Making Dividers for My Pre-freeze Pans Without Using a 3D Printer (For Our Medium Freeze Dryer)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 23 тра 2023
- Making pan dividers for our prefreeze pan (for our medium freeze dryer) without using a 3D printer. I used foamcore, hot-melt glue, and freezer zipper bags.
Pan divider outline for medium and large HR trays drive.google.com/drive/folder...
Check out our other channel - SchoolReports On The Go www.youtube.com/@SchoolReport...
Want to support this channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm
AFFILIATE LINKS & REFERRALS - I earn from qualifying purchases from the links provided
───────────────
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases from the links provided. By clicking on the links, you can explore the products and tools I use.
www.amazon.com/shop/schoolrep...
---------------------------------------------------
PackFreshUSA
We have been buying oxygen absorbers and 7 mil Mylar bags from PackFreshUSA since early 2018. During all that time (1000's of bag and oxygen absorbers, and about 6 year before before we added this affiliate link) we have been happy with the products and service we have received from them.
I earn from qualifying purchases from the links provided. - packfreshusa.com/?rfsn=787757...
---------------------------------------------------
Harvest Right - If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our link. It helps us and costs you nothing!
affiliates.harvestright.com/9...
───────────────
Before buying a freeze dryer, perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; some people have problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return!
When trying to decide what to freeze dry you can start by asking why.
Start by asking yourself this question. Why are you freeze drying food? Knowing this should help you decide what you should freeze dry first.
I'm freeze drying because:
Just to freeze dry leftovers?
You want to make your own food for camping/backpacking?
For if/when the SHTF?
For a short term emergency?
You have your own garden and want to freeze dry the food?
You love Costco but don't have a family of 6?
You are good at finding the food sales but only have 1 freezer?
When you cook homemade chili just for yourself you make 10 gallons? Because you have 3 full freezers and are worried about power outages?
If I knew then what I know now, I would have freeze dried things in a different order. Or maybe not, because I started freeze drying because we had 3 full freezers, I was thinking of getting another one, and I decided I should buy a walk-in freezer instead. I started looking into walk-ins and realized they were expensive to buy (even used ones) AND expensive to own and operate. Then I found out Harvest Right was making home sized freeze dryers. One of my first thoughts was "I like Mountain House!" I have used their food for backpacking almost 45 years and we even kept some in our travel trailer, for just in case.
Freeze dried food will stay fresh for many years and be ready and waiting when you need it.
We do videos showing how we are using our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer to freeze dry food for long term storage. (We have the medium size machine that we got in August of 2017) We talk about how to load and unload the freeze dryer, how to know if the food is dry, is it better to freeze dry raw food or cooked food, and do a few taste tests. Freeze dried food is also great for prepping or just for camping and snacking!
Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm
Check out our second channel - SchoolReports On The Go www.youtube.com/@SchoolReportsOnTheGo/videos
Pan divider outline for medium and large HR trays drive.google.com/drive/folders/14tAnOW7nL53Et9bt3UgujDZWFOfbKbjg?usp=sharing
If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our affiliate link. It helps us and costs you nothing! affiliates.harvestright.com/995.html
Before buying a freeze dryer perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; like with any big machine, some people say they have had problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return!
The channel is now freeze-dried, and it is truly remarkable.
Thank you. That is a great option for those without a 3D printer.
Just found a person that would make these 3 d printing now you give us a way to do it our selves . Your make me how to think out of the box . Thank you for all your giving.
It's these little tips that go a long way!
Thanks!
Brilliant.
I was going to say “you have a 3D printer?” But then I noticed the ‘School Reports’ thing at the bottom of the screen and thought “of course you do!”
I also watched all the way to the end; enjoyed the outtake of your continually messing up the beginning 😂, and found out about the ‘on the go’ channel, which you don’t promote on this channel 🤔, often enough and therefore only have 174 (now 175 😁) subscribers.
