waiting for delivery then I will be printing 100 of these my own design inspired by Jack Daniels

Will keep this thread updated with some "action" shots of the printing

 

First test run on new press

2 colour water based on 180g fitted t's, the white ink was cold and I gambled printing only 2 shirts but registration was good.

it is 11pm here so sorry for flash on images will be printing a extremely tight registration test tommorow in the day so will post better images, but I am really happy with it

 

so 100 2 colour water based prints on new press it moved really fast only lost one shirt to movement on platen - human error

 

so another 50 shirts order came in off these prints, lol they think I run a huge operation

 

Very nice. If I ever were going to build a press, it would be a line press. Building a rotary as a DIY seems like more trouble than it's worth, and these line presses seem to get the job done!

 

Decal Designs line press is the easiest and cheapest to build and with a bit of practice it is super easy and fast, plus the fact that you can print unlimited colours and set up as many platens as needed makes it a winner.

The first few times I was really nervous but it registers every time and is very fast, only issue I had was printing water based the ink was drying pretty fast but once I added a lot more ink to the screens and flooded properly it went smoothly.

large runs it is a 2 man operation print - flash to avoid ink transfer then print next colour etc., on single colours it is easy to do large runs with one person.

I had to change from a pull stroke to a push stroke but it feels right now.

push to print and pull to flood, if you need any answers or more photos let me know and I will gladly post

 

Interesting....

 

The platens are larger so that my frame makes more contact and sits more firmly this also allows me to make larger prints with ease.

other image is of the center reg "stopper" it is centered on the platen with the frames centered on the stopper

 

Can you post a pic of the screens so that we can get a complete view of your system?
We run a carousel in the shop but I am a line table fan.
Thanks

 

Will do hold on

i use metal large frames and smaller wooden self stretched ones

the bottom photos show i glued a small wooden block on one side of each platen to stabilize them so there is no lateral movement on the platens.

The drying rack was made from leftover wood from the press and mounted on a old tv trolly for the wheels.

and then the 3 point registration is a t-bar and 2 nuts the nuts square the frame and the t-bar finds center and registration is done on the platens.

Hope this helps

 

One question the center registration on both the table and the screen look static. How are you able to register left and right with that setup? Thank you in advance.

 

Please provide me with some more specifics on the materials used.
I'm assuming you are pushing the ink towards the back so the screen doesn't move? I've seen printers using one hand to hold the screen in place. I use very large screens and that is not possible. That is why I need something that I can use both hands on squeegee and screen stay registered. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Hi Jody

I pull stroke to flood and push stroke to print the push stroke then also helps stabilize the frame but you can also use your hip or but the registration bar at the bottom if you need to pull stroke.

I use 22 x 24inch metal screens and also need to use both hands and the push stroke takes care of that problem.

As for material it is 2x2 and 2x4 wood lengths that I cut to size, and pressboard for the platens.

Once you figure out how many platens you are going to use then you build accordingly it really is simple, if you can work with metal to build it oit of angle iron would be first prize but since mine is portable I built it out of wood.

You can even make a single platen line press I have 2 single platens set up for kiddies shirts I just bolted them to a worktable.

It really is very simple and as long as your center registration stop and registration bar on the screens are all the same you will have no issue with registration.

attached is my platen for small kiddies shirts, the 3 blocks of wood work as the stoppers for registration, since the frames are larger I needed to put the wood there so that the stabilising bolts on the frame makes contact to square it and the center piece is the stopper for the registration bar ( t-square) on the frame.

 

thank you, it looks good!

It holds registration because you are pushing screen towards the registration bar. How about when you flood the screen? Are you just holding the screen up and using 1 hand?

What size did you make the platens?
I was thinking of screwing it from the bottom so the screws don't interfere with the print design. I guess that was not a problem for you?
There is one 2x2 under the platen so you have room to put shirt underneath? And you show 1 wooden block on one side of the platen "to stabilize it".. Not sure how that works.
I'm also thinking of making the platen so I can easily change the platen size.

 

thank you, it looks good!

It holds registration because you are pushing screen towards the registration bar.

The 2 bolts on the screen square the frame so it does not move (sideways) then the push stroke keeps it squared.


How about when you flood the screen? Are you just holding the screen up and using 1 hand?

Yes i lift the front of the screen up off the shirt and then one hand flood

What size did you make the platens?

My platens are slightly smaller than my frames but the frames still rest on the top and bottom of the platen to help with stability, working with water based i dont use off contact.


I was thinking of screwing it from the bottom so the screws don't interfere with the print design. I guess that was not a problem for you?

I screw them in from the top then filled in the indentation with sawdust and wood glue the "holes" are at the registration ( bottom end) so never cause a problem.
There is one 2x2 under the platen so you have room to put shirt underneath?

Yes I can pull a small - xxxl size shirt on to the platens with no problemsthere is plwenty space to pull a shirt on

And you show 1 wooden block on one side of the platen "to stabilize it".. Not sure how that works.

Without the "stabilizer" the platen has a lot of sideways movement, since it is only held down by the piece of wood at the bottom, that piece of wood prevents any sideways movement of the platen and makes it sturdy, if you build a line table you will see what i mean, since you need space to pull the shirt on to the platen.

