TSB
screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: T Shirt1 on July 22, 2011, 11:41:52 AM
-
I need to find a vacuum blanket for our Armergraph Advantage 150. Amergraph can have them made but it's a four week lead time. I've searched this site and the old one but didn't find anything current. Thanks.
steve
-
rick at aero-inc.com (http://aero-inc.com)
-
I just installed our backup blanket that was bought on ebay about a year ago. It was neoprene and cots about $60 or so . . . works great and from what I remember it was shipped promptly. One side has fabric on it, the other is bare neoprene. Make sure you install it with the fabric towards the glass.
pierre
-
I just installed our backup blanket that was bought on ebay about a year ago. It was neoprene and cots about $60 or so . . . works great and from what I remember it was shipped promptly. One side has fabric on it, the other is bare neoprene. Make sure you install it with the fabric towards the glass.
pierre
Wait a minute, Seems to me that we had a discussion on this and some thought that the fabric covering keeps from getting a good seal.
-
rick at aero-inc.com ([url]http://aero-inc.com[/url])
Just called and they've dropped them.
-
Steve I had this same problem with Amergraph some ys ago. It doesn't make sense........standard model quite popular and you don't keep even one spare blanket? If I remember right I got a hold of a higher up and asked him to explain this to me. Got the blanket in a week. Anyway hopefully an aftermarket company can help just don't expect it next day!
-
I need to find a vacuum blanket for our Armergraph Advantage 150. Amergraph can have them made but it's a four week lead time. I've searched this site and the old one but didn't find anything current. Thanks.
steve
A suggestion for the future. I've got the same unit, and from the get-go I place some 4" squares of dense foam, about 3/8" thick, on all 4 corners of my frames before lowering the blanket. A couple of layers of mousepad foam would be good, too. I use roller frames with the square bar and that thing has sharp corners that'll probably wear out a blanket in no time. As much as blankets cost, and the fact that I position my frames in the exact same spot on the glass everytime, was why I'm trying to save my blanket if possible. I'm also a cheap bastard.
-
I've heard that Pond liner from Home depot should work.
About $35 and you get enough for two exposure units.
Did not try, but I have seen comments from people and it works.
-
I've used that on homespun units. Doesn't suck into the corners as tight as the neoprene, but it would work in a pinch while he waits for a new blanket.
-
we use a nuarc 3140 which has holes around the perimeter and does not require the little string. When I installed the neoprene with the cloth up, the suction was having a hard time reaching all the way through. When I added the piece of rope, it pulled so hard it cut the neoprene. By switching it around it eliminated the need for the rope and the cloth was enough to get the vacuum throughout. The seal is pretty impressive. Not sure if it is holding down as tight as the rubber, but it does seem to conform to the frame a lot tighter than the rubber blanket.
When I was shopping for a backup blanket, I was told that Douhit (or what ever they are called) was the place to get them and it would take about a week to get it made. Even M&R did not stock them and had to have them custom made.
In the end, I bought the neoprene. It was 1/5th the cost and shipped quickly.
pierre
-
Douthitt 313-259-1565 Awesome people
-
I bought the same blanket as Bluemoon off ebay, got tried of taping holes in my old one, hes right about 60 some odd bucks, but I installed mine with the rubber side toward the glass, fab side up and it work fine. They shipped in a few days
-
We have a big 'ol Millington frame that I need rubber for. I'll post what I come up with when I get to it. I don't want to use neoprene on a unit that size, I think the rubber would generate a better seal over an area like that.
The neoprene works great on our current homebrew unit though. I've had the same blanket on there for 4 years now I think. We use M3s. Got it from materialscraps.com, another Frog suggestion, so in addition to being cheap and effective, it's even upcycled. Can't beat that.
Probably the best idea is tpitman's one of protecting the blanket.
-
I've made this topic sticky so it stays readily available. It is turning into a good resource on the replacement blankets.
If you have more sources or advice please post it.
thanx,
play nice!
-
I've heard that Pond liner from Home depot should work.
About $35 and you get enough for two exposure units.
Did not try, but I have seen comments from people and it works.
The more space between the vacuum frame's sides and the screen the better with this stuff as it has limited "give". I think that when I once asked for those with experience to chime in, it was suggested that at least 4 or 5 inches of clearance was desirable.
Anyone with experience?
