[porkchopharry]

I seemingly have horrible luck with Ryonet. Their sales manager even aknowledged it by saying such. Comforting?

I purchased a 4/1 Silverpress awhile back to learn on. You all know this story. One color- great. 2 color and so on- not so much. I'm not trying to bad mouth them or troll. I'm utterly frustrated. I did vent in a Ryo White thread before. I'd certainly like to post more positive things.

Anyway, so I have the silver press and well, I want a Vastex V2000, that's a ways off financially though. So I went ahead and ordered the micros for 3 of the 4 heads, thinking what could go wrong?

SO I can register the thing fine. But I'll be damned if it doesn't slip to the right after 4 or 5 prints. Being semi new at any reg system, it takes me awhile to line it up. And then it slips again.

Everything is tight, my stroke is consistent. I'm not hanging from the arms, I baby turn the press. I'm just bummed about it all. A simple top coat of ink on a white underbase, turns out to be sheer hell.

I have contacted tech support and...nothing...crickets. I could call and rant and get action taken. But at this point what IS the point?

So, anyone out there have any tips on these micros or what I need to check to keep the thing in registration? Do I need to stuff the clamps with cardboard/ griptape/ whatever. These are the newer micros.

It's killing me timewise. The vastex is a ways off. Am I just wasting time even trying to use this thing in the interim? I'll do anything to just get it to STAY in reg until I can sell it and move on.

Thanks in advance.

 

[superD70]

some people just have bad luck, I've been using a silver for almost 2 years now, I do 4 color jobs all the time with no registration issues.
something has to be loose somewhere for this to keep happening to you, that or you are not tightening the clamps down firmly enough.
I'd have a hard time blaming the press, most likely something you are overlooking

 

[porkchopharry]

Thanks for the input. If there IS something that I am overlooking I certainly want to correct it. Frustration isn't something I thrive on.

As far as clamps, they are certainly tight enough. Or seem to be. I can go back and check them though.

I have checked all the nuts and bolts all the way down to the hub on each of the 3 arms that have micros on them. Registration nylon bolts seem tight enough with no play. Registration top bolt snugly against the press arms when they are in place in the gate.

Platen tight and level, aluminum screens not warped.

It just drifts to the right every few prints.

I am open to user error and would LOVE to use the press for as long as I can until I get a Vastex.

Anything specific that I can check for? I guess I'm one of those guys that needs to be pointed in the direction of all the prone areas that it might be.

 

[terryrawn]

WOW. Well i have talked to a few about the silver press and everyone has told me it was a great easy to use press. TILL NOW LOL, you are the first that i have heard this from, NOW i will look into this more, that is a very bad problem to be happening and all against everything a press is supposed to do. I actually have a order quote of $6700 with them right now, and that's including the 6 colour 2 station silver press. Maybe I will rethink which press i should get now, and stop the order. Thanks terry

 

[porkchopharry]

I'm not attempting a bash thread. I have had my issues as have others and I want to say from my recollection, most posts I have seen are in the favor of Ryonet. I'm just going by my experience and asking for some help from anyone that may have resolved their issues. Because I know for a FACT that here on this very forum, there have been a number of people who have had issues and possibly resolved them and are perfectly happy with their silver presses. Make sense?

Problem is, a lot of times on forums, people don't bother to come back and mention what fixed their issues.

Silver press issues may ALL be on ME. Which is why I've come here for some help.

Some people will say "user error" automatically. Some will say "sell the pos" and move on. Some will bash the company, some will defend it to the death.

I'm just wanting to know what I should look for to rectify my particular problem and get on with producing.

But if you search around you'll see that I'm not the only person with registration issues on these presses. Like I said, seems a lot of folks have no issues.

That said, if I had $6700 to invest out of the gate, I would be looking at a different press. Maybe spend a bit more on the press and get by with a standard flash and exposure unit, until you have some more cash under your belt.

Personally I am looking at the Vastex V2000 4/1 tabletop. It will allow you to upgrade it to a full blown 10/10 freestanding press over time. And money. But that is a personal choice. you have to see what you like best.

 

[beanie357]

We had one w/o micros for a portable. We have a vastex 2000 and Anatol auto. We just could not to jobs that needed tight registration in any quantity w/o some "slippage". If it was a multicolor w/o butt registration, it would work ok.

