screen printing > Newbie

So, I am definitely a "newbie", any help with these issues?

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tifferpoo:
Yesterday I started making logos and websites for my new Screen Printing business. Hooray!!

I am a bartender, but I have been making t-shirts for a local band out of my garage and thought it was time to actually SELL something so my sister and I can support my nephew better, ha!
I have made 4 batches using 50/50 & full cotton and now I am devoted to full cotton.

My rig:

A manual 4 screen press with 1 work station and the opposite side is a stationary heating unit ( this was in storage for 15 years, I believe). The heating unit/curer no longer has a knob to indicate what temp it is set at. And I have an ironing board to stack shirts.
That is it!


A couple of issues:
1. My hydraulics aren't holding up the arm when screens are attached. So I am looking online for replacements.

2. When stacking shirts, some "ghost images" got absorbed by the other shirts.

3. My first batch shirts (the 50/50) had some issues. I found out that some washed out in the washer and dryer. I thought maybe it was too many swipes of the squeegee or that my heating times/temps are wrong.

Any ideas, guys and girls?
Any quick fixes to make this rig work better or more efficiently?

Thanks a million!

Northland:
-- You can try  bungee cords to help hold up the screens (until you locate the lifters... I'm betting it's a BROWN press)
-- Let poly shirts cool completely before stacking. I'd steer clear of poly if you are using a Flash to cure shirts.
-- Test your cure by stretching the garment. You should be able to give it a good stretch without the ink cracking.

... best wishes to you.

Sbrem:
Howdy, welcome. Now, where to start... well, let's talk about curing the ink. It has to meet what the manufacturer specifies, most likely 300° to 325° for a minute or so. This can be difficult at best without a dryer, but a flash unit will do it, so I'm told, I've never not had a dryer. After you cure the ink, let it cool to room temperature, then stretch it somewhat left to right, if the ink cracks, it's not cured, and will come off in the wash, so it needs more heat. The thicker the deposit of ink, the more heat it needs to cure, and the thinner the deposit, the less heat. At any rate, if it's cracking when you test it, you need more heat. 50/50 and 100% cotton shouldn't make much difference, the ink needs enough heat to be fully cure all the way through. Did I mention curing the ink?

Steve

ps. keep asking, you'll get a lot of answers from everyone here.

Dottonedan:
Hello,

HA!  I see Sbrem is getting to this before I post.  LOL.  He will take care of you. We just had this discussion like last week.  Pretty common stuff.

tifferpoo:
A few more notes, I have only done one color/ two sides yet.

I did just get a hand held flash blower thingy, in addition to the big block dryer/curer, but obviously do not know how to use the new handheld.
I learned everything from youtube, how would you teach a beginner best?

What was the easiest way to learn color separation and then lining them back up from screen to screen?

Can I go back and reheat the other shirts at this point or is it too far gone?
The ink i was given for the 50/50s is much thicker than for cotton, the cotton shirts did not wash out...

Oh, jeez... I am needy, haha- thank you again!

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