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Mission accomplished "license to thrill"

[DIY DTG] 
1M views 5K replies 321 participants last post by  Laser212 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
R1900BUILD-Mission accomplished "license to thrill"

It is now official she is the T-DOZER:) here is the video of her knocking out some shirts. again i did a video from the power up sequence all the way thru printing two shirts, at the start up you can see the pf motor does not move (by evidencing no movement of the platen)

the printer is 100% error free as seen. i still have not mounted my power button pad (epson original) or additional two buttons (my modifications) i just could not hold back showing the video of what she can do, before i completed the final details:D keep in mind all thru-out the video the printer is not secured yet and either are the base covers..she is smooth;)

I'm still using the cardboard platen template, the final platen is plexi and weighs in at 1.3 pds. i believe i have accomplished the goals i set prior to the build. small foot print, light weight delivery system, portable, etc-etc.

I'm using 100% epson firmware with only some wiring modifications (rerouting) at the board as explained previously. everything required to do this build was purchased at lowes home improvement store with the exception of the plastic base (which can be substituted) and the printer itself of course..

I'm still using trial versions of the rip.. i tried multi-rip gp first and now i'm on my second brand of a trial version. i wish i could have done a shirt of each at the same time but the driver configurations don't agree with each other including the epson driver (you can only use one at a time on the computer without complications by my experience) so I'm testing individually..

i can tell you the rip is mandatory in my opinion, (its the business end of the deal):D and there are some very cool features and settings to play with ...im still learning..

i finally learned to adjust the settings in the rip for the table adjustment, the videos show it printing in 1400x1400. now i can print in 720x720 with the same quality as far as proportion and by my calculation it prints twice as fast..;) the 1400x1400 is still the best quality image all around as far as details etc and im sure that i will print with that setting most often..

well i hope you enjoy the show as much as i did..;)

P.S i added the video of the printer printing at 720x720 res dual cmyk.. i calculate start of print at the :59 sec point in the video and the end of print at 1:37 so i came up with 38second print on an 11x11 detailed graphic...a major feat using the stock epson firmware with its jerky motion in the 720 res mode with the r1900 imho, watch the very bottom of the shirt bounce during the print steps, and then check out the detailed print...

regards
jeff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc3OrrsnMHs





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNmlNKiQ7A
 
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#87 · (Edited)
thanks..;)

I just started on a table model of the printer..

im going build a conveyer belt model using two 3/8 inch belts for the platen to ride on (like the rainbow textile printer) this is a conveyer based off the same design using the two small belts instead of one large... they also have teeth on the belts and pulleys to match (ie timing belt and pulleys) this will be a complete bullet proof printer all the way around:D

i am going to use an 8ft x 30in table..one side will be the computer set up...the middle will be the printer setup with conveyer built flush to the table, the belt will be 3/16ths higher than the table;) and the other side the heat press.. with a small folding area...

i can also add an additional printer to the table as we grow:p i would like to eventually net work 5 printers to an 8'x30" table as a single work station pumping out 5 shirts at a time. so on lights at a approx 1 min print time thats 300 shirts an hour give or take a bit, and darks at 3min a print would be 100 per hour..of course this all depends on the graphic and loading time between prints...but would be the altimate setup... with one guy running it.. and if you wanna get crazy production another employee running another 5 printer station networked..Bam.lol:D

anyway at this point i will have a portable printer-backup and a permanent printer set up:)

i will have under table storage for shirts aswell, i can say for sure theres more money in this business than i originally expected. my wife originally started on our friends commercial machine (2200 base model) doing original 1 off designs selling on ebay (baby items and pet shirts *dog*), now they share ours.. since we got the printer up and running we just did some local advertising + a website when we got back to the chicago burbs, and the phone is ringing...;)

My wife just landed our biggest order to date from a local towns public works dept..(this should be a yearly customer) i plan on droping some cards at other muncipalitys and using this customer as a reference..I'M A BIT NERVOUS..LOL this is the reason for building the additional printer...(security blanket) the cool part was the sample print sold it...they had several samples and we even beat out a kornit printer sample at a 40 cent higher price per shirt..(dont know how the h%#* we did that..im not familiar with those printers but i know the company is a large one that does alot of production, and im told it is a very expensive printer...:confused:

I'll post up pics of the new printer set up when its done and a vid of it printing dark shirts, I,m confident it will be the holy grail of diydtg printers:p we have been printing quite a bit with the original printer with 0 issues except it likes ink..lol gota order more soon... I,m really excited about the dtg industry and maybe one day i can focus my sole attention to our side business...hopefully sooner than later, im tired of traveling..;) and the way the phone is ringing its looking good. i have a pretty good idea of pricing one off designs..but the larger order contract printing im going to have to investigate a little more..
 