-
If by clearance, you mean "sag" in the middle, I'd say that much at a minimum. You don't want to go crazy but the stuff simply doesn't wrap around a screen frame like neoprene does, and you want to make sure you have intimate contact in the area of your film. My AmerGraph 150 has almost that much sag.
-
If by clearance, you mean "sag" in the middle, I'd say that much at a minimum. You don't want to go crazy but the stuff simply doesn't wrap around a screen frame like neoprene does, and you want to make sure you have intimate contact in the area of your film. My AmerGraph 150 has almost that much sag.
I mean "sag" between the vacuum frame's sides and the screen's sides.
-
This is what I got 5 yrs ago and ordered enough for 2 covers, still on the firsr one. Holds up good and really goes down snug to the screen. Good Luck
www.foamorder.com (http://www.foamorder.com)
Item: Neoprene sheet, 51" x 83", Black, 4 mm, with Black nylon backing
Qty.: 1
Price Ea.: $97.20
Extended: $97.20
-
I need to find a vacuum blanket for our Armergraph Advantage 150. Amergraph can have them made but it's a four week lead time. I've searched this site and the old one but didn't find anything current. Thanks.
steve
A suggestion for the future. I've got the same unit, and from the get-go I place some 4" squares of dense foam, about 3/8" thick, on all 4 corners of my frames before lowering the blanket. A couple of layers of mousepad foam would be good, too. I use roller frames with the square bar and that thing has sharp corners that'll probably wear out a blanket in no time. As much as blankets cost, and the fact that I position my frames in the exact same spot on the glass everytime, was why I'm trying to save my blanket if possible. I'm also a cheap bastard.
I did something similar when I had a big ol' 60"x80" (+/-) vacuum frame. I put a dense foam, maybe 2"x2", all the way around the inside of the frame. When the vacuum come on, the blanket didn't come straight down along the tubular frame, but kind of angled down towards the glass. That saved me a LOT of money from having to replace the blanket.
-
My roofing buddy gave me some industrial roofing rubber. Stuff works great. We have been using it for at least a year. We cover the screen with a piece of fabric to help even out the vacuum and also helps keep the rubber clean.
Go see your roofing buddy, he probably has some extra laying around.
Toby
-
I seem to remember Draggin Doug telling a similar story from the islands back when we first got onto pond liner a couple of forums ago.
Apparently very similar stuff.
So, for those without roofing buddies, fortunately ponds are more commonly DIY , and the liner more easily found.
Otherwise, keep your eyse open for some poor roofer sweating away on top of a building, and offer him a few cold ones! ;D
-
This is what I got 5 yrs ago and ordered enough for 2 covers, still on the firsr one. Holds up good and really goes down snug to the screen. Good Luck
[url=http://www.foamorder.com]www.foamorder.com[/url] ([url]http://www.foamorder.com[/url])
Item: Neoprene sheet, 51" x 83", Black, 4 mm, with Black nylon backing
Qty.: 1
Price Ea.: $97.20
Extended: $97.20
We went through these people as well. Very cheap and the process was smooth, product was great and it will probably last forever.
-
Pondliner.com don't remember the cost but it was really inexpensive, and enough for two blankets.
-
This is what I got 5 yrs ago and ordered enough for 2 covers, still on the firsr one. Holds up good and really goes down snug to the screen. Good Luck
[url=http://www.foamorder.com]www.foamorder.com[/url] ([url]http://www.foamorder.com[/url])
Item: Neoprene sheet, 51" x 83", Black, 4 mm, with Black nylon backing
Qty.: 1
Price Ea.: $97.20
Extended: $97.20
I took a look at that site and I noticed two things, buying eleven sheets or more of the nylon backed stuff cuts the price down considerably and that the plain sheets are really cheap compared to the backed neoprene. Even though plain sheets shouldn't last as long, wouldn't it be better to have a more flexible blanket?
-
This is what I got 5 yrs ago and ordered enough for 2 covers, still on the firsr one. Holds up good and really goes down snug to the screen. Good Luck
[url=http://www.foamorder.com]www.foamorder.com[/url] ([url]http://www.foamorder.com[/url])
Item: Neoprene sheet, 51" x 83", Black, 4 mm, with Black nylon backing
Qty.: 1
Price Ea.: $97.20
Extended: $97.20
I took a look at that site and I noticed two things, buying eleven sheets or more of the nylon backed stuff cuts the price down considerably and that the plain sheets are really cheap compared to the backed neoprene. Even though plain sheets shouldn't last as long, wouldn't it be better to have a more flexible blanket?
when the backing was on the top, the neoprene started ripping after 3-4 exposures. I would imaging it would not last very long if any at all without backing . . .
pierre
-
Yikes! Good to know.
