Silk Screen Kit for DIY'ers

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travis

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
Messages
64
Location
Portland, OR
I just thought I would throw this out there.....
I am kind of skeptical that it would work because it would require sending enamel based ink and solvent through the mail, but I am tempted to put something together and wonder if others have ideas or opinions on it.

I just did a silkscreen project and everything went wrong at least once, but in the end it was really easy!  Existing silk screen kits are not designed for this type of project though:  pre-made sceens are the wrong size and screen count, you need the right ink or it wont stick, you cant buy the right ink in smaller sizes.  Overall it is not time or cost effective.  I think that would be different if you had the right equipment from the start (without buying waaay more than you need) and it could be used repeatedly.  Any thoughts?
 
I've been considering trying silk screening so I'd definitely be interested to see a kit/your thoughts on what is or isn't needed to do it.  I've been using transfers, and whilst they are cool once settled and lacquered over they are a pain to do and quite time consuming. 
Also not any easier to do multiples.
 
I would be interested to see what the kit consisted of, but with laser engraving as clean and affordable as it is, it would be hard to beat.
 
Yea...seriously this is something I don't know much about, but want to get into it. I would love to put custom logos and stuff on things. I'm thinking about building a custom console in a bit, and custom silkscreen would be a must....I've read about it online but any info anyone could share would be most appreciated especially since most silkscreen stuff I find seems to be geared towards clothing.
 
I bought a kit as well... still havent broken it out of the box yet though, was kinda hoping you'd have some input on it LOL

Honestly I would return it if you still can!  If the ink is water based it is pretty much worthless on metal.  Most likely the screen and squeegee are not best for what you are using it for either.  I think that I will put a kit together if I can offer it at a reasonable price.  Either way I would be happy to help!

I would be interested to see what the kit consisted of, but with laser engraving as clean and affordable as it is, it would be hard to beat.
   

Good point.  I have yet to go the engraving route......what can you expect to pay for a front panel?  I suppose I can just dig around a little, Im sure theres a thread about it somewhere!  The good thing about screen printing is that once you get your supplies you are set for future projects.  Also you can can create blocks of color which open the doors to different design options.   

I'm thinking about building a custom console in a bit

this is another consideration as far as screen size.  My thought was that it would be nice to have a screen included but I was thinking maybe for a 3U front panel or smaller.  If you are working with a large surface it might be good to plan it in several exposures anyway though.  Not just because of the screen size but also it could become more difficult to get a good exposure on a large area if there is limited light source.  Anyone else have any thoughts on a good screen size that would accommodate most projects?
 
My local trophy shop only wanted about 25 for a 1u panel.

In regards to a console, most modern designs are modular and panels are not usually larger than 1u size. Maybe a bit longer than 19".
 
this is interesting.
I'd like to know more.

my best results for the money this far are with transfer decals and clear coat. it really would be great to have more options for a pro looking panel. I think it's important for them to look respectable.

I found little information besides tshirts too, I planned to attempt it but gave up at the stencil, never even considered i would need a special ink...

your idea of 3U size seems very good to me.
 
I think 3u is definitely big enough.  I rarely go over 2u, and anything above 3u would be easy to silk screen in 2 separate passes.
 
Ok, Im going to start with a small test run.  It will still take some time to get organized of course.

here is the project that I silkscreened:

http://s556.photobucket.com/albums/ss1/travisttaylor/

It is a basic design with no logo or anything, but I think it turned out pretty good!
 
travis said:
Ok, Im going to start with a small test run.  It will still take some time to get organized of course.

here is the project that I silkscreened:

http://s556.photobucket.com/albums/ss1/travisttaylor/

It is a basic design with no logo or anything, but I think it turned out pretty good!

Ya! thats well wicked. Share your secrets :)
 
Silk screening is kinda crazy for a "one off" panel due to the amount of setup work required, but makes perfect sense if doing multiples of a panel.

When I was a kid, I got a silk screen kit as a gift.  It was limited to hand-cut stencils and water based ink, but I learned the basic process.

In later years, I became friends with John Simonton at Paia Electronics here in Okla. City, and they screened all of their kit panels.  So, I learned even more about the process and began screening the panels for the gear we built at Ford Audio and Acoustics.

