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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: Rockers on February 02, 2013, 06:24:29 AM
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This squeegee clean devise looks very neat. His anyone here tried it already. Even though $600 is a lot of cash for that beauty. Might give it a try and build one myself.
http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0 (http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0)
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I built it for $40...no cranking, no locking the squeegee in.
2 broom heads with a PVC pipe with holes running down the middle.
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I bought one at the ISS show with the condition they would make the holder work for the SRoque squeegees. They assured me they would have something for it. Even without the holder they were talking 5 weeks out for delivery.
The cleaner is the slickest thing I have seen in a while. Kinda crazy no company had came out with a simple device like this yet. 1 thing they could make on it would be a drain pin or something, now apparently you need to un-screw the unit from what surface you have it secured to and dump it out. Also the "power" attachment for a drill seems like overkill. You would think with that much speed it would splash cleaner everywhere.
Still great idea, can't wait to get ours!
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I have one on order also.
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how much were they going for? do they work with plastisol and waterbased/discharge ink?
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how much were they going for? do they work with plastisol and waterbased/discharge ink?
They are advertised on their website for US$600 now.
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I'll take mine any day of the week, and for $560 less it's a better deal.
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I'll take mine any day of the week, and for $560 less it's a better deal.
That`s what I think too.
We are a crafty bunch here so we might just build one that is based on the Shurloc but will cost us only 1/4 of their retail price. Put it on wheels so it can be stationed close to one our our presses.
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That squeegee was clean before he put it through the machine!
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I will build mine for you and sell them to you for $300. Saves you half the money. It works great and I save a ton of time with it.
Theirs looks great too, but for $600, I'll spend that elsewhere
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I will build mine for you and sell them to you for $300. Saves you half the money. It works great and I save a ton of time with it.
Theirs looks great too, but for $600, I'll spend that elsewhere
But we will build ours for $150-$200 and it will look as good if not even better then the ShurLoc one.
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I will build mine for you and sell them to you for $300. Saves you half the money. It works great and I save a ton of time with it.
Theirs looks great too, but for $600, I'll spend that elsewhere
I like the idea of yours, MUCH better than ones we had put together before! The one big selling point for me on the Shurloc one was the cleaner solution all was below the squeegee and brushes. This way you don't have to wear gloves, no ones hands have to come in contact with the cleaning chemicals. There is also no power or drain needed so it makes it easier to put places.
I am usually a big DIY'er(seriously considered welding up one of these puppies my self) but once I thought the time involved making a similar setup, finding right size plastic gears, ect. figured I would come out a head buying their set up. There was a handsome ISS show discount that helped with the decision ;)
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Thanks for the defense TCT!
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Don`t get me wrong here, I totally dig that squeegee clean but for $600+ shipping I`m almost forced to get the welding equipment out and try my luck. Of course a discount for overseas clients would make me think twice about spending time on DIY.
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I'll take mine any day of the week, and for $560 less it's a better deal.
You do know that PVC pipe will melt if you pump most normal chemical through it right.. plastisol ink and PVC are brothers and break down with the same chemicals.
Yeah yeah I know.. you're using some green or beanedo solution and it hasn't melted on you yet.. others aren't so the machine you make has to work in all chemical ranges.
Neither yours nor the shur cleaner, both great inventive applications for sure, would not last a week here at the factory under heavy use conditions.
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it could also be made from black pipe or copper if you can dig up the right fittings.
Mine actually works fine, it would work fine in a higher production shop. There are zero moving parts other than a parts washer pump.
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it could also be made from black pipe or copper if you can dig up the right fittings.
Mine actually works fine, it would work fine in a higher production shop. There are zero moving parts other than a parts washer pump.
The guys here can't get water to go down the drain some days ;D
I prefer your design because it doesn't have moving parts. I'm just thinking about our chemical and what broom heads would work.
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i would be careful with chems that are too harsh, it will jack up your squeegee blades. This is why mineral spirits isn't the best.
