[MotoskinGraphix]

Any advice on a good price and brand for a flash unit would be appreciated. Yes I have been on e-bay. Looking for something new that does a good job without extra bells and wistles. The unit seems so simple but pricing seems to be in the $300 dollar range.

 

[Rodney]

Are you talking about a camera flash unit or something for screen printing (I'm asking because this is posted in the Graphics/Design part of the forum )

 

[identityburn]

Thats what you're going to pay for a flash unit. Thats actually on the cheap end. I bought a Ranar 18X18 for $600, but had to go down to the 16x16 because of electrical problems, and I believe that one is $400.

 

[monkeylantern]

You can google how to make one for half the price, if you have DIY skills.

It's easy to convery a couple of paint-strippers (although only of you are experienced in building things....I don't want you to burn down your house).

The only difficulty is how your electricity supply is set up....two paint strippers can trip your circuit breaker, depending where you are.

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

I am talking about a dependable flash for screenprinting. I think the pricing for these units is just stupid for what they do.

 

[monkeylantern]

They are also a low turnover item...you'll alsways pay more for that.

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

what...like a tv???? Dont be silly...its a constant temp heat shelf worth about a buck fifty. The unit really has no moving parts but is more expensive than a press. Lets see it for what it really is dude!!!!

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

Thats what you're going to pay for a flash unit. Thats actually on the cheap end. I bought a Ranar 18X18 for $600, but had to go down to the 16x16 because of electrical problems, and I believe that one is $400.

Do you not think that price is just stupid for what a flash unit actually does and actually is?????

 

[monkeylantern]

How many people by flashcure units? Not a lot. They are a specialty item.

It has to maintain a very specific temperature window, at very high temperatures....this isn't a "buck fifty" piece of kit, unless you want your prints to be uneven, under gelled, or burnt.

Even a homemade one will cost you about $150 in parts.

 

[Solmu]

It's also worth bearing in mind that it's one of the most important pieces of equipment you'll own. If the unit screws up without you noticing, you'll know about it by the fact that every shirt you print gets returned by irrate customers.

 

[sneeky]

i bought a press from a company here in the uk, and it came with a so called 'flash unit', it is in fact nothing more than a heater element from a cooker grill. very basic, but until i get more work through the door, it seems to suit fine, i'm sure it probably cost about £50 to make tops.
i've had no shirts come back, in fact i met someone the other day who'd washed his shirt about 30 times since he'd had it and the print is still going strong.

 

[Rodney]

Do you not think that price is just stupid for what a flash unit actually does and actually is?????

Easy there...we're here to help, not to argue about price points on equipment

 

[ditab72]

Well, if anyone has come with a good answer to this, I would like to know as I am about to purchase one myself. Figured I could use a heatgun for now, but that will certainly slow down the process! And where are the instructions for building a unit...my hubby is a whiz at this kind of stuff!

 

[buzzbox]

any flash unit under $1200 will yield uneven heat distribution. also your flash needs to be able to reach 900 degrees for any real production. cheap flashes range in the 450 degree range. good luck.

 

[jlcanterbury]

900 degrees? I cure my ink at 300-320 degrees... What good does it do for the unit to get that hot? Wouldn't that scorch the shirt? ha burn the whole place down even...

 

[buzzbox]

amazingly over anylized. the lower temp flash will get hotter than the higher temp flash. trust me on this point. if i have to explain it i will need a glass of cold water first.

 

[jlcanterbury]

if you have the cold water to spare then would you mind explaining this to me...?

really... i don't understand what you're saying... that the lower temp flash will get hotter than the higher temp flash.

 

[buzzbox]

think about what is is your trying to get hot. if you slow bake something the radiation needs to be exposed to everything longer before the proper temp is reached, meaning everything is hotter. All you want is the top part of the ink to be gelled so you can print on it. if you hit the ink with 900 degrees the top of the ink will get to 280 before anything else has a chance to get hot so the energy transfer is not quick enough to expose everything.

 

[jlcanterbury]

okay... that makes sense then.

you'll have to excuse me... you see, I forgot to think of a flash unit for what it really is.... a FLASH unit.

haha... I don't have a conveyor dryer yet, so I do a full cure with my flash. So the 900 degrees for me, would be too hot and it would cause problems. For you, and most of the screen printing world, I suppose that is just what you would want

 

[cchampsports]

I wouldn't say most of the screen printing world. There are plenty of printers that just use a flash unit to get a full cure. I have been doing this a couple years with just a flash unit. I have been told by loyal customers that the ink holds up better than other printers they have used in the past. (I don't know how they cured theirs) I am however looking into a dryer, I just need a really good steal before I purchase one.