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#88 · (Edited)
Are the plans on hold? I know you've given us enough information for most of us to figure it out with a little experimenting but all the help I can get will be appreciated.
Terry
Im working on it still, just gotta get the homefront on track..and make some extra time..;)

i have someone else looking into that arena for me..:p just dont want it to fall in the wrong hands if you catch my drift...i would like the serious builder-t shirt company to accomplish it, outside that its just additional competition for all of us ...and like daguide has mentioned, once its in every walmart? then what? wheres the value of it or profitability so to speak... this is cheap enough to have lots of competition! I know there are alot of aspects to it, graphics software etc, but my ten year old can run it..

if your making money off printers thats a different story (which i am not)..if you intend to profit off the printed shirt market as we are you start to think about those things, like the value an integrity of the dtg market..just a thought.. at one point i dispised the cost of commercial printers, but as i look back it really does the dtg garment printer business owner a favor.. it kinda regulates the market in its own way, keeping it to the serious business owner and detering flybys?

P.S i would be very impressed if some one figured it out (electronic conversion), no one has to this point... and its been there for the figuring for alooooooooooong time..:) maybe we should have a contest to see who can?..lol
 
#90 ·
Jeff,
I convert an epson printer using conveyor belt design, but the problem is the tighter I setup the belt the epson stock stepper motor can not rotate properly, but if I setup the belt looser my stainless steel shaft does not move at all, do you have this kind of problem with your conveyor belt setup? I am thinking to change my epson stock motor with a bigger one so it can move freely. I try the friction setup everything goes fine :) print perfectly
Thanks
 
#91 · (Edited)
the only issue i had is when i used the first belt material...it had a rubbery stretch to it...

personally i would not change the motor, it has more than enough to move this simple conveyor and is super light weight (less drag than the stock printer)..

you might want to consider using the two small timing belts (with timing belt pulleys) on the orignal 5/16ths shaft in place of the wider conveyor... this system can not be beat in my opinion... (this is how the rainbow textile printer operates there platen transfer system... i did have to adjust my tention with the white belt (window shade) after about 50 prints..no problem since.. but i will be switching both printers to the small timing belt after i tested this setup on the printer it is my conclusion it is the lightest, 100% accurate (due to geared belt and pulley no posibility of mis prints unless you line the shirt crooked on the platen..:D

p.s.. the pf motor is not a stepper motor... it is a dc 42-45 volt motor which uses an encoder...the only stepper motors the epson printers have are the original asf motor (paper feed tray motor) and the pump motor controlled by the firmware;) the pf, carriage motor. apg motors all have a type of encoder scale to control them..

best of luck...
 
#97 ·
It took me a couple of tries to figure it out and still not sure but are the belts in the top rail and the "platen"or t-shirt box has a flange that rides on them? To keep the timing correct for the distance traveled, are they driving against the back/smooth side of them or have they/you figured out a way to compensate for the larger diameter of the gears vs. the diameter of the drive shaft?
 
#98 · (Edited)
there is no need to compensate for the bigger pulley added to the shaft... its a one to one ratio...controlled by the encoder;)

we have had several discussions on that topic through out the forums here... and its been proven it works without fault as does mine..

here is a good example check out spiders dtg pg 118 of the built my own for 150 thread..this is a timing belt and pulley system which is clamped to the bottom of the drawer which is on slides..- #1756 (permalink) -

if im not mistaken i think his idler pulley is a bit smaller than the drive pulley, but this is no matter the drive or business end with the encoder controls movement...

think of it this way with the original c88 build which is friction drive...there is just ply wood laying on the drive rod for movement 1 to 1 ratio..it doesnt matter what this thickness is it could be 1/4 inch all the way to 4 inches, essentially this is what it is with the shirt board added three to four inches tall. the shaft size to the encoder wheel is the same size 5/16ths with the r1900.