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Funny....no one has taken up my offer for a free used Blade Runner. Can't find the pic right now I posted it before but it is hilarious.
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We're waiting for you to do a video of it in action. ;)
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This squeegee clean devise looks very neat. His anyone here tried it already. Even though $600 is a lot of cash for that beauty. Might give it a try and build one myself.
[url]http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0[/url] ([url]http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0[/url])
How long would it take before the solution in the Machine is so full of ink making it worthless. I clean mine manually with a card then 2 sprays of cleaner and one shop towel. If I had this I would guess I would still need to card as much ink off as I can first to save the chemical. Then attach the flood or squeegee to the "machine" run it through the "machine" and then since the chemicals has old ink in it I would have to use a shop towel to wipe the chemical off. So this $600 machine just saved me what?
I am really asking? Can we see a video of 10 to 20 squeegees cleaned in a row?
If this product does not save time over doing it manually it is a fail, time is money. If its easier to use but takes longer then its still a fail, time is money.
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Well said. Thats how we got duped into $800 for the Blade Runner
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i would be careful with chems that are too harsh, it will jack up your squeegee blades. This is why mineral spirits isn't the best.
Were using a private label of image technology's SC5050 ink cleaner. Best darn stuff I've ever used, just don't use it on roller frame tapes as it turns any adhesive into mush.
Hey tony.. you can keep that blade runner ;D
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..HA! Check this out, it kinda has the same video style as "Thats Incredible"!!
Serilor Blade Runner (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YvHHQdMcA#)
...what was it that sucks so bad about this thing, Tony? Ill be up Chucktown way soon, maybe I can stop in and take it offaya hands and tinker around with it, as well as shake hands and meet the screenprinting authority himself!!... 8)
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It was awful. Sprayed crap everywhere and you had to finish it off by hand so whats the point. You're welcome to come by just give a days notice
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That promo video made it look badass! Shame it didn't work.
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This squeegee clean devise looks very neat. His anyone here tried it already. Even though $600 is a lot of cash for that beauty. Might give it a try and build one myself.
[url]http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0[/url] ([url]http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0[/url])
How long would it take before the solution in the Machine is so full of ink making it worthless. I clean mine manually with a card then 2 sprays of cleaner and one shop towel. If I had this I would guess I would still need to card as much ink off as I can first to save the chemical. Then attach the flood or squeegee to the "machine" run it through the "machine" and then since the chemicals has old ink in it I would have to use a shop towel to wipe the chemical off. So this $600 machine just saved me what?
I am really asking? Can we see a video of 10 to 20 squeegees cleaned in a row?
If this product does not save time over doing it manually it is a fail, time is money. If its easier to use but takes longer then its still a fail, time is money.
We would love to see someone do 20-30 squeegees in a row with one... Maybe we should have a contest with it? We did do a full shoot down at a shop near us, and they did 26 squeegees in about 15 minutes... The bosses shot the videos on a cellphone and didn't do a continuous shoot because her battery wasn't playing nicely, but the speed is defintely there and there is no mess with the custom brush configuration and speed. The quick advantages that I can tell you over non-moving brushes:
1) Circulating brushes keep the grime from building up on them. This also circulates the chemicals in the container keeping them properly mixed at all times. There is no settling or weakening of the chemical mixture.
2) The custom brushes rotate opposite the direction of the splash, meaning less spray and no mess outside the container.
3) The extra high brush system reaches the entire squeegee area and cleans the tops, bottoms and edges of any sized squeegee. If you use oversized manual squeegees, a simple flip to the top of the squeegee will clean the entire handle.
4) The chemical mix we have tested works on pre-scraped or completely caked squeegees without any issues of build up or loss of effective cleaning ability.
5) There is no electricity needed to run the Squeegee Clean - no pumps, filters, fittings to change.
6) Custom brushes are made from a durable, yet soft bristle configuration which will scrub, but not scratch your blades.