One tricky element is coming up with the "artwork" on full sized litho film to make the photo stencil.  Once Upon A Decade, there was a company here in OKC that had a huge litho camera, and thus could produce litho positives up to maybe 24" in height.

Screening is a bit of a messy process with some pretty wild and stinky chemicals, and takes some practice to become proficient.

I did get some useful help from a local supplier, Neo Sign Supply.  I suspect any decent sized city has a similar company which caters to the various screening shops in the city.

I ended up using an ink which was intended for outdoor stop signs, speed limit signs, etc.  It was VERY durable.  I don't think it was Nazdar, but they are kinda of an 800 pound gorilla in the biz:

http://www.nazdar.com/

Best,

Bri
 
I'm making a large number of (one-off) panels for a modular synth. Because I have a huge number of spare 19" rack panels I'm not using standard panels and so I'm looking at Silk Screening rather than commercial solutions.

Earlier today I just finished doing a trial run with an 'EZScreenPrint.com' HiDef kit - expensive (especially with shipping to Australia *sigh*) and I'm not really completely happy with the result, but it's only my first try. I used white 'Permaset Aqua Supercover' ink (water based), and it doesn't seem to have applied evenly or thickly enough to my panels. I read somewhere that it might worth watering it down or using an oil-based ink instead. About a minute or so after the first paint application I tried to wash the paint off of the screen and the green backing disintegrated, so it looks like cleaning the screen immediately and very carefully is a must, or perhaps I needed to leave it to dry and harden longer before using it. Maybe finer inks would help here too, to make it easier to clean. It's around 38 degrees C here today so the paint dried very quickly.

There are irregularities at the edges of all of the painted sections that weren't there on the screen. Thin circles outlining the holes for cutting did not come out on the screen very well, and one of the holes 'opened up' (see photos linked below) while I was washing it after doing the print. The blob on the left-most vertical bar is there in the screen - I'm not sure what caused it.

I am wondering if I slightly under-exposed the screen and that might have resulted in it not setting correctly? I did 1 minute as suggested and it was very bright outside, but the sun was behind some clouds at the time.

I suspect that a better exposure, letting the screen set for longer and using a finer, oil-based ink would resolve most of the issues I saw. I'm not sure if there's much that can be done about the lack of sharp edges on the print though. The actual process with EZScreenPrint was quite straightforward, however.

I would love to hear other peoples' metal panel screen-printing experiences, especially if you used different types of paint.

Hi-res photos here:
http://www.aladan.net/IMG_9247.JPG
http://www.aladan.net/IMG_9248.JPG
http://www.aladan.net/IMG_9250.JPG

Cheers,
A.
 

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I tackled the silk screening problem a while ago with the endless help of this company:-

http://www.wickedprintingstuff.com/


Frank B.

 
I read somewhere that it might worth watering it down or using an oil-based ink instead.
 

I read that you should use oil based ink on wikihow but I think what you want is enamel based.  It is stinky and you need some gloves and proper cleanup.  The first thing to do is find out what surface you are printing on.  I have heard that you can use One Shot enamel paint but when I tried it was a runny nightmare.  Maybe if you find a retarder it would be better.  I would just use an ink intended for silkscreening personally.

There are irregularities at the edges of all of the painted sections that weren't there on the screen. Thin circles outlining the holes for cutting did not come out on the screen very well
I did 1 minute as suggested and it was very bright outside, but the sun was behind some clouds at the time.

I havent tried sun exposure, but I think that it takes a lot longer that a minute.  Im sure that is what the problem is.

One tricky element is coming up with the "artwork" on full sized litho film to make the photo stencil.  Once Upon A Decade, there was a company here in OKC that had a huge litho camera, and thus could produce litho positives up to maybe 24" in height.

I just lined up a few kinkos prints!  That would be nice to have it all on one though.
 
All of my front panel screening work was done back in the 1970's, so some details are hazy.  I do recall using one or more PhotoFlood bulbs in a "metal bowl" fixture to expose the photo stencil.  Here are some examples.

http://www.bulbstock.com/PhotofloodLightBulbs.html?gclid=CLLu_MC1m60CFcoaQgodWD5jkw

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100354511/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I recall cutting out some foam rubber to set beneath the screen, then placing the litho film on top of the photo emulsion, then pressing a piece of plate glass on the film to ensure good contact of the film with the emulsion. 

Bri


 
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