I appreciated hearing about how much YT takes out of superchats vs buying you a coffee. I may buy you one someday. I’m still concentrating spending $ on things I’ll get other than satisfaction, and after paying off my credit card this week will be back to use your PackFresh link again.
This may be easy, as you stated, for someone who does crafts, but I’m not ready to buy a glue gun let alone begin crafting things with it. A 3D printer may be cheaper for me (not really).
I'm not much of a self-promoter am I! I need to remember to mention the other channel once in a while.
_Buy Me A Coffee_ only takes 5% were YT takes 30 or 40%. (I think they say 30 but it looks like 40 to me) Still, 60 or 70 % is better than zero.
clever idea...and cheap.
I was trying to find a way to not have pla material not contact food, and did not think of laminating it with food saver bags. Thanks and enjoy all your vids.
A great teacher!
Definitely!
I'm all for reusing what I have. Such as nails for baking potatoes, mine are 6 inch barn nails. For making the hole for the thermometer just put a nail in it. I try to save things that I can use another way.
Thanks! I'm all for reusing too. The original viewers suggestion was to use a nail for the thermometer hole, but I didn't have any the right size or type I could use. I had to buy something anyway, so I went with the stainless steel rod.
Awesome! I guess a trip to the dollar store is in order, thanks.
👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you this was very helpful!
You’re SO clever! Thank you!
Two of my long time mottos to live by have been
"Laziness is the mother of invention" and
"Procrastination: The key to flexibility" 🤣
Thank you so much for coming up with a way to make pan dividers without a 3D printer!! I was one who asked since we don’t have a 3D printer. I had gone to DollarTree and purchased several cake pans to make frozen molds for our Freeze Dryer so I will be anxious to make these! Thanks again for your kindness and your ingenuity mind! I appreciate you as I am sure other FD groups do too!!!
Thank you!
Stay tuned. 😁 I'm going to show another way using 1/2 thick cutting board. (For people with more tools and/or skills)
Thank you Dan! Another great lesson.
Great idea, thanks. It looks as if this will help with stacking pans in the freezer as well.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
So clever thank you!
A general comment. My machine has 5.4.24 software. Everything I am doing is finishing at about the 24 hour mark. I have also found that if you have your machine in a cool room it helps quite a bit. I don't have any freezing around the door or seal. I have the large machine. I do go with smaller batches. Example. 2 cans of corn, for example, per tray. 1 quart of milk, 2 lbs of diced potatoes per tray. It will do more but i know those amounts will be done in 24 hours so I can schedule drying around work.
Thanks for the comment!
I've considered telling people, when asked "how long did that batch take?" that it was 32 hours. And then explain that if you adjust the conditions just right, that every batch COULD be run in 32 hours. 🤣
I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess. For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is totally unneeded.
@@SchoolReports I am going to experiment with adding more and without pre freezing. This software version doesn't have an option to select pre frozen or thawed. It runs a freeze cycle, appx 5 hours. I have ran milk that was not frozen all the way and it didn't make the process take longer. I do have the extended drying set to 5 hours incase I am late getting in. I do a weight check and run for another hour to verify. Hopefully getting some good info will help other folks with the process.
I do enjoy your videos. They have given me some guidance and ideas.
@@C-Culper4874 Our 2017 machine with it's older version firmware (which I love), doesn't have options prefrozen or not either. I have mine set for a freeze cycle of 6 hours (but will shorten the cycle if it's cold enough), and a "Final Dry" time set for 12 hours.
With ours I can't put liquids in without prefreezing because the rack in the older machines are tilted towards the back, so liquids will spill.
Once again, an awesome awesome video, thank you so much!!
What a genius idea! So creative thank you for sharing! 😊
Thanks for this video and all the videos you do. You are appreciated!
Love this! Thank you.
Thanks, and thanks for watching and commenting!
thank you Im going to try this.
I’ll get some foam core tomorrow and give these a shot! Thank you!!