7) Works on just about any ink coated items including: squeegees, spatulas and even frames.
And the list could go on and on, but I'll give it up at those few points. The fact is, yes, you can do the DIY style cleaner, but the Squeegee Clean is backed by a company that is here to answer questions, stand by our products and is always a phone call away.
As far as overseas discounts, we would love to get a quote to you - so please email us from our site - or email me directly ron - @ - shurloc.com
Also, I will see if we can sneak back into one of our beta test shops to do a 30 squeegee video straight through and show you how fast and clean the cleaner is. Of course, if you want to take a stab with one, we stand by our try it out system on this one. Give it a shot and if you aren't thrilled call me and we will get you fixed up.
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This squeegee clean devise looks very neat. His anyone here tried it already. Even though $600 is a lot of cash for that beauty. Might give it a try and build one myself.
[url]http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0[/url] ([url]http://youtu.be/sGtw56b3il0[/url])
How long would it take before the solution in the Machine is so full of ink making it worthless. I clean mine manually with a card then 2 sprays of cleaner and one shop towel. If I had this I would guess I would still need to card as much ink off as I can first to save the chemical. Then attach the flood or squeegee to the "machine" run it through the "machine" and then since the chemicals has old ink in it I would have to use a shop towel to wipe the chemical off. So this $600 machine just saved me what?
I am really asking? Can we see a video of 10 to 20 squeegees cleaned in a row?
If this product does not save time over doing it manually it is a fail, time is money. If its easier to use but takes longer then its still a fail, time is money.
We would love to see someone do 20-30 squeegees in a row with one... Maybe we should have a contest with it? We did do a full shoot down at a shop near us, and they did 26 squeegees in about 15 minutes... The bosses shot the videos on a cellphone and didn't do a continuous shoot because her battery wasn't playing nicely, but the speed is defintely there and there is no mess with the custom brush configuration and speed. The quick advantages that I can tell you over non-moving brushes:
1) Circulating brushes keep the grime from building up on them. This also circulates the chemicals in the container keeping them properly mixed at all times. There is no settling or weakening of the chemical mixture.
2) The custom brushes rotate opposite the direction of the splash, meaning less spray and no mess outside the container.
3) The extra high brush system reaches the entire squeegee area and cleans the tops, bottoms and edges of any sized squeegee. If you use oversized manual squeegees, a simple flip to the top of the squeegee will clean the entire handle.
4) The chemical mix we have tested works on pre-scraped or completely caked squeegees without any issues of build up or loss of effective cleaning ability.
5) There is no electricity needed to run the Squeegee Clean - no pumps, filters, fittings to change.
6) Custom brushes are made from a durable, yet soft bristle configuration which will scrub, but not scratch your blades.
7) Works on just about any ink coated items including: squeegees, spatulas and even frames.
And the list could go on and on, but I'll give it up at those few points. The fact is, yes, you can do the DIY style cleaner, but the Squeegee Clean is backed by a company that is here to answer questions, stand by our products and is always a phone call away.
As far as overseas discounts, we would love to get a quote to you - so please email us from our site - or email me directly ron - @ - shurloc.com
Also, I will see if we can sneak back into one of our beta test shops to do a 30 squeegee video straight through and show you how fast and clean the cleaner is. Of course, if you want to take a stab with one, we stand by our try it out system on this one. Give it a shot and if you aren't thrilled call me and we will get you fixed up.
I have emailed now twice in the last 10 days and did not get any reply. Thought maybe because I`ve mentioned we might try to build something similar ourselves. Anyway, I`m still up for a quote and I`m sure that thing would sell well over here in Japan. I might even be able to hook you up with distributers if you guys are interested.
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...Are the brushes replaceable, and if so whats the cost of replacement brushes?
...I would also like to know about the chemstry used in the unit, and the inks systems compatible with it.
...Thanks!!
