I need a silk screener.

[audioguy]

that is so funny!
I wonder what you would get on Ebay for those.

[BMF Effects]

batches have had alignment problems and unapproved font substitutions. The most recent batch had serious alignment problems. So much that I don't know how anyone could screen the first one, look at it, say "that's perfect" and continue on.

I got 80 of these

The thing that stuns me senseless is that the guy doing the screening looked at that (and mine as well) and said to himself...

"Wow! These are perfect!"

[vanessa]

batches have had alignment problems and unapproved font substitutions. The most recent batch had serious alignment problems. So much that I don't know how anyone could screen the first one, look at it, say "that's perfect" and continue on.

I got 80 of these

That's really cool Mike! I like how the X's are guilds for drilling holes. It would be cool to build a little screen print setup just to have basic templates for drilling of projects. Taping on paper stencils to the box is such a pain!!! 

Do you screenprint input jack X's on the sides or do you measure them out by hand after you screen print the top of the box?

[Doug_H]

It isn't that it's a hard craft, just yet one more thing - perhaps one more too many - for the pedalcrafter to master and make room for and clean up after.

Psssttt... (That's what a graphic-artist/wife is for... Pass it on...)

[analogmike]

That's really cool Mike! I like how the X's are guilds for drilling holes. It would be cool to build a little screen print setup just to have basic templates for drilling of projects. Taping on paper stencils to the box is such a pain!!! 

Do you screenprint input jack X's on the sides or do you measure them out by hand after you screen print the top of the box?

Wow we gave away one of our secrets 
I probably got the idea from this forum anyway!

Screening the sides would cost too much, so we just do the jacks with a ruler.

Have fun!

[vanessa]

Thanks Mike. It looked like it would be a pain to screenprint the sides. Maybe a jig would help there (for some reason every time I think about building something like that I get scared off. I always think that if you're off by a little you're stuck with it or have to build a new one).

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Believe it or not, I can top that, AnalogMike!
I got a run of my analog sequencer box sheet steel cases (about the size of an A4 sheet) folded INSIDE OUT! Since the knobs and faders wern't actually symmetric, there was no way to put the PCBs in. Wish I'd kept one..

On the subject of screening boxes, the thing is, it isn't exactly the same as tshirts. The paint needs catalyst mixed & it has to be oven baked, if it is to stand up to ruff stuff. I used a guy who worked in a two car garage, with a baker's oven.

[Auke Haarsma]

I'd love to get some more info on DIY-ing this.

@brad: Found any pics yet?

[Gladmarr]

I know this isn't silkscreening, but it may help someone...

http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

[Barcode80]

http://www.diehippiedie.com/screwball/diyshirt.html

a handy, if not very detailed, run-down of DIY screen printing. It is for T-shirts, but as I understand it only the ink and type of screen differ with metal.

[johngreene]

Believe it or not, I can top that, AnalogMike!
I got a run of my analog sequencer box sheet steel cases (about the size of an A4 sheet) folded INSIDE OUT! Since the knobs and faders wern't actually symmetric, there was no way to put the PCBs in. Wish I'd kept one..

On the subject of screening boxes, the thing is, it isn't exactly the same as tshirts. The paint needs catalyst mixed & it has to be oven baked, if it is to stand up to ruff stuff. I used a guy who worked in a two car garage, with a baker's oven.

I had about 50 done at a T-shirt shop. They built a special jig for the box and used epoxy ink. Came out looking great. Cost me less than $1.00 per box. I had them all pre-drilled before powder-coating too, rather than risk chipping the coating by drilling afterwards.

BTW, they 'bake' T-shirts in an oven to cure the ink too.

--john

[Mr.Huge]

If any pro builders have a recommendation for a good silk screener who has experience screening metal, please PM me. Thanks.

A good screen printer for short runs is hard to find... What town are you in? Drop me a line mrhuge95@hotmail.com

Here's some info for you DIY cats:
http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/site/799934/product/4010

They'll set up a screen from your digital art... Very cool, since making the screen is the biggest pain in the ass.
Silk screening a metal chassis is so simple! Unless it's not flat... You want to use an enamel type of paint... not the crap used for T shirts.
Have fun!
-Mr. Huge

[John Lyons]

I print shirts for "a living"  but the process is the same, just different ink and line up of the box/shirt.

Screenprinting is very simple in theory but tough in practice. It's not a hard thing to do but it takes lot of set up and clean up. This is why short runs are frowned upon by some.

Making a screen is just about like making a PCB. You design an image, transfer it to a negative image and then print through the stencil (screen) and the image becomes a positive (reading correctly) image. So the analogman mess up above was because they made the screen with the image reading wrong...

Making jig top line up everything. The pedal enclosure needs to be parallel and flush with the screen (although some print so the screen is slightly above the work so the screen lifts after you make a pass) Getting everything lined up and solid is a chore. You will need to make a plywood frame or some sort of table top with a hollow space to drop in you enclosures.

Printing is all about getting the right screen for the right ink. The finer the image the finer the screen/mesh. You need to match the screen mesh with the ink you are using. A thick ink with a fine mesh wont work as well, same with a thin ink and a porus mesh. You force the ink through the screen with a rubber squeegee (SP?) Blunt edge for design with a lot of ink, sharp edge for fine detail. Then you get into the pressure of the squeegee. To hard and you will blur the ink, too light and you will get the ink too thick or not enough through the screen and you get blank spots.

When you manage to get a good print you either bake or air dry. Pretty simple there other than converting your garage into a conveyer belt system and oven for a lot of boxes...

Then comes clean up! Maybe the works job of all as far as labor and toxicity! If the ink dries in the screen while you are working you have to make a new screen depending on how much it dries (and the type of ink) Once the ink sets your stencil becomes a solid mass and no ink will pass, or maybe just a few ares will be shot...might as well start over anyway...
The ink you want to use is pretty nasty stuff. Kind of like Finger nail polish in consistency and fumes. You will need to clean it with a solvent  similar to acetone or laquer thinnner depending of the ink. You need to get as much out of the screen as possible because once it dries that's it. Scrub a dub!

I don't mean to dissuade anyone from screening there own boxes, it's just that it it a lot of work and this is why some shops don't do small runs. All the work is in the set up and clean up no matter if you screen 1 box or 100. The actual screening of the boxes is fairly easy and fast.

John

[R.G.]

Dead right John.

I tried silk screening exactly once under my "Collect a New Technology" program. It's fiddly and demands a lot of setup and cleanup, not my cup of tea.

The UV cured epoxies are great for screening hard goods if you havent' messed with those. Two minutes under an UV lamp and you're done, no drying racks or ovens.

[brad]

I'd love to get some more info on DIY-ing this.

@brad: Found any pics yet?

I dug out one of my old screens and will get a pic up of its construction asap (had no batteries for my camera!).

On the subject of cleaning screens:  you can get around this problem by just not cleaning them.  They're much easier to make than they are to clean, so you can always make new screens if you need the same print again or you could even keep duplicates on hand.  You don't even need a UV bulb to expose screens...you can use the sun!  A pro silkscreener once told me that they only use their super-duper UV lamp on rainy days because it wasted electricity.  So really to make screens is quite easy once you get the hang of it.  I'll elaborate a bit more on that once I get the pics up.

I will concede that DIY silkscreening would really only suit folks who want to make small numbers of pedals...this is simply because hobbyists can spend as much time as they want messing around with jigs n' stuff and not have to worry about the business side of things.  I really just wanted to emphasize that silkscreening isn't necessarily something you have to get done by a pro.