If you can barely see then its fine. If there is color to it at all use a dehazer.

 

It is called ghosting. If it is slight then do not worry about it. If it is heavy then get some Sericol 500, wet the screen, mist with the 500 on each side and scrub in with a screen scrub brush. Let it sit for a minute and the pressure wash out. Do not use a dehazing agent or screen abrading chemical, EVER!!!!! All you will ever need to reclaim screens is emulsion remover (Sericol 120), Sericol 500 and a pressure washer. That is it. Sericol 500 will remove the ink, remove most ghosting and decrease the screen so you do not need a pile of chemicals.

 

Roy would you care to elaborate about not using dehazers EVER. I use Franmar dehaze, has no abrader. Not sure if it attacks the glue on static frames like most dehazers but I don't use static frames. On some screens no matter what I do use emulsion remover or what ever, power washer at 0 tip and still a ghost image. A few squirts of dehaze and its gone. I have tried the green stuff and it doesn't work and has an abrader in it.

I onece was in a discussion on a thread here about abrading your screens. My old mesh supplier said don't abrade your screens as it weakens the mesh and I agree with the standard mesh including the better brands of mesh.

Last year I switched to the Newman Roller Mesh and still wasn't abrading the mesh. I just recently started to abrade this mesh only I talked with Don Newman and he did recommend abrading the first time and that's it. Since the Roller mesh is so much stronger then any other mesh I can't see how it could hurt.

 

I use paint thinner (the fumes of thinner is not good for your lunges and eyes too, but it works) to remove ghosting, just apply with a sponge or cloth and then wash with pressure washer immediately.

 

I have been using "The Green Stuff", but I've noticed that when I reclaim a high mesh (305 is what I noticed this on) screen there sometimes is a "haze" of emulsion, and in some areas there is little spots of emulsion stuck in the mesh, it causes imperfections the next time I burn the screen. Could this be caused by using "The Green Stuff" or is there probablly something in my reclaiming process I'm getting wrong.

 

The green stuff is only a dehazer. You should be using an emulsion remover first. If you are your not getting all the emulsion off. A power washer will removes the small specs.

 

Don't waste your time cleaning away ghost images.
You can use the screen just fine (works the same as a brand new screen).

Trust me, with my screens, I can still see the ghost images of artworks I've done 5 years ago and they work perfectly.

(BTW, you might want to skip the "de-hazer" and "de-greaser" stuff......personally, those are waste of money.... i clean my screens with high pressure washer.)

 

So you are saying the degreser stuff is not really helping before applying new
Emulsion?

 

sben, sorry I did not mention that I do use an emulsion remover first to reclaim the screen. I used Ryonet's that comes with their chemicals kit, and another Enviro-Line emulsion remover. I'm thinking maybe i don't have enough water pressure, I'm using a garden hose and spray nozzle, it sprays pretty hard, and I've never had trouble before, but this is also the first time I've reclaimed anything higher than a 156. Another thing I might try is another brand of remover, I just started dealing with a local supplier last week so I'll see what they might recommend.

 

Buy a bottle of dehazer

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using T-Shirt Forums

 

If you see the image but there is no or little color your good no dehazing. If there is enough color to the ghost image it will effect your exposure time just in the area of the ghost image. Most are not enough to worry about.

Recommending not to degrease is just irresponsible. Try holding 3-5% halftones on a non degreased screen. I don't buy degreaser for screen printing. I buy origional simple green and mix it 8:1. It less than $1 a gallon this way. Oil doesn't allow proper adhesion and cross linking of the emulsion. Recommending not to degrease is as bad as others saying using dish washing liquid which most contain lanolin. Nothing like moisturizing our screens.

 

Hello,does anybody know for what colours is SERICOL ZT-632 thinner for? I got old canister of 5 liter and I guess its for solvent or PVC colors... Many thanks!

 

I cant find a single review abut that product. Anybody? Im started to cleaning the screens with it but it has pretty bad smell! Does any body at least know the proportion with water? Thanks!

 

First off some reclaiming solutions have the degreaser in them. Most designs don't really need degreased if the emulsion remover has it in there. Franmar Stripedoo is one that has the degreaser but they also recommend any halftones that a degreaser also be used. I have used it from day one and for the 30 seconds it takes to degrease the screen I think its crazy not to use the insurance. Been driving 25 years never a accident that was my fault doesn't mean I'm going to drop my insurance. I Washout with a power washer after exposure. I have tested without degreaser and some halftones are lost. For maximum stencil durability and best result a degreaser is highly recommended.