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@Rockers - I did receive your first email with the address, and we are still trying to look into shipping options. The bosses have been out for a week plus now so I haven't been able to discuss it in full with them. The $300 price point probably isn't going to happen with it as it wouldn't even cover our costs of putting the components in there, but we will see what we can do. As far as distribution goes, if you think the $600 price tag is too much, wait till you see distributors wanting to charge $1000 for it. I will try my best to get them nailed down on a price and shipping to Japan for you ASAP though.
@Mr Tees - Yes, the brushes can be replaced, but our testing facilities have had zero need to do so. You would simply pull the gearing and release the shaft from the unit. Pull the old brushes out, put the new ones in and replace the shaft. The process would only take about 10 minutes to complete, but it shouldn't be needed. As far as the chemicals go, we have a few options for people based on inks being used. The people at Saati-Chem and EasiWay have been awesome in helping out with the process. If you have particular questions on it, feel free to give Jim a call later this week.
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@Rockers - I did receive your first email with the address, and we are still trying to look into shipping options. The bosses have been out for a week plus now so I haven't been able to discuss it in full with them. The $300 price point probably isn't going to happen with it as it wouldn't even cover our costs of putting the components in there, but we will see what we can do. As far as distribution goes, if you think the $600 price tag is too much, wait till you see distributors wanting to charge $1000 for it. I will try my best to get them nailed down on a price and shipping to Japan for you ASAP though.
No way am I expecting to buy it for $300. And as for distributers I was asking if you guys would be interested in selling it in Japan, I`m having good contacts too a few major distributers here in Japan. They sell Union Ink, Wilflex etc and other equipment from the States.
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So, I got our squeegee clean in the other day and ran some squeegees through it.... Here are my thoughts:
-Doesn't work as smoothly as they make it look at the show.
-It is messier than I had anticipated and hoped for.
- NEEDS to be screwed down
- using the adapter for a drill or whatever would = huge mess.
-it gets the job done well
Basically my biggest beef with the unit is, it sprays cleaning solution out of the ends. I understand why they need to be open, for clearance for the squeegee when moving it, but some rubber closing flaps are a MUST. I don't regret getting the unit, with a slight modification(rubber flaps) it will be a step in the right direction. But the unit will never be able to be put in a "clean" area. Probably best to put it by where screens are cleaned. Also a rinse bucket of plain water would be good to have by it to remove the ink remover chemical film that is left on cleaned items.
Product does as advertised, just maybe not as clean. I give it a 7. Plus I hate the smell of mineral spirits!
Anyone else that got one have any thoughts?
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Yeah, two broom heads mounted inside a parts washer sink. $40...no moving parts...and the mess is self contained. I have been saying over and over again how much better my design is for cheaper.
Sometimes things are over engineered.
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We took the plunge and bought one of these. With a 12, 8, 14 and 16 color press there is an over abundance of squeegees to clean in our shop.
Just got it in and got it mounted yesterday. Job that no one liked doing now has people lining up to do it. We did not buy the 'holder' cap as I really didn't think anyone in our shop would take the time to mount the squeegees to it to clean them. Within the day they have already figured out how to do it without using a holder and the simply put the lid on unit after running the squeegee down into the brushes. The cap keeps the fluids from splashing out the ends and they are running the brushes in both directions causing the squeegee to move back in forth in the unit - 30 - 45 seconds later squeegee clean and done with less mess overall and much faster than before.
YMMV. Yes it is expensive - yes I could have hobbled something together for cheaper - but the reduction in time and labor with the number of squeegees we have to clean daily will pay for the unit in a short period of time by my calculations.
Ask me in three months what I think and I may have a different opinion, but for now - happy with the device and suspect I will be three months from now as well.
If we had one auto I don't think it would be worth it, but I think it is a good fit for our shop.
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Same here as in your shop.
I just wanted to test it, play with chemicals to see what works ( we are in Europe, different chemicals available) and give demo to my employees. Finally they let me clean first three squeggees only. Cleaning squeggees is not most hated job on production floor any more.
