Silica packets?

[Griffis]

Well, this is going to come off as a silly question since I've been playing so long (though fairly new to mandolin.)

I recently bought a Kentucky A-style oval hole and had it set up nicely. For the $$$, it's a very sweet instrument.

Inside the case it came in is a packet of that silica gel stuff...you know, the stuff that looks like rock salt and the packet says "Do Not Eat!" on it.

In the past, I've just kept these in case compartments of larger instruments like guitars, but the mandolin is so much smaller, and the case dimensions as well, of course. Is this something I should go ahead and keep in the case, or should I discard it?

I see these all the time but am not sure what they are for...humidity control or something?

I appreciate any advice...no big deal; just not sure if it's good to keep in there or not. Thanks.

[JEStanek]

They absorb moisture. I would discard it or leave it in there with with a humidifier and let them fight it to the death.

Jamie

[mandroid]

Things get pretty humid in a container on the ocean, and Shanghai where its probably loaded is fairly sub-tropical.

Save them for packing with your condenser mics in a zip loc bag, Rode included some when I got my mics to draw moisture from the mech in the mic .
at least they said moisture is not good for condenser microphones, and provide something to do something about it.

indicator crystals in there are pink when saturated, and warming in the oven drys them out and the indicator is blue then.


very litmussian http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Don Christy]

I save mine and use in a ziplock back to store the packets of strings i buy in bulk.

Don

[mandopete]

Do not eat!

[Clyde Clevenger]

They're not bad with buttermilk and black pepper.

[MikeEdgerton]

In a previous lifetime in the trucking industry we hauled truckloads of this stuff to Breweries as a filtering agent.

Personally I wouldn't keep it in the case. It's there as a precaution in the process of shipping it long distances through unknown climatic conditions.

I do like Jamie's suggestion though.

[steve V. johnson]

I don't keep 'em with the instruments, but I put them in with my microphones.

stv

[Ray(T)]

I keep my packets of silica gel with my stock of polystyrene packaging, those little twisty things that keep wires together, Players Points that cost so much to redeem in the UK, CD's I don't want but come free with magazines and e-mails telling me how I can increase the size of my ego!

[Mr. Loar]

Silica generally draws out humidity and is used in electrical equipment that should be dry. Not good for wooden acoustic instruments.

[MikeEdgerton]

I have a feeling that the silica gel is put in the box with the instrument to keep the metal parts (tuners, strings, screws, tailiece, etc.) from rusting when it's shipped. I doubt that it's there to do anything for the wood. An ocean or airfreight container is not really a controlled environment. They get very hot and they get very cold.