Flash cure for dryer question(s)

[Gilligan]

Ok... So I printed my first shirts last night.  Through vinyl vs emulsion

Printed some test shirts:
Printing went pretty well... slower than I would like (loading and lining up the shirts).  I think I laid down some pretty think ink on the first couple.   I through it under my flash cure and realized I didn't have my "good" temp gun... ran to my shop and got it.  Came back cured the shirt.  Stretch test looked good.  Wife printed a shirt... still a little think but good.  Cured it... again we are going REALLY slowly and my flash is like 5 inches away.

So... I lower the flash to about 3" away.  Print and cure a few real shirts fairly well.  Print a 3rd (maybe 4th) real shirt and oops... scorched.  I of course have spares.  So I just decide to all stop (it's midnight anyway).

My questions are... how high should I put the flash from the shirt?  Also what "temp" should my flash be.  I have a dial on mine.  Should I just crank it and time it and trust?  When the flash was at 3" I had a hard time trusting my temp gun being that it's at such a low angle and couldn't really get it where I wanted.  At 5" I could get it in there pretty good but it was taking minutes to cure.  I had the flash set on like 7-8 (of 10).

BTW, washed and dried the test shirts and they all came out fine.   Oh, and I somehow did get some ink on my shirt I was wearing... surprisingly (to me) that ink didn't come off the shirt when washed.

[Gilligan]

OH, also... my print is basically text on top and bottom of the shirt with room in the middle for a pic to be transfered on later (yeah, I know... no real reason to stress over the curing process if I'm gonna heat press it later... but I want to make sure I get the process done right.  So my concern with that is that my heat is obviously weaker on the edges of the unit vs the center (where I scorched of course).

[Frog]

First off, do not get into the habit of doing full cures on your press shirt board(s). Unless aluminum, they run the risk of warping as the repeated time for full cure is much more than for normal flashing. Set up a dedicated stand or table to cure with your flash.
 Second, if the shirts are curing significantly more in the center, your flash may well not be large enough for your design size and you may need to either cure in sections, or if the print shape permits, move it back and forth.
As you are learning, though your flash is essentially the same as a heating element on a "real dryer, you have significant problems using it the same. Being open on all four side, it is also very susceptible to air currents.
People who use a flash unit for full cure for long, learn to see a tell-tale wisp of vapor just at full cure and just before scorch (on white)

My advice to all serious newbies who actually get compensated for product, has always been  to put every cent in a jar or fund for a real dryer.
Even for printers on skimpy budgets, conveyor dryers pop up surprisingly affordable often because folks upgrading have no room to store the oldies.

[Denis Kolar]

There are some flashes with the sides that are on the sides of it. The metal goes down really close to the pallet. I'm thinking about attaching aluminum sheeting to my flash to mimic that.
Gilligan, look for a conveyor on Digismith, eBay or Craigslist. I got mine from a semi-local dealer. It was used, about 18 years old, that had new panels and new wiring done 3-4 years ago. My buddy is electrician so he checked it out when I was taking it to my basement. I have Atlas 824 that I paid $1500 with delivery included.

Good luck.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

I'm surprised how durable dryers are considering the conditions they live in. An older dryer can often work great and be a good buy.
I wonder if older dryers are less energy efficient though?

[Gilligan]

Yeah, I know I "need" a dryer but my bottle neck isn't curing, it's printing.  Until I can print faster than I can cure it's not much of an issue.  Plus, right now space is an issue.

I am ALWAYS keeping an eye out for great deals... but a dryer would pretty much have to be fairly local being so large.  Also I know a bit about electronics so the ins and outs of a dryer is fairly simple.

I have also considered a DIY conveyor.  I have some heating coils from an air handler (central air unit) that I pulled out one of my rental units.  That might could work with some forced air. 