Maybe you can show a picture to prove it’s as easy as he makes it look. 😜
@@eileenniehaus5368 we cannot post photos on here, I don’t think? If you’re crafty, in any way, it looks very easy. 🤷♀️
If you do ever want to share a photo you can email it to me and I can post it on the community page.
@@robingirven4570 yes, looks easy, but some of us are more challenged than others, plus comments please the UA-cam gods. 😁
@@SchoolReports Good to know! If I make them, I’ll email you a photo.
Great idea! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video on how to make these.I have been watching your channel for a couple months preparing and learning about freeze drying . I just ordered a freeze dryer, so was trying to figure out how to get some deviders. So thanks again for the information. You do a wonderful job.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I managed to buy a small HR from my cousin although I wish it were a med but oh well. I had trouble finding something that would work to pre freeze in certain sizes but yesterday I succeeded in finding toaster oven trays that allow me to freeze half the tray and 3 of those halves fit my HR trays woo hoo I love how you are so technical about the weighing of the trays. I followed your advice and I am so happy. A previous load of broccoli and cauliflower (from frozen store bought) actually became soggy after a period of time because the fd said they were done but they were not so now I weigh and all is good. Thank you so much.
Glad to hear it's working out for you!
The Harvest Right manuals just say ". . .Check the material thoroughly to make sure it is completely dry . . ." with no hint as to how to accomplish this in a way to ensure it's 100% dry every time. I have a bad feeling that a lot of people are going to find out someday that some of their food was *not* dry enough. Some foods. like broccoli and cauliflower, can hide moisture that's not noticed at the time of bagging. #1 rule of freeze drying - Never trust the machine to know when it's done, *it can't know!* I'm paranoid about having water in my freeze dried bags of food.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you for doing this. I can’t wait to try it
Excellent! Thanks for the idea and tutorial.
Absolutely Brilliant ! :) thankyou for sharing
This is excellent! So many times I moaned about wanting dividers like you have. Now I can! Thank you.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Stay tuned. 😁 I'm going to show another way using 1/2 thick cutting board. (For people with more tools and/or skills)
While I was interested in making a few of these I think I will wait for the 1/2 cutting board version. I have considered making a program for the milling machine and pumping out several. Only had my medium for less than a month, and have learned so much by your videos. Thanks.
@@FlyFishingTenn The cutting board and a CNC would be perfect. Or laser cutter. I don't have either of those (I live in shame), but I could make a router template for cutting and/or finishing them with my router.
Thank you, thank you! I will be making these soon for my FD.
Thank you for the instruction! Loving my freeze dryer and all your videos have been a great help.
You have a life of Fred shirt?!?! We love life of Fred!
Life of Fred > Saxon Math! 🤣 Homeschooling is good, public school is child abuse. (Too strong?) 🤔
@@SchoolReports haha I liked Saxon too… but I’m a nerd so 🤷🏻♀️
As a homeschool mom, former school teacher… I hope to never put my kids in traditional school! Definitely can be spirit-crushing.
@@kellyclemmer9715 I homeschooled our kids in conjunction with charter schools. That morphed into teaching elective classes at a couple local charter schools geared towards home-school families (I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years for 6th - 8th grades), and now another idiot on UA-cam! I think I learned more while homeschooling our kids, and teaching, than I ever did while going to school. I highly recommend teaching as a way to learn. It was a lot of work, but I really loved it.
If anyone asks, after shop/elective classes, science class is #1, math is a close second tied with history. English class doesn't make the top 10!
@@kellyclemmer9715 thank you both for homeschooling! Our world needs more homeschooling!!!
@@eileenniehaus5368 My husband and I were both homeschooled (not 100% for me) and I loved it! so glad we have the ability to do it now!
hi...glad you gave this demo. The Brownie Pan from the dollar tree plus that cake pan you use goes well in one medium freeze dryer tray
I didn't know they had a Brownie Pan! That sounds prefect, I'll have to get one and give it a try. Thanks for the info.
Glad to see no bloodletting by the exacto knife. Couple questions - Have you ever tried little squares of parchment paper to line the pans to ease removal? Also what do you think of using mylar to cover the foam core? Could even vacuum it in the fd chamber.
