Triple Durometer Squeegies

[LuxInks]

We've been printing since 1996 and have never tried them. What is the benefit? We print about 70% water base and mostly use our auto.
For Plastisol, we use hard & soft and very little pressure so the inks stays on top of the fabric.
Can some of you let me know if you use the triples and what it's like?
Thanks for your input.
Paul

[mk162]

There is a great answer from rick roth in impressions this month.

They lay down more ink because of the firm center and softer edges.  I use 70/90/70, but I am getting some 55/90/55 to test out as well.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

There is a great answer from rick roth in impressions this month.
They lay down more ink because of the firm center and softer edges.  I use 70/90/70, but I am getting some 55/90/55 to test out as well.

Do you use triples exclusively? When would you use just a 70?

[JBLUE]

I have the 55/90/55 and I am not sure of it yet. I have played with it a little but the jury is still out on it. We run all triples here and love them. We feel we get a better sheer and cleaner deposit of ink. We use the red triple for almost everything. Its a pretty good all around squeegee.

[Frog]

There is a great answer from rick roth in impressions this month.
They lay down more ink because of the firm center and softer edges.  I use 70/90/70, but I am getting some 55/90/55 to test out as well.

Do you use triples exclusively? When would you use just a 70?

When my 69-90-60 triples are all used or dirty.

[squeegee]

There is a great answer from rick roth in impressions this month.

They lay down more ink because of the firm center and softer edges.  I use 70/90/70, but I am getting some 55/90/55 to test out as well.

Got a link to that article?  I'd like to read it.

We use triples and single blades, each one has certain characteristics that the other doesn't.  We like the 60 triples for low detail UB's for example or sharp 70 triples or 85 singles for halftone work.  We keep a variety around and use them according to situations to add or reduce ink deposit or to sharpen detail etc.

[Homer]

throwing a wrench in here, try the bevels. They work pretty good too. not as much detail as the triples but a pretty good blade. I was having issues with a gradient yesterday, tossed on the 55/90/55 Pierre sent me. issue solved. good coverage and great detail. still love the tripples. it's funny how each design needs a different set of blades to get maximum detail and best print possible.

[squeegee]

I have one of those extra soft 55/90/55 blades too, not much different if at all to the 60/90/60.  Soft blades wear quickly so before you know it they get dull and need sharpening, something to watch out for.

[tonypep]

Just throwing this out there because i don't know if these are still available but........one of the best innovations in "squeegee technology" was the vertically stacked 90/60. This allowed added pressure to a softer durometer without deflection. Perfect for halftone underbases and specialty inks. Never quite caught on due to lack of education. That said a bevel can accomplish this although it will quickly lose blade sharpness.
tp

[244]

Just throwing this out there because i don't know if these are still available but........one of the best innovations in "squeegee technology" was the vertically stacked 90/60. This allowed added pressure to a softer durometer without deflection. Perfect for halftone underbases and specialty inks. Never quite caught on due to lack of education. That said a bevel can accomplish this although it will quickly lose blade sharpness.
tp

that was autually our design that Joe Clarke did when he was president of M&R. They worked great but we had delamination issues between the two different durometers so production was stopped and the project was abandoned.

[tonypep]

Thanks for the enlightenment........I remember when Joe came up with the "heated screen stretcher" which utilized a flash panel underneath a stretching table.
Good times........and a shout out to JC. Nice article on the China Op. I'm kind of a "open up the barrel and find out what's in it first" person.

[inkman996]

I use 70/90/70's exclusively. Great detail decent lay down and longer life spans.

I also have a 55/90/55 and find it to lose to much detail but lays down slightly more opaque, maybe i need to tweak it a bit more.

[Clark]

Don't forget about the smilin Jack.  I am using these almost exclusively now and they are two blades in one. Bevel and straight.  It's been by far the best blade we have used thus far.

[Denis Kolar]

This is for people that do not know what Smiling Jack is.
I did not know so I did some searching.

http://www.cprknowsjack.com/files/SmilinJackTManual.pdf

I hope this will be helpful to someone.

So I'm guessing these have to be custom cut to a certain lengths due to the smilie cut, you can not buy a roll of this product. Is that correct?

[Homer]

I have to try those smilin jacks, how or where do you get them?