mzx square bar tensioning question

[ericheartsu]

I've been trying to up my game in the screen making dept as of late, and i've been having a difficult time getting my mzx square bar frames reading correctly.

I'm using an older roller master table (the one that has two air controllers), and whenever i do my tension readings, i'm always off anywhere from 2 to 8 newtons, between looking at my dial from roller 1, to roller 4.

I hope that makes sense! is this normal? is there anything i can do to make it more even?

[alan802]

I wish I could help you on the square bar frames, but I've never stretched one of them with the roller master.  So you are getting uneven tension as far as warp and weft readings?  Long end reads 2-8 newtons different than short end?

[ericheartsu]

exactly. and the only thing i can think of, is because there is only one roller being used.

i also have the square bar attachement for the table that keeps the square bar flat, so the three rollers tension correctly.

I'm also usually only able to get around 20n of tension, is that common? i know the MZX frames are meant to tension a little less than the m3's but i want to make sure i'm doing it right!

[ebscreen]

I was always manually stretching those sizes, but when inserting the mesh, you can fudge it a bit so the
longways is a bit tighter than the sideways.

You should be able to get more tension than that. The MZX manual frames I had I could get to 32 or so.

[screenxpress]

You should be able to get more tension than that. The MZX manual frames I had I could get to 32 or so.

Doesn't that depend some on the mesh size? 

I can get up around 28 on everything through 230.

[mooseman]

don't get all caught up in getting the tension X vs. Y exactly even, if you are within 5% overall tension X vs Y.
Also if you watch a lot of the guru vids on tension most of those guys palce the meter at a 45 degree line to the rollers and call it a day.
If you really want to get the square to top roller tension up to snuff your problem starts with take-up.
On the side to side you basically have twice the take-up capacity in terms of wind around the rollers.
On the top roller even if you wrap the mesh 50 or so degrees around the top roller you are not getting the takeup you are getting from two side rollers collecting the mesh at say 30 degrees takeup.

Try this on your next stretch setup.....

Assuming you are not using panels.......
First rotate the top roller as far forward as you can before you insert the mesh.
Next if you can on your table take up the side tension FIRST, just the opposite what SD advises.
Take the tension to about 60% of your target tension, example if your initial is 25 Nm take the sides to 15Nm then tension the top rolller toward 25. You will find the side to side tension has jumped up after you draw up the top roller.

remember this is your initial tension, you have to do it all over again tomorrow (24 hours after initial tension) to finish the job.
the square to top length is longer therefore the available elongation in the raw mesh is greater PLUS you are trying to eat it all in one direction only with just one roller taking up the job.

As a last resort on your re-tension at 24 hours back off the top roller completely reset the mesh and atke uo all over again.

Hope this helps some I can see the Newman guys pi$$ing their pants if they read this mess.

Let us know if it works.
mooseman

[ZooCity]

Moose is right, 2-8 n/cm off, warp to weft, ain't no big thing.  Zero experience with the square bars, I've had the luxury of M3s and a roller master from the start so I can't help there but I wouldn't worry about it too much.  Our M3s are four roller, 25x30, about as close to square as your going to get without some wildly exotic frame size and the width on them is typically around 0-2 n/cm off from the length.  Mesh openings are still nice and square and I see no need to perfect it all the way. 

What size are these?  I typically see this on 25x36 statics where the width my be off as much you are from the the length.  The more rectangular you get the more you can expect this and with the square bar end not being dynamic like with a four roller I'm sure it's exacerbated a little. 

[Orion]

I would suggest to set the top roller more towards the inside of the frame and the side rollers less, before inserting the mesh.

[Denis Kolar]

MZX frames should go way higher than 20N/cm.

I have 110 mesh around 40, 155 around 35 and 195 and 230 around 30 N/cm.