Were in the middle of a job where we have to change colors frequently and we ran out of ink remover!!! We don't have time to order it--we're using plastisol inks. Does anyone have a recipe to make it--maybe turpintine?
thanks a lot,
michelle
For cleaning out the screens? In the old days we used gasoline. A better option is a 50/50 mixture of acetone & xylol (xylene). Another option is MEK. Not sure about milder solvents like mineral spirits or turpentine.
Mineral Spirits works great and is not as flammable MEK or Lacquer thinner. It is all we use here. It does not evaporate as fast as the harsher chemicals either. You may need to do a test print after you clean your screen to get all the mineral spirits out of the screen before you print a good shirt.
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Mike
If you dig ditches be the best ditch digger you can be.
The residue is not a problem on the screens, we just do some test prints to mix the residue in with the ink(this is after we wipe the screen with a dry cloth) there is not enough residue to effect the ink.
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Mike
If you dig ditches be the best ditch digger you can be.
Ah, I was thinking the residue might get on the shirt. I use mineral spirits in woodworking and knew it left a residue, I just wasn't sure how bad the residue would be for printing.
I've never heard of it...is there another name for it? If its cheap, I'm all for it!
BTY, thank you all for you replies, I'm very new at this, and truthfully never wanted to be a t-shirt printer when I grew up!.... oh well
Be advised that with the SBQ Pure Photopolymer emulsions, using hot solvents such as those mentioned above can lock in the emulsion to the mesh, making removal difficult, and sometimes impossible. When I first started, I used mineral spirits, and ruined a few screens. All things considered, your best bet is to pretty much stick to chemistry designed for screen printing. They work the best, and the safest. Most of the hot solvents are a health hazard over time. I lost a friend to a brain tumor who was a car mechanic, and he was very conscientious about safety and handling chemicals related to the industry. The doctor told him the tumor was environmental as to cause, not genetic.
Do not use acetone and MEK stuff is horrible for you and I am not kidding! I used to use that stuff when I was a flexo printer and it will make you high, crazy, and the odds of having kids is slim to none! Also If you do have kids not you have to wonder if it is the chemicals that you breathed and got on you hands that gave them all the health problems that they have. Oh yeah and not to mention that no one wants a kid that has an extra finger!
Thanks, you guys. Now that I'm scared enough (as well I should be) I think I'll order gallons more of the stuff my manufacturer sells. We just finished the order, and did end up having enough ink remover....
I already have MS and I don't want to mess around with anything that might even be remotely dangerous.
Thanks for your replies!!!
I'll be back...
michelle
Even with the chemistry made for screenprinting, I suggest using rubber or nitrile gloves when cleaning up. I've started using a respirator I bought for coroplast printing when reclaiming screens, as I sometimes notice a slight sensation in my lungs after reclaiming a large number of screens. The pressure washer puts quite a bit of mist in the air while removing the stencil/stencil remover solution, and while I'm not standing at the sink day in and day out reclaiming screens, adverse effects from any activity can accumulate over time, and I'd rather not take chances I can avoid.
My daughter also has MS, and you're right to not take "chemical shortcuts" that might unknowingly exacerbate a condition that, so far, hasn't yielded to even a reliable stop, much less a cure. Good luck.
make your own ink remover? HELP!!! 
