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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: Gabe on October 18, 2011, 12:11:43 PM
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Howdy i`m looking for an entry level dryer i`ll be running out the basement
since curing is critical part of the job and
with so many brands, belts widths, wattages,voltages, ceramic panels etc.
what are the specs. to look for before making a final decision?
thanks ;)
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I do my printing in the basement and I have Atlas 824.
It is a nice little dryer, but I wish I had one with 36" belt and with a little longer heat chamber (mine is 4' long).
If I was you, I would look at something that is at least 8' / 24" belt and preferably 10' / 36" with 5-6' of heat.
The longer the chamber, the better. (on everything but the Vastex dryers, they have really short chambers).
This is the one I have (older version that can not tilt like that):
http://www.atlasckg.com/dryers/824D/index.html (http://www.atlasckg.com/dryers/824D/index.html)
Good luck
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A lot of it will depend on what power and space you have available.
Get the largest and most powerful dryer you can fit into that space.
Dryers really do serve a very simple purpose, and in the small size range I
don't think there's one that outshines the other. Vastex looks nice though.
Workhorse makes a decent model with their Odyssey, and some are 120 volt,
but 30 AMP.
Used, you'll see a lot of Brown's. They're ugly, controls are archaic, but they work.
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I'm very happy with my econo cure 6100 by BBC . The belt has a rubber bead and the cylinder has a grove that tracks the belt very nicely. If you ever blow an element you can order new for a little over 100.00 , comes with a nice length of cord too. Also you can run both elements or just one.
http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/product/BBCEC-6100 (http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/product/BBCEC-6100)
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The simple answer is the biggest that you can afford, fit, and power. It also sets you up for future improvements in presses.
My first dryer, a Ranar Scamp 110v was perfect as a portable or for hobbyists/dabblers and even me for a couple of years, but it's overall length of four feet was no more than the in-feed of my present dryer.
Length gives you more control and efficiency on curing, and width allows you to not have to practice origami when laying each shirt down. Extra in-feed on at least 30" of width allows two un-loaders to share the dryer by staggering shirts.
You can often get a lot of dryer for the money when bought used from someone who needs the space for a new, larger model.
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i purchased the BBC Industries Little Buddy II Compact Conveyor Dryer, wish it was bigger but i don't have the space for a bigger one. works for what i need it to.
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Depending on your space, I would recommend a Vastex, they are expandable and the warranty is tough to beat. I have expaned mine several times, and run it in conjunction with an auto.
(shameless testimonial, below!)
http://www.youtube.com/embed/N2WO-_JG3y4 (http://www.youtube.com/embed/N2WO-_JG3y4)
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Also, I forgot to mention that I got mine used. You can get pretty good ones cheap, the worse thing that can go ut is a panel. One of the panels on mine died recently, $148 for a replacement one and you are back in the business ($148 is only for heating element).
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Here is the decent small dryer for sale
http://www.digitsmith.com/m-r-economax-ii-dryer-exposure-unit-29450.html (http://www.digitsmith.com/m-r-economax-ii-dryer-exposure-unit-29450.html)
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I picked up that Little Buddy for $2200.00 anyone else using this? its working good for me.
http://www.wildsidenorth.com/s/catalog/c/conveyor-dryers/ (http://www.wildsidenorth.com/s/catalog/c/conveyor-dryers/)
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I picked up that Little Buddy for $2200.00 anyone else using this? its working good for me.
[url]http://www.wildsidenorth.com/s/catalog/c/conveyor-dryers/[/url] ([url]http://www.wildsidenorth.com/s/catalog/c/conveyor-dryers/[/url])
I have a small 24 x 6.5 ft BBC a few notches up , I like mine its very simple (never understood complex dryers or the need to be rather...) mine has 2 18x 24 panels I can run just one or both of them. I like thier flashes too. Picked it up used for 900.00 .
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Howdy
phisically speaking i can fit a 8ft.long and 3ft.wide dryer it`ll be tight
the question it is o.k. in residential area
some of these puppys can go as much as 6000 watts or more not to mention amps.
thank you for posting ;)
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I picked up that Little Buddy for $2200.00 anyone else using this? its working good for me.
[url]http://www.wildsidenorth.com/s/catalog/c/conveyor-dryers/[/url] ([url]http://www.wildsidenorth.com/s/catalog/c/conveyor-dryers/[/url])
Yeah I'm using one in my basement since it was all I could fit. 18" wide belt drives me nuts, but other then that the dryer does what it's advertised to do. Can't wait to get something bigger though.