the movement is controlled by the encoder...;)

hope i explained it well enough
 
#99 · (Edited)
ADDITIONALLY... I just want to be clear, I reference some name brand printers from time to time in the forums, generally because i like a certain aspect of each printer... i think i have made my favorite preferences pretty clear..the mod 1 and the rainbow printer, i hope its taken as a compliment and nothing else thats its intended nature...I am not in anyway copying these designs.. all my designs are my own, and may use similar components (as do most dtgs based on an epson head)but are 100% my own design... I also will not be manufacturering or selling dtg printers.. additionally i use 100% epson firmware for my printer..
the builds i have done are for my own personal use..;):):D

phewwww theres my disclaimer..lol:p
 
#104 · (Edited)
it depends on your design..most likely yes..

my encoder-pf motor is on the front axel..so i have about a 1 foot extention...;) but you can run the pf motor center of the conveyor at a lower elevation say 2 to 3 inches down-but not as much of the belt touches the pulley that way..with the drive motor on either end you get about 75% contact between pully and belt and about 50% with the drive motor in the middle..i prefer the end for the drive motor myself..
 
#110 · (Edited)
ok guys i researched different ways to provide the plans to no avail.. there is no 100 % fool proof hack proof method..

so what i have deceided to do is just provide it free to the serious builder... so basically just post up pictures of your progression of your diydtg build as you go and i will help you or provide you with the information of what worked for me... **if i see that your serious about the build and if its for your existing or new business venture in dtg printing**. so first you will need a printer (i suggest the r1900) then a manual.

this way you will know the components to the printer, and it will make the communication a breeze.. after you have your printer and it stripped down and you have an understanding of the components (ie reading the manual) the fun begins...

i will have two versions, the original that you have seen and a work station mounted model (expandable or a network of printers able to be added on a 8-10 counter space (coming soon)

although the later version is not easily portable it is my opinion this version is the superior method, and the easiest to build... it is my opinion that this will be the holy grail of diydtg printers:D

I am considering manufacturing the CONVEYOR TRANSPORT SYSTEM..for the latter.. have to check my liability on this first..

to be continued...;)
 
#113 · (Edited)
I keep getting questions-requests on a general over view of steps for the build and my recommendation of required software-hardware.. here it is and the best advice that i can give is read the service manual to become familiar with the parts... I simply will not answer whatcha macallit questions..sorry i have no patience for this, but if your serious about it you will do your homework and read the manual and previous post!!!

there will be two versions (new one coming soon)but the build is similar-with exception to the transport system, one is inverted and mounted underneath a work station or counter top with only the belts pertruding above 1/8th inch and just the printer itself on top this version will use two 3/8ths drive belts in place of the one conveyor belt, this is a very clean look aswell .this will work on the original portable printer aswell..

the steps will be as follows..

1.strip printer and cut platen pathway..

2. modify paper feeder- electronics

3. build conveyor transport system

4 install printer to transport system

5.Add switches to board-modify or extend all nessary wiring extentions..***no flat wire extentions for this conversion*** There are very few solders for the conversion i beleive i counted four....

6. build shirt platen..

7.PRINT;)

you will need rip software...no generic version will work it has to be a pro dtg rip... i have a preference for this aswell at the moment it is- ek rip for specific reasons, mainly for the (table feed adjustment feature) and also the maker of the rip modified the new r1900 version so that it would do nozzle checks and head align checks in roll mode for my printer;) with no additional programs needed it is an all in one rip program. they will also price match any professional rip manufactures list price, just mention my printer they know it well:D the contact name for ek is chris..this is my preference due to the extra features-until updates are made to other rip software and from what i understand multi rip will include one or more of these features here shortly per dan, so you may want to wait to test both trial versions of these products before purchasing, this would be worth the wait due the tremendous amount of info and help that mark (daguide) has provided and provides here on the forums.... im interested in testing it aswell..