I have lined the pan with a parchment sling for a few foods. I thought of trying Mylar (but didn't) for the covering, but it was so much less flexible that I gave up on it.
I think it might be good to point out to all us FD'ers the reason these need to have some thickness to them, in order to make the molded food a bit smaller to fit properly onto the FD trays. The length of 2 square blocks and 1 half block is too long to fit the MEDIUM trays. This is the reason to make the half blocks a little bet smaller via the thickness of the divider. Also might be able to use some of the cheap Dollarstore cutting board material in just 2 layers using a torch or other hot item to melt them together. Then no need for the plastic wrapper possibly?
You are 100% right about the thickness of the dividers being needed. I probably don't mention it enough.
I think I do already have the video planned showing cutting up a cutting board to make dividers, but I though it best to show a low skill, low tool divider first.
Our local Chef'Store Winco has 18 X 24 (1/2 inch thick, same as my 3D printed ones) cutting boards for about $23. Big enough to make maybe 2 dozen dividers. They also come in 3/4" and 1" thick. (They are also on Amazon - Winco Cutting Board, 18 by 24 by 1/2-Inch amzn.to/3BVM8iJ )
I wish you would design a device for dumping our processed goods without the waste.
I'm interested, but I'm not sure what you mean by this.
Popcorn scoop
Can you come up with instructions on tray dividers for serving size (squares)?
For us this makes it into 2 one cups portions. Are you thinking 4 half cups pieces? (Divided in half both ways?)
@@SchoolReports yes please
Can you tell us what size magnet or link to purchase. There a lot of sizes and the one I got online are way too small! Would appreciate the info! Keep making the videos you do a great job!
I've used anything from 8mm x 2mm to 12mm x 3mm, whatever I had at the time. Like these - amzn.to/3IAILBl
(With the 3D printed we used this one - 8mm x 3mm magnet amzn.to/3cOftQI )
LoL I can barely cut with scissors!
This is wonderful!! I asked my son to make me dividers for the FDer trays and he said he wasn't sure how the material he has for his 3d printer would hold up under the freeze and heat in the FDer. This would work well for the pans and I wonder if they were covered with tinfoil if they would work well in the freeze dryer. Seal a meal bags sound like the way to go! Have you tried the plastic corrugated board you had under the frozen pans?
We have never put the dividers in the freeze dryer, just the regular freezer. I used the foam core because I thought it would be easier to cut than the corrugated plastic. (I *really need* a laser cutter) 🤔 I think the corrugated plastic would work well if I could cut it evenly.
😀 🙃 😛 ❤️ 🐸 😋
Good humpday morning! As you may remember, I have cut the dividers from the cutting board you recommended. Thank you! I’m struggling how to attach the small round magnets that I bought to the bottom of dividers to hold in-place in the pans. . I tried burning a small hole, using my dermal bit and I can’t seem to get the best hole to have the magnet level with the divider. I was wondering how you made the hole just right to insert the magnet so that it isn’t raised on the divider. As always your information is so very helpful! Again. Thank you. 😊
Sorry it's taken all day to get back to you about this. (I know I've been saying this for a very long time, but really, a video about this is coming soon. It's just that in my world "soon" is a moving target:)
With my 3D printed dividers the magnets were placed into the print while it was printing so it would be completely surrounded by the plastic and the food couldn't touch them. With the cutting board ones I hadn't figured a way to put the magnets in from the bottom and make them completely surrounded, so I didn't. I decided I could go from the top with a drill press and stop just before going through and drop the magnets in from the top. Second try is to have the magnets on the ends near the top. Third is no magnets and hope the plastic weighs enough to not float. This works for lots of foods (The 3D printed ones would float because they were light) Fourth it to use clips at the top to clip the dividers to the pan instead of magnets.
Again, sorry for being so slow on this.
