What would you do to improve my layout?

By Prosperi-Tees on Jan. 21, 2012
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Screen Printing

So I am in a small 800 sqft shop and need to make the best of my space. Is their anything you would change?

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United States
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Submitted by Inkworks on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 00:22

Yup, but being extremely tidy with your ink is all part of the job. Plastisol is about as bad as it gets for ink just because it doesn't dry....ever. If you can't keep you ink in the cans and on the screen and nowhere else, it doesn't matter how far away from your blanks it is, and if you can keep it tidy, you should be able to have blank goods reasonably close without worry.

Don't treat the symptom, treat the problem.

Submitted by Inkworks on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 00:32

Clean ink pails is #1. No ink on the outside or on the lid, no wiping off ink spatulas on the rim of the pail! That and we use web adhesives, no mists!

You guys think screening with plastisol and water base is messy, try pad printing and screening solvent based epoxy inks. big-ol washout tank with lacquer thinner splashing around.... :D thoroughly wiping down screens with lacquer right after use so the ink doesn't set-up permanently on there....mmmm love the smell of lacquer in the morning...3 different ventilation systems going in the new shop!

Submitted by Inkworks on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 00:53

I have a small 3.5gal. parts washer(varsol/solvent) for squeegees, floodbars and spatulas and I'm upgrading to a big parts washer, the small one sucks, no room to work in it.

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Submitted by Prosperi-Tees on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 01:11

I would like to get a large one but I am gonna have a hard time finding space for a small one! lol. But I found a 6.5 gallon one that may just do the trick. What do you use as a solvent?

Submitted by Inkworks on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 01:13

Varsol, smelly stuff, but not as smelly as Lacquer thinner. You can probably find something cleaner, but the nice thing about Varsol is that the plastisol settles out of it and after a few hours of rest the solvent is clean.

You're getting an auto right? You'll want a decent sized one, think 6-10 squeegees, floodbars and spatulas, you'll also want a plastic bin to put them in to drip dry. If you're in California you may not have access to the good ol' chemicals like Varsol.

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Submitted by Binkspot on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 06:21

In a small shop in stead of a parts washer you would be better off with a small plastic dish tub with mineral spirits, scrub brush and rag. Not as efficient but cheap and works. Scrape as much as you can off first then clean. The more ink you can salvage the more money in your pocket. It drives me nuts if I see someone put a screen in the dip tank loaded with ink or scoops and squeegees in the tank.

Someone suggested sticking a BBQ squer through the bucket to wipe the spatula off on to and it works nice. Be sure to insert it off to one side and not right in the middle. Ink cards help also, I think a case of 1000 is $40. They are completely disposable so no clean up. Use and toss, they have helped tremenduiosly.

Owner/Operator of Middletownink

Submitted by inkman996 on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 09:36

I also like to cut up coroplast scraps for disposable scrapers. I actually get all the scrap I need for a local sign guy, he gives them to me with perfect straight cuts then i chop them down to usuable sizes.

Submitted by musterdbom on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 10:38

inkman996 wrote:
I also like to cut up coroplast scraps for disposable scrapers. I actually get all the scrap I need for a local sign guy, he gives them to me with perfect straight cuts then i chop them down to usuable sizes.

Sometimes I'll use coro as a mixing board for color matches. Much easier to get ALL the ink into production than a cup. I just mix it up with a cleanup card and then scrap it off into the screen. Less waste, less cleanup, works perfect for colors you know you won't print very often and only want to mix up enough for the job.

Submitted by Gilligan on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 12:43

musterdbom wrote:
Sometimes I'll use coro as a mixing board for color matches. Much easier to get ALL the ink into production than a cup. I just mix it up with a cleanup card and then scrap it off into the screen. Less waste, less cleanup, works perfect for colors you know you won't print very often and only want to mix up enough for the job.

I like that! You could technically use a large board for this in a fairly permanent way... just clean off the board in the washout booth when done.

"you don't need a hook for the worms to dance."

Submitted by Gilligan on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 23:36

He found one... probably best to continue that discussion here vs the classified ad where we were talking about it.

"you don't need a hook for the worms to dance."

Submitted by musterdbom on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 10:16

Same dryer I have right now. Rewired the whole thing with solid state relays and newer temperature controller. Great dryer for plastisol, can do discharge reeeeeeeeeeally slowly. Draws 48amps at 240v according to my clamp meter readings.

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Submitted by Prosperi-Tees on Sat, 02/04/2012 - 00:35

musterdbom wrote:
Same dryer I have right now. Rewired the whole thing with solid state relays and newer temperature controller. Great dryer for plastisol, can do discharge reeeeeeeeeeally slowly. Draws 48amps at 240v according to my clamp meter readings.

