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General => General Discussion and ??? => Topic started by: Evo on January 11, 2012, 02:50:10 PM
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As I have shut down recently, but I am setting up new digs in the garage, I've had to improvise a few things.
Example: toss screens in the bed of my pickup, then go to the carwash to "wash the truck". (the kind with stalls and power washer wands) Truck bed instantly transformed into a reclaim booth!
Ok, it's confession time foir the rest of you...
All shops at one time or another (or presently) have a home-made contraption, or a setup or procedure that would make some people cringe. (or make the fire dept shut the place down...)
What is the most "ghetto" (for lack of a better term) part of your shop?
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Using the second bathroom for wet work.
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this should be hidden from public lol.
Having washout booth drain somewhere!
Having a king sized black sheet covering my screen rack
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wording is very important on how you say things, but the most least attractive place in my shop is my washout booth..could be alot better.
Darryl
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Using a bathroom scale as a shipping scale. Works fine and is accurate, just sort of weird.
Luckily that's as bad as it gets around here anymore.
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BACK IN THE DAY - waay, waay back....
Exposure unit consisted of a 4' tall wooden box, a 500 watt halogen work light, and the glass door from the front my house. . .
guess what, the fker was UV resistant so it took over an hour to expose a screen. . .oh and weights from my weight bench and
a cushion from a couch. . .crappy enough for ya?
we have since advanced. . . .thank jeebus.
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My registration system is pretty funny looking. It's not completed but I don't imagine it's going to look much more professional when I'm done with it.
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Our wash out room is kind of ghetto. It's a second bath room, removed sink/toilet and installed a stainless steel wash out booth and a dip tank. BOOM.
Our ink area also sucks a bit.
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/268656_217578758283163_138282122879494_614254_7130063_n.jpg)
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a stainless steel wash out booth and a dip tank
How is that even remotely ghetto?? THis is in a separated room from the rest of the shop? That sounds optimal.
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a stainless steel wash out booth and a dip tank
How is that even remotely ghetto?? THis is in a separated room from the rest of the shop? That sounds optimal.
The booth is really nice, the fact that your nearly standing on the hole in the floor for the shitter (seals off but still) makes it a bit ghetto. The plumbing is also very much so a jerry rig, but hey it works. LOL.
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My exposure unit looks like a cobbled mess from the great depression.
No hot water in my building.
No heat (yet) in my building.
Dryer is hooked up with a 50' welding extension cord...that I unplug and run to the exposure unit when I need it.
I could go on lol
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Used to expose screens in the sunlight with a sheet of thin glass, stopwatch and a black sheet. With dual cure, diazo sensitized emulsion you can watch for the color change.
I would expose at about the same time each day in the same general area then wash them all out in my bathtub with special plumbing I rigged up off the shower nozzle to wash screens with. No screens on cloudy days for me though.
But the worst was when I had a booth I built by setting a shower stall up on a frame and instead of backlights I had this goose neck lamp with a bug bulb just sticking right in the washout. It was plugged to a gfci but I'm still not sure how/why it is I didn't get zapped in all that time.
Movin' on up again to a new space this month- about 2k sf, new 200a 3ph panel, separate washout/screen room, big ass dryer, big vac frame, room for two flatstock presses. Looking forward to it and glad to be getting out of the 800sf I'm currently in.
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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 ;)
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Dryer is hooked up with a 50' welding extension cord...that I unplug and run to the exposure unit when I need it.
I could go on lol
Forgot about that, lol I have a 50' one I use to run my 24 screen drying cabinet and it also has to be used for my 24" flash. Walking that cord around kinda often...haha.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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I use an old 230 screen as a fly swatter. . .funny as hell watching me go at a bee but I got the sumbitch.
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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.
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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..........
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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.
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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. ;D But it works really well
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My squeeze sharpener. Three pieces of wood and sandpaper.
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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?
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Closet something..but not texan :)
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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 8)
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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
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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.
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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
Respect to the "old timers".
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My squeeze sharpener. Three pieces of wood and sandpaper.
That is my next "project" :)
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"What's a process camera?"
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"What's a process camera?"
Didn't they use elmers glue and diazo for emulsion back then? Film was a oiled paper.
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"What's a process camera?"
Didn't they use elmers glue and diazo for emulsion back then? Film was a oiled paper.
That's how I described emulsion back then, looked like it, smelled like it... We actually paid more for film in those days than we do now for inkjet film and ink. Plus, we tray developed; into the developer, to the stop bath, to the fixer to final washing. Holy crap there were a lot of steps...
Steve
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i grew up with a stat camera. I hated the million steps, the chemical bath, the negative paper.
the shops that started with digital should be thankful. They are cheaper and faster to operate. It was like pulling teeth to get my dad to abandon the old camera. They finally stopped making the paper for them.
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i grew up with a stat camera. I hated the million steps, the chemical bath, the negative paper.
the shops that started with digital should be thankful. They are cheaper and faster to operate. It was like pulling teeth to get my dad to abandon the old camera. They finally stopped making the paper for them.
not to mention making edits...
