Jigs for silk screening Hammond Enclosures

[TheWinterSnow]

I built a jig to silk screen enclosures but when I try to clamp the enclosure to the frame, because the hammond enclosures are angled on the sides throws the off contact angle off and cannot get anything flush, even when trying to use shims and keep them below the enclosure.  How are you guys silk screening your enclosures.

[John Lyons]

You don't need to worry about the sides being angled.
Just make a right angle L on the plate and slide the box into that.
The plate and the screen are parallel and when the screen is down
it will hold the box secure enough to pull the squeegee across the box.
You're only needing to hold the bottom edge so the bracket need only be a
quarter inch or so high, if that. The ink shouldn't be enough to lift the box.

[TheWinterSnow]

I'm sorry but what?

[TheWinterSnow]

Bumping again for another question.  I did some modifications and got the jig working.  I am still having the same problem, while to a lesser degree.  The image in certain spots is leaking around the substrate on the screen, blurring the image in certain spots.  Then the areas where the image is sharp there is a lot of ink on the enclosure, like it is 3D.





You can see how the one half is blown out and the one side that has sharp lines have a lot of ink on them.  I am using a very large mesh screen, I think is like 80, I accidentially got a large mesh on accident, was originally looking at 160-180 area and ordered the wrong one.  May that be the problem?  Am I pushing too hard on the screen?  Too fast/slow?  Anything special to know when printing on textured boxes?

[newperson]

could be screen size.  what ink are you using?  if it is too thin it will leak and look like that or worse. 

or if the screen is touching the box, not enough room between the item and screen, it will look like that. 

could also be the weight of your pull.  is the side with the flat leaking lines always toward you right before you lift up or right when you are first hitting the box?  or are they on the side of the box running with your pull?

Show some more images of your setup.  (mostly just curious about how other people do things.)

[TheWinterSnow]

The ink is fairly thick, it takes a couple passes to flood the screen.

The off contact is about 1/8" to 3/16" so its a decent size but not extreme. 

The image blur tends to be random every time I do it.  The first time I tried the box it was all blurry and then completely missing entire areas, so I cleaned up the box and tried again, this time in the pictures, the blur is on the left side and got slightly worse right toward the end of the pull, in only one area.

[John Lyons]

There are too many variables.
In general what you want is thick ink, a finer mesh count,
a good squeegee, even pressure and a good parallel contact
from the mesh to the box top.
The mesh should not touch the box except where the squeegee
is passing over. This is what newperson is talking about. Offset.

80 is more of a mesh count for t shirts. Much too open for hard flat
surfaces.

Edit: you just posted...
I think it comes down to consistant pressure other than the mesh count being too low.
How soft/hard is the squeegee. Printing on textured will make a difference.

[TheWinterSnow]

The squegee is extremely stiff, like, I can barely get it to move when bending it with my fingers.  I think it is around the 90 durometer area.

[TheWinterSnow]

I think I know what it is.  As I said before, the ink is really thick and takes a couple passes when flooding the ink into the screen.  I think the ink is being pushed through the substrate to begin with and then smears into the surrounding areas when the squeegee is pressing more ink (and the screen) onto the box.  I think I am going to put way more ink on the screen so it can cover the the screen on one go when I flood the screen so there is little ink on the substrate as possible.

Could it also be possible to not even flood the screen, just put enough ink on the screen so that when you push ink through it would push less ink through the substrate and eliminate the possibility of the substrate already having too much ink from the flood?

[newperson]

i would try to get a higher number screen.  really for that font and size it looks nice on an 80 screen.  how you are at it, pick up a few different sizes squeegees.  everyone seems to have one that works best for them, and for the type of ink.  another thing is the size of the squeegee.  make sure it covers the box equally if that makes sense.  like john said, there are so many different variables and it just takes doing it over and over to find the feel that works for you.  

Cleaning the screen or box with a chemical can cause the ink to thin and spread if it is not fully dried.

in the mean time, after you flood the screen take a look under the screen.  sometimes you can see that the ink has spread into the emulsion.  that would cause the flat lines.  it would just smear all flat like your first pull did.  

practice is key.

[John Lyons]

A softer squeegee should help. And as mentioned, it's all about finesse and practice.

[TheWinterSnow]

What size mesh would be recommended for something like this?  I am guessing somewhere between 180 and 230, but am unsure how the mesh size will effect the print on a textured enclosure.

[Ice-9]

What size mesh would be recommended for something like this?  I am guessing somewhere between 180 and 230, but am unsure how the mesh size will effect the print on a textured enclosure.

Yeah I use a mesh count 230

[eyeprod]

Good advice on here. There are lots of variables in screen printing. Technique is huge. Angle and pressure of squeegee. Too much ink in the screen can make a mess easily on this sort of substrate.

I would say definitely higher mesh count and fairly thin ink. Even pressure all across the squeegee. Quick but not fast stroke. Light, to no flood stroke is what I'd do with a sharp stiff squeegee.