Do you by any chance have any manuals for this dryer do you ?

Submitted by musterdbom on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 12:29

Yeah lol you'll be stepping it up a bit. Not sure what I can run per hour I just know that it was painfully slow compared to regular plastisol. Regular plastisol I run at 30-34 dz/hr. I haven't gone any faster because I can't load/unload faster than that for extended periods of time.

Submitted by Gilligan on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 12:27

Hey, I can print that fast!

Musterdbom, why did you change over to solid state relays?

It was recommended I do the same on my dryer (I have the mercury switch)... I just don't know why. :)

"you don't need a hook for the worms to dance."

Submitted by musterdbom on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 08:57

Gilligan wrote:
Hey, I can print that fast!

Musterdbom, why did you change over to solid state relays?

It was recommended I do the same on my dryer (I have the mercury switch)... I just don't know why. :)

The temperature controller was flaking out. The frequency at which it cycled the heating elements was ridiculously fast which at the time in the old shop would freak the fluorescent lights out. It had smaller relays in it that weren't mercury and smaller than SSR's, can't remember the type they were off the top of my head but their switching voltage was higher than my ebay temperature controller would do so I picked up some used SSR's and wired it up. The hardest part is programming the temperature controller to be consistent and not overshoot, hunt, under or over heat as you load shirts through it.

Submitted by Inkworks on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 19:42

Looking good in that cramped shop! Rock it for a year or so and you'll appreciate a bigger shop all the more!

We've been busy all week moving, demolition some little rooms and setting up the new shop. It's amazing to think we had everything in 1/3 the space it is in now. We get tired walking from one end to the other. :D Finally moved the cast-iron 1-arm 24" Challenger guillotine and the 4' x 6' vacuum frame today... freaking heavy stuff.

The auto should be here by the end of the month!

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Submitted by Prosperi-Tees on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:54

Inkworks wrote:
Looking good in that cramped shop! Rock it for a year or so and you'll appreciate a bigger shop all the more!

We've been busy all week moving, demolition some little rooms and setting up the new shop. It's amazing to think we had everything in 1/3 the space it is in now. We get tired walking from one end to the other. :D Finally moved the cast-iron 1-arm 24" Challenger guillotine and the 4' x 6' vacuum frame today... freaking heavy stuff.

The auto should be here by the end of the month!

Thats awesome, hopefully you are taking pics!

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Submitted by Prosperi-Tees on Sat, 02/04/2012 - 11:40

I contacted Lawson midnight last night and got a response 6 hours later. They want to sell me the electronic manual for $35.00 and $55.00 for hardcopy. I like the fast response time but geeez charging for an electronic file that would have took no time at all to attach to the email?

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Submitted by Prosperi-Tees on Sat, 02/04/2012 - 12:49

Well I did get the dryer running last night and it runs great, gets up to temp pretty quickly and the forced air works. Now Monday comes the acetone, scrub pads and scraper to clean it up and make it look pretty, possibly paint it.

Submitted by musterdbom on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 07:45

Prosperi-Tees wrote:
Well I did get the dryer running last night and it runs great, gets up to temp pretty quickly and the forced air works. Now Monday comes the acetone, scrub pads and scraper to clean it up and make it look pretty, possibly paint it.

Mine is by far the ugliest dryer on the planet. I had to reinforce the top cover with new steel. Replace the whole bottom piece of insulation and rewire all the elements and fans. That's what I get for winning an ebay auction ha! It really was the biggest pos in the beginning but darned if it isn't super reliable now.

Yesterday was the first time I've had 3 people working the press to get a job done and we got up to 52 dozen per hour and the old omega dryer was chugging right along maintaining temperature!

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Submitted by Prosperi-Tees on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 11:03

musterdbom wrote:
Mine is by far the ugliest dryer on the planet. I had to reinforce the top cover with new steel. Replace the whole bottom piece of insulation and rewire all the elements and fans. That's what I get for winning an ebay auction ha! It really was the biggest pos in the beginning but darned if it isn't super reliable now.

Yesterday was the first time I've had 3 people working the press to get a job done and we got up to 52 dozen per hour and the old omega dryer was chugging right along maintaining temperature!

you have a 3612 putting out 52 dozen an hour!? That's awesome!

Submitted by musterdbom on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 11:11

Yeah I was just as surprised as you. Temperature held steady and double checked with IR gun and stretch test. Half folded on the belt but not fully covering it. The way I have the temperature controller programmed it won't let it drop more than 3 degrees while running so it keeps the elements running hot without overshooting by more than 3 degrees when the belt empties.

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