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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. ;D But it works really well
Mine was pretty easy. I make my own platens out of MDF and Formica covering. So I made one kind of large rectangle with a nice size notch cut out where the screen clamps comes down. Then flattened out some angle brackets and after drilling and locking in a bolt, fastened the 3 brackets to the underside of the platen 3 points stick up to stop the screen (using Newmans but will work for std 20x24 static), 2 in back outside the clamp and 1 on side. then glued 3 short posts to the glass on exposure unit. Taped the registrations bullets to the glass so I can lay and tape each film on top, set the screen to the stops and expose. Have not run it all through yet, but should almost be able to bypass press alignment. I'll post when done.
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Unless I'm reading this wrong, put your "bullets on the mdf platen you use to align the screens to the clamp, double-stick tape the top of your films, and let the screen down on top while butted up against the three angle iron bits. Eliminates doing it on the glass. Not to say that the other way won't work because I did that with a pin registration scheme by gluing 3/4" PVC caps to the glass with silicone, but doing it all on the same jig simplifies things a bit.
I also had a bitch of a time getting those damn caps off the glass without busting something.
I like to avoid placing my screen frames in exactly the same spot on the glass everytime anyway, hoping to avoid any tears in the blanket from repeated stressing in the same spots with every exposure. Maybe it doesn't make any difference in the life of the blanket, but it can't hurt, and I'm cheap.
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I did some thinking and see where you're coming from.
The only thing that bothers me is the screens would be in the clamps twice and my back clamp leaves me a little concerned it would 'nail it' twice. I'll definitely keep that as an option though.
I've already glued 3 short wooden cut sections of closet rod to the glass. I did some soul searching on the glue to use and decided to use contact cement. I understand contact cement will dissolve with paint thinner. Got that tip from my neighbor who used to install Formica on counter tops. If they had to redo one, they poured some thinner into the crack and once it started loosening up, they could pry it off the rest of the way. Hope he's right, lol.
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Heat will also loosen contact cement. That's how I used to resole my Birkenstocks, with a heat gun.
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I wouldn't call any of our stuff ghetto but we have a lot of DIY. I think all shops have something DIY just to make the job easier.
Some of our stuff is our reg system, squeegee tree, vac pallet, ink dispensing guns, spot gun station, ear muff pallet, laser alignment, etc.
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That ink gun looks rad. Plans?
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I wouldn't call any of our stuff ghetto but we have a lot of DIY. I think all shops have something DIY just to make the job easier.
Some of our stuff is our reg system, squeegee tree, vac pallet, ink dispensing guns, spot gun station, ear muff pallet, laser alignment, etc.
Love the spot gun vac great idea
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That ink gun looks rad. Plans?
In my head. 3/4" PVC pipe, 5/16" rod threaded at both ends, a few o-rings and the pistons I make on my lathe out of blocks of UHMW plastic. These are first generation, next ones will be aluminium.
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I wouldn't call any of our stuff ghetto but we have a lot of DIY. I think all shops have something DIY just to make the job easier.
Some of our stuff is our reg system, squeegee tree, vac pallet, ink dispensing guns, spot gun station, ear muff pallet, laser alignment, etc.
Love the spot gun vac great idea
Garment is dry by the time your done. I have a scrap 110 white mesh over the end to support the shirt while shooting it.
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Jerry-rigged......
Took an 11 foot long conveyor dryer (got it free because it was shot electrically).
Cut a 3 foot slice out of the center of it.
Re-joined the two ends.
Rebuilt the control panel with a new PID controller and SSR relays.
Cut 5 1/2' out of the belt and seamed it back together with teflon thread.
The original had three, 3000 watt heat elements.
The modified dryer has two elements and switches to turn off either element.
Time ??? Maybe 40 hours.
I used to think this was a good use of my time.
I now believe it's better to spend time building the business (not building the equipment).
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I forgot to add my shirt carts. I got a great deal on a set of cubicles and they came with like 12 or 15 Hon rolling file cabinets. I use the smaller ones in the office but the longer ones work great for putting orders on. They roll really good and can hold the weight. I have had over 250 shirts on one with no issues. Not really a cheap way to go since they are about $200 each if you bought them new. But I just had them here and I needed shirt carts and so now that is what they are used for. The best thing about them is they are small and don't take up much room when not in use. They are just tall enough that the long sleeves don't drag.
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For us it is definitely our work truck... The "Blue Dragon"...
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6751671811_e419f55e4e.jpg)
The picture doesn't do it justice...
I should preface my rant... the Blue Dragon was free... and came from Chicago... It was actually a blessing!!
Shortly after we got her, the AC/Heat blower stopped working... Switches and all!! So I bypassed it with a simple on off switch... So it either is off, or on full blast.... Not that big of a deal...
Within a few weeks the AC compressor went out... Cant have that in GA >:(... So I replaced it with a junk yard compressor... Good to go right..??