Then there is also this guy's setup:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/diy-dtg/t147982.html
(hope you don't mind me linking to that forum)
Here is a video:

DIY T-Shirt Conveyor Dryer

Here is his blog:
http://diydtg.wikispaces.com/Heat+Lamp+Forced+Air+Oven
I'm betting this could be built for under $500 and be as big/good as one worth 10x that.

[Gilligan]

Oh, and I know I'm new and cheap but I'm not dummy... I've done my research, I have a curing station setup.  I won't be curing on my platens.

I've also toyed with the idea of putting in some metal flashing to keep the heat concentrated and then my AC (yeah, I got AC in my warehouse :p ) won't cause problems.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

Dude, seriously, buy a dryer. Let me rephrase that: invest in your business!

[mk162]

I agree, just buy a stinkin dryer.

By the time you assemble all the parts and build that thing, you could have had a plug and play model that parts are easily available for.

[Denis Kolar]

I agree, just buy a stinkin dryer.
By the time you assemble all the parts and build that thing, you could have had a plug and play model that parts are easily available for.

I thought about building one, but after talking to my buddy, we released that we might save $200-300 over the one we bought.
If you want to waste 5-6 days to same that much money, sure.

I think that you would rather be printing or learning to print instead of building a dryer.

[Gilligan]

Dude, seriously, ... invest in your business!

Which one?  My computer repair shop, Web Development, t-shirt/embroidery shop, Cajun Wine Glasses, Database consulting business, Rental Properties, Videography, Video Camera brace manufacturing, OR possibly an air conditioning business and Powder Coating company... more of a silent partner/owner in those last two.  Oh and I want to build a strip mall type of thing to put my businesses in and rent some space out as well as maybe even open up a boiled crawfish restaurant.

[Denis Kolar]

Dude, seriously, ... invest in your business!

Which one?  My computer repair shop, Web Development, t-shirt/embroidery shop, Cajun Wine Glasses, Database consulting business, Rental Properties, Videography, Video Camera brace manufacturing, OR possibly an air conditioning business and Powder Coating company... more of a silent partner/owner in those last two.  Oh and I want to build a strip mall type of thing to put my businesses in and rent some space out as well as maybe even open up a boiled crawfish restaurant.

And you have time for forums......

Niceeeeee

[Fresh Baked Printing]

Dude, seriously, ... invest in your business!

Which one?  My computer repair shop, Web Development, t-shirt/embroidery shop, Cajun Wine Glasses, Database consulting business, Rental Properties, Videography, Video Camera brace manufacturing, OR possibly an air conditioning business and Powder Coating company... more of a silent partner/owner in those last two.  Oh and I want to build a strip mall type of thing to put my businesses in and rent some space out as well as maybe even open up a boiled crawfish restaurant.

I was referring to the t-shirt/embroidery shop business, but then again, you look like you have everything figured out so this must be a place to go slumming for you. Sarcasm implied and emphasized.

[Gilligan]

Hey someone said "diversify" so I did!

You guys clearly are reading WAY too far into my VERY simple post.

I was pointing out that I am spread very thin with all I got going on.  I never said NOR implied that I had it all figured out and I was "kicking-ass and taking names" on all of these.  Just simply that I do have all of these things going on and have to be selective on where I'm putting my money.  With the need to borrow 1/2 to a full Million to get some of these projects rolling things will get tighter before they get better!

Yes, I have time for forums, where do you think I learn how to do all of these things?

[Frog]

They have shopping mall owners' forums?

Gilligan, don't get the wrong idea, but this ain't T-Shirt Forums and the magic mix of high end and hand held stapled organdy screens and sun exposures died at the hands of you-know-who. more than two years ago.

Folks are more than willing to help newbies, but you are in a funny position of almost being over qualified to ask some of the things you do, although I realize that you are just starting to get your screen printing "boots on the ground", and most of your knowledge is theoretical book lernin' type stuff.

As to everyone else, try to remember your first dozen shirts, and take a second to sigh, smile, and help if you can.