Cleaning roller frames

[Rockers]

I'm sorry , I just do not understand why shops deal with those doing everyday work. The labor involved is just flooring to me vs. Statics. I am just venting and am not trying to start a 'why use roller frames debate" more power to ya'll

I can sign up to this. Buying Roller Frames was one of our biggest mistakes. There is too much looking after involved. We have around 30 Roller Frames standing around that need new mesh while the other 70 would need to be re-tensioned. Don`t have time for either. Besides the new static frames we have sourced are top notch. If we need new mesh on our static frames I call Murakami and they come by on a Wednesday and pick them up and drop them off again a week later. And of course they come back looking like new as they always clean them.

[mk162]

You can buy roughly 3 good statics for the cost of a single roller frame.  So in my opinion, it's better to overbuy good statics and shelve them when not needed. Reclaim and dehaze them and leave them on a shelf and degrease to knock the lint off when you need to use them.

[Maxie]

Which frames to use is very much a individual thing.
From what I have read some people get great service like Rockers in the last post.
Some have to pay for shipping in both directions.
I can have screens stretched locally, expensive and bad, so I stretch myself.
If you agree with the theory that you need high tension for high end work there is nothing like rollers but I've only worked with statics.   (I don't do Anderson type printing).
When I prepare in advance I store them in big plastic bags so when I need them they have no dust.

[screenxpress]

I'm not sure I agree, but having Newmans I probably am a little biased, lol

While it's true that retensionables may come close to the price of 3 statics, re-usability has to be considered.

A brand new Newman (23x31) is around $83.50, but can be found (used) a whole lot cheaper (likely requiring cleanup).

2 yards of 230 mesh ($14.57/yd - probably less in quantity) is $29.14.  I can get 6 panels out of the 2 yards.  Allowing a loss of 1 (ripping), I still can get 5 panels from the 2 yards at a cost of $5.83 each.  Coarser mesh is cheaper and finer mesh is more, but the same is true for statics so everything here is on 230 mesh and 23x31 frames.

A 230 static aluminum (23x31) local is $27.45. 

To summarize:
3 aluminum (230 mesh) statics using the 3:1 ratio should run about $82.35.
1 brand new Newman ($83.50) + 2 yards of 230 mesh (29.14) should run about $112.64

So far, so good.  A savings of $30.20.  I can use 3 mesh panels from the 2 yards to accommodate 3 screens to print jobs.  The next 3 statics purchased ($82.35) comes to a total of $164.70 for 6 screens.  But the "cost" to me for the next 3 screens is.....$0....since I still should have 3 panels left over from the 2 yards purchased (assuming I didn't rip one).

I know this doesn't address accumulating frames in inventory, but there has to be some storage limit.  100?  200?  300?  500?

Possible variables.  Perhaps local static aluminum frames are even cheaper and having a bunch of statics does give you more frames in total inventory, but re-usability "AND" the ability to change mesh out if a job needs a different one RIGHT NOW and the static for that mesh isn't in the inventory. 

Retensionables are not for everyone.  It takes a knack to stretch and not rip them, but using tips from Mooseman, I rarely ever rip one now.

When my old statics ripped, having them remeshed was not a safe option to do myself (glue dust, etc) and the savings to send out was not that great either leaving me accumulating stacks of empty aluminum frames to recycle or use for welding jobs.

I just want to emphasize the re-usability and flexibility more than anything.  Once I own retensionables, all I have to purchase for screens for the rest of my business life, is mesh (each panel costing me only $5.83 or less) and I never have to pull a static out of my inventory when it rips or goes limp.

My 2c.

Oh, on Maxie's mention of high tension, I'm perfectly happy with 24 to 28 Newtons, which is definitely NOT on the high end.


My DIY stretching table:

[Northland]

Have you tried acetone?   

My go-to solvent for dirty & sticky things (frames, presses, etc) is XYLENE (also known as XYLOL).
It's not as volatile as Acetone, so it won't evaporate as fast as Acetone. You have time to scrub it in.
It's cheap... about $20/gal at Home Depot

*** It does require really good ventilation, gloves, safety eyewear and a respirator.  Dirty rags require proper storage and disposal.

[Rockers]

Which frames to use is very much a individual thing.
From what I have read some people get great service like Rockers in the last post.
Some have to pay for shipping in both directions.
I can have screens stretched locally, expensive and bad, so I stretch myself.
If you agree with the theory that you need high tension for high end work there is nothing like rollers but I've only worked with statics.   (I don't do Anderson type printing).
When I prepare in advance I store them in big plastic bags so when I need them they have no dust.

I don`t buy into this high tension is needed for great work. We can do great work with S-mesh which cannot be tensioned to very high levels anyway. We started with Roller Frames and rollermesh, cranked up tension to  50-60Nm but still nothing beats prints done with an S-mesh if you ask me.

[BorisB]

To me, using Roller Frames is an “old school” style.

[mk162]

You also have labor costs in cutting and restretching mesh...I don't with sending them out.  I am also very lucky to have Spot Color in my backyard.  I can courier boxes to them for about $.75-$1 a frame in the quantities I have redone...then I get free shipping or delivery back.  I am essentially outsourcing the labor on these.  Less time for us to deal with it...more time printing.

I think the gap has considerably closed between statics and retens.  Statics aren't a hard thing to have a ton of...they are lightweight and can be shelved above other equipment.  I think we maybe have 300-400 frames back there.  At any given time there are 40-80 ready to be sent off for stretching.  I am going to build a 20' long shelf above our exposure unit to hold screens that are ready for coating so I will have them there and good to go when needed.  I estimate I can hold 140-150 screens there at a time.

[BP]

I don't understand how you printers don't see the benefits of using roller frame?

[bimmridder]

Good thing this thread is about cleaning frames

[T Shirt Farmer]

I don't understand how you printers don't see the benefits of using roller frame?

Maybe its about ROI not all shops need that level of process, I have seen  some wicked prints come of really old scary looking screens. How about Serj, produces the most technical prints seen here is he on rollers? i am not certain bit i think he is on static frames

[mk162]

I don't understand how you printers don't see the benefits of using roller frame?

because they aren't as superior to statics as they once were.  A lot of shops have switched, ones that turn out some very high end work.

[Homer]

I don't understand how you printers don't see the benefits of using roller frame?

because they aren't as superior to statics as they once were.  A lot of shops have switched, ones that turn out some very high end work.

agreed. too much maintenance for too little gains. S mesh statics, Spot Color. done. ...move on to other problems.

[GKitson]

To me, using Roller Frames is an “old school” style.

What's old is new again??

[3Deep]

Good thing this thread is about cleaning frames

LOL that train ran off the rails about one post in , cleaning roller frames are a pain in the booty and I never could get the mesh right, but that's all on me.  Now about high tension mesh, I found one good thing about that it makes printing WOW easier and use maybe a little less ink, but the bad part is they pop faster, so 18 to 25 n are fine for the type of printing we do here.