Good Morning! Oh please no apologies, but I will accept it. 😊I completely know how things go. I’ve never done videos but I’ve heard its super time consuming! I took a drill bit the size of my small magnet. Put holes in the bottom flat small enough to hold a tiny round magnet. Magnets not really strong enough but almost. Then you mentioned your process that you may use to prevent magnets from coming in contact with food. Mine would have touched food. Not thinking that would be a problem as long as kept clean? Maybe not. I really like the idea of magnets along the top side of divider as long as the bottom didn’t kick out with food. I don’t think it would. To drill them, I can’t go there. Way to much for me to try. I’m going to try the side magnets on dividers just above where the food would be. I will let you know how that goes. I think well because when I simply taped the divider along the top to the side of pan it didn’t swing out on the bottom at all. I think thicker foods it would be fine standing alone. Not so much for liquid type. Thank you so much for you time and help. I think you solved my problem! 👍🏼 if this doesn’t work I will try and think of a type of clip to the tops of dividers to hold in place. Again, Thanks!!
@@Judten1 Thanks. I should have been more precise about my magnet/food contact concern. It wasn't really about it touching, it's more about being able to clean the gaps between the magnets and the plastic. I always assume the any small gaps will get icky. (To use highly scientific words) If I were sure I could adequately clean every crevice, I wouldn't be worried.
@@SchoolReports I see. I played around with placing magnets on the side of divider. I think it
Would be fine with no swing. I will need to shave sides a bit to allow for the depth of the magnets. I then put two cups of just water in the pan, added the divider with no magnets at all! The divider was heavy enough to not float and it seems like it would stay perfectly in place. (Which should have been my first step) I think you will find that it won’t need much if anything at all. Hubby said just stick a small piece of painters tape to top sides of divider onto the pan so won’t move during transfer
To freezer. Now I have 100 little magnets to play with! Lol. Have a blessed night. Thank you!😊
@@Judten1 Tape is easy - I like easy!😁
Is that the music from Castle quest?? In your opening
I don't know Castle quest. 🤣 It's from a Clip Art and Sound Effects disc I got back in the mid 90s. It's called _Medieval Bridge_ and is about 5 1/2 seconds long. It probably got used for a lot of things.
@@SchoolReports thank you for the response! I've heard it back in late 80's Nintendo game or Sega! I'll find it or my OCS will not let me sleep
@@jamesfoster4291 If you find out please let us know! Another viewer thought it might have been used in King's Quest game. (I don't know that one either:) I knew Lemmings, and also Sid Meier's Pirates! (the 1987 version) Upgraded to Pirates! Gold in 1993. That's close to my video game knowledge.
@@SchoolReports I am sure he's correct I just couldn't get the name to come out of the ether kings quest! Thanks! semper fidelis
Who knows? They are both from the right time frame! 😁
@SchoolReports Tell me what you think!! I cut your divider out of foam the size you gave! Showed it to my husband. He had a great idea I think! Going to buy a polyurethane 1/2 cutting board cut to size and drill round holes for the magnets on bottom. That way it’s OK if the food touches it! My only concern would be the magnets. Wouldn’t want them to rust. If I don’t want the magnets on the divider in liquid, I found a 2”L by 1/2”W chunky magnet and laid half that magnet on TOP of pan widest part of both sides (where you grab to move) and other half pressing on top of the divider. It seems strong enough to hold divider down even with liquid. I wanted to send a picture but I’m not sure how to. Now I need to find the best way to cut the 1/2” polyurethane board so that it comes out nice. Any suggestions? Any reason this may not work before I buy the cutting board needed? P.S. Is polypropylene (pp) and Polyethlene the same material? I want to get the softer of the two. Thank you!
That's been my plan for a long time.
🤣 I've had the cutting boards for making dividers since May, and one is on the table saw right now. (It's just sitting there waiting:) Winco CBWT-1218 Cutting Board, 12 by 18 by 1/2-Inch, White.
I just haven't made time to finish them yet. With the density of the cutting board material I'm not sure if magnets are even need, because they may not float up like the lighter foam or 3D printed ones will.
