DIY Dry Box

What is a Dry Box?

A dry box is a container that is used to keep material dry.

One kind of dry box is used by divers and, typically, is good to 30 meters of depth^[1].

Such dry boxes contain assorted gear dry such as photographic equipment and supplies.

Dry boxes are also used in the storage of surface mount electronic components prior to circuit board assembly.

Some musicians use dry box to store their instrument (eg. violin).

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_box

DIY DRY BOX

You will need the following:

1. Air-tight container(6 liter/1.6 gallon capacity depending on your needs). This can be bought at your local home store or DIY store. Cost approximately US$10.00

2. Hygrometer. This device measures humidity. This can be bought at car accessory stores, DIY shop or pharmacy. Cost approximately US$4.00

3. Dehumidifier (calcium chloride) or silica gel. These items absorb moisture in the air. These can be bought at the DIY shop or pharmacy. Cost approximately US$1.50

4. As an alternative, there are air-tight containers with hygrometers embedded in them. This can be bought at the camera stores or DIY shops. They cost around US$24.00.

*** the dehumidifiers because they absorb moisture faster compared to silica gels. Downside is that they convert to liquid form once they absorb the moisture. This means that they have to be replaced approximately every 3-4 months. That’s fine with me cause they don’t cost that much. Try keep humidity between 30% to 40%. You can lower it by adding more dehumidifier/silica gel but this not advisable.

Silica gels are rechargeable and you can remove the moisture from them by heating it.

source: http://junsphoto.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/do-it-yourself-dry-box/