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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: mimosatexas on November 06, 2014, 09:14:18 AM
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I have been hand drilling all of my inks to date, but have seen a bunch of posts recently about using a drill press to mix, which seems like a no brainer. I just looked on craigslist and used drill presses are like $50, so I am going to go ahead and buy one, BUT I wanted to make sure I got one that would work well.
I'm looking for any advice people might have related to choosing a drill press (height, power, etc) and any tips, tweaks, add-ons that would make it more efficient and easier to use (some way to hold the ink bucket, a source for mixing bits, how you keep it clean, etc).
Any and all info is appreciated!
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Mimo try Indco for blades. They have everything. Look for one that's easy to clean.
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I've been using these on my handheld drill: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Workforce-5-Gallon-Helix-Paint-Mixer-HM5HD/202251543 (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Workforce-5-Gallon-Helix-Paint-Mixer-HM5HD/202251543)
They work really well, but aren't very easy to clean. I tried using just a wire hanger bent in half, which worked and was easy to clean, but would fling ink everywhere as it rode up the wire. If the made bit with a wide looped wire end with a single straight shaft it would be ideal, but I haven't come across anything like that. Not sure that would work in a press either since the bit will have to move the ink on its own more than with a handheld drill.
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harbor freight drill here set to the slowest speed option.
Took a dozen of the small paint or drywall mud mixers from depot, cut them down a little so we can put the cup up and into the blade and this way we can re-use them in similiar ink colors.
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That extension cord situation gives me anxiety. :o
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hahahha... yeah that was my exact thought before taking the picture..
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hahahha... yeah that was my exact thought before taking the picture..
How dare you take a pic of that fire hazard, the time you took to take that pic you could have clean that mess up, dude your a professional, you should know better, we all look up to you and then you post that...just shameful that's what it is :o Now got that out the way, how much was that drill press ;D looks like a good idea
darryl
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How dare you take a pic of that fire hazard, the time you took to take that pic you could have clean that mess up, dude your a professional, you should know better, we all look up to you and then you post that...just shameful that's what it is :o Now got that out the way, how much was that drill press ;D looks like a good idea
LOL!!
Yes I cleaned it up by giving my ink smith a new power strip.
we have their rewards club membership thingy so it was a little over 60 bucks.
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I make these out of brazing rods. Bendable, but not so much they warp when stirring like cut/bent coat hangers (I tired that first)
Easy to clean.
I looked at the paint stirrers at HD and decided it would take too much effort to get clean in all the tight spaces where the blades roll under.
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We totally stole Wayne's idea and my guy has fun making different shapes with them.
Works well for us.
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I've been using a long allen wrench in my hand held drill to mix ink, but looking at the drill press I'm liking that alot but still might keep using the allen wrench because it cleans off very easy.
darryl
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Harbor Freight has them on sale for $59.99
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Are the 8 inch models large enough? I hate buying undersized and underpowered tools only to wish I had spent a bit more for a larger or more powerful version. A bunch of the craigslist ones are 13 inch models with "variable speed" vs "5 speed". Not sure if that means they have truly variable speed or just a handful of pre-sets, or if that even matters...
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Variable is better. Way better
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Stainless rod is cheap.
What I want to know is how to clamp buckets.
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I love the wire idea as these paint mixers really are a PIA to clean.
Stainless rod is cheap.
What I want to know is how to clamp buckets.
If you're creative, a vise with custom made jaws could do the trick and or even a lathe 4 jaw chuck with some slight modification would do the job.
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Yea it would be awesome to know if someone has figured the bucket clamping part out.
I'm definitely liking the brazing rod idea. I also tried the paint mixers first, and cleaning where the twist met the bottom loop was impossible. The fin bits are a little easier, but still more work than a single bent rod.
Thoughts on 8" vs 13" versions?
Any weird tips or tricks related to using the drill press vs a hand drill?
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Would anyone be willing to post a quick vid using one of these? I know this is a pretty basic part of the process, but any info is good info here.
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Any weird tips or tricks related to using the drill press vs a hand drill?
Set the drill press to the slowest speed and hold the ink bucket with two hands, feed it up into the mixer.
hand drills are speed controlled by the trigger and with one hand holding the ink, chances of spin out are high.
I've held the buckets between my feet before.. yeah you can imagine what happened next.. ;D
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Just tossing out an idea for holding your bucket under the drill press, I don't know what they are called but they hold drums top and bottoms together ( the drum a band drummer would use) you could bolt one end to a base and use the clamp to hold the lip of the bucket 3 or 4 of them would work.