I will answer any questions regarding the above as you take the steps of the build, and im sure others doing the build will help along the way after they have completed there printers..

you will need ink carts-ink, i recommend dtginks.com (you may want to convert to a bulk system after you get the printer up and running), however i would start with the carts untill you get experienced with the operation of these printers..

you will also need whole bunch of patience..lol;) i should debut the new version in about 2 weeks give or take, so hold off on questions until i get a vid of it up..that way you can choose which build suits you better..my money is on the new one..lol but you may want to build both... i will have a little more free time here in the near future..I accepted a job offer ( in house fabrication position) at a chicago plastics firm..excited about that aswell...no more traveling;)

the results are worth the effort:)

P.S im also interested in talking with or partnering with someone with an EXTENSIVE electronics back ground located in the U.S (Chicago area would be even better) unless your willing to travel here.., who specializes in motion control-plc programming for a future project designs i have in mind;) someone with the same interests in these printers or perhaps a business relationship...if your that person or interested pm me... here is a video of the caliber of electronics experience im interested in... I started my research based on this printer, this guy GRAHAM, is an electronics GENIOUS no doubt.. He is an electronic engineer, and provided me with alot of insight and info to the printer project starting out. however he lives in the U.K.. so props to graham here is his printer, it is now a fully functional 3D printer..YouTube - Homemade flatbed printer If i could aquire a person with these talents-quailifications thats interested in dtg...the skys the limit... I can offer unlimited design-manufacturing possibilities at rock bottom production cost, based on U.S labor manufacturing cost, i also have 19 years experience of hands on plastic fab experience (plastic surgeon..lol...:D) this could be substituted for other materials but i prefer plastics..

the electronics person would be intially for programming an auto spray pre treat machine;) opening and closing solenoid valves at different preasure rates, times and locations!!!!!



regards

jeff
 
#114 · (Edited)
UPDATE ON STALLING THE PRINTER BETWEEN MULTIPLE PRINTS..

I have put the stall method betwween prints to the test SUCCESS:). (ie you can print multiple copies from the rip of a design lets say 10-50 copies... on light or dark shirts the print will not start untill the platen is in the print start position, it then stalls between prints) ie once the shirt is finished you reload a shirt for whites and set to start position it then resumes printing shirt # two or the color over for darks... YOU ONLY PRESS PRINT ONCE FROM THE RIP!!!;):):D

I did this by strategically implementing the cover open sensor in the path of the platen (when closed it will print when open it stalls..lol:D just awesome.. you can test this with a fully intact printer leave the cover open-print something the epson driver will tell you the cover is open- close cover once you close it printing will resume;)

by going to the two small belt delivery system its belts only take up 3/8ths of an inch on each side of platen, it freed the center space to make installing the sensor possible with this platen type-it rides over and contacts the switch... when using multiple platens its time is cut even more... this is an unprecedented discovery..;) these are also timing belts and pulleys zero registration issues, no mis aligns it has a dead stop starting position..Bullet proof now imho...

I can ask nothing more of its capability at this point...it is to my liking and expectations now.. this opens the door for rear feeding multiple platens without registration or timing issues... it just keeps getting better.. now to bolt everything down..and make it look pretty the little details that are time consuming:confused:
 
#115 ·
I believe I can help in the auto spray pre treat machine. I dont have a degree in programing or electronics. But have built CNC Router. With off the shelfs items and this program that turns your computer into a machine controller. With a little rework it can be made to do the pre treatment. I have a Complete Fab and machine shop shop and will be building my own DTG system and would like to help you if you could help me contact off line enjenjoes@yahoo.com
 
#116 · (Edited)
I believe I can help in the auto spray pre treat machine. I dont have a degree in programing or electronics. But have built CNC Router. With off the shelfs items and this program that turns your computer into a machine controller. With a little rework it can be made to do the pre treatment. I have a Complete Fab and machine shop shop and will be building my own DTG system and would like to help you if you could help me contact off line enjenjoes@yahoo.com

Ill try an email you this weekend.. im looking for some type of programing for solenoid valves to open and close them for a pre treat machine.. i have one started im going to experiment with a few different nozzles and there placement..

i might use a circular spray nozzle or a few!! (in different locations) instead of a fanned nozzle this might eleminate having to move a spray head over the shirt, i would prefer this if it will work.. any suggestions welcome:)

maybe even some type of gardening watering timer with out the solenoid valves hooked to the supply (treatment solution) using an aquarium or pond pump this will give the gallons per minute for the nozzle spray thats required.. it depends if the circular nozzles will do the job instead of the fanned nozzles.. i just built a pump system for a job that uses a 12volt motor and small on demand piston pump for a pesticide company. maybe a small 120v version of this would work im not sure..

i need more info on the solution.. i see the kornit sprays with the shirt in the printer? it still looks wet when the image goes on? is this normal? it doesnt have to be dry?
 