You could trap or trough the art to try to fix it, but that's just a workaround for anoter problem. Make sure your screens are tight, as that could make tight reg jobs a disaster.

It is what it is, and really is a lot for the money. However, a used vastex or such would probably suit you better.

Check the little nylon thingys they use to hold the arn in place. one of ours was soft out of the box and was a bit of a reg aggravator.

The aluminum does have some flex as does the platen arm (we had a 4/2) and we put a couple braces on.

 

[Preston]

Porkchopharry,

The Silverpress is neither a bad press or a good press. It is what it is, a cheap press. The price alone should tell you that it will never be as good as the Vastex you wanted.

A while back I watched a video on Ryonet which I found to be pure BS. The reason I say this is a high end press such as the one shown in the video will not have the problem she talks about. The Silverpress and other cheap hobby type presses will, but there is a way to help overcome some of the short comings of a cheap press.

In the video she talks about the forces applied to spin and stop the print head carrousel as being the cause of a press going out of register. A cheap press can never hold the screen correctly to keep this from not happening but a high end press can.

The solution to help make a cheap press hold registration due to screen slippage is to place a thin strip of EDPM rubber between the screen frame and the presses screen clamp. Once the screen is locked down the EDPM rubber will keep the screen from ever slipping. If you loose registration while using the EDPM rubber then there is something else wrong and it is not an issue of screen slippage. EDMP rubber is the same as inner-tube rubber. A lot of times it is called Pond Liner. You can get it at Lowes in the garden department. Make sure you get the rubber and not the plastic pond liner.

Here is the video I was talking about.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm5u5qTJxYQ[/media]

 

[porkchopharry]

We had one w/o micros for a portable. We have a vastex 2000 and Anatol auto. We just could not to jobs that needed tight registration in any quantity w/o some "slippage". If it was a multicolor w/o butt registration, it would work ok.

You could trap or trough the art to try to fix it, but that's just a workaround for anoter problem. Make sure your screens are tight, as that could make tight reg jobs a disaster.

It is what it is, and really is a lot for the money. However, a used vastex or such would probably suit you better.

Check the little nylon thingys they use to hold the arn in place. one of ours was soft out of the box and was a bit of a reg aggravator.

The aluminum does have some flex as does the platen arm (we had a 4/2) and we put a couple braces on.

Thank you VERY MUCH for this info. It sort of confirms my suspicions. I have been baby stepping my way through this all starting with black on whites, then white on blacks, now colors atop a white underbase. FYI - One Stroke Inks Hybrid White is like a fantasy come true to me. Pricey but so worth it.

When choking the underbase by 3 pixels, I'm ok to a certain point. Then the drift takes over. I've heard that a 3 pixel choke may a bit much. But this particular design is hot pink on black so the overage doesn't show too much.

Thing is is when it starts to drift too far.

I'm doing my own designs and they are slowly gaining momentum, meaning I need to progress to keep it going.

My newest solution is to order some EZ Flo Pink from one stroke and hopefully eliminate the white underbase on THIS design.

Problem is, my next design in queue is a 3 color with tight reg, that I wanted on a Navy shirt. I may have to rethink it and do it as a 4 color on a black shirt with a white outline.

So yeah, I do see what you are saying about the band aid thing.

I'm wondering now if the micros were even a smart purchase and I'd be better served sending them back, getting as much as I can from the press and moving on.

Although the micros DID help me register faster. But that could be one of those "tough things to do when you're doing your first registration" things?

Dunno if sending back the micros would be any benefit. Or if keeping them and then selling the 4/1 with the micros would help me recoup any of my investment.

 

[beanie357]

I like the send em back and sell it idea a bunch.
You appear to be working methodically into the project of learning screen printing. A lot of folks don't realize the difference the grade of equipment makes. it can make or break your foray into screen printing.

We moved up quickly to good equipment and our production and quality increased, and our ag decreased.

Now, let's talk about newman roller screens.

 

[porkchopharry]

Porkchopharry,

The Silverpress is neither a bad press or a good press. It is what it is, a cheap press. The price alone should tell you that it will never be as good as the Vastex you wanted.

A while back I watched a video on Ryonet which I found to be pure BS. The reason I say this is a high end press such as the one shown in the video will not have the problem she talks about. The Silverpress and other cheap hobby type presses will, but there is a way to help overcome some of the short comings of a cheap press.

