Does any of you let it relax and re tension? Or just tighten regardless tension drop.
Going to bring this thread back to address some issues I didn't last time.
Why do I not relax the mesh.. because you don't have to.
the principal behind the technique of tensioning mesh is to flatten the knuckles of the mesh and make a flat stable printing surface.
I have an article here in my hands (in my 'screen bible book' at work really so I'll grab it tomorrow for author) that I've had for about 10 years now that came out around the time the roller table got really popular. It's goal was to find out if pulling the mesh to it's final tension level on the first tension equally from 4 sides at once had any kind of dramatic improvement on initial tension drop vs the 1-roller at a time manual method. The results are staggering and proved that by suddenly 'whacking' the mesh to it's maximum tension levels it was immediately ready for use. The initial tension drop after first printing was minimal requiring only 3-5 more re-tensions to stabilize the mesh. The manual method requires 3 staged tensions before going into production and requires up to 12 additional re-tens before the mesh stabilizes.
Anyone who has made a 200 or higher roller frame with just a wrench and a flat table knows what I mean. It's a long drawn out multi-day process before that screen makes it into production. You can have 6 hours invested into a frame before you even print it!
They also found you could take the mesh to 125% of it's max tension and not break. It would then 'relax' down to it's max tension level. This was how I made my screens at Custom Logos for 4 years with a roller master. If the max tension for the mesh (dynamesh at the time) was 35n then I'd index the rollers, insert the mesh and whack it to 40n and tighten it up. After the first print run the screen would drop to 32-35 depending on the length of the first print run.
I tested the theory over and over to make sure it worked and it did!
This is the way I've been making screens for the last 10 yrs and how I will keep making them.
MESH PANELS and saved time.
As for that other video with panel mesh I was going to make.. I shot a bunch of footage and after 12 tries. I couldn't get past 7 minutes just for the sole fact that you can't index your rollers with panels. You have to take the time and bring them up to the tension point you desire or you'll break em. The only way I can see to help that is to make spacers that fit on the air cylinder rod and stop the roll there. then you can insert and whack
So there.. panels don't save you tons of time as the time saved by putting the panels in, is absorbed by not being able to take it to tension instantly. I only saved 3 minutes and I know what the heck I'm doing. After this time test, panels are a complete waste of time and money to ME so I'll never use them again except for very low mesh so I don't have to lose a frame to mesh that I use maybe once a year.
I challenge anyone to make a video like mine with panels and get under the 7 minute mark from absolute start to finish.
You still have to pull out old mesh, clean the frame, index the rollers, insert new mesh, tension and apply protection tape.
Just putting a 110 panel in a ready to go frame and taking it to 50 isn't start to finish.