#117 ·
The Machine controller will let you operate multi solenoids we easy programing. a small gantry table with a wagner sprayer should be all you need or just modify a paint gun head with a small air pump HVLP spraying.
They have what they call a break out board with a smooth stepper which allows more IO hook ups and produces pulse stream to power steppers or servos. Plugs into a usb port on the computer a small box to hold them in is all you need. The controller doesnt no if its a spindle or coolant it just turns on and off when it reads the code . the code can be a generic and changed if needed. We had a cake decorater that used air brushes to paint cakes was simple design
 
#119 ·
I was also thinking about to build my own pre-treater booth from my CNC plan and make some adjustment here and there to make sure all my pretreatment is good or if I ask someone else to help me I don't have to explain to them how to do the pretreatment evenly
 
#120 · (Edited)
just thought i would post some pics of the new printer work station version as it starts coming together...it has been pre run as a prototype and the parts are now fabbed for permanent mounting.... im also making a cover for this one she will be dressed in black polyethylene with a lexan clear service lid, it will look like a commercial model when done..lol:D

included are the new belt rails pics (the belts (2) ride on these rails which have 1/4 rollers riveted inside a 3/8 inch aluminum channel (home depot) at 1.5 inches apart platen sits on these:p.. also the work station itself, and undermount belly pan type II pvc plastic heat formed) for the drive gear and electronic mount(inverted version of original design with new belt system.it will be cut down to about 3inches on the down bends-i needed the deeper length in the rear where the epson mainboard will be mounted thats the 6inch lip that comes of the 90 degree bend on the one side but it had to be bent at this length for the design dementions (just the length of the epson electronic pan) the rest will be cut down..;)

as i have said before you can use the material of your choice with the design, i prefer plastic... however my table is a gorilla storage rack system from menards home store 10foot by 36 inches-1500# load range with under storage space, it comes in many different configurations (sizes)easily added on to, and snaps together in 10 minutes.. the counter top is 1/2 mdf wood painted black and poly urethaned..

its starting to be to much fun..:) pictures are not the greatest but you will get the idea.. im also working on the fab for the pretreat machine (enclosed clear pvc-acrylic with built in spray nozzles,pump and solution tank!!! it will be mounted directly below the heat press as pictured (with drawer style loading system) and clear so that you can view the application...;)

TO BE CONTINUED...................................!!!!
 
#121 ·
Jeff, Love your dual belt design. I am going to try and implement it in my 2200 build so I can move my pf sensor to the bottom. I can't do roll mode, bought the wrong rip. Too bad I don't have a cover open sensor either- that's a neat use for it.

Anyway, I'm having trouble with the math on this as well. PF encoder is encoding the rotation, it has no idea the diameter of the shaft. The printer driver knows the diameter of the shaft and it calls for a certain number of revolutions to produce an expected movement. I understand that a smooth belt no matter how thick will work, just as it doesn't matter how thick the platen is. But it doesn't make sense that placing a pulley with a diameter of say 5/8" over a 5/16" shaft will move the belt the same speed.

1 revolution will make the belt riding on the shaft move a linear distance of pi x dia. the flat belt going round the 5/16 will travel slower than the one going round the same setup withtoothed belt on a pulley that is 5/8. The pf encoder is a feedback loop for angular movement. So there must be some other adjustment. Are you correcting for PF in the epson adjustment utility? Or does ekrip have a PF adjustment that you are calibrating your movement with? Multirip does not, so I'd be curious to know if the epson pf calibration is enough to solve it.

If it just worked automagically, and you don't know why... I'd be real curious to know if you can get a print to automagically work from your multirip trial... If you can, I'll buy the toothed pulley and belt. If not, I'll wrap a flat one directly around the shaft.

