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screen printing => Screen Making => Topic started by: AAMike on April 07, 2016, 11:12:35 AM

Title: Smoothing Screen
Post by: AAMike on April 07, 2016, 11:12:35 AM
Any advice on an adhesive to glue the teflon sheeting onto the mesh would be appreciated.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: mk162 on April 07, 2016, 11:15:42 AM
we taped the edges with polyken tape.

Your better bet is to order one from Action Engineering.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: AAMike on April 07, 2016, 11:18:22 AM
we taped the edges with polyken tape.

Your better bet is to order one from Action Engineering.

Yes. I am just introducing this method and doing some tests.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: mk162 on April 07, 2016, 11:41:31 AM
yeah, then tape it to a coated, exposed, and hardened screen and use some finesse or base in the screen as lube with a regular squeegee.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: DannyGruninger on April 07, 2016, 11:58:47 AM
Use some thick emulsion, coat the screen the stick the teflon to the emulsion..... Then tape the edges with polyken


Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: AAMike on April 07, 2016, 12:18:46 PM
I have a roller from action. It has the blue rubber which is harder than the black rubber. Should be better. Probably going to sacrifice an 86 mesh so it will be durable.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: zanegun08 on April 07, 2016, 12:24:22 PM
86 mesh

Use a higher mesh, otherwise an 86 will push the mesh pattern into the print.  It's microscopic but does make a difference, you want it to be like a smooth steam roller
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: Colin on April 07, 2016, 12:30:42 PM
Zane:

He is putting the Teflon sheet on the 86 mesh :)

But yea, we don't use a Teflon sheet here.  Just a thicker eom on a 225 mesh screen and the roller from Action.  When we need another smoothing screen, we use the same type of screen and add a little curable reducer and a hard squeegee blade.  Works like a charm.

But we also do not use super tacky inks:  Which truly necessitate a Teflon sheet to reduce grip!
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: zanegun08 on April 07, 2016, 12:39:08 PM
He is putting the Teflon sheet on the 86 mesh :)

I know, we do that too, but the fact is that the ridges on the low mesh do get pushed into the print even with the teflon, we have both low mesh and high mesh, and our high mesh screens work better.  With a roller it would be better to just cut out the middle man and stretch the teflon over the frame, sort of like the Roq n Roller Smoothing Iron.

We call ours "Magic Screen" here.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: AAMike on April 07, 2016, 01:12:13 PM
86 mesh

Use a higher mesh, otherwise an 86 will push the mesh pattern into the print.  It's microscopic but does make a difference, you want it to be like a smooth steam roller

Ok, thanks for the tip.
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: tonypep on April 07, 2016, 02:29:33 PM
I have the prototype smoothing screen from Action. Beta testing will take pic later
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: Colin on April 07, 2016, 03:01:07 PM
He is putting the Teflon sheet on the 86 mesh :)

I know, we do that too, but the fact is that the ridges on the low mesh do get pushed into the print even with the teflon, we have both low mesh and high mesh, and our high mesh screens work better.  With a roller it would be better to just cut out the middle man and stretch the teflon over the frame, sort of like the Roq n Roller Smoothing Iron.

We call ours "Magic Screen" here.

Good to know!
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: mk162 on April 07, 2016, 03:01:20 PM
I have the prototype smoothing screen from Action. Beta testing will take pic later

False...you don't need to smooth discharge. ;)
Title: Re: Smoothing Screen
Post by: Lizard on April 07, 2016, 08:52:42 PM
For those that don't want to buy a roller squeegee mix plastisol with vasoline 50/50 to keep the ink from drying up.  Will last weeks.