[jclynn67]

Hey there everyone,
I'm sure there are alot of other posts on this, but time is of the essence. We just done a fair this last week and I had just gotten transfers from Art Brands. I could not get them to work out at all, ruined about a dozen shirts and finally stopped selling the transferred shirts. I figured out the problem was with the press, there was many circles that did not press ... I am assuming it was from stuff stuck to the heat press in those areas. Got home last night and read to clean it with comet and that worked great ... wowsa I didn't realize how much guck was on it, me bad! The personalized shirts would turn out great with the JPSS paper but I assume with 30 press time it would heat up in the spots that had guck stuck on them, so it wasn't a total bust but could have been better. Praying that cleaning it will cure that problem, but have a few more questions. The transfers call for 45-55 lbs of pressure ... how do you know exactly how much pressure is 45-55 lbs??? My heat press says not to use more than 50 lbs. Please help ASAP as we are doing another fair that starts tomorrow morning! Need help fast!

Thanks a million,
Jody

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

Actual pressure in lbs I cant tell you as my press doesnt have a gauge. The instructions I have seen for plastisol transfer say to place a sheet of typing paper in the press with just enough pressure so you cant pull it out when the press is closed.

 

[jclynn67]

Thanks David,
So just light pressure is enough? This is the confusing part learning how much pressure to put on it.

Thanks again,
Jody

 

[GHEENEE1]

First off what brand of press is it? Second, ,sounds like the press is not heating evenly. I have a 15x15 Mighty press and I usually press my stock and plastisol transfers at medium to heavy pressure ,which my press is fairly hard to close. I don't have a pressure gauge on my press, I guess. Trial and error.
Mike

 

[COEDS]

If the press isn't heating properly this is the problem. I would think medium pressure would be a good setting for JPPS paper. ..... JB

 

[jclynn67]

Thanks for all your replies, sorry I didn't explain myself better. It wasn't heating properly because of chunks stuck on the press ... where there was a chunk the transfer didn't transfer. The JPSS transfers great!!! But there is a 30 second press time for the JPSS ... with the transfers from Art Brands it's only 6-10 seconds to transfer. I have cleaned the platen with comit and couldn't believe the ink we got off it. It's amazing how much gets on there ... we have a teflon sheet now and after actually looking at the platen and seeing all the guck on it ... I'm ashamed at how bad it was! I will never go without a teflon sheet again ... we just got the sheet about a month ago ... lesson well learned. My biggest question is how much pressure is 45-55 lbs? I have read about the dollar bill test ... that works great with JPSS ... but what about transfers we buy that need 45-55 lbs? I don't want to ruin my heat press by using too much pressure cause it says right on the model not to use over 50 lbs pressure. I have a HIX 16x20 HEAT PRESS (HT600D) any ideas on how to know how much pressure it is???
Thanks a million,
Jody

 

[rrc62]

I have cleaned the platen with comit and couldn't believe the ink we got off it. It's amazing how much gets on there ...

Doesn't the Hix press have a Teflon coated platen? Comet or any other abrasive cleaner will ruin the coating.

 

[COEDS]

The Hix press' don't have teflon on the platen. .... JB

 

[mrdavid]

I have hix 15X15 and it has teflon on the platen. My be add on from the person I got it from.

 

[jclynn67]

Doesn't the Hix press have a Teflon coated platen? Comet or any other abrasive cleaner will ruin the coating.

No it doesn't have teflon coating on it.

Back to pressure??? Anyone??? So you do the dollar test ... then how much more pressure is 45-55 lbs???

Thanks,
Jody

 

[COEDS]

I have hix 15X15 and it has teflon on the platen. My be add on from the person I got it from.

The black coating is not teflon, I was told this by Hix. They stopped using teflon a few years sgo due to it not holding up and peeling. I was told this by the service tech at Hix. ..... JB

 

[Girlzndollz]

No it doesn't have teflon coating on it.

Back to pressure??? Anyone??? So you do the dollar test ... then how much more pressure is 45-55 lbs???

Thanks,
Jody

Do you think calling the supplier or manufacturer might give you a better idea? It's possible they may have some guideline since: 1. You don't have a pressure gauge, and 2. They say not to go over 50# of pressure. How do they expect you to know that?? So I think it may be possible the manufacture may have a guideline in place to help you out.

Alot of us don't have pressure gauges, and I believe most of us go by "gut feel" and "trial and error". But all the same, there are a good number of folks successfully applying plastisols with Hix machines.

I know my warranty says it is void if I exert too much pressure, so I am careful about that. But I do put enough pressure on there for my JPSS that it is hard to close. To me, that is heavy. How many # of pressure? No Clue!! Lol, I just know that when the arm is hard to close, everyone else generally calls that heavy pressure and so do I.

You mentioned the "light" pressure, but I can't imagine anything you'd press with light (there could be) but all the same, the point of the press is to apply great amount of pressure for a successful transfer.

Hix is a well made machine. Are you worried about breaking it, or are you worried about your warranty, or are you worried about the transfer adhereing properly?

I don't think you can break your Hix applying the pressure you really need for transfers. Pressure is a big factor in the successful transfer.

Also, nothing for nothing, but we are women, and there are men using the same machine you have, and they can usually exert a much greater force on the arm of the press to make it close easier then we can. What is heavy pressure to me, because it is difficult for me to close, is not going to be heavy pressure for my hub with the big guns.

I hope anything I've written helps. Good luck to you, Jodi, I hope it works out. Glad to hear you got the telfon sheets. They should save you alot of headaches in the future. They can get a little grungy too, and pass the ink from one shirt to the next. I hear the magic eraser works well to keep them clean after every few transfers, that or 409. Best wishes and ....

