Aquasol HV question

[TCT]

Does anyone that uses Aquasol HV mix in daizo? We have been using the HV forever, but for WB and discharge we would use the 1400. The 1400 was nicer on the wallet, but I didn't care for the stencil thickness we would get with it for use with plastisol. I mixed in a thing of diazo with the HV and seems like the best of both worlds. Thoughts? Warnings? Have all the cool kids been doing this already?!

[IntegrityShirts]

Does anyone that uses Aquasol HV mix in daizo? We have been using the HV forever, but for WB and discharge we would use the 1400. The 1400 was nicer on the wallet, but I didn't care for the stencil thickness we would get with it for use with plastisol. I mixed in a thing of diazo with the HV and seems like the best of both worlds. Thoughts? Warnings? Have all the cool kids been doing this already?!

I tried it for a couple gallons and the extended exposure times combined with the long soak in the dip tank didn't warrant adding it in.  I just use the wipe on hardener with plain HV, even though it's a separate step it's quicker for me to do it as needed for wb prints.

[Inkworks]

My supplier recommended a 1/2 load of diazo in the Aquasol HV, We're just getting into testing.

[IntegrityShirts]

My supplier recommended a 1/2 load of diazo in the Aquasol HV, We're just getting into testing.

Post back when you have results.  I'd be interested to see how it does.  On Murakami's site, they say to add 25% to the exposure time if the diazo is added.  In my experience with my Olec 5k light, exposure times for a 2/2 150S yellow mesh w/o diazo are around 28LU, with diazo the same screen would be about right at 190LU...so I think their data sheet might be a tad off!

[TCT]

My supplier recommended a 1/2 load of diazo in the Aquasol HV, We're just getting into testing.

Post back when you have results.  I'd be interested to see how it does.  On Murakami's site, they say to add 25% to the exposure time if the diazo is added.  In my experience with my Olec 5k light, exposure times for a 2/2 150S yellow mesh w/o diazo are around 28LU, with diazo the same screen would be about right at 190LU...so I think their data sheet might be a tad off!

With adding a full bottle of diazo, we are a little over double the exposure time.

[Doug S]

I tried it for a couple gallons and the extended exposure times combined with the long soak in the dip tank didn't warrant adding it in.  I just use the wipe on hardener with plain HV, even though it's a separate step it's quicker for me to do it as needed for wb prints.
[/quote]

When you add the hardener without using the diazo, are you able to get long print runs out of it?

[JBLUE]

My supplier recommended a 1/2 load of diazo in the Aquasol HV, We're just getting into testing.

Post back when you have results.  I'd be interested to see how it does.  On Murakami's site, they say to add 25% to the exposure time if the diazo is added.  In my experience with my Olec 5k light, exposure times for a 2/2 150S yellow mesh w/o diazo are around 28LU, with diazo the same screen would be about right at 190LU...so I think their data sheet might be a tad off!

Might be your exposure unit. We are not even at 160 light units for HVP with diazo on a 1200 watt Nuarc. 90% of what we do with HVP is without Diazo. Long runs we add it in for piece of mind.

[IntegrityShirts]

My supplier recommended a 1/2 load of diazo in the Aquasol HV, We're just getting into testing.

Post back when you have results.  I'd be interested to see how it does.  On Murakami's site, they say to add 25% to the exposure time if the diazo is added.  In my experience with my Olec 5k light, exposure times for a 2/2 150S yellow mesh w/o diazo are around 28LU, with diazo the same screen would be about right at 190LU...so I think their data sheet might be a tad off!

Might be your exposure unit. We are not even at 160 light units for HVP with diazo on a 1200 watt Nuarc. 90% of what we do with HVP is without Diazo. Long runs we add it in for piece of mind.

I think it's actually my stencil thickness that makes it so unbearable.  But, in my shop, I like having a few super thick stencils for those one hit white days so I decided to just add the hardener and live with the step for wb prints.  Takes less time for a few screens a week vs extending ALL screen exposure times.

