Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

This section is all about how to reclaim screens by removing the stencil with emulsion remover. Topics include working with emulsion removers, pressure washers, trouble shooting and waste disposal concerns.

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desertanimal
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Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:08 pm

Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by desertanimal »

Greetings all. I am a new hobbyist screen printer. I mean really new, and really hobbyist. I just want the capacity to make custom t-shirts for gifts for friends and to spruce up my around-the-house multi-pack white Hanes. To that end, I will mostly use stencils, but sometimes I will want to coat, expose, and reclaim the same screen.

I have watched a lot of catspit videos about this and that, but I missed the taping one, and used tape on only the printing side of a screen that I then didn't clean right away (was using plastisol ink and stencils and thought I might do some more with the same area taped off). When I went to clean this screen to put photo emulsion on it, I found that the tape was gooey and really stuck to the screen and when I pulled it off it left a LOT of sticky adhesive everwhere.

Well, I have some Safe-T-Wash from Dick Blick that says it's for screen washing, so I went to town on my screen with that. There was so much adhesive on the screen that I sprayed it down well and let it sit for a few minutes. I sprayed it out with my sink sprayer (this is what I have to work with--I could maybe use a garden hose attachment in my tub if that would really be a lot better, but I'm not going to get a washout bin and pressure washer for 10 or 20 shirts a year), and wiped it with a sponge to pick up the dissolved adhesive, and repeated. As I was working on the screen, the screen slid on the frame, and I realized that the Safe-T-Wash had dissolved the glue holding the screen to the frame.

This whole situation was definitely my fault in incorrect taping, but is the glue that holds the screen to the frame supposed to be soluble in what's sold as a screen wash? I bought this screen off of ebay. Was this a bad screen or do I just have to be more careful when washing screens (or both)? I don't want to order another from the same vendor if corners were cut on the screen glue . . .

Thanks in advance for your input!

-Stephanie
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Catspit Productions
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Re: Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by Catspit Productions »

Hello there and welcome.

For standard metal screens the glue use on screen mesh to adhere it to the frame is like Crazy Glue. It’s a cyanoacrylate family adhesive and should not dissolve with press wash or screen wash made for screenprinting. The Blick product may be a multi purpose item not well suited for screenprinting. I don’t know the product.

The problem is most likely and unfortunately related to the fact that you are not using a pressure washer. A pressure washer will remove the tape glue and ink with a bit of solvent very easily. Doing it by hand you can also put excessive pressure on he screen mesh pushing away from the frame edge and here it crack while popping off the frame.

But you describe something a little different perhaps in that the adhesive actually dissolved. The answer is to use a pressure washer outside since you have no washout booth. You can take the screen to the car wash and use the manual pressure sprayers there. Use an eco friendly solvent like this one:

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/rhi ... 45c-quart/

But the bottom line is if the screen was made by competent people and made for screenprinting then the solvents made for screenprinting will not harm the mesh adhesive.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
desertanimal
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:08 pm

Re: Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by desertanimal »

Thanks much, Jonathan!

The adhesive is gone. It looked like rubber cement or similar, and it is gone. Thanks for the tip about the car wash. It's a lot bit too cold for that in Boston right now, but that's a great solution for April-September or so.

Speaking of weather, I will be in PHX Jan 6-16. I looked on your website for screens. I need a new one and could bring it back with me in baggage to save on shipping. Let me know how to contact you if that's something that could work out. I'd love to save shipping $, and I'd love to get a guaranteed good product!
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Re: Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by Catspit Productions »

LOL... I suppose it is a little cold there right now isn’t it? ;)

Yes, but I am leaving for the show in Long Beach on Thursday the 16th. Give me a call before then. However, I only have 125/70 screens in stock here in Phoenix right now. They are good for spot colors with some detail. You would also have to box the screen well so it does not get torn or punctured.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
desertanimal
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:08 pm

Re: Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by desertanimal »

I ended up not having luggage space after Christmas presents, so I'll have to order online after all. I'm trying another vendor on ebay who had 110s, so fingers crossed that these will be better constructed!
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Re: Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by Catspit Productions »

No problem. But I have all the mesh counts you might need:

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/20x ... l-screens/

Maybe you can try some of mine sometime.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
desertanimal
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:08 pm

Re: Screen slid off frame - my fault or bad screen glue?

Post by desertanimal »

Indeed I will! Given my weather constraints, it will be cheaper for me to buy more screens when I need to do a new design in the winter that's not a stencil, and then just go to a car wash like you suggested and reclaim everything in July!
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