I'm also thinking of making the platen so I can easily change the platen size.

Line Table is so flexible you can so that no problem, or even make 2 for small and 4 for large etc, mix and match

I am printing tomorrow and will take some photos of the whole process hopefully that will help

 

ok did 3 quick prints to show the flood and print strokes also for jodyl2 to show that I also use large screens, wife was the photographer so blame her for dodgy shots

1. First image shows me getting ready to flood screen I lifted the screen higher than usual but that is to show the principal behind the flooding

2. Busy with my flooding

3. Push Stroke to print (see ma both hands)

4. Print

5. 3 prints done if I was not being photographed it would take under 2 minutes to do all 3 prints.

I am by no means a expert but this is what i have found to work for me, so there is still lots to learn but with this set up I can do volume multi-colour prints and also small runs, with minimal outlay costs.

I would like to make a metal frame and angled platens one day and buy a tunnel dryer , but I cannot justify the costs right now.

the piece of long wood sticking out in photos 1 and 5 is for beanies and small baby onesies, I have a small frame for those prints and use a mini squeegie

 

Very nice Robert. Have you considered a DIY dryer. A commercial dryer is definitely a plus but buying one can eat the profits you have made and/or can take along time to pay for itself.

 

Thank You BroJames

Yes that is next on my list of projects, and thank you I actually red every post you made and the videos to get a idea on line table options

 

I recall seeing a picture of 2 screws at the side and if so it is not static. The center is static.

Pre-exposure registration is very important and in simple designs where colros does not touch you may not need to adjust any post-exposure registration.

 

Yes it has 2 nuts where i can add screws to fine tune, but I do all registration on platen so have never had a issue really, and trapping is my friend

 

if you have problems with transparencies shrinking, if you got some good transparencies, you can try to reclaim and reuse it. I have not tried this myself as when I tried to reclaim rthem about 2 years ago the transparencies simply got translucent.

However, others have reclaimed transparencies successfully. The transparencies reclaimed are transparent. Then, they add 50% white glue to 50% water plus a few drops of screen printing pigment to give it color. Then this 50-50 solution is printed on to the transparencies and air dried. That's it.

 

Interesting but seems like a lot of work , the transparencies are cheap enough, and it only happens every now and then, I think I should send them through the printer first and then print try and "preshrink" them.

Was to busy with designing to print today, but did expose the union jack screens and mixed up the custom grey ink, so hopefully I can print tomorrow.

 

i...love...this...thread!

 

i...love...this...thread!

Thank You TYGERON

 

With good pre-exposure registration that being a problem is remote. But yes, sometimes it happens which is why I made all my registration adjustable. However, I still use a static registration(center) because, depending on the image, I found no need for it.

 

registration is done on the platen, and since each platen and screen set up is identical the only chance of misprinting is human error usually by not lining the screen up properly on the center registration bar.

there really should never be a issue with sideways movement so if you doing say 4 colour print

you would register each transparency to each other on the platen then place your screen and "grab" the transparency to burn

I print the design on paper stick that down on the desired position on the platen and then register each colour on that, using double sided tape on each transparency.

when i center the screen over the transparency and push it down it sticks in place and is ready to burn

hope that makes sense

 

That in a nutshell is the pre-exposure registration I am talking about. If you constantly have problems with your registration then there is a problem with your registration system. Something you did is not right.

Make sure that your registration rail is straight across all platens. Make sure that you registration screws, guide or whatever it is called are on the same position across all frames. If they are 16 inches apart, say one 1 8 inch to the left and the other 8 inches to the right of the center guide, make sure that it is so in all the frames.

 

distressed 2 colour water based print on 180g cotton hoodie, registration done on platen

 

Wow. Great stuff!

 

I am doing a bunch of 2 colour prints next week, with some tight registration for my store, I will take photos from getting the film registered on the screens and hopefully that will make it easier to understand but as Brojames said if you get your setup correct you should never have to try micro register and you only have to worry about ensuring that your screen is square and centered on the platen.

 

Ya know, I've been tracking this thread and now I'm thinking about making another mod to my T-Press design. This is what I love about this forum and thanks OTP for the idea.

 

awesome stuff, but did i miss the part about the screen stretcher?

already have a press so came here looking for a way to do the remeshing myself. i'm spending way too much money on shipping to and from and the actual cost of stretching silk screen.

 

awesome stuff, but did i miss the part about the screen stretcher?

Have you seen this Youtube video? I love this:


T-Shirt Printing - Homemade Screen Stretching - YouTube

 

I am curious as to the speed one can get off a line table of this size. I know very good speed can be accomplished off of tables that are 100+ shirts long but what about a compact unit like this one?

 

I did 100 2 colour prints on my own in under 4 hours that is getting shirts on the platens print - flash - print and taken off the platen.

I did slow down after around 60 but that is because i use large metal screens and the prints where full front.

Practise will up the speed but if you think most starter rotaries are single station machines it is way quicker to print 10 at a time, and if you have the space no limit to how many platens you can layout.

my setup is portable and I need to reclaim that table soon - so I want to layout 10 platens next to each other and use one wall less walking around the table, by using these brackets, since once done fold them down