Thanks,
Essen
 
#126 ·
Jeff, Love your dual belt design. I am going to try and implement it in my 2200 build so I can move my pf sensor to the bottom. I can't do roll mode, bought the wrong rip. Too bad I don't have a cover open sensor either- that's a neat use for it.


Thanks,
Essen
I never thought about the possibilities of adding the pe switch to the base with the two belt design the bottom of the platen would act as the platen;)..

you would still need the asf modification to get the paper tray gone or a small version to eleminate errors with the printer.. and you would still get preprint dance.. i would love to see how this works allthough awesome i bet, let me know if you try it!!!
it sounds awesome for the folks that run in sheet mode..and basically you could use the printer to its exact design intent this way with minimal modifications and print up to 144" long..very cool idea;)

Great thinking essen.....
 
#122 · (Edited)
First of all what rip do you have? i know multi rip will print in roll mode!

I,M only going up in size approx 1/8th in diameter with the type pulley i selected no noticeable difference in image..

but this is the real key the adjustment is in the ek rip...i have been bragging on this for quite some time but no one seems to understand how important this feature is..i think you get it! it lets you print in blazing speed at 720 res with the stock epson firmware which is real jerky in this res on the 1900.. i have been trying to explain how important this is maybe i didnt do a good job:) there has been some talk that multi rip is adding this feature, however im not sure you might want to ask mark in regards to this.. i cant remember who posted it....


EK RIP has a table movement adjustment which allows you to adjust the gap and feed in every resolution setting (speed 720 x 2) (fine 1400 x 720) and super fine 1400 x2) ...ie if an image gets stretched out or shrinks and adjusts for the banding... it lets you adjust it by + #"s or -#'s from o or neutral position as much as you want as far as i can see. the screen shot above are my number adjustments..as you can see mine are not very far off the standard settings or default settings and these are the speed or 720 res numbers, i think my super fine dual 1400 is around a 2- it depends on the precision of your drive setup tolerences aswell..

this is a MUST HAVE..FOR DIYDTG BUILDERS without a doubt regarding the 1800-1900 printers..its just an awesome rip in my opinion..

i know prolly not everyone is taking me seriously on the table feed adjustment subject.. i have posted this vid before and here it is again..this is mark on the mod 1 being interviewed at a show listen to this conversation regarding him explaining resolutions etc he clearly states what i have been saying all along regarding this jerky motion at low res at approx 1:50 second point of the vid and this guy is a professional printer builder who has been doing this for along time..he incorporated his own type of firmware soft sync i beleive he calls it to over come this issue... YouTube - T-Biz Network Interview Mark Monbourquette at SGIA '09


so the ek lets you print a super fast white underbase at 720 and then a color over at 1400 or dual pass 720 for the detailed crisp prints..alot of options to play with!!! I'm a big fan of well engineered stuff and this 1900 version of the rip is one of em imho.. they even added the nozzle check-head align in roll mode for me at no charge, i dont think any rip-printer has this feature without it being designed for it commercially? not sure.. i like roll mode because there is no pre print dance of it searching the edge- which cuts out mis registration and with the timing belt now its nothing short of bullet proof imho..

so this is a very big feature that over comes a multitude of sins for diydtg designers (Im guessing it was included or designed for there commercial version rip for this very reason aswell for the anajet sprint an epson 1900 based printer;)) to eleminate the need for additional firmware? including adjustment for the larger pulley for a lack of a better term.....

I'm really impressed with what this diydtg is cappable of doing all the way around with this combination and the timing belts..and i dont get impressed easy..im always trying to make stuff better and i definetly call it how it is good,bad or ugly as i think you have seen through out my trials and tribulations with this project..cant wait till i get some time to bolt it all together and get it off the workshop testing table..lol:rolleyes:

hope it helps;)
 
#123 ·
P.S

how i go about adjusting the table feed movement is as follows- the rip gives you the demention of the graphic size that it is supposed to be..say 8x10.. i print it out, measure the image with a caliper and adjust the settings till i get it to the exact numbers the rip says..then i adjust for any banding if needed usually the only banding is in 720 res and it is minimal;)
 
