Nuarc ft26v flip-top platemaking exposure unit

[Dochertyscott]

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone knows whether the depth of the nuarc ft26v flip-top will take or can be altered to take screen printing screens? There is one up for grabs second hand and thought if so it would be a good buy...?
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers. 

[RonH]

Going back 15-20 years ago, we did manufacture Flip Tops that would handle screens, but most Flip Tops were designed for Litho Plates.  Anything thicker than 1/4" would not fit into these units.

Ron Hopkins
NuArc Sales Mgr.
M&R Sales and Service

[StuJohnston]

My first vacuum frame was a millington set up for offset plates. I got it with my Olec, so I decided to make the best of it. It's possible, but it entailed cutting the metal frame out from underneath the bottom so that the glass wouldn't be obstructed when the lamp was shining up from the bottom, removing the glass from the top of the frame and placing it on the lower part.

With a flip top, it seems like it would be more complicated since the blanket would still technically be on the bottom, does there need to be something to prevent the screen just hanging in the blanket? As in a board that is 2-3 inches away from the glass?

[RonH]

In the Screen Print version of the Flip Top, there was a well cut out of the center of the vacuum frame.  The screen was positioned on top of the blanket and after vacuum was pulled the vacuum frame was rotated 180 degrees before being exposed.  When exposing plates this was a typical setup, but for screen printing it was a little awkward as the film could move during the vacuum time, so many taped the film in place.

Ron Hopkins
NuArc Sales Mgr.
M&R Sales and Service Co.

[Inkworks]

If you're handy, the conversion is fairly straight forward:

bottom post on this thread:

http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php/topic,5447.msg60857.html#msg60857

156 mesh in about 30 seconds, fast vacuum draw.

The FT40 6K unit would be a monster converted, and would fit a 23 x 31" frame or bigger.

[Dochertyscott]

thats great thanks.
is anyone able to give me info on this unit..?
Does this have a MH Lamp?
Cheers 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/other-electronics/other/auction-636331825.htm

[RonH]

That model was Mercury Vapor.