Plasticharge use?

[TCT]

In the process of our spring(even though it is still frickin' 25 degrees and the ground is covered with snow) cleaning and rearranging and came across a few gallons of plasticharge that didn't get thrown away last year. Since we do actual discharge all the time we never use the stuff.
Can anyone think of a reason we should keep this stuff? Personally I am much too prone to getting rid of things to reduce clutter, but on more than one occasion it has come back to bite me. I can't seem to think of a occasion this stuff may still be needed though.

Am I overlooking anything?

[mimosatexas]

the only reason I would ever use plasticharge would be to hit certain bright colors that discharge just can't quite handle, but it seems like a really rarely useful ink imo.

[blue moon]

soft hand (or should I say softer?) on purple, kelly green and royal?

pierre

[TCT]

Thanks guys! Didn't really even think about the possible situation with Purple ect.

Man! I should run all my thoughts by the board!

[Colin]

Another reason to keep it around is:

A discharge base (in General).  Since it has Zero binders in it, it cures out with Zero hand.  We all know waterbase, when cured, still has a small bit of hand to it.  Plascharge does not.

So you can see how it can have more than one application....

[IntegrityShirts]

Another reason to keep it around is:

A discharge base (in General).  Since it has Zero binders in it, it cures out with Zero hand.  We all know waterbase, when cured, still has a small bit of hand to it.  Plascharge does not.

So you can see how it can have more than one application....

Use a higher mesh screen though. The plasticharge base is really "thin". It will fall through a 110. Only time I have successfully used the stuff was trying to achieve a pink color on black shirts. I used a 4 color process magenta union plastisol ink. Was is worth the trouble? No, haha.

[mimosatexas]

interesting about the idea of using it as an underbase.  Why don't more people use it as an underbase instead of straight discharge base?  What are the advantages/disadvantages?

[tonypep]

Another reason to keep it around is:

A discharge base (in General).  Since it has Zero binders in it, it cures out with Zero hand.  We all know waterbase, when cured, still has a small bit of hand to it.  Plascharge does not.

So you can see how it can have more than one application....

Interesting. If applying plastisol over a Plasticharge base then you would of course have binders in the Plastisol which contribute to the hand and you're back to square one. Most of our DC work has practically no hand as we rarely use white in the formulas and we usually print with higher mesh selection than recommended.

[Colin]

Tony

I had heard that many people printing with the HSA type products where using the plascharge base to assist in opacity.  And they found the adhesion/hand to be better with the plascharge than with standard Discharge Base. 

As for under plastisol, it's about personal choice more than anything imo.

Everyone's results will vary.

And we all know that Tony's methods and quality are above what most of us can achieve

[tonypep]

Colin are you talking about the Plasticharge Part 2 that you normally would combine in a 50/50 ratio with plastisol ink? I've never tried. For a DC base we use a DC white/base ratio. And we don't print with the HSA inks so I wouldn't know. Played with them a couple of ys ago but too expensive and dried in the screen almost immediately. I expect the latter has changed by now. Either way it's not for our client base.

[Colin]

That's the stuff Tony.

Yea, it's not our client base either, at least not yet..  The owner here want to play with HSA and a discharge/plascharge base for certain customers.  Waiting for a few slow moments to give it a shot and see what the kinks will be.

[Underbase37]

We use this for some things, I don't find it to be to bad for an underbase. Just a few months ago I used this for a UB on a 7-8 color on 60/40 no flash. Got some great blends. I know it could be done with a WB/UB but this was what I went for at the time as we had it out for another job all ready. Cell phone pics so color consistency off from pic to pic but its the same shirt.

Murphy37

[TCT]

Ok guys someone will need to help me out here, it has been a few years since we used the plasticharge and I think we have a application for it today. I can not for the life of me remember, does it dry in the screen like WB/DC can? Seems like such a stupid question, but I am just much more used to using WB/DC that I have forgot the properties of plasticharge!

[Frog]

Ok guys someone will need to help me out here, it has been a few years since we used the plasticharge and I think we have a application for it today. I can not for the life of me remember, does it dry in the screen like WB/DC can? Seems like such a stupid question, but I am just much more used to using WB/DC that I have forgot the properties of plasticharge!

No, I don't think so during normal condiitions. Been a while for me as well, but I seem to remember no problem.  It retained most the properties of plastisol except that it was now cleanable with water.
Their precautions do however say to keep the screen flooded, to prevent drying in, and to not leave it overnight though, so don't get too cocky, especially in hot and dry conditions (not an issue right now in your neck of the woods)

• Keep the stencil in the flooded position when printing stops. To avoid “drying-in”
of stencil, cover the screen with a moist towel during any break lasting more
than a few minutes. Avoid leaving ink in the screen for prolonged periods (i.e.
overnight).


btw, do any of the other gray beards here remember Plawtersol?

[TCT]

Thanks Frog!