DIY Belt Dryer

[BartJY]

Hi Folks,

I'm hopping someone will know where I can get instructions for a DIY Belt Dryer that is well designed.

I have an extremely limited budget and a DIY project seems to be the only realistic option I have.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Bart

[Frog]

I have found that simple full sized dryers are generally one of the cheapest pieces of used equipment one can find.
Mine, in fact, an old ten foot American Phoenix, was thrown in with a used Workhorse Mach V! manual press. It's  the small compact models I have found tough to find because owners have the room to keep them as spares or for their portability.
Have you been checking Craigslist in your area?
If you have a local supplier, they can be another good source of info for someone in your area selling

[3Deep]

Frog you are so correct we have a small dryer that I hung onto for years, for one it's good little back and yep I have take to outside shows if needed.

[BartJY]

I appreciate the responses. But I fear that even a second hand belt dryer will be outside of my budget. That is why I hope to build my own. Wishful thinking? Maybe.

Thanks
Bart

[im_mcguire]

I feel if you dont have the budget for a dryer, Id just keep trucking along and cure them with your flash dryer.  I did that for almost 18 months when I first started out.

Is it the best practice? No! But save enough until you can find a second hand dryer, or better yet, a new dryer in your budget.

Youll spend more time posting on forums, and trying to figure out how to get it done, rather than printing the shirts and making money to reinvest into your printing. 

A dryer is a key element in maintaining some form of production, and proper cure on your garments.  Get it when you can afford a decent one.  And if you have more work than you can produce for your shop, farm the work out.  Hell ive even heard of people taking their flash cured shirts to bigger shops to run their shirts through the dryer, to get a final proper cure.

[mk162]

I feel if you dont have the budget for a dryer, Id just keep trucking along and cure them with your flash dryer.  I did that for almost 18 months when I first started out.

Is it the best practice? No! But save enough until you can find a second hand dryer, or better yet, a new dryer in your budget.

Youll spend more time posting on forums, and trying to figure out how to get it done, rather than printing the shirts and making money to reinvest into your printing. 

A dryer is a key element in maintaining some form of production, and proper cure on your garments.  Get it when you can afford a decent one.  And if you have more work than you can produce for your shop, farm the work out.  Hell ive even heard of people taking their flash cured shirts to bigger shops to run their shirts through the dryer, to get a final proper cure.

Your other option is to farm out the bigger jobs where a lack of a dryer would slow you down, pocket the profit and buy one then.

[Frog]

I appreciate the responses. But I fear that even a second hand belt dryer will be outside of my budget. That is why I hope to build my own. Wishful thinking? Maybe.

Thanks
Bart

Let's get specific. How much are you able or willing to spend?

[BartJY]

I was hoping to spend 2 or 3 hundred to make a DIY belt dryer.

I suppose if push comes to shove, I could afford about $1400.00 for a used belt dryer.

Bart

[Frog]

I was hoping to spend 2 or 3 hundred to make a DIY belt dryer.

I suppose if push comes to shove, I could afford about $1400.00 for a used belt dryer.

Bart

With luck, you'll find an old one for far less than $1400
Are you in a large city area? Do you look on Craigslist every day?

[xcelr8hard]

Make sure you have the power necessary to power a belt dryer before you purchase one.
I assume you are working out of your house. It doesn't take much to eat up the available amps you may have.

Butch

[Atownsend]

Check Digitsmith. There is Vastex Econored listed for 1K.

Not a fan of short electric dryers. Been there done that. The more heat panels the better.

[screenxpress]

I was hoping to spend 2 or 3 hundred to make a DIY belt dryer.

I suppose if push comes to shove, I could afford about $1400.00 for a used belt dryer.

Bart

Now you're talking.

I bought a used Vastex Econored with a 36 inch heat tunnel (2 panels) about 7 years ago for $1000.

They are out there.  Just keep looking.

Be prepared to have or create a 240V power source, which could even use a dryer connection in a pinch.

[Prince Art]

Digitsmith, Craiglist, plus patience and RESEARCH. There are deals to be had that coming up regularly, but not always on the day or week you're looking. Also, "cheap" used is sometimes a deal, and sometimes a nightmare. Do all you can to make sure you know what you're getting before you buy.

Willingness/ability to drive sometimes comes in handy. I drove 4 states away to get my first dryer, a Little Buddy in great condition for $1000. (That was after curing exactly one job with a flash unit!) I used it for a few years, kept it in good condition, resold it for $1000 after taking a slight step up. (But that slight step up was a Lawson Encore, bought used, which ended up needing to be totally refurbed after I installed it. Added several hundred to the price. So...)

[Sbrem]

I was hoping to spend 2 or 3 hundred to make a DIY belt dryer.

I suppose if push comes to shove, I could afford about $1400.00 for a used belt dryer.

Bart

Hi Bart, what is your time worth? I like building things when I can too, but in the end, it's usually wasted time. Buy a used dryer, produce much than you are now in less time. It will pay off quickly. The other suggestion of farming larger jobs out is a good one, because you are making money without having to do that work, which frees you up to do what you normally do with your equipment. A win-win situation really... good luck.

Steve

[BartJY]

Folks,

Thanks for all the advice.

$1000 is really too much for me to spend at this time.

If not a belt dryer, what about a flash dryer? What should I look for in a good used flash dryer? How do I know what a good one is? Are there websites out there that do reviews on Silk Screen equipment?

Thanks
Bart