Best rollers for rear clamp manual.

[Parker 1]

We've been runnin Retentionable Frames for more than a year now and have  2-3 original 200s @ 35-40N, have more than 70,000 impressions and are still in rotation and work great.  We use Sefar mesh everything stretched 32-40N. Ours bust due to mis-handeling. 

[Shawn (EIP)]

Speaking of... how long does mesh last in rollers.

until it breaks

And barring someone doing something stupid (hitting a corner), under "normal" use (on a manual press) how long should that take?

Honestly I'm an all newman shop and my screens will last 2 months because I do not properly store them , sometimes I do not even get the chance to retighten them because theres a hole somewhere. I'm terriable with my screen mesh. I also use cheap packing tape that in no way protects them. On the other hand I have a screen for a local pizza shop that orders 4 times  year for the last 4 years, same screen from the first print run that's still tight .

[Gilligan]

Almost seems to be a no brainer then.

Remeshing cost will quickly over take a retentionable's initial cost.

[Shawn (EIP)]

Almost seems to be a no brainer then.

Remeshing cost will quickly over take a retentionable's initial cost.

retens and bulk mesh by the bolt is the way to go , a 55 yrd bolt of mesh will last me 6-8 months

You can get used newmans on ebay for about 20 bucks a frame, least that's my price limit and I have collected 60 of them over the years at that price.

[ZooCity]

I also notice that we popped mesh along the clamp area on those screens we used in this manner. 

Don't blame the clamp, blame the process or lack of one.

Were you using mesh protection tape along the exposed part of the tube?  Unprotected mesh along the roller underside is the #1 reason for mesh failure of roller frames.

Two layers of Yellow Newman tape, mesh protectors and lots of care in the process.  This was with 305/30 and 330/30 mesh counts, which are fragile.  There is nothing more we could have done to protect the mesh within reason it's just not, in my experience, a good idea to use the method you suggested across all mesh counts/thread diameters.  I'm not blaming anything.  We were printing flatstock, one color at a time, so we were not swinging the screens around at all, let alone like a 'mad ape'.   It was a quick fix for an unexpected project and it failed in our experience to use the adapters in that manner as it cost a lot of money in mesh. 

You are fighting a losing game trying to clamp a round tube, adapters or no, from a single support point and then rotate that setup around and around, up and down.  It's simply going to slip or pinch a little and on some mesh that's enough to break it.  That's the point I'm making, based on experience not generic blanket statements about roller frames although your statements are, generally speaking, true and sound advice, just not in all cases. 

Gilligan here, as yourself, may have no problems with such a setup.  In fact, I have a bucket of M3 clamp adapters if you'd like to purchase them Gilligan, we were using ours to aid in clamping roller frames in the Chameleon which has a big alum bar for clamping.  The rollers tended to walk a lot when clamping with that setup.  The Anatol uses leveling pads on the end of the studs and clamps the frame with much less movement so I don't think we need them anymore.

On longevity, dedicate yourself to making every place the screen sits 'mesh safe', use protection tape and fabric protectors as well as good handling and proper tensions and you'll find many of your screens lasting quite a long time, years in fact.

[alan802]

Honestly I'm an all newman shop and my screens will last 2 months because I do not properly store them , sometimes I do not even get the chance to retighten them because theres a hole somewhere. I'm terriable with my screen mesh. I also use cheap packing tape that in no way protects them. On the other hand I have a screen for a local pizza shop that orders 4 times  year for the last 4 years, same screen from the first print run that's still tight .

WTF?  I'd go insane if that happened here.  I go ape S when I find a hole or a busted screen once a month.


We have some screens with mesh that were stretched in 1996, 99, and 2001.  The shop we bought them from marked on the frames the month and year they put the mesh in them so I know the mesh is that old.  We only have about 6 that have really old mesh in them since I've remeshed almost all of our newmans over the last 2 years.  I'd seriously guess that they have at least a hundred thousand print strokes on them.  The shop we bought them from had 3 autos and 4 manuals and did 2 million a year in screen printing sales.

I love our roller frames, I think they are simply the best screen a printer could have and one hell of a long-term investment.

[Frog]

thousands, and thousands, and (yes, thousands) of impressions. More get damaged in the cleaning and/or reclaiming process than on the press.

[Gilligan]

Yeah that was part of my concerns... The frequent use of harsh chemicals more than the act of pushing a squeegee.

[Evo]

For what it's worth, at one shop I worked at I did hundreds (thousands?)  of setups with Newman MZX frames with clamp adapters on a Hopkins press. No issues. Once you get it down it's a cakewalk.

[Shawn (EIP)]

Honestly I'm an all newman shop and my screens will last 2 months because I do not properly store them , sometimes I do not even get the chance to retighten them because theres a hole somewhere. I'm terriable with my screen mesh. I also use cheap packing tape that in no way protects them. On the other hand I have a screen for a local pizza shop that orders 4 times  year for the last 4 years, same screen from the first print run that's still tight .

WTF?  I'd go insane if that happened here.  I go ape S when I find a hole or a busted screen once a month.

I have my screens stacked on a shelf like books when I should have dividers between them. They also clang around in and out of the dip tank . I always thought I was using crappy mesh.

[jsheridan]

Honestly I'm an all newman shop and my screens will last 2 months because I do not properly store them , sometimes I do not even get the chance to retighten them because theres a hole somewhere. I'm terriable with my screen mesh. I also use cheap packing tape that in no way protects them. On the other hand I have a screen for a local pizza shop that orders 4 times  year for the last 4 years, same screen from the first print run that's still tight .

WTF?  I'd go insane if that happened here.  I go ape S when I find a hole or a busted screen once a month.

I have my screens stacked on a shelf like books when I should have dividers between them. They also clang around in and out of the dip tank . I always thought I was using crappy mesh.

I'd love to use you as a poster child for how not to use roller frames.. ROFL!!

How long with the mesh last...

We had a guy hit the booth in Texas who has a roller frame from 1986 with the old nylon end caps. It has 80 mesh in it stretched to 50n. He uses it every time he was an order for metallic or glitter, about 5 times a yr. Said he has other screens that were in excess of 10 yrs old still in working use. His secret is to handle all of his screens with the utmost care and tape every surface the screen could come in contact with.

[jsheridan]

For what it's worth, at one shop I worked at I did hundreds (thousands?)  of setups with Newman MZX frames with clamp adapters on a Hopkins press. No issues. Once you get it down it's a cakewalk.

Same here.

It's always the guy with monkey grip who facks it all up. Every shop has/had one of those guys. Tightens every single fastener on the press with a wrench and punches holes in roller frame and static tubes with his 3-4 knobs that are missing the plastic button bottom. .. 'so things won't move' and then proceeds to abuse the living sh!t outa the press as he clanks and bangs away at that 3 color.. Then he's always registering stuff and complaining how bad this press is..

[mk162]

I think I have some 23x28's hanging around the shop.  I'll measure tomorrow.

[Gilligan]

I think I have some 23x28's hanging around the shop.  I'll measure tomorrow.

I'm listening.

[alan802]

Funny you should mention that John, we have quite a few rollers from the very first batch made and sold and there is no telling how many millions of imprints the frames have been a part of.