Dip Tanks - a question from a slightly different angle

[Frog]

We've seen countless threads extolling their virtues, but has anyone used, but then quit using a dip tank?
Why?

[Screened Gear]

That's a really good question. I just ordered one just to check it out. I can clean 16 to 20 screens Autos and easily over 20 manuals an hour with a spray bottle and everyone said its faster with a dip tank.

[Get Shirts]

At 16+ screens an hour you're a beast, but you should still be able to reclaim faster.  I can't imagine anyone going back to a spray bottle system. 

[Nick Bane]

yeah id never go back to doing them by hand after using a dip tank.

[Frog]

Guys, let's not lose the focus of my question.
I am not looking for more endorsements here, we have them up the wazoo.
I'm looking for the Marc Antony who has come to bury Caeser, not to praise him, and explain why.

You can talk them up all you want in probably at least a half dozen threads just on this forum already.

[Screened Gear]

16 an hour is not hard when you use all your chemicals full strength and work on 4 screens at a time. I can't get any faster, that's why I am going to try a dip tank. I know shops doing 25 to 30 screens an hour with a dip tank.

Back to what frog is asking. Who here has used a dip tank and hates them?

[Gilligan]

Guys, let's not lose the focus of my question.
I am not looking for more endorsements here, we have them up the wazoo.
I'm looking for the Marc Antony who has come to bury Caeser, not to praise him, and explain why.

You can talk them up all you want in probably at least a half dozen threads just on this forum already.

Maybe that's the crux of your problem here.

[Frog]

 ::)No, I think that my problem is just that some folks merely love to post, whether it's really germane (or Tito, Marlon, or Jackie) to the particular issue or not.
Why can't we just wait see if this develops any interesting tidbits. There's a big world out there.

That's a problem with posting on Saturdays. We draw from a somewhat limited pool of members and experiences.

For that matter, there may be no one. And though that will definitely boost the idea of indispensability, you are still jumping the gun a bit.

[Screened Gear]

Frog,

To answer your question. I have talked to one guy that does not like dip tanks. He worked in one of those big shops in south CA, you know the ones. He said his guys would take longer when using a dip tank. He used to have them line up a ton of screens and have 2 or 3 guys work on them one after another. (I am sure their floor was really clean) He said they could do 60 to 100 screens an hour this way. It was a few years ago so I am not sure exactly how they did it. If you look at it in man power and how many each guy did in an hour they still only did about 20 to 30 screen per person. I know, it still didn't answer if a dip tank is better than spray. But that was one guy that preferred spray bottles over a dip tank. It may be the only guy.

[Gilligan]

::)No, I think that my problem is just that some folks merely love to post, whether it's really germane (or Tito, Marlon, or Jackie) to the particular issue or not.
Why can't we just wait see if this develops any interesting tidbits. There's a big world out there.

That's a problem with posting on Saturdays. We draw from a somewhat limited pool of members and experiences.

For that matter, there may be no one. And though that will definitely boost the idea of indispensability, you are still jumping the gun a bit.

Or it could be that I'm just f'ing with you.

[jasonl]

ordered one last week, should be here this week.  I clean 21 an hour with a garden sprayer.  So, I will let everyone know soon.

[jsheridan]

The NY shop I worked in used then stopped using a dip tank due to having a large inventory of older roller frames that leaked into the tubes.

Rather than toss the frames, they tossed the tank and went back to the spray system.

[Prosperi-Tees]

::)No, I think that my problem is just that some folks merely love to post, whether it's really germane (or Tito, Marlon, or Jackie) to the particular issue or not.
Why can't we just wait see if this develops any interesting tidbits. There's a big world out there.

That's a problem with posting on Saturdays. We draw from a somewhat limited pool of members and experiences.

For that matter, there may be no one. And though that will definitely boost the idea of indispensability, you are still jumping the gun a bit.

Are you implying people have a life on Saturdays? I dont

[Mr Tees!!]

...I know of two shops here that have one and quit using them. One shop brough in a new manager of the old-scool variety, and I guess wasnt too open to new procedures. The second had the liquid in the tanks suddenly fail, and gave up on it.

...One thing about these tanks (and Im sure this is what happened at the second shop above, they are not the neatest or more organized bunch) is that you absolutely cannot introduce a corrodable metal into the solution at all, it will deactivate the chemical QUICK. I have seen one go bad, and we found a small metal washer that somehow fell into the bottom ofthe tank.

...Andy, if you want to hear about the "cons" of the dip-tank system, Call your rep for ICC chemicals, my rep is always trying to get me to ditch our tank. I cant say that he presented a good arguement to do so, because I do not remember why he said so. I figure he wants to sell me a continual-use chemical, rather than the small amount i use to refill the tank once every six months or so.

....I recommend the tank myself. If you are careful and even remotely clean and organized, you will be glad you made the switch.

[Inkworks]

We'll be getting a diptank for next year, about my only concern is that they may cause more old ink/emulsion to get caked in the locking strip channels. We use Hix Retens, so leaking is not a concern.