-
Douthitt has the best blankets, you'll have to check if they can supply one for your Amergraph. There are some many variables that you can't control in screenprinting. Having a good blanket so you get great contact between film and screen is so important, not something you want to worry about. You would not have to have too many bad screens before you wished you had paid a little more for a good blanket.
-
I'm probably one of the few that will agree with Rick. Anytime I had to replace a blanket,I went with a Douthitt. That happened to be the brand of vacuum table I had too. I know a lot of folks use different material that costs a lot less.I just like to remove any variable possible.
-
I bought the same blanket as Bluemoon off ebay, got tried of taping holes in my old one, hes right about 60 some odd bucks, but I installed mine with the rubber side toward the glass, fab side up and it work fine. They shipped in a few days
Scuze me. I'm having flashbacks with some of this strong vacuum sucking..
Reminds me of the cigarette scene in this- (weak video)
http://www.myspace.com/video/dan/rolling-stones-she-was-hot/5820911 (http://www.myspace.com/video/dan/rolling-stones-she-was-hot/5820911)
-
I can vouch on home depot pond liner works perfect in our solar beam ;D ;D ;D
-
Try these guys, i worked for this company some years ago they make quality sealing products you can buy small amounts through a distributors all around the country.
www.garlock.com (http://www.garlock.com)
they also have an e-store
https://istore.garlock.com/OA_HTML/ibeCAcdLogin.jsp?a=b (https://istore.garlock.com/OA_HTML/ibeCAcdLogin.jsp?a=b)
here is a link to some interseting products
Premium Rubber
Premium grade elastomer (rubber) sheet products for applications where the low load requirements of rubber are necessary.
http://www.garlock.com/ViewCategory?category=3#27 (http://www.garlock.com/ViewCategory?category=3#27)
neoprene sheet
https://istore.garlock.com/OA_HTML/ibeCAcdLogin.jsp?a=b (https://istore.garlock.com/OA_HTML/ibeCAcdLogin.jsp?a=b)
nitrile (buna) rubber
http://www.garlock.com/ViewProduct?product=185®ion=1 (http://www.garlock.com/ViewProduct?product=185®ion=1)
epdm rubber
http://www.garlock.com/ViewProduct?product=575®ion=1 (http://www.garlock.com/ViewProduct?product=575®ion=1)
mooseman
-
Wanted to post on this sticky thread that I agree with those who say 'get the right blanket and forget about it' but I was quoted at $1395 from Millington and Douthit is at about the same. Holy geez. It's a rubber blanket...right? Or am I missing something here?
We do have a larger unit at 66x54 and pricing is by the square inch.
The bummer is I need to find a roll that wide if I want to try neoprene.
Is patching not an option on the rubber? Because I'm ready to explore it.
-
Was that a typo? Holy cow!
-
Wanted to post on this sticky thread that I agree with those who say 'get the right blanket and forget about it' but I was quoted at $1395 from Millington and Douthit is at about the same. Holy geez. It's a rubber blanket...right? Or am I missing something here?
We do have a larger unit at 66x54 and pricing is by the square inch.
The bummer is I need to find a roll that wide if I want to try neoprene.
Is patching not an option on the rubber? Because I'm ready to explore it.
I patched ours with weather strip cement and a piece of inner tube. Worked pretty good until it started failing in other spots. A new blanket for our NuArc is 5 bills and for a little more I can buy the whole assembly and get a new frame and seal. That rubber is expensive.
-
Was that a typo? Holy cow!
Nope. I had to have the guy repeat it a couple times on the phone. Douthit's rate at this size is about 33 cents per sq inch, similar price.
I'm okay with paying for the right stuff but sweet lord I payed anywhere from $0-400 for this thing depending on how you look at it. Figured I'd have a few hundo in glass, maybe some parts and a few hundo in the blanket to recondition it.
