Hat transfers with hix heat press

[Screened Gear]

I just found a great deal on a HIX hat heat press. I have never done any heat press stuff except numbers. Does anyone have this heat press. I want to just print transfers and then press them on hats.

The first thing I see wrong is the 6 panel hats don't sit flat on the pallet. The curve of the pallet is not as curved as the hats. This leaves a gap and when heat pressed leaves wrinkles in the design. Any fix for this.

Any advice would be great.

[ericheartsu]

I just found a great deal on a HIX hat heat press. I have never done any heat press stuff except numbers. Does anyone have this heat press. I want to just print transfers and then press them on hats.

The first thing I see wrong is the 6 panel hats dont sit flat on the pallet. The curve of the pallet is not as curved as the hats. This leaves a gap and when heat pressed leaves wrinkles in the design. Any fix for this.

Any advice would be great.

We had a hix heat press, it worked fine, but we upgraded to a stahls press to get more consistent pressure, as well as the allowance of bigger plattens!

[Screened Gear]

Did you do any modifications to the press so it would press better. Do you do 6 panel hats with it. The one I got is really old I just wanted to try it out.

[ericheartsu]

we didn't. we still use it at events and things like that, but it's really hard to get accurate pressure from it.

[Frog]

I have pressed hats for 25 years. Not as many in the last ten years. With plastisol, I pretty much limited myself to five panel hats.
With a little fiddling you could cover your platen with some neoprene or mouse pad rubber, or something that allows you to cut a channel. You can hold this on with some of the 1/4" heat tape most transfer places sell.
Vinyl is more forgiving, but even so, some covers more invisibly than others.

[Sbrem]

We have a Hix hat press here, hate it, it's a doorstop. Hotronix so much better...

Steve

[mimosatexas]

My old National looked basically identical to the Hix presses.  It was a huge piece of crap and I got rid of it with a big ol smile on my face.

[royster13]

My old Hix cap press has made me lots of money over the years.....It gets limited used these days as I mostly outsource....

[Screened Gear]

I paid $75 for it. I just wanted an option to do hats for myself. I think I will make some custom pallets for it with neoprene like frog said. I don't think it will take much to make it work better. If Its easy enough and I start doing more then a few for myself I will buy a good one. Thanks for the info guys.

[Sbrem]

What I really didn't like was how very hard it was to open and close. But the main thing is that it will get you on your way. The transfers go over the seam very nicely...

Steve

[Screened Gear]

What I really didn't like was how very hard it was to open and close. But the main thing is that it will get you on your way. The transfers go over the seam very nicely...

Steve

I noticed that. It was almost impossible to open until I adjusted the pressure. I think it will save me some time if I ever have to put those transfer express flags on the sleeves of shirts again.

Its funny how I got excited about getting it. Something new to learn after almost 7 years of printing.