#124 ·
P.S

how i go about adjusting the table feed movement is as follows- the rip gives you the demention of the graphic size that it is supposed to be..say 8x10.. i print it out, measure the image with a caliper and adjust the settings till i get it to the exact numbers the rip says..then i adjust for any banding if needed usually the only banding is in 720 res and it is minimal;)
If you remember, I had dthese same doubts myself. I'm glad you finaly elaborated on how the difference is made to keep the print looking like it is supposed to when the drive system has been altered.:D The rip will compensate for the difference in drive speed or distance per revolution? ;)
 
#127 ·
I looked at the EKPrint site and they have a rip for the R1400 I noticed. If one were to decide on just doing white shirts, do you know enough about them to know weather or not their rip would do the equivilant for that printer? I thought about asking their "contact" email address but not sure how to make myself understood. Thanks.
Terry
 
#129 · (Edited)
yes, the rip will work the same for sure... you could ask chris (the creator of it) there customer service is a++++++ and will work with any dtg designer that knows there stuff..if you know what i mean, they will not answer anything outside of there products capability-in other words they will not give you tech advice or trade secrets its a top notch operation... just mention my printer they know it well;)

i have had a ton of communication with them on there product!

however the 1400 does not have a roll mode so would not work with this design unless you incorporate the pe switch (then you get the preprint dance in sheet mode)....

essen has just mentioned incorporating the pe switch in my new belt design..this would work but i havent tested it... additionally i prefer roll mode for the instant print start and no pe switch..;)
 
#128 · (Edited)
Here is the proof that its all original epson firmware.. (i have been questioned to the vadility of my claim) this should put that to rest:)..

Here is my asf (paper tray conversion) and electronics modifications for my design..the wood spacer was a prototype and has since been replaced with plastic but any material will work for this.. THE DESIGN IS VERY TIGHT with little margin for error with its size..this is due to running a 26inch belt system,incorporating the asf mod and avoiding flat cable extensions in one small package... spent hours and hours designing it out... i know some folks will have problems building this that dont have mechanical-carpentry skills due to the tight tolerances and straight cuts are a must.

i took the electronics carriage and cut it in half and folded it (makes for a small foot print)..so the mainboard and power supply is back to back using original holder (but you could make your own aswell. you can take a look at my printer now and see axactly how its configured... this set up is under the left side foot of the printer and the flat cables off the printer go through a cut out and plug in right behind the printer (original location to stock printer....(the usb and power come out the side) now take a look at my new undermount pan its the same just added the new belt system:D

as we go along i will show how to modify the board with the switches and wiring extentions
 
#130 ·
Reading your next to last post got me to thinking about paper modes and the things in my 1400 that would be more of a detriment to making a DTG, like the CD printing, and decided that having the paper roll mode would make things so much simpler to be well worth the extra costs even if I still plan on doing just white shirts. I know you keep telling us all these things and do appreciate it. I'm just hard headed untill I get the ideas sorted out in my mind and understand the whats, hows, and whys.. Anyway, thanks again and I am still following this thread instead of the 1400. Don't want my old foggy brain to get too confused.:D
 
#131 ·
Turns out I didn't need the dual belt system to do it. I took a jigsaw and cut a 2" notch out of the back of my tray so that the uncut remainder is 19" (about a 2x5" notch) Then I moved the pe sensor underneath and put it on a hinged block with a spring. This way it stands straight up and operates, but when "rewinding" my tray, it folds down and is not activated. Seems to work pretty good. I didn't try a dark shirt, but it shouldn't have changed anything. It was the last little annoying quirk this printer had. You had to move the platten laterally before rewinding for a second pass to not damage the pe sensor. That is now a thing of the past.
 
#132 ·
Turns out I didn't need the dual belt system to do it. I took a jigsaw and cut a 2" notch out of the back of my tray so that the uncut remainder is 19" (about a 2x5" notch) Then I moved the pe sensor underneath and put it on a hinged block with a spring. This way it stands straight up and operates, but when "rewinding" my tray, it folds down and is not activated. Seems to work pretty good. I didn't try a dark shirt, but it shouldn't have changed anything. It was the last little annoying quirk this printer had. You had to move the platten laterally before rewinding for a second pass to not damage the pe sensor. That is now a thing of the past.
glad you got it!!!:)
 
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