-
I was just surfing around and found this.
http://www.gpiparts.com/prod51.htm
No idea of pricing, etc.....
-
Go for the rubber Zoo. I used to use pond liner on a huge Douthitt from like 1942. No problems, worked great, lasted a hell of a lot longer than neoprene. 30 inches of mercury is 30 inches of mercury, no? Not to mention I've heard talk of less vacuum actually being better for film contact....
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
-
What type of rubber exactly though?
I found silicone vacuum blankets though they all appear to be milky white and not dark and may hold too much heat perhaps?. I'm sure there's a variant though with cloth or something, it looks like other industries need and use elastic, durable vacuum blankets for tasks far more demanding than contacting film positives to screens. I think I might just call a couple rubber suppliers, tell 'em what I'm trying to do here and get a product recommendation that comes on the right width of roll.
For those who buy oem blankets, what value is added to the blankets you get from the frame mfg's to justify that cost?
-
I got priced around 900 for a blanket and I went to foamorder.com and got it for 1/10th of the price that a screen printing supplier was wanting. It might not be as good of blanket as the one that came on our unit, but it's lasted 2 years without any sign of wear and tear, I would advise nobody to pay a supplier for a blanket when they can get a neoprene replacement for pennies.
-
Mine finally let go and the manufacturer was 2-3 weeks out to replace the whole frame. I had to get some neoprene from a supplier out of San Francisco. It does not put the kind of pressure down the factory blanket did so I just threw in a 3 in thick foam block with black fabric and I have not had any issues yet. I have ran a couple of dozen sim jobs through it with no loss of dots on the screen so until the seal goes I think I am going to stick with it.
-
Pond liner. I believe it's EDPM. Probably $10 for your frame.
I would assume the benefits of Neoprene to be that it has more squish (technical term)
to it and would conform to any irregularities better. Even microscopic ones. I could
be entirely wrong on this though.
The benefit of purchasing the exact blanket from a supplier is that it is cut to size and likely
ready to plug and play with your exposure unit. No trimming or anything. I personally
am at the point in my career that "buy the damned thing and be done" is my mantra.
A thought just came to mind. My Douthitt contact frame came out of an offset shop (Dharma Publishing)
and I had to modify it to work with screens as opposed to plates as there wasn't enough clearance
to get a screen in. (common problem when trying to convert these units)
The original "blanket" was a super heavy stiff canvas. Kind of like Army tent material but even stiffer, no flex.
Granted, plates are paper thin and flat, so they wouldn't need the blanket to conform around any contours,
but, they certainly do need good contact, a darn sight better than us any way.
So, ten bucks says neoprene is used as it can get around and in the screen profile tight. But, unless you
are exposing images that come within an inch of the frame (you shouldn't be) you don't need that.
Two cents over.
-
Also, the stretchier the rubber, the closer to the edge of the frame your screens can go (so, bigger screens or more screens)
-
I was able to do two 25x36 Newmans on the Douthitt.
But like many others, I found that we were rarely shooting the same mesh/EOM
etc. And stopping mid exposure to pull one screen and continue with the other
invites far more variables than blanket material.
-
Yeah, I'm not sure we'll gain any efficiency with the large frame over our homebrew unit, it will likely slow us down for the 25x30 screens. We will gain the ability to shoot the big flatstock frames though. It may well turn out that I only use the frame for these big ones, wheeling it out as needed and shoot our textile screens on the current setup. We have two complete Olec 5k units and it shouldn't be impossible to set one on a shelf to shoot the big glass and simply plug in whichever one is needed.
I'll check out pond liner after I call some sheet rubber suppliers today, good to hear it works. I feel like some patches might work fine too if it's not totally fubared.
Thanks all for input, will post up when complete.
-
I use a nuarc at work.
We use the 'stock' replacement blankets, very expensive stuff, unfortunately.
I've replaced a few blankets over the years, some due to normal wear, more due to operator negligence.
You want to have about 4-5" of sag in the center when installing it.
You want the rubber down, cloth up. They are designed this way for a reason.
What they don't tell you, is that after you fubar your first blanket,
( and it works best if you use actual vac blanket material for this, rubber side down )
you should cut strips out of it, about 4" wide ( depending on frames used ) and overlay the frame of your screen with them while exposing.
In my defense, I used to use some scrap polyester material for this, but it wasn't as effective.