And I know I can mix better chemicals still.
I'm happy I bought it.
Boris
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For all of you who want to get your hands on the Squeegee Clean before you decide to invest, Shurloc is gracioulsy sending one is as a demo unit for the PROScreen-Professional Screenmaking workshop at Mind's Eye Graphics in Decatur, IN on April 19-20. Touch, test, and experiment with this new timesaving tool during the programed networking & Best Practices portions of the workshop. Details at www.mindseyeg.com (http://www.mindseyeg.com)
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I bet shurloc is following this thread.
Will you have one in Orlando for the show. I want to see one myself.
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Still no hits on that Blade Runner!
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I bet shurloc is following this thread.
Will you have one in Orlando for the show. I want to see one myself.
Am I so predictable that you think I'm watching this?
It will be there and we will have some fun deals on them... We can't wait for everyone to see it, so make sure to stop by booth #331 - shoot a video with your cellphone or whatever and post it here. We just finished a quick YouTube How To with it and you can check that out as well.
Squeegee Clean - How To Use (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXLVEWUxkmo#)
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I am going to see Sheri and the Shur-Loc crew at ISS Orlando this weekend for lessons so we can demo the unit correctly at the PROScreen workshop at Mind's Eye on April 19-20 in Decatur, IN. Looks like it will make life a bit easier in the production area.
See you at the show!
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We just finished a great PROScreen-Professional screenmaking event at Mind's Eye and demonstrated a Shur-Loc Squeege Clean unit for everyone. Great tool, simple and easy to use time & solvent saver.
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I have to say I like ours the more I get to use it. Thanks to the roughly 10" of snow we got the other day, YES in late April! I stayed late to avoid what would of turned into a 3hr ride home. Spent some time with the squeegee clean, it does a heck of a nice job. It still splatters cleaner fluid around the area and you need at least 1 glove(sparkles optional) but the squeegees and goop scoops come out nice and clean! Just wish there was a way to make it a bit less messy, that would allow us to have it by where we mix ink and have our squeegees waiting to go.
Still faster, cleaner and nicer than what we were doing before the unit.
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Regarding the splash back, I know this sounds backwards, but reduce the amount of solution and turning the crank slower will almost entirely eliminate the mess. This is a great case where more is certainly not better. The recommendation is about a gallon of product, we are probably closer to 3 qts. and it is working great
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Update on our Shur-Loc Squeegee Clean Experience: After 6 weeks of use and hundreds of cleanings the apparatus finally got to the point it was in need of a clean. It was simply sliding around ink sludge and needed fixed.
25-30 minutes of time was all that was necessary to remove from stand, drain & strain remaining sludge/solvent through 140 mesh for re-use, wash down, apply ink degradents, power wash the brushes (they are blue again), wipe down, pour back stained water solvent mix, added another quart of Saati IR-4 and fill to useful level, and put back on stand.
I can conservatively say the machine saved us 30-60 minutes of shop time every day so my investment ROI is about 3 months, after that all savings go directly to the bottom line.
I love it when something works as advertised.
~Kitson
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Glad everyone is liking the Squeegee Clean! If you haven't taken the plunge yet, go find us on Facebook, like us and post that you want $100 off a Squeegee Clean on our page and I will do it for you... The bosses are out for the weekend again so - I'll do something crazy! That makes them $495 just like that the 'launch special' we had at Long Beach... So, if you are still waiting, this is a good time to snag one... That said, we had a few tips and tricks come in over the past 6 months on how to make it run even better...
1) Don't rotate the brushes too much - a slow crank or two while you are pushing the squeegee through is plenty to keep the brushes clean.
2) Don't overfill it - putting more than a gallon in will just splash and make a mess.
3) Get a few $1 Store drip trays or trays from Home Depot to catch the run off from the edges. Pour it right back in to the cleaner when you are done.
