Alternative to lacquer thinner for screen cleanup?

[Buttonball]

I've been screen printing for about 12 years. I use solvent based inks exclusively.
I'm looking to find a chemical to clean the ink out of the screens with. I learned at a shop that used a chemical they reffered to as "T.S.R.", which they wrote on the side of unmarked gallon jugs and dispensed it from 55 gallon drums.

I would ask them what TSR stood for and never did get a clear answer. The closest I got was "tolulene acetone - somthing- "
I contacted the chemical company that produced the blend for them and they wouldn't tell me what it was or what was in it saying it was their blend and it was a secret.

So much for MSDS, I suppose.

Anyway, when I went out on my own, an old timer who was giving me some pointers said to use lacquer thinner, which works good and I have been using it ever since. At the time I was using paint thinner, or acetone probably and it didn't work so great.

I searched the forum trying to find out what is a safer chemical to use for cleaning out screens. The ink companies sell their own screen wash but it's like $30 a gallon and it's even more deadly.

A while back, I picked up a gallon of "Low VOC" lacquer thinner that I saw at the hardware store. I was surprised to see it and anxious to see how it worked since the label claimed it was safer, and didn't have the fumes. Much to my surprise, it seems just as effective with no noticeable fumes, just like the label promised. But it's expensive, about twice the price. I called the company that makes it today, they said they didn't have any bulk containers of that product but that I could buy a pallet of one gallons but that's a lot more than I need. Based on the info I found online about the ingredients of that product is that it's basically 95% acetone. But it works far better than acetone.

So is anyone willing to divulge what they use?

[El Roacho]

a company ICC (don't get it mixed up with CCI) has some incredible and effective products. their spray wipe i use on my nazdar solvents and plastisol and it cleans up like nobody's business. best part is the spray wipe has NO VOC's. a printer friendly company that has a printer's health in mind. an old timer i used to work for turned me on to them, hard to find but if you contact a rep they will help you out. the one here in colorado just pitches me the stuff whenever he's in the area. it rules!

[El Roacho]

this stuff
http://www.rivercitygraphicsupply.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=709{2}46

[paul204]

I use ECO Wash Enviro-wash #1 ELO (low odour.) No odour, very low VOC, works great on solvent based. Still out of your price range (about $30 a gallon in Canada) but cheaper than that ICC stuff, which does look good though.

[Work Of The Devil]

Buy some retensionable screens, throw out the mesh when you are done....lacquer thinner/acetone will make you retarded in no time.

[aubrey]

Buy some retensionable screens, throw out the mesh when you are done....lacquer thinner/acetone will make you retarded in no time.

really? i have never heard of someone doing that.

[Buttonball]

So everyone is paying like $30-$50 a gallon or throwing away their mesh ( )?

Our screens are so big. We use about a quarter of a gallon on each wash out.

If the $30 chemical went further, I can see spending the money.

[El Roacho]

with that icc spray wipe i can clean a auto size screen 32x 22 with 6 sprays no problem, and no ghost images.

[steve w]

if it's expensive, your printing prices should reflect that.
simple as that.
the thought of throwing away the mesh each time is borderline retarded, though.

[squeegeethree]

So everyone is paying like $30-$50 a gallon or throwing away their mesh ( )?
Our screens are so big. We use about a quarter of a gallon on each wash out.
If the $30 chemical went further, I can see spending the money.

Most people here print with Waterbased inks. So they use water and maybe some Fantastic to clean up. You should look into learning how to print with waterbased inks.
Unless you are printing on metal or glass there is no reason to be printing with solvent based inks these day.
That said, when we print with solvent based inks we first clean up the screen with paint thinner (mineral spirits) then we hit it with a bit of CPS screenwash type A6.
The trick to not wasting a lot of solvents and screen wash chemicals is to clean your screen on a nice flat metal topped table. This way you have time to let the solvent work for you rather than having it run down your screen and into the drain.

Stay away from lacquer thinner I've been told many times that there are aspects to lacquer thinner that will never leave your system. Toluene is a no-no too. Toluene will be banned at some point in the near future I'm sure. Acetone may be the safest solvent as it evaporates so quickly and completely. Still it isn't effective for washing screens because of it's evaporation rate.