So, in my case I have two long strips, and two short strips, about 6 inches of overhang past the frame edges.
Latest blanket doesn't have the slightest sign of wear on it, and it's been through the mill already. Works like a dream.
Only issue, is that you have to find the sweet spot for placement, because, it can cause a bad seal if not laid properly...
I know that probably doesn't help much, but if you're doing it, you'll see what works and doesn't very quickly.
The beauty of using vac blanket material though, is that it is very flexible, provides a good seal,
and allows your actual blanket to suck down as tight as it would be by itself, if you place everything proper.
Wish someone would have told me this years ago, so, there you go.
Throwin' copper.
Hope it helps some of you.
Cheers.
-
We have a BBHO brand, model 2345 UV fluorescent tube exposure unit...(Anybody ever heard of this brand/model, I haven't!) Went to a local sheet rubber vendor, and bought a big chunk of closed cell neoprene....I'm in Ohio, so I've never had one on to verify, but the supplier told me that it's wet suit material...If one can ignore the lovely Magenta cloth on top, it works fine. It's been a few years, but I think it was only about 15 dollars for the material.
-
We have a BBHO brand, model 2345 UV fluorescent tube exposure unit...(Anybody ever heard of this brand/model, I haven't!) Went to a local sheet rubber vendor, and bought a big chunk of closed cell neoprene....I'm in Ohio, so I've never had one on to verify, but the supplier told me that it's wet suit material...If one can ignore the lovely Magenta cloth on top, it works fine. It's been a few years, but I think it was only about 15 dollars for the material.
I suspect that most tops are a little larger than what $15 will buy of closed cell neoprene foam (which is used for wet suits) but many here have used a West Coast supplier which has already been mentioned in this thread way back when...
http://www.foamorder.com/ (http://www.foamorder.com/)
Readers may also note that many report good results with the less stretchy pond liner material.
This whole thread contains lots of first hand reports, probably explains the sticky status assigned.
-
I think Foam Order was backordered on the size/thickness I wanted so I ended up finding these folks (http://www.hookloopoutlet.com/neoprene-sheets--nylon---smooth-skin.html). Also CA based.
-
I think Foam Order was backordered on the size/thickness I wanted so I ended up finding these folks ([url]http://www.hookloopoutlet.com/neoprene-sheets--nylon---smooth-skin.html[/url]). Also CA based.
LOL, with the number of folks that we have been sending them since the days of TSPMB to now, perhaps we vacuum table folks are putting a serious dent in their normal stock!
-
I think Foam Order was backordered on the size/thickness I wanted so I ended up finding these folks ([url]http://www.hookloopoutlet.com/neoprene-sheets--nylon---smooth-skin.html[/url]). Also CA based.
Which thickness did you grab? I'm thinking I could make one of those pcs work on our big Millington frame, using the existing gasket.
-
I got 3MM for the flex, next time I'd go 4, 'specially on a big frame.
It's good stuff. Get the nylon/smooth if that's not what I linked to.
-
McMaster Carr has a few too.
-
I think Foam Order was backordered on the size/thickness I wanted so I ended up finding these folks ([url]http://www.hookloopoutlet.com/neoprene-sheets--nylon---smooth-skin.html[/url]). Also CA based.
I looked at their website (hookloop) and all of their products have some form of nylon backing.
FoamOrder has a plain (unbacked) option. Does the one you got from hookloop have any issues stretching over the frames on the vacuum table?
-
No, and the one it replaced (M&R) has a fabric backing (fabric side down) as well.
-
The blanket on our Millington is fabric faced too. Gonna check this out, thx Sean.
-
See if Douthitt makes one, their blankets are superior as are their exposure units. I don't know if they can make one for an Amergraph. but it is worth a call. There are too many variables in screenprinting, I would not save money on a blanket (or an exposure unit for that matter.) Hey, I started with a 150 watt light bulb and a pie plate reflector and using a piece of glass instead of a blanket and of course the sun works also but if you are serious...
Action engineering has replacement parts for lots of equipment, also worth a call if you are in a hurry, but will almost for sure will not be the quality of the Douthitt.
-
Douthitt makes replacement vacuum blankets for any vacuum frame and our unique material will give better contact and longer life.
Yes, we do many for the old nuarc units and amergraph. Delivery about one week.
Mark from Douthitt.