I use simple green mixed 8:1. About $6 for a gallon then cut to 8 gallons. @ less than a dollar a gallon and 100's of screens can be greased per gallon. I don't see why not and it also helps keep my screens and frames immaculate

 

Just a couple things, as I would like to learn from everyone's experience in this thread, but I also have some of my own plans/ideas I want to bounce off of the veterans.

One thing about retensionable roller-frames and ghosting - this is directed at Sean because he said he is using those -- I heard and I am not sure, but I think I read somewhere that it is easier to wash out the ghost image if you loosen the mesh first - do you know in experience if this works better or not?



Also, as I am starting up my screenprint setup, I was reading about ways to avoid using any chemicals in the reclaim. There are systems that automatically pressure-wash screens and supposedly catch all the particulate from the run-off, and you can hook it up to a septic system even. I am not interested in spending huge money on industry-specific items that are nothing more than over-priced specialized or re-purposed rare equipment. I got a 1500psi pressure washer for $80 at a pawn shop. Does anyone know if I just spray the screens how much time and effort or if it's even possible to reclaim them this way, without chemicals?

One more thing is that I've heard from people over the years that you're not supposed to use pressure while washing out your stencil-image after exposure? That if it is exposed properly then a fine mist of water will wash out the uncured emulsion.

Any thoughts that people want to share on these things as they relate to the thread I appreciate. Just getting started and don't want to dump a lot of money on a dip-tank, wash-out booth, chemicals, etc.. also doing this in a small studio/garage space - very minimal setup no dryer, I think I want to go with phalate-free inks and water-based, etc.. but I know that having a good cycle and the areas set up for my screen coating/drying, film-registration/exposure, washout/drying, setup/tear-down areas and reclaiming, I gotta have these all set up and working properly in a test-run.

Key questions I'm not sure about again... can you reclaim without chemicals? Should you wash out the exposed stencil with or without pressure?

Thanks!

 

You don't want to blast out the unexposed emulsion with a pressure washer (although a properly exposed screen should be able to take it) ...it's just unnecessary ...but you also don't want to rinse with a fine mist. A steady, fairly high pressure spray will be just right. I use the wand of the pressure washer without turning the motor on.

Reclaiming screens with no chemicals? I'd say that is not possible, but the good news for environmentally conscious people is that most of the solvents and stencil removers these days are water soluble and biodegradable. (The word "chemical" makes everything sound toxic...)

You can also make a filter system with a bucket and some filter material (such as the stuff in the air filter of a furnace) to trap particulates.

 

Thanks for the info... Any yes... particulates and chemicals, oh no the molecules too, they are everywhere!!

 

I washout with a power washer all the time. A power washer at 12"-24" will produce the same force as a hose and a jet nozzle. A lot what I do is hit both sides with power washer both sides and then finish with the hose so I can pin point any areas if needed.

Ghost images are just left over ink. Some mistake the smoother area where you can still see the image but is no color. You do not want to let tension off to remove ghost image.

Franmar Stripedoo, emulsion remover, beanedoo plastisol ink degrader, they have a water based ink degrader also which is important if doing water base as the pigment is so fine its doesn't even get caught at the city sewer plants. The degrader causes the pigment to clump together so it's caught. I don't use the Franmar dehazer as it has a hazardous chemical but is suppose to be ok but the CCI liquid dehaze works well and uses salts to dehaze. There is also CCI enviro haze but I have not tried yet.

I am on a septic although there is no regulations I take the responsibility to use all biodegradable products make the health department ok all chemicals. They would not say ok on the Franmar Dehaze but ok on both CCI dehazers.


Jeff you should have my phone number give me a ring if I don't answer just leave a message and I will return the call. I can probably hook you up with some 23x26 Newman on the cheap and even mesh them with some Newman mesh.

 

It's a thinner for solvent inks. Not meant for cleaning and is not water soluble.

 

Oh, I got bunch of Sericol CO colors and I ment to thining it with White Spirit ( thay say its one of options),but now I will try with ZT-632. Thank you very much. Any idea what should I use to clean the color from screens?

 

You can use the thinner. But usually cheaper to use a thinner or acetone for cleanup from a home store. I don't use graphic inks anymore so I haven't kept up with current practices.

 

Thank you Sean, that can was mystery for a while

 

Who sells the Sericol XID 500?