In the video she talks about the forces applied to spin and stop the print head carrousel as being the cause of a press going out of register. A cheap press can never hold the screen correctly to keep this from not happening but a high end press can.

The solution to help make a cheap press hold registration due to screen slippage is to place a thin strip of EDPM rubber between the screen frame and the presses screen clamp. Once the screen is locked down the EDPM rubber will keep the screen from ever slipping. If you loose registration while using the EDPM rubber then there is something else wrong and it is not an issue of screen slippage. EDMP rubber is the same as inner-tube rubber. A lot of times it is called Pond Liner. You can get it at Lowes in the garden department. Make sure you get the rubber and not the plastic pond liner.

Here is the video I was talking about.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm5u5qTJxYQ[/media]

Oh wow. I have never done this. Of course maybe she is exagerating for demo purposes? Matter of fact, I have seen her mention it here and I am uber careful to baby my screens around. The only way I could be MORE gentle is if I blew on them to move them into position .

The rubber idea sounds like a win. I had seen someone mention grip tape and I have some coming in tomorrow. I will give that a whirl and then go back and grab some rubber if the grip tape doesn't help.

You are so correct on the cheap thing. But at least I have learned. Either way, learning is good. I just wish I din't have such a stress headache from it. Of course, I'm sure it is still partly user error.

And it's not always easy to drop $3K on a press right at the get go. Although with 3 or 4 micros, the cheap press aint THAT cheap. For what it is I mean.

I just want to be able to have the thing accomodate me until I can purchase my Vastex.

 

[freezermink]

i just finished up a 255 print 3-color run, and a 180-2 color on a 4/1 silverpress. butt-registration and the last shirt looks great - exactly the same as the first. there were very small registration anomolies along the way (~1-2 pixels worth), which may the press or may have been that the shirt came up off the platen when lifiting the screens - between colors where the adhesive was wearing thin.

what i'm saying is that it is possible with the silverpress to get acceptable registration. You could have a bad press or you could be missing something that needs to be tightened, but it can be done.

one thing i noticed is that if you don't set up the off contact (height and angle) of each screen properly, it is possible to adjust (mainly height) so that the arm doesn't come all the way down to the stop (in between the nylon bolts). That way the screen may be able to move more than expected. the other thing is that if the screen clamp isn't tightened to an extreme, it is possible for the screen to continue to move around as the bracket that moves down to clamp the screen can shift and move. it might not be noticeable at first. only by tightening it like crazy can you stop that.

once you seem to have everything tightened down, try to move the screen from side to side. chances are, it will move a bit. Its not a fantastic clamp design. it seems to be more prominent with aluminum frames. the clamps seem to dig into wood frames more and don't allow for the movement, whereas the aluminum doesn't give and doesn't create as much friction.

not sure what the issue is, but it is something to think about. hang in there, you'll get it.

 

[Ruimpress]

I seemingly have horrible luck with Ryonet. Their sales manager even aknowledged it by saying such. Comforting?

One thing you can do and this is been working for me on a silver press 4 color 2 station is to tight the knob under the registration head. (see picture)

I been using this press for about 2 years now and I just bought a aluminum platens for it, also running a 4 color jobs of 500 shirts with no problems at all.

I don't want to say this is the best press on the market, maybe when I started but now is time to move on.

 

[porkchopharry]

I like the send em back and sell it idea a bunch.
You appear to be working methodically into the project of learning screen printing. A lot of folks don't realize the difference the grade of equipment makes. it can make or break your foray into screen printing.

We moved up quickly to good equipment and our production and quality increased, and our ag decreased.

Now, let's talk about newman roller screens.

Yes very true! And I am going about it methodically. Black, white, color over underbase. I have wanted to do this for 20+ years. One day I asked myself " WELL, why aren't you then?".

I thought we were going to talk about Bella+Canvas USA made shirts next???!!! I like them!