-
The Douthitt blankets are much more expensive though, and I have seen zero issues with the 3mm neoprene using 55 lpi with my unit.
-
correct, but a high volume shop will probably tear up a standard blanket pretty quickly. when Rick Roth says Douthitt blankets are better...I listen.
Or go DTS and forget about a blanket altogether.
-
Yes, very important to have about 5 inches from the beading to the screen on all sides.
Douthitt manufactures blankets for any vacuum frame.
Mark Diehl
Douthitt
mark@douthittcorp.com
-
A 'pro' blanket is definitely better than the sheet neoprene. They will typically be just the right thickness, stretch, perfect face material to grip just enough, etc. Both work great, I diy'd one of ours long ago with neoprene and had no qualms with it, but you get a much deeper draw in my opinion from the better stuff. They do cost an arm and a leg it seems, especially if you have a big vac frame but it's worth it if you run a lot of screens.
-
When the vacuum blanket on out unit got holes in two corners preventing a vacuum from forming we placed bicycle tube patches and auto tire patches over the holes, which were about the size of a dime, on both sides and a second larger patch over the first one on the top side.
That was 3 years ago and it is still providing a good vacuum.
I recall we spent about $5.00 on all of the patches.
We placed the patches on a Friday after work and let everything set until Monday morning to be certain all of the adhesive was thoroughly cured.
-
Another rubber light table blanket repair success story!!! Late last week a friend related to me how he had just fixed the rubber blanket on his large vacuum light table. He had a nearly half dollar size hole near the middle of the blanket he thought was likely caused by a sharp corner on a screen being "burned".
He used a large automobile tire patch and prepared the bonding surface and bonded the patch into place same as an inner tube repair (adhesive included in the patch kit). He let it dry all weekend and this morning (Monday) resumed burning screens as usual.
He called me shortly afterward saying the patch is holding just great assuring a good vacuum. We repaired two holes in our rubber light table blanket earlier and it is still going strong too.
Don't overlook this inexpensive permanent repair to an expensive rubber blanket.
The patch kits should be available from any automotive supply store for just a few dollars.
-
Douthitt can make a vacuum blanket for any frame in under 1 week. Our exclusive material gives the best contact and last longer than any other blanket. Complete the form on our web site www.douthittcorp.com (http://www.douthittcorp.com) .
Mark Diehl
-
Well I just got a tear in my 69"x58" blanket. I can't find any neoprene wide enough on the cheap sites and there is no way in hell I am paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the name brand on a unit that cost me $250 total that I use once or twice a week...no offense to Douthitt.
Anyone know of a source for wider neoprene than the 51" stuff?
-
Can you glue two pieces together either butted with a another strip as an overlay, or just overlapping an inch or so? Contact cement can make some awesome bonds.
-
Pond Liner works, and so does Roofing Rubber. (EPDM) I forget the acronym.
If you have a landscaping company that does KOI ponds, you can probably pick up a scrap for next to nothing.
Is it as good as the highly elastic purpose made stuff? Nope.
Does it work? Absolutely.
Do you have a Lowes or a similar big box company that does gardening supplies and pond stuff? If so, you're all set.
-
I guess I can try two sheets contact cemented. The seem at 8 inches or so from that edge will be out of the image area anyway.
Tried the big box store options (roofing liner, pond liner, shower liner, etc) They suck. They don't pull close enough to the frame, tend to wrinkle, some have weird textures that they show up in the mesh (both brands of pond liner were the worst), etc. I actually tested 3 other kinds of rubber off ebay as well and they all had issues with stretch or tearing. The nylon backed 3mm neoprene really is the best "cheap" option out there...just too small for those of us with huge frames.
-
I guess I can try two sheets contact cemented. The seem at 8 inches or so from that edge will be out of the image area anyway.
Tried the big box store options (roofing liner, pond liner, shower liner, etc) They suck. They don't pull close enough to the frame, tend to wrinkle, some have weird textures that they show up in the mesh (both brands of pond liner were the worst), etc. I actually tested 3 other kinds of rubber off ebay as well and they all had issues with stretch or tearing. The nylon backed 3mm neoprene really is the best "cheap" option out there...just too small for those of us with huge frames.
mmm...sounds like all the time and money you wasted could have bought you a douthitt liner...