4) Use a low suds chemical mixture - the IR4 does a pretty good job of staying in the box, but some of those other guys can turn your shop in to a foam dance in a hurry!
5) If you decide to try the 'drill adapter' make sure you use a variable speed drill set to about a revolution per second, anything more than that and you will be cleaning the ceilings... :)
Anyways, the offer stands! Friend, post, and call me! - Ron (shurloc.com/facebook)
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I'm sold.
Only problem is, is there a way to make it work with MHM style squeegee's?
Folks that have these are using the lid thing, yes?
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I'm sold.
Only problem is, is there a way to make it work with MHM style squeegee's?
Folks that have these are using the lid thing, yes?
The lid is not necessary, but I imagine they make a MHM one, they made me a S.Roque holder. Instead of a lid, we just hold the squeegee with one of those long rubber gloves that goes up to your elbow.
When we first got ours I was only mildly happy with it. Then one night I spent a hour down in the basement with it and really got the hang of it. Once you figure it out, they really are great.
I definitely agree, SLOW rotations work the best and too much cleaning fluid works worse. I use the stuff from Screen Systems the 2550
http://nwgraphic.com/family.php?id=2550&dd=BIO-SOLVENTS&cat=bio-solvents (http://nwgraphic.com/family.php?id=2550&dd=BIO-SOLVENTS&cat=bio-solvents)
Nice product.
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Squeegee cleaning is somehow more despised than anything else around here and we need something.
I was gonna go the parts washer route but after you add in 20 gallons of fluid the price ain't much different.
I'm sold.
Mr. Shurloc, hit me up or I'll find you tomorrow.
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Hey everyone! Just wanted to pass along the link to our new Facebook video of the Squeegee Clean running 15 squeegees in 5 minutes... I managed to talk the bosses in to letting me take the new camera down to Moss Green in Seattle and the great folks there did a quick clean out video and a 'bulk clean' of 15 squeegees for me. Anyway, check it out and email me ron@shurloc.com (or call me at 360-805-4140) if you have any questions or want to about grabbing one of these at a special 15% discount (limited time only!)
Thanks and enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=494773667274604 (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=494773667274604)
PS Like us on Facebook to keep track of all the great deals - like the B-Side mesh I just posted at 30% off!
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MHM style holder?
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MHM style holder?
Have one, works pretty much the same way as on MHM press.
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We have MHM, M&R and S-Roque style holders in our Auto-Lids, but you can even use them without like Moss Green did in the video...
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Slick, I figured as much. MHM squeegee's have a little less handhold than other types.
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@ebscreen - Email me so I can get you a scream on one of these with the M&R lid....
@Rockers - I think we can finally put together a deal for you... I'm in a wheeling and dealing mood... :)
Anyone else thinking about jumping on one, pricing this low hasn't been seen since the Squeegee Clean debuted at the Long Beach ISS show... 15% is quite a chunk off that $595 retail price! (ending sales pitch now...)
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When I first saw this "machine" I was very sceptical. I even wanted to see a video of cleaning 15 in a row. Now that I have seen the video I will give this product the respect it deserves. I am sure if I was in a hurry I could clean the squeegees by hand about as fast but that is not the point. This makes it easier to do. In the video he didn't use the "lid" so that would make it much lower but if its not needed then that is not a mark against it.
Good Job Shurloc
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The lid is really not necessary. A nice feature if you don't want to hold the actual squeegee, but not necessary to use the cleaner. We just have one rubber glove next to the unit and we hold the squeegee with that hand.
The time it takes to get the squeegee secured in the holder we could probably have another squeegee cleaned!
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That's what we've seen in most shops is that they just pick up a heavy duty set of dish washing gloves and just keep it right next to the unit for cleaning. Having some of your chemical premixed is a great thing to do also - just a one gallon container with 2 parts water to 1 part cleaner to refill as liquid is lost.