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I've been using these on my handheld drill: [url]http://www.homedepot.com/p/Workforce-5-Gallon-Helix-Paint-Mixer-HM5HD/202251543[/url] ([url]http://www.homedepot.com/p/Workforce-5-Gallon-Helix-Paint-Mixer-HM5HD/202251543[/url])
They work really well, but aren't very easy to clean. I tried using just a wire hanger bent in half, which worked and was easy to clean, but would fling ink everywhere as it rode up the wire. If the made bit with a wide looped wire end with a single straight shaft it would be ideal, but I haven't come across anything like that. Not sure that would work in a press either since the bit will have to move the ink on its own more than with a handheld drill.
NO NO NO........YES YES YES.........http://www.walmart.com/ip/1gal-Paint-Mixer/17165772 (http://www.walmart.com/ip/1gal-Paint-Mixer/17165772)
mooseman
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Thats actually the exact ones i buy! I just couldnt find the walmart link.
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I've been using a long allen wrench in my hand held drill to mix ink, but looking at the drill press I'm liking that alot but still might keep using the allen wrench because it cleans off very easy.
darryl
While a long allen wrench would work, the reason I use the bent brazing rods was to avoid scraping off any of the bucket plastic into the ink.
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5.5mm handheld Allen wrench with the rubber handle cut off. Works great. Super easy to clean.
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Does anybody know of a mixer that goes from low speed for plastisol to very high speed high shearing for mixing water based ink? I found a couple air options that are fairly affordable but eat up a lot of compressed air about 20 CFM and some more expensive lab mixers that are electric but it's a little confusing with all the options.
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
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very high speed high shearing for mixing water based ink?
are you mixing ink or making meringue?
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very high speed high shearing for mixing water based ink?
are you mixing ink or making meringue?
Mmmmm. Meringue.
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
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I know this sounds stupid, but do any of you think a self mixing cake mixer would stir ink in qt can's, I don't think it would mix a gal? might not even mix a qt. I thought about using my wife's old cake mixer, she going to toss (she got a new one), because it has a turntable I could sit a qt can on and bolt down some how.
darryl
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That's what we use with dough hooks, plastisol and WB.
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I know this sounds stupid, but do any of you think a self mixing cake mixer would stir ink in qt can's, I don't think it would mix a gal? might not even mix a qt. I thought about using my wife's old cake mixer, she going to toss (she got a new on), because it has a turntable I could sit a qt can on and bolt down some how.
darryl
Cake mixer would probably work.
A milkshake mixer (the old school kind) doesn't work. Not strong enough oddly.
Off topic, does anybody need a milkshake mixer?
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lol
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attention Frog...we need a picture rotated in this thread... :)
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attention Frog...we need a picture rotated in this thread... :)
Yeah, I gotta talk to the Binkmeister. It's like he does this laying on a couch, LOL!
In the meantime, I modified his post.
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Off topic, does anybody need a milkshake mixer?
I'll check it out as I have to drop by in an hour or two anyway.
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I told you Frog you have saved many neckaches
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It looked good on my phone. Cut me some slack I can just about answer my phone let alone post pictures.
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I buy the gallon size mixers at Lowes. One for every ink and a few extras just because. They cost about 3 or 4 bucks a piece. I never worry about cleaning them because whatever ink they get put in is where they'll stay forever more. I leave the shaft full length because they also double as ink scoops. You can load quite a bit of ink on them to transfer to the screen.
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Okay, so I found that cell phone blockers are not legal, but I am getting close to looking for a way to block cell photos! :o
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Sorry about that Frog. It was the right way up when I viewed it.
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Sorry about that Frog. It was the right way up when I viewed it.
Yeah, that's what they all say...seriously, I've had orientation change on my phone as well, and I haven't messed with it enough to understand when and why.
It has to be something to do with the fact that the forum (and our monitors) are not equipped with gyroscopic orientation compensation like the phones are.
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ok so i guess im stupid but what is a brazing rod and where can i find one? ive been trying to find a good mixiong tool
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Brazing rods are available in the welding section at your local home improvement store, welding supply store or harbor freight. Make sure you don't get the ones that are coated in flux.
You can also get 1/8" steel rod in the raw materials section... that stuff works really well too.
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I get my brazing rods at my local welding supply. As mentioned, you don't want flux coated, just plain rods and thick enough to not too easily be bent. What I had in my picture is about double the thickness of a traditional coat hanger.
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do u have problems with the ink running up the rod?
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I guess if you ran the drill really really fast, but I stir as if it was paint, just a bit thicker.
Not too fast and that way I can raise and lower in the bucket to get a good mix. I've not experienced a run-up.
I use a hand drill and since I'm a small fry, I only have quarts.