THEY'RE HERE...S Thread Statics

[alan802]

Do you alternate the direction your coating on the single side (rotate the screen 180 degrees) or just keep it the same direction and coat again?

We used to rotate them but got away from doing it the last few years and there have been no issues.  I know the old instructions from emulsion companies recommended you rotate but I can't remember exactly why or what the purpose was.  The mesh still gets encapsulated the same and the stencil is no different from our experience.

[Frog]

Perhaps the rotating and coating the opposite direction is to help even out possible inconsistencies at the beginning and end of the stroke.
This would also explain why an automatic coater (or Alan, lol) might not benefit from this technique.

[alan802]

Perhaps the rotating and coating the opposite direction is to help even out possible inconsistencies at the beginning and end of the stroke.
This would also explain why an automatic coater (or Alan, lol) might not benefit from this technique.

True story, my printer used to coat screens before I let him on the auto, and I'd measure the stencils and I couldn't believe the consistency from screen to screen and from different areas on the mesh.  He would be within a few microns on each like mesh count.  I can keep it in single digits but I swear I'd get identical readings many times from one screen to another and the +- tolerance on the thickness gauge is fairly generous.  I'm sure the auto coater could boast that type of consistency but I doubt it could coat 20 screens in 20 minutes like Carlos could.

[inkman996]

From what I recall the stated advantage was to be able to force the emulsion into the knuckles of the mesh from both sides. With such high mesh counts and such small openings and really really thin deposits it probably is advantageous to get as much grip as possible. For print our type of screens meh, don,t see the point and never seen a problem not doing it.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I have been doing a 2/1 with the sharp side and a really slow coat. Have been getting really good stencils. Close to an acceptable white on dark thru a 160, probably would have been good on a 110.

[Frog]

I have been doing a 2/1 with the sharp side and a really slow coat. Have been getting really good stencils. Close to an acceptable white on dark thru a 160, probably would have been good on a 110.

Have you compared those results to a screen coated 2/1 with the round side? At least with plastisol, EOM is your friend.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Im gonna do that when I get a new coater. I was actually started to use the round side but it has a pretty good nick in it. Im debating whether to go with the Monster Max scoop or the AWT

[mimosatexas]

I ordered the Monster Max this morning.  Very excited!

For one color plastisol, especially white, I coat 2/2 with round on either 110 or 160 (though I am going to be trying to perfect the glisten method this week) unless I am underbasing.  My stencils are thick enough that you can easily see and feel the edge of the stencil on the shirt side.  It lays down a great deposit of ink with nearly 100% opacity, but I still usually p/f/p for the one color lights on dark to get that extra pop and smoothness.  If I underbase, I usually use discharge clear, or lay down one layer using the 2/2 160 then my other colors use 2/1 or 1/1 with 200 to 280 mesh.  I'm excited about revamping the process using glisten method and a new coater though.  The holidays are going to be all about testing...

[alan802]

I don't want to disappoint about the monster max, but it's probably not going to do much for you.  It's easier to hold and handle, it's got some fancy stuff about it, but it doesn't do anything but give a very slightly better stencil consistency and I may be dreaming on that.

[Frog]

I don't want to disappoint about the monster max, but it's probably not going to do much for you.  It's easier to hold and handle, it's got some fancy stuff about it, but it doesn't do anything but give a very slightly better stencil consistency and I may be dreaming on that.

Is that the one with the bottle opener, but the need to tweak the end caps?

[mimosatexas]

I know it's not a magic bullet, but I needed a new coater anyway, and the fact that it can hold more and has the thinner end caps is more than enough reason to buy it.  The ability to tweak the end caps and the bucket opener is just a bonus.

[alan802]

The 180's have made it back through round 3 of production and I'm happy to announce they are holding steady at 22 newtons.  This is good news.

[alan802]

I measured the 135/48 today after 5 trips through production and it's holding at 20 newtons.  I think all of them are close if not work hardened at this point and they have not dropped in tension nearly as bad as most of the other statics that I've tried.  I'm going to buy a few more but at this point I can say that as far as a static aluminum screen goes, these are the best I've used.  They say the S thread doesn't elongate like other mesh and most all the major manufacturers all say their mesh maintains tension but the Murakami smartmesh is by far the best that I've tested.  I've stretched all the major mesh manufacturers and none of them come close to to the smartmesh in regards to elongation. 

[starchild]

The smart mesh also has the added advantage of having a balanced SS curve so choosing whether the mesh is oriented warp vs weft is of no concern- the openings will still be balanced and square.. Now what's also smart is the coating of the threads, to bring it's surface energy lower than the inks surface tension so that the inks don't cling to the threads openings..

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[rmonks]

I'm not pleased with mine. I'm bad to read instructions and I ripped three newly stretched s-mesh screens. If the designer would put a plastic end cap on the think I think he would have a winner.

I don't want to disappoint about the monster max, but it's probably not going to do much for you.  It's easier to hold and handle, it's got some fancy stuff about it, but it doesn't do anything but give a very slightly better stencil consistency and I may be dreaming on that.