I have a douthitt 1k unit here, taking up space with an integrator I will GIVE you, if you want it...it has a nice blanket ;D
-
haha! That testing was when I was building my smaller DIY unit a while back. Much smaller blanket so the testing didn't really cost much, definitely nowhere near what people are saying the Douthitt blankets cost for a larger frame like the one that tore. I think I spent a total of $80-$90 on 3 ebay listings and the home depot stuff before I settled on the nylon backed neoprene half sheet which I think was around $30 shipped, so $120 all in to rule out a bunch of stuff. My blanket is attached with adhesive backed velcro so switching the blanket takes about 5 minutes and the velcro releases from the material without much issue when you peel it straight away from the material, but stays stuck well with the horizontal force when the vacuum pulls. Most of that other stuff I tested has actually come in handy as well. I made an all over printing surface with one of the foams that compresses awesomely when printing over seams, and one of the liners is currently being used as a blockout curtain :D
These days I don't have as much time to do that kind of testing, and now I know the nylon backed neoprene is really the best "cheap" option as far as what I have seen others suggest. Sucks the nylon backed stuff doesn't come in a 72" wide roll like the unbacked stuff does....
Thanks for the offer on the 1k. The light you sent me a while back is still going strong on my smaller diy unit (and so is my neoprene blanket) and I am getting either an 8k or 5k olec this week or next (waiting to figure out a few little things first).
-
This is gonna sound CRAZY but. Best replacement blanket ever, a waterbed mattress. We had an 8ft by 10ft Richmond tilt frame. Bought a Queen size waterbed mattress and cut to fit the frame and voila a true fix. Pulled hard vacuum on every frame. Left old blanket on the inside to cushion frame/blanket. Using roller frames is deadly to neoprene.
-
intertesting!
-
Going to act more like pond liner material than neoprene foam, but could certainly do the job.
The less stretch a blanket has, the more clearance around the frames it needs.
-
As stated earlier, Douthitt can manufacture any size vacuum blanket in about one week. Our material will give much better contact than neoprene which is porous ....
Mark Diehl
Douthitt Corporation
313 515 8635
-
check out the rubber sheets available here
https://www.mscdirect.com/ (https://www.mscdirect.com/)
https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/?searchAheadTerm=rubber&searchAhead=true&hdrsrh=true&typahddsp=Rubber+Sheets&navid=12101792 (https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/?searchAheadTerm=rubber&searchAhead=true&hdrsrh=true&typahddsp=Rubber+Sheets&navid=12101792)
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/31939630 (https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/31939630)
mooseman
-
Does anyone know the elongation % of the stock blankets? Found a place where I can get 1/8 neoprene (not the scuba material) that is 72" wide with 400% elongation for around $10 per foot, but stock blankets are ten times that. Ordered a sample yesterday.
-
I purchased a neoprene sheet and so far everything has gone well, except that now I have air leaks around the hinge screws where I put the frame back on the base. Does anyone have a suggestion for what to use here? I'm sure I need some sort of caulk or sealant, but I don't want to use something that won't let go when we need to take them it again. (ie a glue or strong adhesive)
-
I'm interested in the stuff you wind up with, Mimosa. I've used the Scuba Material exclusively, until I can't buy it any longer. I now have a pond liner from Lowe's and it is pretty underwhelming.
Daybreak, welcome to the forum! You'll not have any problem removing RTV Silicone when the time comes. Just buy the cheap stuff from Walmart, unless you can't find any, and be done with it. If their store brand is absent, GE or any will work okay. I like the Walmart brand, because you can speed it up by misting a little water on it and stirring it in. Some brands don't do that as well. And by the way, "RTV" stands for Room Temperature Vulcanizing but that fact is not as widely known as it ought to be. Moisture in the air speeds the cross linking. It seems to be miserably slow to cure sometimes.
-
I attached my blanket using adhesive velcro. Half around the frame, half attached to the blanket and just stuck it on. Havent had a single issue and since the blanket is flush against the glass all the way around, no gasket needed either.
Never ended up receiving the sample I mentioned a while ago. I do need to revisit this though...
-
Thank you both for the info and for responding so quickly!
I ended up using one of the Liquid Nails glues...hope I don't regret it. I have now run a bead of caulk all the way around the outer side of the frame. I can't hear where it's leaking and the blanket is sucked down really well by the looks of it, but I'm getting Low Vacuum and the indicator shows about half of normal. Right now I'm 3 days into trying to make this work and I'm really frustrated....besides getting way behind. Any additional help/response would be appreciated.
