PUSH OR PULL

[Nation03]

Do any of the AUTO's  (PUSH)?  That would be with the squeegee angle at the same angle, but going in the opposite direction?
As I see them in my memory, they pull. Can you change the direction of the stroke?

I was thinking the same thing.

[Frog]

How many autos suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or other conditions developed by repetitious body movements? Although their parts wear, they don't seem to lose strength and control, and actually feel pain as a human may.

They also seem more stoic, even when close to breaking down, with few complaints, and little warning.

Me, I bitch and make sure that those around me know that my workload needs to be lightened! lol!

[Nation03]

How many autos suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or other conditions developed by repetitious body movements? Although their parts wear, they don't seem to lose strength and control, and actually feel pain as a human may.

They also seem more stoic, even when close to breaking down, with few complaints, and little warning.

Me, I bitch and make sure that those around me know that my workload needs to be lightened! lol!

I hear you... I'm not saying pulling is easier, but I personally feel there is more control and better detail with pulling. I should try to master the push stroke though. I'm 22 and I have carpal tunnel, arthritis and sciatica... the savings account for the auto is growing though lol.

[Shawn (EIP)]

I agree with Frog if it was just a matter of preference that's one thing but we're talking about your arms, wrist and your back. I feel lucky to have discovered the pushing method early on in my printing career/something like that...

My only complaint with pushing long jobs is the area between my thumb and pointer finger gets a little sore, but better than my arms and wrist.

[Clark]

Bill Hood turned some pulling autos into pushing autos in a factory in MX.  I believe he was very pleased with the results.  I was a pusher, and I respectfully disagree that pulling gives you finer detail.  I ran thousands of simulated process prints on manual presses over the years with outstanding results.  if you have a sharp blade, quality screens, and the right angle, the results will be identical if not better by pushing. 

[Dottonedan]

[quoteand I respectfully disagree that pulling gives you finer detail.
[/quote]

i think someone else may have included that language in a paragraph, but not necessarily meant that pulling produces better image quality. I myself say, that over time, from beginning of a long manual production order to the end, that you will get better results from pulling. (The better part) is in the consistency). Meaning, as you get to the middle of your long run, image quality may decrease due to lack of pressure (towards the back of the print) MORE than would see if pull ( and ending at the top towards to. That is really splitting hairs tho.  You will have a nice looking production order either way. I'm just saying that long term production will produce (more good consistent results).  I the end, one could say that this results in better quality over all.

Now, those who push and those who pull can both say "Well, I ran orders at 6 colors for 500 units all year last year and my stuff looked great! (It more than likely does look great. I don't argue that).  I would ask, when set side by side, apples for apples, comparing the beginning of a run (with pulling and the beginning of a run with pushing)....and the same with the end of the run.

What one would look better than the other? I say the one where you are pulling. What one will you feel better with when done?  Probably pushing. In the end, you can produce great image quality results using both methods.

[Frog]

I actually suspect, that for two equal printers who have both mastered their favorite direction, that the puller, being far more tired and weak at the end of a long day, would be the one whose consistency would suffer.

But, it really is different for different printers. I'm old and broken down.

[Clark]

Maybe on an 18" print that would be a problem, but it's doubtful that it will make any difference on a standard 12x12 image.  The body naturally pushes better than it pulls.  I'll take a quality pusher over a quality puller any day when running orders that are a few hundred pieces and 5-6 colors on high mesh.  At the end the pusher will be in a much better place physically, and that translates to higher quality, more consistent prints..  Not too mention pushing is faster.

[Dottonedan]

[quote The body naturally pushes better than it pulls. [/quote]I don't dissagree. The body feels better. Thats improtant.

The print may change a bit due to less pressure at the back towards the machine...at the end of 500-6 color shirts (and that is what I am pointing out) but if everyone (customer and owner) is still happy at the end of the day and the printer feels great....then by all meansl.

[ZooCity]

We push almost everything. Until the big dryer is setup we aren't running much wb but the times we do we also push.  This goes for textile wb as well as flat stock, both of which get a soft flood on the pull.
With plastisol the push is preceded by a very hard flood/fill stroke done with the screen up out if the gate.  That slower fill can be just as fatiguing or more so than the print.  The push stroke is usually very quick and fairly light. Now that I'm addicted to thin thread mesh it's less a game of getting enough pressure and more about holding a very light and consistent stroke across the image.

[Nation03]

Bill Hood turned some pulling autos into pushing autos in a factory in MX.  I believe he was very pleased with the results.  I was a pusher, and I respectfully disagree that pulling gives you finer detail.  I ran thousands of simulated process prints on manual presses over the years with outstanding results.  if you have a sharp blade, quality screens, and the right angle, the results will be identical if not better by pushing.

I don't doubt it, I can't image you putting out a print that doesn't look incredible. I've seen videos of people doing high detail work with the push stroke and it was immaculate work. I should of specified. I personally noticed that I get better detail from pulling, and that is probably do to what you mentioned above. I'm sure my screens aren't tight enough, my squeegees are sharp, but I never tried it long enough to master the angle. When I get my hands on some newman rollers and new triple duro squeegees, I'll give it a try again. Roughly what angle do you guys recommend? I have an 1100 piece order coming in next week and although it is only 1 color, print flash print white, It'd be much easier if I could get away with pushing this job.

[Clark]

Print a coule hundred giveaway shirts and push em all.  That's how my boss taught me to print.  He pointed at three cases of shirts, handed me the films, told me I was the printer starting on Monday and to have it figured out by then.

One of the scariest things for me going automatic was trying to make the machine do things my hands and body naturally did.  The adjustments you naturally make, angle, pressure, speed.  It takes practice, but I promise you fighting the push stroke for a few weeks is a hell of alot better than years of pulling.

[Nation03]

Good point. I still have a few years left on the manual before I can jump into the auto world, so I'll start working on that push stroke soon. I'm buying a bunch of 18x20 roller frames next week along with some S-Thread so hopefully this helps me in the transition. Plus my new pallets from Action just came in today.

[Prosperi-Tees]

2nd Challenger movie

Do they have this thing running backwards or is that how it was done on the old machines?

[Nation03]

I've seen that done on newer machines. I believe sometimes it is better to run the auto like that on oversized designs. At least that is what someone told me when I asked about it.