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

I think most people would be amazed at what pressure is achieved by just closing and locking down the press. Plastisol transfers dont really need to be mashed into the tees, they need to melt onto the fabric at high enough temps to fully cure the inks. Yes there are some problematic colors and transfers out there whether poorly printed or old stock, over gelled and all. Those transfers are the anomally and not the norm of plastisol transfer pressing.

 

[Traceyt]

Do you think calling the supplier or manufacturer might give you a better idea? It's possible they may have some guideline since: 1. You don't have a pressure gauge, and 2. They say not to go over 50# of pressure. How do they expect you to know that?? So I think it may be possible the manufacture may have a guideline in place to help you out.

Alot of us don't have pressure gauges, and I believe most of us go by "gut feel" and "trial and error". But all the same, there are a good number of folks successfully applying plastisols with Hix machines.

I know my warranty says it is void if I exert too much pressure, so I am careful about that. But I do put enough pressure on there for my JPSS that it is hard to close. To me, that is heavy. How many # of pressure? No Clue!! Lol, I just know that when the arm is hard to close, everyone else generally calls that heavy pressure and so do I.

You mentioned the "light" pressure, but I can't imagine anything you'd press with light (there could be) but all the same, the point of the press is to apply great amount of pressure for a successful transfer.

Hix is a well made machine. Are you worried about breaking it, or are you worried about your warranty, or are you worried about the transfer adhereing properly?

I don't think you can break your Hix applying the pressure you really need for transfers. Pressure is a big factor in the successful transfer.

Also, nothing for nothing, but we are women, and there are men using the same machine you have, and they can usually exert a much greater force on the arm of the press to make it close easier then we can. What is heavy pressure to me, because it is difficult for me to close, is not going to be heavy pressure for my hub with the big guns.

I hope anything I've written helps. Good luck to you, Jodi, I hope it works out. Glad to hear you got the telfon sheets. They should save you alot of headaches in the future. They can get a little grungy too, and pass the ink from one shirt to the next. I hear the magic eraser works well to keep them clean after every few transfers, that or 409. Best wishes and ....

Hi Jody, or anyone,

I am about a month newer than Jody,
Did my research here on t-shirt forums and bought Hix 600d. I am having the similar problems with pressure. I called the supplier and they said it sounds like the press. I called Hix and they have no guidlines for pressure. My machine never got to a point that I couldn't open it easily, when I turned up the pressure, and it got to a point where it wouldn't close. Any tips suggestions? I will buy a pressure gage but this seems abnormal to me.

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

Closing the press and firmly locking it down is enough pressure for plastisol transfers. For JPSS I use gorilla pressure so the images dont stretch crack.

 

[rrc62]

No it doesn't have teflon coating on it.

Back to pressure??? Anyone??? So you do the dollar test ... then how much more pressure is 45-55 lbs???

Jody

Exact pressure is difficult to gauge and pressure measured by light/medium/heavy doesn't help much either. Heavy pressure to a small 100lb woman may be very light pressure to me. I've pressed just about everything under the sun using many different laser and inkjet transfers. The one common thing is that when problems occur and the press is heating properly, more pressure almost always helps. Pressure is a very important part of the equation. it is absolutely essential to making the image transfer and adhere properly. If the press is heating properly and the image is not transferring, increase pressure.

 

[FAT DADDY]

I USE TEFLON one to cover bottom of press and one on top of transfer
as far as pressure a firm close
thats it!
if i have to use a little strength to close or open it..
I HAVE TO MUCH PRESSURE
this method seems to work for me

 

[Girlzndollz]

I have a Stalh's Mighty Press and I know my paperwork states the following:

WARNING: Structural damage caused by excessive pressure is not covered under the limited warranty!

So you apparently can apply TOO much pressure and hurt the press. The pressure I apply for tees (with a mouse pad in there) is where I close it, and have to use to hands to "lock" it down, but not where I have to put my back or legs into it. Not like the folks who spin the wheel on the price is right... haha.

The reason I even go just enough pressure to use two hands is because I am a woman, and at the pressure I use, a man would be able to close it with one hand.

I have not tried the *dollar bill* setting. That is where you put a dollar in your press and the pressure is set for tee shirts when you have to give a pull to get the dollar out.

I haven't tried that bc with the pressure I use, my shirts wash and wear with perfect success, so if it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

On a side note: Why they make them that you can overapply pressure is beyond me. The maximum pressure one can apply *should* be within the limits that it won't cause press damage that is not covered *silly!*.

 

[Girlzndollz]

Closing the press and firmly locking it down is enough pressure for plastisol transfers.

That is enough for inkjet heat transfers as well, David.

For JPSS I use gorilla pressure so the images dont stretch crack.

HA, now that I read this, I wonder if THIS may be why you get that pesky bleeding problem you report. What if you are putting SO much pressure on the fabric, it is crushing, leaving nothing for the polymer to adhere to, and nowhere for the polymer to integrate into the weave????

If you are up for an experiment, will you try to reduce the pressure, just to see? It will at least rule out one viable possibility. If it is not the case, you are no worse off then before. Did you see my other post to you on the bleeding?

Pre-pressing the shirt to remove moisture, pressing it, and then stretching the shirt while the image is hot, and re-pressing it keeps the image from cracking. I don't use gorilla pressure, but I also don't get any cracking in the images with warm water washes and high heat dryer cycles. Do you do both (pre-press, stretch, re-press and gorilla pressure, or just gorilla pressure?)