[Albie1]

Hello I got a question I been messing with retention Newman frames, I bought some Chinese mesh from eBay 305 and 230 mesh , I stretched the screen to 25 newtons then 2 hrs later it dropped to 15 then I retensioned it to 30 then a few hrs later it dropped to 22 newtons I again retensioned it a 3rd time to 30 then coated it with emulsion and the tension dropped again. Is this normal? Or is it just the cheap eBay mesh? I'm on my 4th restreatch and it doesn't seem to be leveling out towards work hardening . Thanks albie

 

[adivito]

mesh will stretch but the issue you are having sounds like the mesh being a cheaper product.

 

[wwpro]

If you have another piece of mesh try it to rule out that variable. I'm guessing it might be the frame, maybe the locking strips not tight enough.

 

[PatFinn]

your mesh is probably cheap and elongating a lot.. but your tension will drop like that until the mesh is work hardned.. also you need to look at that meshs specs and see where your tensions should be at.

 

[macmiller]

I could be wrong, but I always thought work hardening comes with prints on the mesh, not retensioning.
I use shur-locs and they do the same thing for the initial stretching and the first few reclaim cycles. After about 500 prints on the mesh, they have become very stable.

 

[tpitman]

New mesh will drop tension, but I've never seen good mesh drop that far that fast without at least being used on a job or two between tensionings. I'd say it's cheap Chinese mesh.

 

[mikelmorgan]

I would not worry to much, if it settles down it should be fine.

 

[PositiveDave]

Just keep tensioning until you are happy, it will reach an equilibrium. Same thing happens with guitar strings where tension is way more important.

 

[Albie1]

Thanks guys yea I'm sure it's the cheap mesh specs say it will go 34 newton on the 305 best I ever got to was 32 .. I'll let you know if or when it work hardens... Also 1 problem when I keep retensioning the rollers are almost 180 degrees soon.. And for strips I'm using the thick blue ones ...