A buddy of mine just bought a VERY entry level one-color screen print station/kit... with the intention of doing some SIMPLE t-shirts, etc and seeing how he/we liked it before getting into some more acceptable equipment.
We did our first test t-shirt today - I'll be using it myself as the need arises, and he'll be using me to help him with the art - and frankly, it went off quite well.
We were able to coat a screen... burn the image... wash it out... and print a t-shirt which came out VERY well. It's not half as intimidating as I imagined, although we're admittedly only dabbling in the simplest of techniques at this point.
Anyway... here's where the advice is needed:
The kit he bought came with a 'heat gun' to cure the freshly printed t-shirts.... I can hear the laughing now! hehe
So, I'm thinking about purchasing a 'flash dryer' to step us up a notch and save our arms from certain arthritis waving a heat gun over t-shirts.
What wattage, size, etc might you recommend...keeping in mind that this is still in the experimental stage? We want to be able to 'zap' a shirt dry efficiently without investing a ton at this time. If things look fun and promising, we'd likely look into more serious equipment, such as a multi-stage unit, etc.
Also might consider a quality used flash dryer if you're privy to anyone trying to get out of the business.
Please be honest, but sensitive to the fact that AGAIN, we are looking at minimal investment to see if there is potential here... plus, we're looking to get over the first learning curve hurdles of screen printing.
Thanks for your advice.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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If you get a Flash Dryer, try and find one with a timer, or buy a timer, ...also never answer the phone while flash drying. In a pinch you can use a Heat Ransfer Press can also be used. You lay a piece of "teflon paper" or transfer paper between printed sidr of shirt and heat, then "press" as you would a heat transfer. A uniform "cure" s important. A Flash Dryer is something needed anyway if one wants to continue "scream"printing shirts. So get a good one.
-------------------- Rich Stebbing RichSigns Rohnert Park CA 707-795-5588 Posts: 755 | From: Rohnert Park, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Over here, I seldom use plastisol inks, but use an aussie waterbased stuff with a very soft hand, that can be cured either with heat, via a heat tunnell (we use a Hix heat press instead for very short runs), alternately you can add a cold-cure catalyst that allows it to set permanently without heat- you just mix the stuff with the ink- of course you can't return the rest to the tub afterwards, so you need to mix just the right amount. It's about $1 per ml or so, and you use it at 3% by volume, or 3 ml catalyst per 100 ml ink.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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you used to be able to find cheap used equipment just about everywhere- from people who had become disenchanted with the whole process once they realized there was actually work involved.
Whether you go with plastisol or water based ink- make sure you read up on the correct curing specs- for instance, one of the plastisols we use, properly cures when the entire ink deposit reaches 300º but no more than 350º - after much testing, our particular conveyor dryer is set to run a garment from end to end in less than 60 seconds. Some dryers can do this faster and more effecently, but that is what ours works at.
the screen emulsions are different for plastisol and water based, as well.
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1736 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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We're using the plastisol ink. Glenn told me correctly that many people outside the US use the water-based style that you mentioned Ian.
I should state that I have a heat-press. Any way to use that with t-shirts on a Plastisol style screen print? Seems like the ink would smear onto the heat-press platen.
Beyond that though... just curious what 'flash dryer' you guys might recommend for a start-up/experimental unit. Probably looking to spend no more than $600.
Can anything good be had for that?
Wattage make a difference? Requirements for a particular size circuit breaker?
I looked at some quartz models, but they are out of my price range at the moment.... as we want to start small, and cheap, and decide if this is going to be something we end up doing long term. That plus the economic fact that we just can't plop down $2k right now for a decent starter conveyor dryer.
I know it probably sounds pretty rinky-dink.... but anything has got to be better than waving a 'heat-gun' over the screen-printed t-shirt and making wild guesses. LOL
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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The waterbased inks we use need 300F for 4 minutes, to be properly cured- it's not just a case of reach 300F & you're right; they need to be held there at that temp, if screened on poly-cotton.
Go hotter & you scorch/melt the poly-cotton. With straight-out cotton you can go to 350F, but need to hold it there for 2 1/2 minutes at that temp, hence the popularity of the heat tunnels.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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The book..."For fun and profit"...maybe that should read "For Fun OR Profit". I worked in a screen process shop while in college and it certainly was not fun...or profit, for that matter. Started at 50 cents an hour. Now, that was back in the really old days.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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