the drill for making holes.
I copied fazool's photo of his hole template, imported it into photoshop and then cropped it and resized it so it printed out the right size to cover my lid.
My wife had this craft stuff you spray on paper to make it tacky. Used this to put the templates on and poked away.
Got betteras I made more. I made four.
I'm pretty happy with the result.
Anyone want me to mail them the template shoot me a pm with your email address
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  #67  
Old 11-20-2014, 02:49 PM
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Excellent design, fazool, and thanks for posting both the pictorial and the 1 year review!

Steve
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  #68  
Old 11-20-2014, 03:16 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Thanks for the reminder! I had seen the OP and was very impressed buy then forgot about it. I've actually never seen those travel jars (but never looked for them either). Is that a 2 oz. size you're using?
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  #69  
Old 11-24-2014, 07:54 PM
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Several people asked for a hole pattern I used to fit these containers.

Here is a link to the DXF and PDF files for the patterns.
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  #70  
Old 11-25-2014, 09:25 PM
Riverland Riverland is offline
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Default Velcro slipping

Thanks Fazool for all the great ideas. Just made a bunch of these using the velcro idea but they all slide on the strings bumping the sides of the sound hole when I stand the guitar up. Any idea what I might be doing wrong? I'm using a wider fatter (more like a stout rectangle) hook half for the top piece with the fuzzy half on the bottom of the travel jar.
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  #71  
Old 11-25-2014, 09:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riverland View Post
Thanks Fazool for all the great ideas. Just made a bunch of these using the velcro idea but they all slide on the strings bumping the sides of the sound hole when I stand the guitar up. Any idea what I might be doing wrong? I'm using a wider fatter (more like a stout rectangle) for the top piece with the fuzzy piece on the bottom of the travel jar.
I know exactly what you mean. I used real strong velcro and it bit in so it didn't slide around. One thing to try is very gently squeeze the strigns together when attaching the velcro - they will spring back and create tension against the velcro - that should hold it from slipping
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  #72  
Old 11-30-2014, 02:02 PM
stevestarr stevestarr is offline
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I made my pots up and left them on a bookshelf in the room I keep my guitars, for 10 days. The water soaked beads behaved themselves.
I put them in the cases with my guitars a week ago. I checked them every few days and all was well. Tonite after 4 days of non checking the beads were very small, almost the size they were when they came and the pots were 1/4 or more full of water.
Do you think I got defective beads or the temp was too warm? Obviously the water did not evaporate from the tubs but I thought the beads would have just soaked the water back into themselves.
Any ideas?
thanks
Steve
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  #73  
Old 11-30-2014, 02:40 PM
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I'm sorry I don't follow.

When you say "pots" I assume you mean the little jar holder thing. You said they are 1/4 full of water? There shouldn't be any free water ever.

The beads will shrink as they lose moisture. That's what they are supposed to do.
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  #74  
Old 11-30-2014, 04:40 PM
stevestarr stevestarr is offline
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Hi Fazool
yes the little jars, I have 50ml jars with approx 20 of the water beads. They had almost shrunk back to the dry state and all the water was in the jar and they were at the bottom. I thought they would ave just re-expanded in the water. I'll try a different make of beads
Steve
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  #75  
Old 12-01-2014, 06:29 AM
stevestarr stevestarr is offline
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Hi Guys
anyone have any reccomendations of the beads to use. There are tons on ebay.
thanks
Steve
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