[LRC]

Hi all. I am a few clicks away from buying a 6/2 riley hopkins junior (£2202 all in with vat and delivery) i was a little bummed that I couldn't stretch for the 6/4 due tomy budget..which is already blown! I have been thinking about it, do i really need anymore than 2 platens? I can swing the platen to flash dry if needed and I would be the only person using the carousel. I know youcan get more t's set uo at once, but it takes just aslong to put 4 shorts on a 4/6 as it does to put 2 shirts on a 2/6 twice.

Am I missing something? And if i am. Is it really an essential to have more than 2?

 

[StitchCraftEMB]

I am by no means an expert but have had the 6/2 manual setup for about a year. So far, the main issue is that when doing larger runs you want to flash one side while you print the other side. When you do that with 2 platens, each one is spending half of the time under the flash dryer. It heats up the platen to a point where it starts messing up you're prints. With 4, each platen would only be under the flash for a quarter of the time meaning they wouldn't heat up to that point or it would take a lot longer to get there. When you do hit that point you're essentially dead in the water and have to wait to let them cool down. And if you have wooden platens, it takes even longer.

If I could do it over again, I would've gone with a 6/4

 

[LRC]

Thanks for the reply.

Surely the the shirts would spend the same amount of time under the press on a 2/6 as 4/6. Print, rotate... print, rotate, regardless of the amount of platens. Please tell me if i am missunderstanding. I may be missing something.

Have you been managing okay with a 2/6? I know 4/6 would be ideal, but i am not sure it is worth it for a single operator. I don't anticipate extremely large runs in the first instance.

Also, CMYK is wet on wet so all good there in regards to the flash dryer as it's not nessesary. I have also been researching wet on wet waterbased inks.

With that in mind, do you think it is a practical decision given my budget and anticipated work load.

I do plan to upgrade as soon as possible and it would be a real priority. Would like to upgrade to a vastex v2000 carousel.

How you had experience with the riley hopkins jr? Or do you have any opinions on it?

Thanks.

 

[Ripcord]

If you have 4 stations and a large dryer then 4 people can print at the same time. I work by myself so I don't have a 4 station press.

 

[StitchCraftEMB]

So if you have 4 station and 1 flash dryer. Each platen will spend a quarter of the time under the dryer as opposed to half. I wish there was a better way to explain it, but I guess just youtube some videos of production runs on a 6/4 and you'll see what I mean. The Riley Hopkins Jr has done great. My brother is the one who originally bought it (he was supposed to handle all the screen printing but snapped his wrist) so I didn't have much input, or knowledge for that matter. I believe he said that there was an option for better micro registration that we didn't get. That would be a feature I would've sprang for if I knew then what I know now.

As far as what works best for you, I don't know what you're anticipated work load is. If you think you're going to be printing everyday, larger runs (100+), a lot with multiple colors, then go with the 6/4. If you think you'll be printing more basic stuff intermittently then I'd say you'll be fine with a 6/2.

 

[LRC]

Thanks for the replies. I think from what ive heard. I will be fine with the 2/6.. the time being.

Does it just come with XY standard micro reg? Have you done any CMYK halftones with it?

Thanks.

 

[getawaymoto]

The platen doesn't spend less time under the flash, it just has more time to cool. Think about it like this. with a 2/6 it comes straight from the flash to the print position = no time to cool. With a 4/6, after it is under the flash it makes 2 stops ware it can cool before it gets back to the print position. Make sense? Shorter runs you won't really have a problem but on longer runs you will burn (no pun intended) a lot of time waiting for things to cool down. If you are curing with a flash those platens will get hot fast.

 

[LRC]

Thanks guy. Love this forum! Learn so much.

Do you guys have any kind of review for the riley Hopkins jr press? Like i say, i am a click away from buying it.. i have been emailing a rep for the last week.i really want to hear good things or atleast okay things about it. But i appreciate honesty. I know its not the best by far. It would be nice to just finally buy the thing and not have to start my search from scratch again!

Thanks.