[teezecrost]

Hey, everyone. I just started using retensionable roller frames, and I seem to be getting uneven tension on them.
On the video I watched, it said to check for uneven tension, but not what to do, or what it meant if I had uneven tension!
I just did my 1st retension on one screen (230 mesh), and my guide tells me to bring it up to 22 newtons. most places on the screen hover between 15 and 22 newtons, but one corner gives me around 30!
I did corner soften... What could I be doing wrong here? And what do I do? release and start over?
Thanks for any info!

 

[macmiller]

I'm terrible at stretching with raw mesh. Shur-loc panels are the way to go. The corners are softened by design. I can get 38 newtons without much effort.

 

[thutch15]

I'm terrible at stretching with raw mesh. Shur-loc panels are the way to go. The corners are softened by design. I can get 38 newtons without much effort.

I agree shur-loc panels are great. They have almost a zero learning curve. The first one I tried came our perfect.

 

[teezecrost]

Thanks, guys. Do I need that sure-lock table for that, or can I keep going manually with those panels?

 

[thutch15]

Nope not at all. Little embarrassed to say, but I do my on the floor. Just slide one end under the living room table.

Also, a table would be easy to make if you felt you needed one for an added hand.

 

[teezecrost]

I'm going to look into this next time! I'm sure it's a bit more expensive, but probably worth it!

 

[big frank sports]

Sur-Loc panels are very nice but you are also paying triple over your regular cost of the mesh.

Frank

 

[macmiller]

but I probably bust 3 out of 5 trying, so it evens out, lol!

 

[big frank sports]

I have busted more Shur-Loc panels than regular mesh for some reason. Just yesterday I was retensioning some 110 and sure enough busted it before I hit 33 newtons.

Frank

 

[macmiller]

That sucks!

I busted a few that had tiny holes in various places. Before I had a tension meter, all the shur-locs felt "tight", but once I was actually able to measure, the holes wouldn't stand up to the new, higher tension. Needless to say, my new mesh panels get handled much more gently now!

 

[mikelmorgan]

I use newton for my high mesh screens only. On all others (230 and below) we stretch from scratch. You need to soften the corners a good bit, yo much won't hurt. If they are too soft you can fix them after you stretch the frame. Soft corners are the way to go. On the other hand are you stretching the frame a little at a time or one side at a time or do you have a stretching table. If your doing one at a time. stretch the first side to half the tension your looking for, the opposite to 3/4 of the tension your looking for, the third to half and the last to full tightness. The 3/4 side will adjust to full strength at the end all on it's own.

 

[teezecrost]

Thanks, Mike. Yes, I'm doing each site one at a time. The short side, then 1 long side to 1/2 tension, then the last long side to full tension.
How would you fix a corner that is too soft, by the way?
Also, when I do my retensioning, do I generally just go in the same order on the sides?

 

[alan802]

Frank, how did you bust a shurloc panel 110 before it got higher than 33 newtons? There had to have been a nick or a problem somewhere, they don't bust like that for no reason. I've stretched many a screen and the only one's I've busted were 305's trying to get to 35 newtons. I get our 110s over 50 newtons and let them relax and settle in about 40-45. I've never had any issues with the shurlocs, I stretched 3 156's this morning up to 48 newtons. I may add that I've never stretched bulk mesh before and the first time I did a shurloc panel it came out great.

 

[thedeadpress]

Aren't there different kinds of mesh breaks to look for? Parallel to a side means that side was tensioned too high. On an arc from the corner means you didn't corner soften enough? Only what I've read.

 

[big frank sports]

Thanks, Mike. Yes, I'm doing each site one at a time. The short side, then 1 long side to 1/2 tension, then the last long side to full tension.
How would you fix a corner that is too soft, by the way?
Also, when I do my retensioning, do I generally just go in the same order on the sides?

What is your secret? I am using the Shur-loc table. This split right down along the square bar. I have blue tape along that area to make sure there were no burrs.

Who knows the reason for it? Must be one of those things that make you go "HHHMMMM"

Frank

 

[elusiveprint]

I am also having trouble with uneven tension. I I have the bottom and top at 0 and the middle reads anywhere from 20-100 depending what I tension it to. I am just starting the stretch for the first time. I am usign Shur loc eco panels and 18x20 MZX frames. The shurloc guide says 24-26 for 305 mesh but If I only stretch to that I lose half my printing area, or more. I posted pictures in another thread. I dont know what I am doing wrong. If I stretch the middle to 24 newtons the edges of the screen are at like 5 or less. Like I said I stretched the middle to over 80 newtons this morning and the edges are still reading 0-5 and my corners are still super soft and even still I lost over half my printing area. No idea what I am doing wrong.. any help?