-
By the way, I went with the "material down". There were mixed opinions on rubber to glass vs. material to glass. I chose material.
-
Douthitt blankets are thin but much stronger and lasts a lot longer than the materials being mentioned. If you want good contact then the blanket needs to wrap around the screen not pull the screen. Spending a little more is a much better value.
No matter how good your press is .... it cannot put the quality back into a screen.
Mark Diehl
Douthitt Corporation
313 515 8635
-
The pond liner worked very well for us, about $40 for enough to do our unit twice, which is 54 x 74... if you put it on right, it works the way it should; one little leak though...
Steve
-
One tip for repairing neoprene blankets is to use Aquaseal, it is used to repair neoprene waders and is readily available anywhere they sell waders, so most farm stores or sporting goods outlets will have it.
I've used both materials for replacement blankets and as long as you can get the seal down both rubber and neoprene seem to work well.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Had an 8' by 10' tilt vacuum frame, could shoot 8 auto fames at a time with a Richmond 10k Solar beam. The fix I used on this blanket will sound a bit odd, but, a water bed mattress. Cut down a Queen size to fit and I left the neoprene on the frame for cushion and added the mattress to the outside. The vinyl of the material conformed perfectly on both flavors of roller frames we used.
-
gET AN OLD VACUM CLEANER AND ATTACH IT TO THE UNIT. iT WILL SUCK IT DOWN IN A HEART BEAT. ALSO, BE AWARE OF THE DISTANCE YOU CARRY THE SCREEN TO THE WASH OUT. s SIMPLE SPRAY BOTTLE WITH WATER, WET THE SCREEEN AS SOON AS YOU REMOVE THE SCREEN. hELPS IN WASHING OUT SCREENS, ESPICALLY ON HIGH MESH
-
Wut
-
For those looking for wider Buna Rubber sheets, Allstate Gasket in PA has 48"W rubber sold by the foot. We went with 1/16" thickness. Good elongation, but not as stretchy or thin as the Douthitt blankets. But it does work really well. http://www.allstategasket.com/info_gasket_material_style-1190.asp (http://www.allstategasket.com/info_gasket_material_style-1190.asp)
The larger widths are harder to find, but they are out there.
If anyone has a good source for sponge beading to seal the frame to the glass, I'd love to know where you snagged that from. We reused the old seal as I couldn't easily source anything that looked to be comparable.
-
Actually, Buna rubber may not be the best material for this. I may have jumped the gun before having all of the information. Apparently Buna N is damaged by UV light and I missed that information when I ordered it. Its already installed, so we will see how long it holds up. Will update when and if it deteriorates from the UV.
-
I just got some neoprene from a fabric store for my M&R Mega-Light. Seems to be working well so far, but is definitely thinner than the original blanket. I think it was $60 for two blankets.
Sounds like pond liner and other materials just aren't worth it. Gotta find a nice thicker neoprene, and seems like fabric stores are the best bet.
-
I have a question.
For those who have gotten a blanket from http://www.hookloopoutlet.com/neoprene-sheets--nylon---smooth-skin.html (http://www.hookloopoutlet.com/neoprene-sheets--nylon---smooth-skin.html) what's your opinion of using this for something completely different.
I'm looking for something with a rubber content to cover outside equipment to keep off rain an rust. Opinions?
-
Bump.
-
I replaced my original blanket with rubber roofing material. It’s been on there over ten years. Do you have any commercial roofing friends?
-
LOL, that was 2+ years back. Oddly enough, the blanket is still holding. I'll look into roofing material.
-
Ive used pond liner from homedepo and it works well. Im sure that shop I was at during that time is still using the same blanket. This was 11yrs ago
-
I've got to replace my blanket, I think I had a nick in one of my roller frames and it ripped a small hole in it which now is bigger, might look into the pond liner before I place an order for the wetsuit stuff.
-
I have used a bicycle tire patch kit. It will not hold forever but long enough to get a new blanket.
-
I have used a bicycle tire patch kit. It will not hold forever but long enough to get a new blanket.
EPDM roof repair tape is probably great too. Fire a heat gun on it for a bit maybe?