TSB

screen printing => Newbie => Topic started by: Appstro on April 07, 2014, 10:34:50 AM

Title: Cleaning Squeegee's
Post by: Appstro on April 07, 2014, 10:34:50 AM

Can someone tell me the proper way to clean squeegees? I am washing them with ink degradent and a scrub pad and then using the power washer to try and get down in the grooves between the rubber and the wood where ink seems to stay no matter what. i have had a couple of incident where the old ink in the squeegee will start migrating out onto the new ink of a job I am in the middle of causing a discoloring. So how do I get ALL the ink off a used squeegee?

Title: Re: Cleaning Squeegee's
Post by: screenprintguy on April 07, 2014, 10:39:44 AM

Quote from: Appstro on April 07, 2014, 10:34:50 AM

Can someone tell me the proper way to clean squeegees? I am washing them with ink degradent and a scrub pad and then using the power washer to try and get down in the grooves between the rubber and the wood where ink seems to stay no matter what. i have had a couple of incident where the old ink in the squeegee will start migrating out onto the new ink of a job I am in the middle of causing a discoloring. So how do I get ALL the ink off a used squeegee?

There is nothing wrong with doing that at all, some guys just spray with screen opener and wipe them, others put them in a parts washer with mineral spirits, or ink degrader. Right now we use a parts washer that's full of Franmar BeenieDoo. Now Shur-loc has a squeegee cleaning unit, small, self contained. We are going to order one of those this week. Check it on on their site, there is a demo video, several guys on this board have bought them.

Title: Re: Cleaning Squeegee's
Post by: Frog on April 07, 2014, 10:43:29 AM

I try to have squeegees dedicated to certain oft-used colors to make cross-color contamination less of an issue.
Also, you can tape where the rubber meets the wood or aluminum to prevent the ink from creeping within.

Title: Re: Cleaning Squeegee's
Post by: Appstro on April 07, 2014, 10:58:54 AM

Thanks guys that is great advice! :) For now I like the tape and oft color ideas. The washer sounds like a good think too.

Title: Re: Cleaning Squeegee's
Post by: tonypep on April 07, 2014, 11:55:31 AM

I still have the dreaded "Blade Runner" upstairs if anyones interested

Title: Re: Cleaning Squeegee's
Post by: sportsshoppe on April 07, 2014, 06:46:10 PM

I try to have squeegees dedicated to certain oft-used colors to make cross-color contamination less of an issue.
Also, you can tape where the rubber meets the wood or aluminum to prevent the ink from creeping within

Diddo with Frog