Discuss the different types of equipment needed for screen printing. Topics include manual screen printing presses, automatic presses, dryers, folding machines, starter kits and high end machines.
I am printing with an old national four by four with micros... the thing is when i bought the press it came with alot of old brackets and palets .. i wasn't getting smooth prints and each printhead varied....i new palets and balanced everything out ... it does print better ... but b/c the brackets are old and some are a lil different than the others,,, my boards are sitting differently...not extremely different...but if i lay the four shirts next to each other you can tell which one i set the off contact on...
so my question is , is there a place i can get brackets for this national? i know they are out of business and tech support in pitt said that they would have to be specially designed to fit my press..
Anyone have any ideas or know somewhere?
And can anyone tell me how they go by resetting such an old press.... like is there some way of getting it reconditioned almost to where its making smooth prints and back to factory settings....
Same as any old machine, give it a once over; Oil the parts that should be oiled. Tighten up screws and bolts. Replace stripped screws. Maybe make new platen boards if you have the means.
Take any bent or broken pieces off, along with whichever platen bracket works out the best and take them to a local welding or machine shop and they should be able to fix or make new identical brackets.
i think my registration is off.. all heads will go down...but when i print multi color it seems off...is it like a cardinal sin to replace the plastic registration bolts on the bracket?....would it cost me an arm and a leg to get brackets made?
I am not familiar with the press you are talking about, but unless it has micro-registration, if it's off, it's your fault..
If the plastic registration bolts(...) are loose or you can see them move when you lower the screen, even when you aligned them properly, replace them. I would replace them anyway, but keep in mind, you dont want to just throw steel bolts on there without something to protect your arms from getting gouged from the tips of the bolts.
It probably wouldn't cost too much to get brackets fixed, but it depends on your area. There should be plenty of places to choose from. Look for a small one.
HELP ! leveling an old national press 
Re: HELP ! leveling an old national press 