Hardener, when applied to both sides, is pretty darn durable.  Not sure how durable, don't think I've done any wb up into the 1000's with it, but I'd give it a shot.

[Orion]

When you add the hardener without using the diazo, are you able to get long print runs out of it?

We recently ran a 900 piece job without the addition of diazo. We did use the hardener MS on it.

[alan802]

I'm about to do a white discharge run on a couple hundred expensive $5 shirts with some HVP without the diazo because Brian and Michael said they did over 2000 without diazo and just hardener without a screen failure.  They better be right or they're going to get a bill for those shirts that I have to reprint if the screen breaks down .   So we got at least 4 members who print discharge on HV/P without diazo right?

[ScreenPrinter123]

I'm about to do a white discharge run on a couple hundred expensive $5 shirts with some HVP without the diazo because Brian and Michael said they did over 2000 without diazo and just hardener without a screen failure.  They better be right or they're going to get a bill for those shirts that I have to reprint if the screen breaks down .   So we got at least 4 members who print discharge on HV/P without diazo right?

I would just like to point out for the record that we were not using the effeminate pink version (Aquasol HVP [the "P," as I understand it, indicates the "Pink" version]), but the virile greenish/blue kind (Aquasol HV), and I spent 1.5 days doing step test after step test.  So, if anything breaks through, it's gotta be one of those things - the pink variable would be my first guess though :-).

FYI: we did 2,100 waterbase (with the Aquasol HV and CCI's Hardenx), not with discharge -- though ironically enough, while discharge is supposed to be more aggressive (so I've read), the waterbase broke through the NAIL POLISH that we used to cover up the target marks but not so on the discharge - the nail polish has held up just fine on the target marks with discharge jobs.  So, as of right now, our standard policy will be to add emulsion and post expose over the target marks for regular waterbase and just do nail polish for target marks for discharge. 

[ebscreen]

Aquasol HV with no diazo, yes hardener, several several thousands plus discharge prints no problems.

I'd think using more than one emulsion or even adding diazo would have our screen room employees running
away in tears. Hell, if we even switched to the pink version of the HV minds would be blown.

[alan802]

Surely there is no difference in performance between the effeminate pink and virile green?  I think some just prefer different colors in their emulsion but the color should be the only difference when it comes to emulsions like HV and HVP.  I'm going out right now and develop the 4 discharge jobs we have coming up and I'll report back.

[IntegrityShirts]

pink is definitely easier to see through for alignment, but I would like to know if pigment really is the only difference.  Seems like the blue was more durable and I could build a thicker stencil, but I'm sure that's just my mind playing tricks on me.

[Colin]

No added Diazo here.  Our exposure times would be far to long with it.  Again, Nuarc 3140 1200 watt metal halide bulb.  We run 150LX, 150T, 180LX, and 110 for our waterbase/discharge screens.  The diazo would extend our exposure times past double for a correct full exposure.

Without diazo we will pop a screen before stencil breakdown on standard waterbase printing.  Well ok, a few times the screen broke down... When you have a screen that is completely dry, exposed FULLY, then post exposed and HARDENED... it lasts longer than most production runs.  We are using Saati fixer 9.

Make sure you have very little screen flex at the edge of your squeegee (i.e. watch off contact):  The Aquasol HV is a bit brittle and will wear out.  We have found a few strips of tape take care of the issue.

On discharge we have seen the screens breakdown after anywhere from 1600 print strokes to 12,000 print strokes.  The 1600 print strokes was on next level tank tops with thick ribbing.  12k was standard t's.

We have run quite a few orders of over 5,000 prints per location both waterbase and discharge.  The only time we have real issues is if we pushed the screens to fast in the screen room.  When we took the time are were ready ahead of time, we had the longer print runs.

TL;DR Correctly dry, expose, harden your screens before you get on press and you should be able to hit multiple thousands easily.