Pros and cons using tensionable frames.

[NeroInferno]

Hi people,
I'm a person of incredible meanness, so I was thinking to buy tensionable frames (I mean those ones where you place the fabric and with a spanner you stretch the fabric on the frames). IMHO replacing the fabric on the frames takes a lot of time and money, if you contact the specialized services.

I have no experience with the carousels but i'm working to buy a 8/8 manual press to print clothings, so I will use them on an Anatol 8/8 manual carousel (mod. Violet) so I'm asking to myself if it's the right choice.

What do you think?

And for a flat press, 70x100cm, to print adhesives, posters and other flat things, is better to use tensionable frames or common iron frames?

Thank you all,
Fabio

ps. May the Squeegee be with you

[loco]

Learning how to tension them has some learning curve to it but, once you pass that it not much of a problem. You have to read and figure it out or it can drive you nuts.

I tension up my own screens

-loco

[strawberryluna]

pre-tensioned frames are pretty cheap these days. seems like a whole lotta sweat, cursing, tears, jacked up fingers and anger to me.

you need a good amount of tension that is reliable for printing on flatstock. i can't tell you how many people i have seen quit trying to screenprint altogether because rather than it being hard or frustrating as a medium, they are using home-stretch crapass frame or old frames with the tension of a Barbie hammock.

unless you expect to go through a hundred frames a month, it doesn't seem worth the effort.

and, if your city has a frame supply place, they can always re-mesh your old frames.

loco tensions his own screens, sure, but dude, his name is 'loco.'

[steve w]

if you're buying an 8-color carousel with no experience,
you'll have enough to worry about.
buy pre-stretched frames.

[squeegeethree]

Spanner = wrench right

I don't think it's worth it.

[NeroInferno]

pre-tensioned frames are pretty cheap these days.

Hello Luna!

In the town near I live there's a service who sells pre-tensioned frames, but they sell the cheapest (68x50) at 33Euros, included the fabric(33threads per cm)

unless you expect to go through a hundred frames a month, it doesn't seem worth the effort.


loco tensions his own screens, sure, but dude, his name is 'loco.'

I don't have a market so I'll have to create it..I'm afraid using pre-tensioned I'll broke the fabric and have to wait that the service will re-tension them.. However I'll consider your opinion, thanks.

About loco, we'll make him an offer he can't refuse

@steve w: hi! i know but "nobody is born learned" I'll consider you opinion, thanks!

[steve w]

I wasn't trying to be insulting.
I'm just saying there are going to be enough variables to contend with
and adding questionably tensioned screens won't help.
I was in the same place as you 17 years ago and I hate to see people make the same mistakes I did.

[squeegeethree]

I have retensionable frames here and I can't give them away. I think if you get a couple to play with you'll see why it's generally a waste of time. If you're going to spend the money then get a stretch and glue rig for yourself.

[fantasygoat]

One of the biggest mistakes new screen printers seem to make is trying to save themselves money by using cheaper materials or equipment.

The mistake part is not putting value on your time. A retensionable screen might seem cheaper up front, but think of all the time you'll waste checking them, keeping them tight, or having to burn another screen because the screen was fucked up.

I'd rather pay a tiny bit more for a pre-tensioned aluminum screen and then never worry about it until it rips a year later. My local supplier picks up and delivers for free and a remesh is $15 or so. Well worth it.

[Andymac]

I use small retens all the time. After the 1st 2 or 3 attempts, assuming you 'get' what you are doing and/or read the instructions, you should figure out how its done.
I buy scrap mesh offcuts in grab bags cheap, and I can restretch, if everything is clean, in 10 minutes total. you can too.
- I have to ship out to get stuff restretched and once it is all done I'm looking at $20 or more for a stretch and glue on a small frame plus freight there and back.

Yes, I think theres something to be said for just buying a frame ready to go, but in the long run small retens frames are cheaper after the second stretch than ready made.

Anybody looking for cheap frames, always check the ScreenWeb | February 4, 2008 classified for sale, sometimes there are really cheap deals there.

You yanks got to remember the rest of us dorks outside the USA get hosed - Neroinferno is paying $66 for a (approx) 25x20" meshed (33/cm? - 43=110)frame.
If you lived in China you could get that for $5