A few weeks later the drivers side window failed... My partner Scott decided to investigate the situation, and in doing this he burnt up the switches that control "all" of the windows... So we take out the motor on the drivers side, and pin the window, so it can be manually pulled up and down... Unfortunately all of the other windows will no longer work. Plus the rear passenger side window was half way down when this happened (Where it remains today)...
Now the fun part...
Remember it came from Chicago. Salt really does a number on a car. Seriously this thing is a rust bucket.
The brake system decides to give out while Scott is out seeing customers :o... Luckily the E-Brake works... So I replace all of the brake lines... Except one on the rear axle.
I thought to myself... "Self... that line looks ok, Ill just leave it". So a week later I am driving, and that line blows out, 1.5 hours from the house... :-[
So I replace all of the remaining brake lines... Then one of the front calipers starts leaking.... So I replace both of the front calipers...
Recently, if you let the RPM go beloe 1000 it stalls. Cranks back up every time, but still annoying. I think it has something to do with the fuel lines..??
I said all of that to say this....
We finally retired the Blue Dragon today, and got a GMC work van!! 72K miles, no rust, I am a happy camper!!
Gonna start running delivery routs around Atlanta soon... :D
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" What is the most DIY/jerry-rig/ghetto part of your production? "
Me.
8)
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And no one told me about this thread?!
Oh yeah... that's about the entire process with me... I guess you guys already knew that. ;)
Coating happens where ever I can do it... one handed process... stack the screens on my dryer's rails with cardboard spacers and put a fan on them... Terrible I know. Store coated screens back in the box they came in with some black mat stuff draped all around it to help block light.
Vacuum storage back for getting a vac on my film/screen for exposing with black shirts in the back since I haven't gotten a "proper" piece of material to put back there... then cover that with stuff to block light while my "grow light" (MH) warms up (3mins) then pull it all off and start my timer on my phone (no phone calls please).
Wash out in my DIY washout booth made from a 300gallon liquid tote (probably the nicest DIY piece I have... but this drains into a bucket which I then have to pump out when it gets full (got to make sure to keep an eye on that!)
Post cure and dry outside in the sun... then store them wherever I can (terrible).
Printing is actually not so ghetto any more, now that I got a Antec Legend 6/4... though if I'm doing one color I'll throw a bungee on the opposite side to make sure the screen doesn't "drift" around... saves me like a second for each print I guess.
Dryer is good, though I did repair all of the panels myself... could have been done better. If it helps, my dryer is hooked up with some romex running across a bunch of junk into my panel. :)
No real sorting and folding arrangement... just whatever we can use to do it on.
Reclaim as normal (with DIY booth) then dry them in whatever way I can... terrible.
Not much ISN'T ghetto in my shop! :)
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you have to start somewhere. you can slowly upgrade and replace things in the shop as they fail or you can spare the extra money.
Good tables are a great thing to have....they can be had cheap...or built cheap.
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you have to start somewhere. you can slowly upgrade and replace things in the shop as they fail or you can spare the extra money.
Good tables are a great thing to have....they can be had cheap...or built cheap.
Word... I just don't have the room right now.
constructing some "loft" type space for storage of some of the stuff taking up all the space. The loft area will be about 180 square feet of storage so that will free up some space. Then I got to get a scooter running (granted it will still be parked there but in a better place), then I need to get my bro-in-law to get a refridge out of there and several other large items (two couches... one is standing on it's end).
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And no one told me about this thread?!
Oh yeah... that's about the entire process with me... I guess you guys already knew that. ;)
Coating happens where ever I can do it... one handed process... stack the screens on my dryer's rails with cardboard spacers and put a fan on them... Terrible I know. Store coated screens back in the box they came in with some black mat stuff draped all around it to help block light.
Vacuum storage back for getting a vac on my film/screen for exposing with black shirts in the back since I haven't gotten a "proper" piece of material to put back there... then cover that with stuff to block light while my "grow light" (MH) warms up (3mins) then pull it all off and start my timer on my phone (no phone calls please).
Wash out in my DIY washout booth made from a 300gallon liquid tote (probably the nicest DIY piece I have... but this drains into a bucket which I then have to pump out when it gets full (got to make sure to keep an eye on that!)
Post cure and dry outside in the sun... then store them wherever I can (terrible).
Printing is actually not so ghetto any more, now that I got a Antec Legend 6/4... though if I'm doing one color I'll throw a bungee on the opposite side to make sure the screen doesn't "drift" around... saves me like a second for each print I guess.
Dryer is good, though I did repair all of the panels myself... could have been done better. If it helps, my dryer is hooked up with some romex running across a bunch of junk into my panel. :)
No real sorting and folding arrangement... just whatever we can use to do it on.
Reclaim as normal (with DIY booth) then dry them in whatever way I can... terrible.
Not much ISN'T ghetto in my shop! :)
one can't blame you for it, how much can you really buy on a deserted island? :)
pierre
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Ay least he has the professor designing the stuff
Sent from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)