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6000 watts at 240 volts is 25 amps, less than most laundry dryers.
Your bigger hurdle might be properly exhausting it.
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i know black body makes excellent flashes
and dryers are not the exception
you make a good point
do you use power exhaust... if so?
where it is located in the dryer
can this puppy cure waterbase ink... if so
how many an hour
thanks for the insight EBSCREEN
Sincerily doublestroke
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If I were you i would go a little larger than entry level as suggested by DK..Find a used m/r maxicure 36". should run under 2k in clean unrefurbished condition..at lease then you can print with some speed or multiple presses.
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Here are a couple entry level dryers at reasonable prices for new. No frills it just works. I have the smaller 4000 dryer but wish I had the 6000
http://tshirtprintersupply.com/store/CS4000.html (http://tshirtprintersupply.com/store/CS4000.html)
http://tshirtprintersupply.com/store/CS6000.html (http://tshirtprintersupply.com/store/CS6000.html)
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I can see how you would want the 6000 as it defies the laws of nature as we know them! From the description, Measuring 32" x 8 ft with a 36" wide belt
Dr. Who fans may recognize this same principle in the Tardis (time and relative dimension in space) which allowed larger interior than the exterior dimensions.
Cool stuff from the folks at Ranar lol!
(http://www.zetacity.com/insidethetardis/images/tardis-large.jpg)
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I can see how you would want the 6000 as it defies the laws of nature as we know them! From the description, Measuring 32" x 8 ft with a 36" wide belt
Dr. Who fans may recognize this same principle in the Tardis (time and relative dimension in space) which allowed larger interior than the exterior dimensions.
Cool stuff fro the folks at Ranar lol!
([url]http://www.zetacity.com/insidethetardis/images/tardis-large.jpg[/url])
I know I noticed that typo as well, lol. That would look pretty wierd with slots in the chamber to allow the belt to travel.
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I agree with pretty much everything said here. Bigger, longer, hotter and girthier is better.
I went with a Vastex a few years ago for my first conveyor. It's done pretty well for me and I'm amazed that such a short dryer can do so well at curing ink. This is totally unsubstantiated but I think they might put really nice IR panels in the Vastex units, it would explain how a panel smaller, with less wattage than my flash can deliver a full cure in less time than it takes to flash a T. It would also explain the crazy warranty on the panels. Our EC-I can just barely stay ahead of me printing solo and I work at anywhere from 75-150 pcs/hour typically, depending on the colors and flashes in the print. We maxed it out doing heart prints with a team of three at about 350 pcs/hour. The 30" belt is very nice but you'll always want a wider belt.
If you go short on the dryer get the digital temp control it's not really an option, it's critical in my opinion. We had the model with the 'baseboard heater' style temp 'control' and it's just way too slow to get the temp under actual control. Some people like the dry-box series from them but without the PID control I say don't bother. On short dryers your print is in there for, well, a short amount of time. If the panel temp isn't spot on during that 30 seconds or whatever it might be then your going to under or over cure significantly. Long dryers, this is less of an issue I would imagine- a slow temp control has the whole 8' or so to catch-up and stabilize the temp. Most long chamber IR dryers are closed in and insulated as well so you have ambient heat happening. The Vastex concept is more like 'zap it' than 'cook it' - I guess it's the microwave oven of print dryers.
Why is no one microwaving their shirts???
Anyways, I'm actually selling the EC-I soon, about 2 weeks if all goes well. So here's a shameless plug, you can pm or email me if interested.
Down the road I want nothing but a big 'ol natural gas dryer. The M&R Heatwave is the only one I know of that will fit in you space but it's going to cost a lot more than IR.
Don't even run the dryer until you vent it. No point in breathing all that crap. I vent our chamber with a 250cfm in-line fan ('heat-moving' fans at {insert big-box home supply store here}) and then a 250cfm vent box that I made from entirely reclaimed materials- a kitchen vent fan, some sheet metal and ducting- which works surprisingly well.
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http://www.vastex.com/products/InfraredDryers/ECI.php (http://www.vastex.com/products/InfraredDryers/ECI.php)
I like to have this in the 54" version for my auto. This would be the max I could put in my shop as far as amps go but I worry about that short chamber being able to do 300+ shirts, doesnt seem like it could do that.
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I think the chamber is rated for 150 an hour if you're just putting the shirts in a single row... but since it is so wide you can put two rows of shirts on, giving you the 300 per hour.