The trick to flattening a roller frame?

[Doug S]

Ok, I have a roller master and 24 new 23 x 31 ul rollers.  I'm running into inconsistencies.  I'm stretching some 280's and after stretching and tightening some of them come out flat and others there may be an 1/8" wobble between the corners.  I've watched the youtube videos and am holding down the rollers opposite of tightening.  I'm torqueing at 50 lbs.  Is there another trick to this?  The tension settles even on both directions so I'm lost.

I have airlocks on the press so will that flatten it enough to use anyway?

[ebscreen]

You want them flat.

Assuming you adjusted the table to a known flat frame:

Always start from the same bolt, and go around the same direction. On first round just snug the bolts up
to take up any slack. On the second round torque them fully. Release air and check for flatness. If it still
rocks make sure the frame is positioned fully against the stops, apply air again and loosen/tighten bolt to torque
starting from same bolt and going in same direction.

Two rounds is all we ever have to go. If it's still not flat there's something else going on. We also
put a small piece of shim fabric (it's upholstery actually) under each corner of the frame. I realized
once that some of the corners actually allow the frame to rest on the tube as opposed to the corner
piece itself, causing all manner of nightmares.

Newmans. I love them and I hate them.

[dirkdiggler]

when you finish one and its wobbly, flip it over, DONT loosen bolts, put wrench on flat side an bump slightly, will take the wobble out.

[screenprintguy]

Ok, I have a roller master and 24 new 23 x 31 ul rollers.  I'm running into inconsistencies.  I'm stretching some 280's and after stretching and tightening some of them come out flat and others there may be an 1/8" wobble between the corners.  I've watched the youtube videos and am holding down the rollers opposite of tightening.  I'm torqueing at 50 lbs.  Is there another trick to this?  The tension settles even on both directions so I'm lost.

I have airlocks on the press so will that flatten it enough to use anyway?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYSfw0H-0No

this is what I learned to do, it works!

[jsheridan]

Mesh will stabilize and keep the frame flat. It's usually in the way the bolts are tightened that will cause the entire corner to shift a little, create a kink kind of. This is why we stage the tightening as was mentioned. just barely snug them first round, then when you do torque, push the wrench smoothly till it clicks, don't force it.

Yes there will be times when twist shows up.. 

Mesh down, flat surface and give the high corner a pull inward and the opposing corner will flatten out.

[Doug S]

Thanks for all the help everyone.  I'm kinda new with rollers so I still have a bit of learning to do.

[Admiral]

when you finish one and its wobbly, flip it over, DONT loosen bolts, put wrench on flat side an bump slightly, will take the wobble out.

What we do right now is raise the one of the two good corners with a couple pieces of squeegee then push on the bad corners and this fixes about a 1/16" wobble.  I will look into this instead though!

We go once around clockwise to snug, then again to tighten also.

[Doug S]

What I ended up laying a roller frame on a exposure glass to verify it was flat and then adjusted the rollermaster until that same frame had no wobble.  It seems to have worked so far.  Thanks for all the input.

[tpitman]

Like ebscreen, I first tighten all the bolts finger-tight. Then for the final torquing, I torque the ones that turn putting downward force on the corner, then lastly the ones that tend to lift the corners. Probably the most successful thing I've found for (mostly) coming out with a flat screen. Sometimes works better than others, but comes so close that any slight out-of-plane is inconsequential. I've also done the "loosen one corner and push down the opposite corner" method with the frame wrench, or whatever sequence it is for a stubborn frame.