question for one arm users

[Andymac]

I don't know if this happens when printing by hand or on a machine, but it does happen from time to time on my one arm on the flood, and it is driving me crazy trying to figure out what causes it or the quickest way to eliminate it.

When I go to pull my flood stroke, the squeegee chatters, and makes these little ridges across the print. It definitely happens sometimes when I add new ink. this ink is usually thinner.

Sometimes it goes away after one or two pulls, sometimes it stays around, then all of a sudden goes away and the squeegee is gliding across fine.

I've usually done a couple of thick floods by this time. Almost like the ink needs to be broken in. changed squeegee angle, that doesn't seem to change anything.

Any ideas? has this happened to you?

[squeegeethree]

We get this sometimes on our big auto. Typically it happens if we don't prewet or if the ink is starting to get gummy or if there isn't enough tension on the screen or all of the above.

[Fools Gold]

Andy has a question? Is the universe imploding

[squeegeethree]

We get this with super sticky viscous ink too. When it starts happening I press up on the underside of the screen with my hand while the screen is being flooded and it usually stops by the back of the screen. This is eacy to do on a clamshell style press though.

[Aaron Gein]

Andy has a question? Is the universe imploding

This is exactly the first thing that went through my head. I was expecting a question about opinions for a new kind of one arm or something. Then read it and I was like wtf?

[Fools Gold]

Sticky ink has done this to me before . . . as has super thick ink (t-shirts mostly) where the squeegee sort of hydroplanes a bit as it rides over the ink and is catching on the outermost sides where there is less ink. Also with a big open area of mesh where it seems the squeegee gets excessive drag and starts bouncing around (though that's more shirt related because of the roughness of the fabric, I think)

[andydiesel]

I've usually done a couple of thick floods by this time. Almost like the ink needs to be broken in. changed squeegee angle, that doesn't seem to change anything.

this leads me to believe maybe your ink is cold? I've noticed since i started keeping my most used inks (UV, not waterbased) in our heated screen room they have laid down better on days when the shop is cold.

[andydiesel]

Andy has a question? Is the universe imploding

the one thing i've learned from 21 years of printing professionally is that you never know everything, it's a continuous learning/problem solving process. I don;t trust anyone that says they know everything about printing.

[lil_tuffy]

[Graphic D.]

Dammit - that just made me spill my drink.