How is everyone doing been a while since I have posted here as I have been real real busy which I think is a good thing. Of course my signs are taking off and with that I am doing more t shirts. I have never been the best at silk screening and each time I do an order I think after I am done I should just sub it out. But none the less let me explain my problem.
I am doing this out of my basement, I have a flash unit and no conveyor dryer. I guess the problem I am having is after a couple of washes I am losing the ink off my shirts. The real problem seems to be with the last order which was a two color shirt. Here is the process I did.
Screened the white then flashed it till dry to the touch and then screened the green. After that I moved it to another platten as I worked another shirt and flashed the two colors together for almost 22 seconds with my thermometer I was getting 250 degrees on the ink while the flash unit was putting out out almost 500 degrees. I thought about going longer but it seems like everytime I do that I burn a shirt..
the only way to realy solve this problem is by buying a dryer. a flasher unit will never cure the shirts fully unless there white shirts. even if you leave the shirt under the flasher for a long time u might just over dryer(there is a such thing as to much heat)
You can properly cure both light and darks with a flash dryer.
250 degrees is not hot enough to cure plastisol ink. The ink must reach 325 or so, depending on the brand. With my fliash, I position the shirt 3 inches from the flash and leave it there for 45 seconds.
Splat to you ever have a problem with the sleeves or anything else turn brown or anything from the heat? I have had some even burn a mark in there. Just want to figure out how to really do this.
Yeah, 250 degrees isn't hot enough. Nor is 20 seconds long enough. 350-ish degrees for 40 seconds or more will do the trick.
I do all my cures with a flash. I figured 2 flashes was cheaper, and took up less space than a conveyor. I've yet to have a shirt wash out. I cure for around 1:10. Could be longer than needed, but I'd rather burn one shirt, than replace 40.
I've burned up a few shirts on the press, but only if something isn't laying flat. If there's a wrinkle or the seam is higher than the rest of the shirt, it will get crispy and brown, but it's generally not a problem.
Splat to you ever have a problem with the sleeves or anything else turn brown or anything from the heat? I have had some even burn a mark in there. Just want to figure out how to really do this.
Every once in a while when I am not careful with the time. The way to tell if your shirt is completely cured is to stretch the inked area after removing from the flash. If is stretches and does not crack, it is fully cured.
Browning is caused by the garment either being too close to the heating element or too long under the heating element.
Why play the guessing game? Fellers has these also.
Raytec "MiniTemp" Thermometer
Now with laser sighting!
Just point, pull the trigger, and read the digital temperature display. Measure the temperature of hot moving objects from a safe distance. Takes all the guesswork out of curing inks. A must have item for every shop.
Curing Problem? 
Just point, pull the trigger, and read the digital temperature display. Measure the temperature of hot moving objects from a safe distance. Takes all the guesswork out of curing inks. A must have item for every shop.
