[kylerogers]

I just got a 1500 psi water pressure sprayer at Lowes for $100. It's one of the yellow ones. The same brand that many of the screen printing companies are selling as their economy model for $125 and up. This one may even be more powerful. I think most of the ones I've seen in screen printing catalogs were actually less than 1500 in that price range.

I've been reclaiming and reburning my screens to try different things and I was getting slivers of leftover emulsion that required massive scrubbing and they still didn't come out 100%, then they'd show up faintly in the next print. I got some soy-based "eviro-haze" and that would not even get them off.

This seems to do the trick. I just hosed two screens with a bunch of leftover emulsion bits and slivers at full blast and it worked. Didn't even spray them with anything first.

 

[out da box]

Kyle, the only problem is, that if you use those things a lot- or at all, they will burn up after a while. Just search the old posts on pressure washers. I have gone through 4 Karchers in less than 2 years.
We just got a 2500psi gas washer and used it ALL day today to clean and reclaim about 25 screens- dont ask me why they took all day, but.....
The electric ones are good to start out with, but you get tired of buying new ones.

 

[knifemaker3]

Kyle, the only problem is, that if you use those things a lot- or at all, they will burn up after a while. Just search the old posts on pressure washers. I have gone through 4 Karchers in less than 2 years.
We just got a 2500psi gas washer and used it ALL day today to clean and reclaim about 25 screens- dont ask me why they took all day, but.....
The electric ones are good to start out with, but you get tired of buying new ones.

I've been using a 2500 gas washer too. My only concern is what is it doing to the tension of the mesh? I don't have a meter to check screen tension.

Have you checked tension after using the 2500 psi washers?

Just curious.

I still plan on using the gas washer.

Craig

 

[kylerogers]

I don't plan to open a screen printing shop. This is just for small time use. Hopefully, once I get good at making screen and figuring out what mesh counts, exposure times, and thickness I want for everything, I will be doing very little reclaiming.

Kyle, the only problem is, that if you use those things a lot- or at all, they will burn up after a while. Just search the old posts on pressure washers. I have gone through 4 Karchers in less than 2 years.
We just got a 2500psi gas washer and used it ALL day today to clean and reclaim about 25 screens- dont ask me why they took all day, but.....
The electric ones are good to start out with, but you get tired of buying new ones.

 

[out da box]

Just be careful and don't hold the wand too close to the screen, should be fine- I hope.

 

[LaTonya]

I reclaim screen once a week, I do not buy any more screens I have about 40 and I reclaim the ones, that I do not use alot. I go to the car wash and tenison is all way good. So I it burn up go to the car wash. LaTonya

 

[ezilla]

When you are finished using the unit, turn it off and release the pressure. This will help extend the life of your unit greatly. You might have done this but I thought I would throw that out there. You also have to keep in mind that it is a $100 unit. I have one as well and you do get what you pay for. It's still a lot cheaper than the car wash.

 

[fdsales]

We use the yellow unit also, and reclaim about 8-10 screens per week. I also purchased the extended warranty for $20, so when this one burns out within 2 years, I go get a new one for free, and spend the $20 for the extended warranty for the replacement. If it lasts more than 2 years, then I say I got a good deal for $99 bucks.