Author Topic: Platen Rubber  (Read 992 times)

Offline Stinkhorn Press

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Platen Rubber
« on: December 11, 2013, 03:07:12 PM »
Platen top rubber - what do you use, where do you get it?

I buy white nitrile rubber in 3' sheets from Rubber Cal.  http://www.rubbercal.com/White_Nitrile.html
It's $15 linear foot plus the shipping. It's not perfectly blemish free, but the lumps are usually only on one side.
I have no idea if this is a "good deal" or if that's the "right rubber" but it works. (the same stuff but black in color is half that price - I don't think the difference would be worth it as we register on press, but might try it sometime)
We apply it with contact cement. It only needs replacing when it gets too hot and a bubble forms (not something that normally happens without forgetting a platen under a flash).

A whole lot cheaper than say, action engineering's "soft top rubber" http://www.actionengineering.com/Cat-24-1-1280/soft-top-rubber.htm


Offline mooseman

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Re: Platen Rubber
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2013, 08:05:33 PM »
DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES COMPLETELY WITHIN MY CONTROL YOU SHOULD GET YOUR OWN TEE SHIRT AND A SHARPIE MARKER BY NOON TOMORROW OR SIMPLY CALL SOMEONE WHO GIVES A SHIRT.

Offline NiteOwlGraphics

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Re: Platen Rubber
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2013, 11:18:08 PM »
Have you ever tried pallets with no rubber on them?  Off the top of my head I know most MHM and the new sRogue use pallets that have no rubber on them.  I was pretty skeptical at first but only because I had never printed without the rubber.  Print quality was the same if not better. There's no deflection and less squeegee pressure is needed.