Water based adhesive

[Ripcord]

I have a whole gallon of this (Albatross) that I've had for years. I used to use it, but found the spray adhesive to be so much more convenient that I got in the habit of using that. However, I read so many forum posts by people who like the water based stuff that I'm interested in giving it another try (especially since I have so much of it.).

Here are the problems I have with it (am I the only one?)

1. It takes FOREVER to dry. A flash and hair dryer speed it up a bit, but still it takes quite awhile. Should I be applying it in the evening and then letting it dry overnight?

2. It's nice and sticky when I flash it, but not very sticky when it's cold. Which means it's useful for jobs that require a flash, but not so useful for multicolor wet-on-wet jobs.

I'm going to try the Mean Green cleaner I've read about on the forums to see if that improves my experience...But I can't help thinking I might be missing something or doing something wrong. Does anybody else have the same problems with the adhesive that I do?

[tonypep]

Apply with screen room scrubby (rinse immediately), then flash. Reactivate with ammonia water and bristle brush (takes off the bugs) use cardboard underneath

[alan802]

It should dry with a 2 second flash or a few minutes just sitting there.  I guess you may be applying way too thick of a layer.  I know spray tack is convenient around here but only during the setup phase.  Once we get to printing it's WB tack all the time.  I can't believe someone would find it more convenient during a production run if using it like most of us do.  There is a local shop that goes through several cases of spray tack a month and they can't get the WB tack down for some reason.  I've even showed the owner how we apply it and how we use it but they still go back to the spray within a week. 

[GaryG]

May not seem tacky when cold, but if enough used, plenty of tack after the squeegee presses.
Make sure it is shaken well. If very old, may of lost some usefulness.
Should only take a few minutes to dry if not over applied.
We dilute 50/50 or 60tac/40water. Still better than picking up the can if you can.
-after 20+ years of picking up the can man.

[Frog]

I started with the stuff from Albatross, but eventually changed to the thicker Tekmar TB-HV.
Of course, many dilute it anyway, so probably a moot point in your case.
At any rate, it worked fine, and if you don't have a flash on, and you have the time to coat earlier, sure, that helps. Otherwise, I've also used a hair dryer.
The stuff is so much nicer than spray, that turning on your otherwise unneeded flash to get it going may still be worthwhile. Remember that once you're good to go, it outlasts spray, and of course is cleaner and healthier.
Except for fleece, it's a no-brainer.

[ericheartsu]

someone on here suggested food coloring in it, and we've been doing that for a month, and it works awesome!

[StinkyDaddy]

I'm a recent convert to WB after 25 years of spray.
Wish I had done it sooner.

[kingscreen]

We use CCI Top Bond cut 50/50 with water.  We apply it with a squirt bottle and spread it out using a 6" putty knife.  Smooth and consistent tack.

[dirkdiggler]

Tekmar TB-10 and I would NEVER go back to spray tack, except for fleece.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

And yet another MEEE TOOOO! for waterbased tac. I think mine is CCI also but I apply mine from a ketchup bottle thinned 50/50 with water and spread it out with a 2" foam paint brush.

I remove the "bugs" (thanks for coining that term, Tony) with water and a Scotch Brite Sponge. I reuse the Scotch Brite and the foam roller many many times.

I usually warm up my platens anyway, so the lower tac when cold isn't an issue for me.

I'm even experimenting with waterbased tac for hoodies. It works, sorta.....

I. HATE. SPRAY. TAC. 

[Ripcord]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to start with clean pallet tape (I applied it over some lint, and that might be a reason that it doesn't want to dry or stick...) and I got my squeeze bottle, Mean Green, and brush today at the grocery store, so I'm ready to try it again.

[mooseman]

Rip,
on fresh pallet paper I often find I need to put down two coats of tekbond to get the fresh pallet up to snuff, one coat is never enough INITIALLY!
We coat (about a 50/50 mixture water and tekbond) then completely flash dry that coat. You will find the first coat will soak into the the pallet paper some as opposed to sitting on top which is like you want, kinda like white ink on a black shirt . When completely dry we add a second coating, ( each BTW applerd with a foam paint roller) and flash dry the second coating.
You will find the tac of the second coating is multiple times more effective than the initial coating.

If ultimately you need to dull it down some, ( because you can trap rats with the stick)  just sprinkle on some baby powder and brush it around / off with a stiff brush, we use a wall paper brush because it is wide and quite stiff for the purpose.
Give it a try at least on one pallet.
mooseman

[Ripcord]

Thanks Mooseman, I watched your video earlier and I'm looking forward to trying this again.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to start with clean pallet tape (I applied it over some lint, and that might be a reason that it doesn't want to dry or stick...) and I got my squeeze bottle, Mean Green, and brush today at the grocery store, so I'm ready to try it again.

Oh yeah. Clean pallet tape. And I didn't know the PARTICULAR brand of WB adhesive. Although Albatross is a big player,  surely it's okay. Could yours maybe have frozen at some point?

Don't try to reapply a new coating of adhesive over fuzz. No no no. Remove the fuzz first. Often that's all that's needed anyways. I always defuzz first, warm up the boards which also dries them out, lay down a new coat of WB adhesive, then flash again. For sure on the VERY FIRST application of adhesive to fresh platen paper, heating the platens helps avoid bubbles...or a kind of blistering....caused by the paper absorbing the water content instead of leaving it on top. As Mike said, a 2nd coat is pretty much required on fresh tape.

It SOUNDS like al lot more work than it really is. In practice, it goes pretty fast and saves lots of time over spray and and the requisite cleanup.

[Ripcord]

Thanks, I actually use sign vinyl instead of pallet tape, since I always have some lying around. It lies nice and flat and the heat seems to (if anything) shrink it to fit even tighter.