[mouseinthehouse]

I realise that if I'm serious about this Tshirt thing I'm going to have to be willing to invest some serious money... which I don't have. I'm intending to set up a small-scale business on etsy or some such.
I really can't afford a flash dryer on anything like that. I'm using water-based inks and was wondering what cheaper/more DIY methods people can reliably use to cure these inks? The best I can afford is a small second hand oven- but are those dangerous to use?
Thanks in advance!

 

[BroJames]

Not much problem for waterbased inks.

The cheapest would be a 500w halogen lamp. A few quick passes over the shirt should do it. Even with the regular replacement of the tube, it is still one of the cheapest to buy, operate and maintain. A 1500-2000w heat gun should be next. Actually almost anything that produces heat will do. If you have enough drying space you may also consider air drying it(unless you are using longer drying inks).

Less glamorous than a flash cure but gets the job done.

Alternatives to a 2nd hand oven would be electric bbq grill with flat surface

It has a temp setting and timer. Just figure out a way to suspend or afix it inverted. The temperatures won't be as even as a flashcure so you may need to move the garment a few times to ensure even curing. A turbo broiler also got a temp setting.

 

[tpitman]

Union makes a waterbased ink that will air-cure within 24 hours when using their catalyst:

"AEROTEX is a Water-based Textile Ink which, when Catalyst ATEX-9120 is added, will air-cure at room temperature to obtain optimum wash resistance 24 hours after printing. AEROTEX Inks are formulated for printing on cotton, cotton/synthetic blends and many synthetic fabrics. They are not recommended for Nylon or fabrics which are treated with water-repellent coatings. AEROTEX Inks have no flash point and are made from Lead-Free raw material"

 

[BroJames]

Most waterbased inks we use here will airdry in about 12 hours or less. But I think the poster, mentioning flash dryer, needs a DIY flash dryer to be able to print another layer or color on top of the previous one.

 

[mouseinthehouse]

Not much problem for waterbased inks.

The cheapest would be a 500w halogen lamp. A few quick passes over the shirt should do it. Even with the regular replacement of the tube, it is still one of the cheapest to buy, operate and maintain. A 1500-2000w heat gun should be next. Actually almost anything that produces heat will do. If you have enough drying space you may also consider air drying it(unless you are using longer drying inks).

Less glamorous than a flash cure but gets the job done.

Alternatives to a 2nd hand oven would be electric bbq grill with flat surface

It has a temp setting and timer. Just figure out a way to suspend or afix it inverted. The temperatures won't be as even as a flashcure so you may need to move the garment a few times to ensure even curing. A turbo broiler also got a temp setting.

Thanks heaps BroJames-- that was really useful information for me!

 

[BroJames]

Regarding the bbq grill. I posted the one with the flat surface because someone told me they have better results with them (than those with open grill which is the type more often used).