 

[porkchopharry]

i just finished up a 255 print 3-color run, and a 180-2 color on a 4/1 silverpress. butt-registration and the last shirt looks great - exactly the same as the first. there were very small registration anomolies along the way (~1-2 pixels worth), which may the press or may have been that the shirt came up off the platen when lifiting the screens - between colors where the adhesive was wearing thin.

what i'm saying is that it is possible with the silverpress to get acceptable registration. You could have a bad press or you could be missing something that needs to be tightened, but it can be done.

one thing i noticed is that if you don't set up the off contact (height and angle) of each screen properly, it is possible to adjust (mainly height) so that the arm doesn't come all the way down to the stop (in between the nylon bolts). That way the screen may be able to move more than expected. the other thing is that if the screen clamp isn't tightened to an extreme, it is possible for the screen to continue to move around as the bracket that moves down to clamp the screen can shift and move. it might not be noticeable at first. only by tightening it like crazy can you stop that.

once you seem to have everything tightened down, try to move the screen from side to side. chances are, it will move a bit. Its not a fantastic clamp design. it seems to be more prominent with aluminum frames. the clamps seem to dig into wood frames more and don't allow for the movement, whereas the aluminum doesn't give and doesn't create as much friction.

not sure what the issue is, but it is something to think about. hang in there, you'll get it.

Thank you for this info. I will keep exploring it.

Couple things to add: I do have everything tightened to the extreme. I'm a big enough fella to exert some force.

The reg stop bolt I found was TOO low from the "should be set correctly" at the factory. Maybe I still do not have it set high enough.

One thing I have noticed is that sometimes, the arms come down completely. And later they do not. Could the nylon bolts be spinning loose or spinning tighter? Also how tight should the nylons be? I have done much research on it and one person states that they should "squeal" when dropping the arm into the gate.

 

[porkchopharry]

I seemingly have horrible luck with Ryonet. Their sales manager even aknowledged it by saying such. Comforting?

One thing you can do and this is been working for me on a silver press 4 color 2 station is to tight the knob under the registration head. (see picture)

I been using this press for about 2 years now and I just bought a aluminum platens for it, also running a 4 color jobs of 500 shirts with no problems at all.

I don't want to say this is the best press on the market, maybe when I started but now is time to move on.

Hugo, thanks for the photo. I have the newest version of the silver micros, they do not have the bottom knobs on them any longer. They are these:

Micro Registration Press Attachment for the Silver Press

 

[porkchopharry]

Folks, thank you SO much for all the insight so far. I was very hesistant to ask on the forum. I have made very few posts here. I was afraid I would have the Silverpress Army chiding me.

I AM on the quest for the V-2000. BUT, I really need to try to wrangle this sucker in to hold me over till then. It could be days, weeks or months before I get the V-2000. Know what I mean?

Yep, I am fairly "newbish". But I'm not a "noob". Anyone know the difference?

And "newb" is new, but desires to learn to be the best they can be. A "noob" is new, but doesn't care, he's just along for however long the ride can take him.

 

[selanac]

How does Pork Chop Harry get a name like Andy? I thought your name was Harry until I noticed it said Andy.

Do you have a Silver Press? Do you have any problems with it, is it treating well?

 

[porkchopharry]

How does Pork Chop Harry get a name like Andy? I thought your name was Harry until I noticed it said Andy.

Do you have a Silver Press? Do you have any problems with it, is it treating well?

I have 7 dogs. We do rescue and 2 of them are fosters. 6 chihuahuas and 1 pit bull. I always say I will name our next dog Porkchop Harry. Dunno why? It just makes me chuckle to think about a tiny, little dog with a name like Porkchop Harry. Seemed like a funny name to use as a "forum handle".

Yes, I own a silver. Yes, I seem to be having some issues with it. Hopefully, I can sort it.

 

[selanac]

That's funny Andy. My daughter and I love dogs. She's allergic so we'll wait for now.

What issues are you having? Maybe we could all jump in and help you out or learn something new.

 

[porkchopharry]

To sum it up selanac, my silver press keeps slipping out of registration after a few prints or so. I've been listening to advice for possible reasons as to why. And possible fixes. Seems like screen slippage is the most prominent reason.

And now that I have been mulling it over, I rotate my press left to right, and that is the direction the registration is slipping in...

Hmmm. Maybe that is the cause. I certainly feel like the screens are clamped tight enough. Maybe they are not. I will try to clamp them tighter tomorrow with some grip tape and see what happens. I just want it to hang with me and hold registration till I can afford the upgrade to the Vastex. if it JUST does that and holds it registration, nothing more, I'll be ok with it.