Polypropylene and polyethylene are different plastics but similar. Polyethylene tends to be a bit softer. (I think)
@@SchoolReports That’s great! Thank you so much for including what board you’re using. I’ve been looking and looking for exactly what is going to work. If we get ours ordered and done soon, I will definitely share as well as I am sure you will. Again, Thanks a ton!
What is the story behind the name 'Schoolreports'?
The channel was originally set up to use for school reports! We homeschooled our kids starting at 5th and 6th grades. (Private Montessori school before that) We did homeschooling with the aid of charter schools geared to homeschool support. We would have a teacher come to our house for an hour each week so I could make sure I wasn't forgetting a subject. (Before I started homeschooling I was always afraid I would forget a subject and the kids would be short a credit needed for graduating. 😁We had been planning to homeschool even before the kids were born)
Anyway, among the requirements we had set for the kids was writing and delivering speeches/presentations. Some were presented in person (and recorded) and some just recorded. I wanted these to be watched and "graded" by other people. (teachers at the charter school, etc) And that's why I called the channel SchoolReports, because it was used to post their school reports. They also recorded some of their science and craft projects for school credit. When I started posting videos I just used this channel. I never expected many people to watch, so I didn't think of changing the name or setting up a new channel.
How did you get the right angle to match the pan?
ua-cam.com/video/3KLblPCTpHk/v-deo.html
For making them out of the foamcore I could have just taped the 3 x 5 cards together to match the slope of the sides and then just trace that.
😁 I just realized that I'd forgotten to add the link with the jpg of the divider outline download! I had meant to put a link in the video, the description, and in the pinned comment, and I forgot them all! Now added.
Pan divider outline for medium and large HR trays drive.google.com/drive/folders/14tAnOW7nL53Et9bt3UgujDZWFOfbKbjg?usp=sharing
With all the weighing done on my trays. Is it ok if I use pound and ounces?
Yes, pounds/ounces are no problem as long as the scale has graduations that go down to 0.05 ounces or better _if_ you're also using it for the _Dry Check._ If the scale only goes to 0.5 ounce that would still be a whole tablespoon of water.
We often use pounds/ounces when putting food on the trays and for bagging (especially my sister), but most of the time we use grams during the _Dry Check_ just because it's finer increments. (better accuracy) During the _Dry Check_ we don't really care what the weight numbers are, the only question is - did it lose weight. We don't use the _Dry Check_ numbers for anything else.
@@SchoolReports I guess it wouldn’t matter then if I don’t understand grams just as long as the numbers go down! Thank you!!👍🏼
@@Judten1 Exactly! When I taught 3D Design & Printing at some local charter schools, I had to explain to the kids that it doesn't matter if you really have a "feel" for the unit of measure (everything is in millimeters), as long as you use the same ruler for all the measuring. If they measure the object they want to make in millimeters, and then design it in millimeters, it will be the right size.
With the "Dry Check," it's just the before-number compared to the after-number. Did it go down or not. If it went down, it probably wasn't dry yet.
You did not put a specific link to the pans you are using in your "Show More" area of this Video. Also your 8x8 Pan Links in your past videos (some & maybe all) do not go to any specific pans, it just pulls up a generic link to different pans available on Amazon. Thought I would make you aware of this.
Thanks, I need to learn how to do a better job with Amazon links.
The pans I used I got at a Dollar Tree store. They were called "Cooking Concepts Square Tin Cake Pans, 7.625x7.625x2-in" but the bottoms are about 7x7" and are a perfect fit for our medium freeze dryer trays. (Turns out they have them online too www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-square-cake-pans-75-in/10065 ) The different batches of pans that we have bought (over the past 20 years) have had slightly different side slopes, which would require a slight change in the divider shape. That's why some of our pans have an "X" on them. I've updated the Thingiverse listing to include a new version of the divider that is slightly narrower at the bottom to fit more of the pans.
@@SchoolReports Thank you very much for this information & all that you show us.