Author Topic: Circulating in a dip tank?  (Read 3785 times)

Offline Gilligan

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Circulating in a dip tank?
« on: August 21, 2012, 01:23:18 AM »
Has anyone ever tried putting a pump on their dip tank and circulating the chemical?

You could put a big oil filter on it to trap the gunk (might make it easier to clean the tank, or less of a need to do it so often).

Would this also help by agitating things?

I would think a simple pump hooked to the drain that pulls through the oil filter than pumps back out on top would cause enough circulation to really get things moving.

I could be way off base though.


Offline mk162

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2012, 08:19:00 AM »
i thought about it, but I think it would take the stuff off too quickly.  It's better to put 4 screens in and the 4th will soak a little longer.  agitation would pull the emulsion off and you don't want that.

Offline Printficient

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2012, 09:35:23 AM »
What you want to do is use a powerful outside aquarium pump with bubble stones to aerate the material.  You would place the stones around the middle of the tank.
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Offline Gilligan

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2012, 09:42:20 AM »
i thought about it, but I think it would take the stuff off too quickly.  It's better to put 4 screens in and the 4th will soak a little longer.  agitation would pull the emulsion off and you don't want that.

What if your routine was one at a time?  One soaks, one drains, while you clean the 3rd and you just keep rotating like that.

What you want to do is use a powerful outside aquarium pump with bubble stones to aerate the material.  You would place the stones around the middle of the tank.

Other than agitating does have any other benefits?

Obviously your solution is simple and "fail proof" but with the method I suggest you would also remove gunk at the same time.  Does this added benefit really not enough to warrant the "contraption"?

I'm not questioning you, I'm just looking for a better understanding because in my INEXPERIENCED mind, it seems like a good idea.

Offline mk162

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2012, 09:58:05 AM »
I don't think you'll see much benefit, and it's 1 more thing to maintain, clean and replace when parts fail.  If it was that much better, they would sell kits to make more money off of you.

A good thing to have would be a pump to drain the tank.  It will save a lot of scooping and heavy lifting.

Offline sweetts

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2012, 09:58:54 AM »
I thought about running a sump to a sediment filter and see how much crap I can Pick up. U would think it would make it last longer no?

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Offline mk162

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2012, 10:02:45 AM »
it probably would.  but agitating the water will pull more junk off the screens if you run it while screens are in there.

Offline Gilligan

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2012, 10:34:44 AM »
That's why you would have a simple big truck oil filter in there to catch that stuff.  Then you just change out a cheap oil filter every now and then.  Simple and not even messy.

This pump could also be used to drain it off as well.

IF this were to fail then the worse thing is that you would be back with your regular non-circulating dip tank that you had before.  Not something that would leave you dead in the water.

Offline mk162

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2012, 10:40:32 AM »
have you even used a dip tank yet?  They work fine without anything else.  I wouldn't waste my time on it.

Offline Nick Bane

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2012, 10:46:24 AM »
have you even used a dip tank yet?  They work fine without anything else.  I wouldn't waste my time on it.

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Offline Gilligan

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2012, 10:48:53 AM »
have you even used a dip tank yet?  They work fine without anything else.  I wouldn't waste my time on it.

I believe I emphasized "INEXPERIENCED" in one of my post.

Offline mk162

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2012, 11:00:28 AM »
I would recommend trying it before you try to improve it

Offline Gilligan

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2012, 11:17:42 AM »
I would recommend trying it before you try to improve it

Now that just isn't my style! ;)

But seriously, I would have done that.  If nothing else for a baseline test.

Offline RICK STEFANICK

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2012, 08:51:41 PM »
have you even used a dip tank yet?  They work fine without anything else.  I wouldn't waste my time on it.
thank you thank you thank you for stepping up mk. There is no reason and never will be to ever even consider circulating a dip tank.(ARE YOU USING ONE?) there would be absolutly no benefit(IN FACT YOU WOULD STIR UP ALL THE CRAP THAT SETTLES ON THE BOTTOM). put your time and effort into new printing techniques, getting better supply prices, creating a better work flow, finding better garment prices,marketing,cleaning, scraping screens. and after mastering all that spending quality time with family.
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Offline Gilligan

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Re: Circulating in a dip tank?
« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2012, 09:17:43 PM »
have you even used a dip tank yet?  They work fine without anything else.  I wouldn't waste my time on it.
thank you thank you thank you for stepping up mk. There is no reason and never will be to ever even consider circulating a dip tank.(ARE YOU USING ONE?) there would be absolutly no benefit(IN FACT YOU WOULD STIR UP ALL THE CRAP THAT SETTLES ON THE BOTTOM). put your time and effort into new printing techniques, getting better supply prices, creating a better work flow, finding better garment prices,marketing,cleaning, scraping screens. and after mastering all that spending quality time with family.

I'm all for someone telling me this is a waste of time as that is/was the point of me posting the question.  My only issue is when people don't really READ what is proposed as they are shooting it down (still not trying to suggest this is any better of an idea)... BUT... I said put a filter on it.  This would remove anything that got stirred up.  It would essentially make your tank CLEANER as it would be constantly filtering out sediment.. especially sediment that would be suspended in the solution.

But if it serves no benefit to the chemical interaction then it's certainly not worth the time.  I just assumed that moving the solution around would keep "fresh" chemical in contact with the emulsion at all times.  This again may not really be an issue but this is why I asked about it.  Someone with FAR more understanding of the the chemical reaction and process that is going on at a molecular level could say if this is a good or bad idea or just a plain waste of time.

Remember, some people are still abrading their mesh because they just don't know any better.