As far as the lids go, they are great for keeping the area cleaner, but they are a complete add-on item. Fortunately, they aren't that slow. It only takes about 2 seconds to get a squeegee into one. You just loosen one side, pop the squeegee in, slide the clamp and tighten back up... I think I would recommend using the glove personally since you can use them with flood bars, spatulas, squeegees and anything else you get a ton of ink on.
People are using this thing to clean just about everything in their shops... We've even had people cleaning their EZ Frame bars in them!
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@ebscreen - Email me so I can get you a scream on one of these with the M&R lid....
@Rockers - I think we can finally put together a deal for you... I'm in a wheeling and dealing mood... :)
Anyone else thinking about jumping on one, pricing this low hasn't been seen since the Squeegee Clean debuted at the Long Beach ISS show... 15% is quite a chunk off that $595 retail price! (ending sales pitch now...)
Then quote me happy please
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That's what we've seen in most shops is that they just pick up a heavy duty set of dish washing gloves and just keep it right next to the unit for cleaning. Having some of your chemical premixed is a great thing to do also - just a one gallon container with 2 parts water to 1 part cleaner to refill as liquid is lost.
As far as the lids go, they are great for keeping the area cleaner, but they are a complete add-on item. Fortunately, they aren't that slow. It only takes about 2 seconds to get a squeegee into one. You just loosen one side, pop the squeegee in, slide the clamp and tighten back up... I think I would recommend using the glove personally since you can use them with flood bars, spatulas, squeegees and anything else you get a ton of ink on.
People are using this thing to clean just about everything in their shops... We've even had people cleaning their EZ Frame bars in them!
Will you be in las vegas next weekend?
Do you need a part washer for this or can you just use the squeege clean? Can the chemical be dumped down the drain when it gets to dirty?
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@jesterapparel - We won't be in Vegas, but we are hitting the ISS Fort Worth show in September if that is one that you might be at - yep, Fort Worth in September... Not as fun as Vegas in August, but it's a better show for us.
As far as the additional equipment goes - No, you don't need anything hooked to it.
In regards to the maintenance - Eventually you will need to get some of the scum out of it. For most shops, they dump and strain about every 3 months (depending on ink types and chemicals used) and reuse the same chemicals to refill it. The simple way to look at it is you run your Squeegee Clean until you notice the brushes not coming 'clean' enough to clean the squeegees. This is usually when the build up has come up to being in contact with the brushes.
To 'empty' it, just place a t-shirt our a doubled up piece of dead mesh over a bucket, release the squeegee clean from the table by loosening the anchor screws, carefully pour the liquid in to the bucket - letting the gunk get trapped by the fabric. Remove the fabric from the bucket and discard the sludge with your waste ink or in your chemical waste area and refill the Squeegee Clean with the used chemical from the bucket and refresh with a a bit of new mix to bring it up to the proper levels again. If you need to add a bit more chem to the mix to keep it cleaning better, you can certainly do that, but we've found that the sludge is the bigger issue than the chemicals breaking down.
That's all there is too it... Greg posted a few great images of cleaning it earlier in the post, and that is really all there is to it. Just dump, reuse and refill... Some add the pressure wash stage and the wipe down with WD-40 to make it look all sparkly and new, but that's up to you.
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Worth every penny.
I got one for two main reasons, first is that squeegee cleaning is just about the least desirable job here. Not no more it ain't.
Second is that the tiny little channel where the squeegee meats the holder has always been difficult to clean and can wreak
havoc if it isn't spotless. Not not more it ain't.
Works great on floodbars as well. Wings take a bit of finagling but it's doable.
We're thinking of adding a small foot switch operated electric motor and belt drive (and appropriate guards) so you
can use two hands to do the holding and maneuvering. Would make large squeegees and winged floods more manageable.
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Sean,
did you get the lid?
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Not yet, I could see needing it though, from what I could tell the level of fluid went down a little over night....
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(PS Robert, the eagle has flown, express. And I have a good source for anything in the future, they discharge beautifully)