Screen Tensions....???

[Rocfrog]

I'm assuming that was a poly gold/yellow ink right? One thing that will help a lot with printing those thick inks is warming them up and stirring them up a bit too.  If you used a 110 mesh base for the solid text then the 230 with the halftone and text you should be able to do one revolution on the press.  For shearing that ink better try steeper angle / more pressure if the squeegee isn't buckling over and consider a triple durometer squeegee (65/95/65 is what I use for poly ink).  You will probably need 2 passes still to get that underbase cleared and in the weave as well as on top but it would still be a lot better than where you are at, to get it better you will need better screens and the press better.

Yes it is our Vegas Gold Poly ink. And we should have probably put it on the dryer to warm it up since it's been subzero temps around here for the past week or so, but just didn't think about it honestly. Because usually after a few passes it warms up and smooths out, but I think on these cold mornings I'm just going to start doing that so I start a habit.

This thread has been good for sure though!  It's very easy for us new guys to not have ANY understanding of not just how but WHY some of these things make the print better and this is helping to explain those things vs "Do this".

This statement has been key for me the whole time! Since I have been here it has always been "just do this" never with any rhyme or reason, even on a few other forums. But since everyone has kind of gone into "why" to "do this" I have a better understanding of what is exactly going on vs just doing something because someone said so.

With that said I by no means am now an expert at this and there is still A LOT to be learned and changed (in this shop) so it will be a slow process. But I think in time it will start to show that all the time and research will have payed off.

I think tomorrow I will talk to one of the owners about getting a roll (if not a few rolls) of Squeegee material in so we can replace some, if not all, of our squeegees out for better performing ones.

I can't begin to thank the contributors to this thread enough! I hope that in this somewhere it is helping out more people than just me! And all this started because I found a tension gauge! LOL!!

Nick

[JBLUE]

Anyone got a good source for cheap tripple?

This is the one thing you do not want to cheap out on.

[Gilligan]

“Be a little careful about your library. Do you foresee what you will do with it? Very little to be sure. But the real question is, What it will do with you? You will come here and get books that will open your eyes, and your ears, and your curiosity, and turn you inside out or outside in.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I BOUGHT a tension meter just to learn what I was being ignorant about before.  Definitely an eye opener.

[Gilligan]

Anyone got a good source for cheap tripple?

This is the one thing you do not want to cheap out on.

As much as we print?  We can be cheap.  

But seriously why not?  My thinking (as of now), is if it cost half as much and last over half as long then I'm a head.  Sure changing the blade takes time... but we are time heavy and cash light at this point in the business.

[ScreenFoo]

+1 good over cheap.  Cost of the most expensive bulk blade you can get is still not much more than your labor scrubbing out a holder and setting a blade properly, the difference between that and crap is less money than lunch.  Also cheap blade takes on solvent and swells more easily, and then is damaged much more easily in that state.

Nick, you're not going to know what to do with yourself when you get a couple good squeegees on that press.   Don't be afraid to crank down the pressure a little and push your print carriage speeds, with dull edges and soft screens you it's easy to get conditioned to slow down to fix printing problems.

If you can, I'd try to get a few different types and duros of blades, too.  I think most auto people on here are doing the triple duro, couldn't see you going wrong with a roll of any commonly available flavor, but you never know when a really soft or hard single duro could come in handy for something crazy.

[Gilligan]

Then who has the best price on GOOD tttrrriiipppllleee duro blades?

[JBLUE]

Then who has the best price on GOOD tttrrriiipppllleee duro blades?

Gilligan if you want to get the best price on all your stuff stick with a supplier that you like. Use them for everything you can. It may be more expensive up front but when they start putting you on a lower pricing tier you will love it.

[IntegrityShirts]

Then who has the best price on GOOD tttrrriiipppllleee duro blades?

You can call Saati directly and order all sorts of squeegee by the roll or foot at reasonable prices.  Molded or cut style.

[inkman996]

Then who has the best price on GOOD tttrrriiipppllleee duro blades?

You can call Saati directly and order all sorts of squeegee by the roll or foot at reasonable prices.  Molded or cut style.

+1 call Saati! I stupidly tried the cheapo rubber once and right out of the box it didn't even feel correct, it was more flexible than what it should have been. The edge was far from crisp like you would get from Pleiger ir Saati. I will never cheap out on rubber again.

[Gilligan]

Then who has the best price on GOOD tttrrriiipppllleee duro blades?

You can call Saati directly and order all sorts of squeegee by the roll or foot at reasonable prices.  Molded or cut style.

+1 call Saati! I stupidly tried the cheapo rubber once and right out of the box it didn't even feel correct, it was more flexible than what it should have been. The edge was far from crisp like you would get from Pleiger ir Saati. I will never cheap out on rubber again.

That's what she said?

[ScreenFoo]

Heh heh....  "Right out of the box".   

I should have mentioned that for Nick--Rockstar in Denver is pretty good about keeping decent blade around, and they're reasonable about pricing. 

IIRC, they are carrying Saati blades (and mesh and chems, for that mattter)

[spotcolorsupply]

Then who has the best price on GOOD tttrrriiipppllleee duro blades?

Gilligan if you want to get the best price on all your stuff stick with a supplier that you like. Use them for everything you can. It may be more expensive up front but when they start putting you on a lower pricing tier you will love it.

Aimen to that!!

I would also suggest if you are a smaller shop find a smaller supplier. Your business will be more important to them, possibly leading to better pricing.

But always keep a second supplier around by throwing them a bone from time to time. You never know when the first one will piss you off, run out of something, etc, etc...

[Gilligan]

I completely agree with you guys about the suppliers.  Obviously we want people coming to us for embroidery, t-shirts AND promo products and not just one of those.

Problem comes when they don't have what I need.

I need a supplier with CCI, Easyway, Union, ICC (digging this turquoise), Saati, Murakami (S mesh LE), Rutland, Franmar, Siser (easy weed), then there is sign supplies, embroidery supplies... delivery time/fees.

I get free delivery bi-weekly from two outfits (one an hour away the other 2 hours away) as long as I spend $50 bucks with them.  That is a nice perk, I don't shop much on price on some of those items because I can get them ASAP when needed.  Somethings I can wait for delivery and will worry more about price points at that point.

[Rocfrog]

Heh heh....  "Right out of the box".   

I should have mentioned that for Nick--Rockstar in Denver is pretty good about keeping decent blade around, and they're reasonable about pricing. 

IIRC, they are carrying Saati blades (and mesh and chems, for that mattter)

Rockstar is who we are using for remeshing and for our diptank and chemicals for the tank. Not sure if I like the fact of continuing to use them if they are providing us with a "faulty" product.....

Nick

[mk162]

I don't think it's a faulty product, it's probably misuse.  When was the last time you changed the blades?