What is the most DIY/jerry-rig/ghetto part of your production?

[Nation03]

I try to upgrade anything that is ghetto as soon as I have the money. My worse things right now are:

Exposure units gas shocks went out so I have to hold the top up with my head as I lay the screens in and take them out. (static shocked on the head every time)

I haven't got a screen rack for my auto screens yet. I keep thinking I am going to build one. So I just use PVC elbows that I had laying around to stack them on top of each other in the dark room. Works fine does take a little more time.

Our exposure unit has the same problem lol.. I always use my head to keep it up.

[jsheridan]

I made it a point to not ghetto when I built the garage.. that was until I needed a pump to get the waste wash water from the wash sink bucket to the washing machine drain.. 1/2 way UP the wall and 10' away.

So I went to Harbor Freight and bought a $35 12V battery powered 200 GPH pump and some clear hose. Grabbed an old motorcycle battery I had on the shelf and now I just keep and eye on the water level and the battery on a tender when not in use.

One of these day's I'll get the plug in model.

[JBLUE]

I try to upgrade anything that is ghetto as soon as I have the money. My worse things right now are:

Exposure units gas shocks went out so I have to hold the top up with my head as I lay the screens in and take them out. (static shocked on the head every time)

I haven't got a screen rack for my auto screens yet. I keep thinking I am going to build one. So I just use PVC elbows that I had laying around to stack them on top of each other in the dark room. Works fine does take a little more time.

Our exposure unit has the same problem lol.. I always use my head to keep it up.

Us too LOL...

[sweetts]

 I ran 220 out to my garage so I could use it as my shop, I used a 1 1/2 " semi rigid duct liner to put the electric cable in (buried under ground) but on the ends where you can see I used 2' schedule 80, so it appears to be  rigid the entire way. I saved like 40 bucks. I had the liner laying around so I used that,,,  that's real ghetto.

[Homer]

I use an old 230 screen as a fly swatter. . .funny as hell watching me go at a bee but I got the sumbitch.

[screenxpress]

I have built washout booth and a drying/storage cabinet.
Bot look pretty nice so I would not hesite to bring a customer in. Anyway, I do everything from my basement, and I do not think that they expect everything to be top line

Ahhhhh, basements.  Must be nice.  Hard to find one on the Gulf Coast.

[screenxpress]

I use an old 230 screen as a fly swatter. . .funny as hell watching me go at a bee but I got the sumbitch.

You don't have a shop vac?  Whenever I get a wasp in, I just grab the shop vac and fwooooooop..........

[screenxpress]

Oh, my 2c.

I have a DIY pin registration system going, a DIY Newman Roller stretching table (but going to redo ala Northland), and a DIY hood over the dryer to exhaust out heat from inflow and outflow.

Everything else is (now) normal screen printing purchased equipment.

[Coyote71]

Oh, my 2c.

I have a DIY pin registration system going, a DIY Newman Roller stretching table (but going to redo ala Northland), and a DIY hood over the dryer to exhaust out heat from inflow and outflow.

Everything else is (now) normal screen printing purchased equipment.

That system sounds not bad compared to what I have done. I have 1 platen with marks on it. I put the positive on the platen and line it up on the marks. Then install 2 sided scotch tape to the positive and clamp the screen in place. Pull the screen down and the positive is now in place. Now thats ghetto.  But it works really well

[Fresh Baked Printing]

My squeeze sharpener. Three pieces of wood and sandpaper.

[alan802]

I use an old 230 screen as a fly swatter. . .funny as hell watching me go at a bee but I got the sumbitch.

Homer, are you sure you're from upstate New York or wherever the hell you're from?  Your actions and demeanor on the forum suggests you might be a good ole boy from the south, perhaps a closet Texan?

[RICK STEFANICK]

Closet something..but not texan

[inkman996]

I use an old 230 screen as a fly swatter. . .funny as hell watching me go at a bee but I got the sumbitch.

Homer, are you sure you're from upstate New York or wherever the hell you're from?  Your actions and demeanor on the forum suggests you might be a good ole boy from the south, perhaps a closet Texan?

You are just realizing us Northeners are just as cool as you

[Sbrem]

When I first started in the early 70's, the company had a homemade process camera. The film back was reinforced glass with artists' wax smeared all over it to stick the film to, in place of a vacuum... I can just hear "What's a process camera?" or "What's a film back?" from some of the younger guys...

Steve

[Shawn (EIP)]

My dryers were always jerry rigged till I bought a newer one, my flash is jerry rigged. Funny how everything harco I have ever owned was Jerry rigged in some way or another. My washout room is a shared restroom in the building after the landlord backed out on installing water in my space like we agreed on. So on a busy day It's hard getting through a round of screens without someone knocking on the door begging me to step out because they really have to number 1 or number 2. The buildings super getting pissed at me for not keeping the sink spotless and my tape out of the drain, when He finds tape he sticks it on my door. I use to have my own washout booth in there but the a-hole bands that practice in the building would piss in it. Luckily theres a good size sink in there left behind by a photography business. So hey as long as you have your own private spot in the shop for a washout room who cares what it looks like, it's better than smelling turds.
I really want to move out but the rent is too cheap, so cheap it would be stupid to leave.