My name is Yeung, and I am a new member to VHS, and I love what you guys are doing and want to help to make VHS even better.
I would love to loan my screen printing setup to VHS and help set it up maintain it and train people on how to use it. Screen printing is not easy, and everything needs to line up just right to produce consistent result, but once you put everything together, it is highly efficient and very rewarding.
Here is what I have.
4 color 1 station screen printing rig.
Flash Unit.
UV LED Exposure light panel
4 standard screens
7 XL screens, (way bigger then necessary, for large poster printing, might want to get rid of.)
Various plastisol inks.and chemical to make them work.
A TON a chemicals required for proper screen cleanup.
Here is what I need for a set up. (In the paint room)
Pressure wash station with a wash out booth.
A room that can be a dark room for 30 mins at a time
(Outside the paint room)
When in use, space approximately the size of the sewing area.
When not in use, A space for Storage of rig and the Flash unit.
I think this would make a great addition to your space and I have the equipment, and know-how to make it work, as well as enthusiasm to share it with you.
I hope this peaks your interest. Thank you and keep up the good work.
I am in favour of this coming into VHS, if nothing else as a motivator for getting the paint room whipped into shape. Plus I think it could be a good draw for people in the neighbourhood.
I ran a silk screen shop for a few years back in my early twenties. mostly T-shirts.
A couple of questions. is the 4-1 station a free standing carosel design? can it be broken down for storage? Are the plastisol inks heat set or air dry?
I think screen printing is amazing but am also fully aware that the process can take up more space than one would think.
Yes it is the Free Standing Carosel design. It can be broken down for storage. Plastisol is heat set. Honestly, I have not been working with the plastisol, we inherited it from the person we got it from. However I was under the impression that the flash unit should be sufficient to cure it.
Hi Yeung, this sounds awesome! I’ve wanted to set up a screen printing area for a while and would be happy to help with getting it done. It would be a huge asset to the space, I think most people would agree. It will take some creativity to make the room and lay it out, but let’s do it!
We used plastisol as well and had a conveyer belt dryer. we used the over head heater to set it enough to print the next color but should be ok to fully cure it as well. Will just mean it takes longer to print each shirt.
Like tristan says. will just take a little creativity
I like the idea of a screen printing area but I do have some questions:
We don’t have water access in that particular room and we are unlikely to get that in the near future. Changing the space water etc requires permits and Landlord/Building Manager permission, hiring a plumber and so on. Is someone willing champion this process?
As I understand it that room is also intended for casting, painting, and other “messy” work as well. Will the screen printing gear co-exist nicely with these other functions?
I’d prefer not to have a dedicated single use space which is used infrequently.
The water requirement is not too significant, A wash out booth is just a mop sink with a back board, it can be set up in the bathroom, or even outside if there is a garden hose attachment. It can easily fit into where we already have water. I am not familiar enough with the space to know where the best place for that is, but it is flexible. I originally thought the painting room would have a water supply that would be used to other painting related activity, if that is not the case, we can figure out an alternative.
The dark room is also very flexible. I have just been using my bathroom as a dark room for the time it takes for the screen to dry and expose. Honestly, it can even be setup under a table.
The main space requirement is when in use. The carosel needs to be clamped to a table.
This would be a lot easier to explain with the equipment in front of you. If everyone agrees to a trail peroid, I can bring the equipment on a day where everyone is there and we can talk about the best way to set it up.
If it turns out to be too space intensive and we can’t make it work, I will be happy take my equipment back.
Thanks for providing more info. There are some things you should be aware of with respect to loan of tools and equipment to VHS.
Loan of tools and such to the space is a group decision. I would say so far that the response has been positive but not yet definitive. A trial period is a good idea.
VHS takes no responsibility for damage to any equipment whether it’s accidental or not. There will be a document that you will fill out to this effect. Not to discourage you but if you’ve been around maker spaces long enough you will find that most things get broken at some point. We will try our best to fix them though
Any equipment loaned to VHS is available to all members (with appropriate training of course)
Just out of curiosity are you planning to operate a screen printing business out of the space?
The reason I ask as I think it is one thing to do small jobs at the space however if the plan to use this as full time screen printing production space then that should be made clear to everyone beforehand.
Another question I have is about the chemicals that are being used in this process. I assume that you have processes in place for the proper handling and disposal of all materials used for screen printing? We need to be mindful of the proper disposal of chemicals. i.e. we cannot be washing toxic stuff down the drain.
I am fully prepared to share the equipment with everyone and be responsible for training new people.
I am not planning to operate a screen printing business. Right now it is just a hobby with a bunch on designer friends. If it does become a business where I feel like I am unable to fairly share the equipment with others, I will find another space at that time.
The Chemicals says they are safe for drain disposal. I will double check with my supplier about specific local rules regarding each chemical and best practices for disposal.
Ok I think I have basic support for at least a trial period. I will bring the equipment in during the next open house on Tuesday and so we can look at the set up together and make the appropriate arrangements. I can walk you guys quickly through the setup process and see if it is a right fit for this space.
Welcome to VHS! Thanks so much for this offer. I’d support a single trial workshop or demo at the space so we can learn more about the equipment involved and if this setup would work based on our current plumbing etc. Also - no offense but you just joined so it would be get to get to know you before VHS makes a final decision and also to check out what’s involved in storing this stuff at VHS.
I guess overall, while the offer is appreciated it would also be good to determine if VHS members are going to use this equipment or if it’ll sit around taking up space. You may have noticed that we have a lot of stuff.
Thanks again, and looking forward to a demo or something similar at the space so we can learn more.
Very excited about this! Happy to help set it up (not a lot of prior experience though). I think it’ll be a good fit, who doesn’t like to print their own t-shirts or posters? This could get us a crazy amount of people during the art-crawl, we could do something unoficial, similar to what tradeworks did in prior years with the diy mini planters.
Ok I have brought the equipment over. Right now, everything fit in foot print of a table. Thank you Metal Janet for allowing me the table for use and storage. Once we have the wash out station figured out, I will starting running training tutorials on how to use this equipment. We can evaluate after a little bit to see how the equipment is being used. Thank you all for offering the space, I hope we can make good use of it.
Hi @yeungx, thanks for the generous loan! I’m not sure we have broad-based consensus on VHS being a long-term home for this equipment yet, so let’s collectively endeavour to minimize the floor space footprint of this gear until such a consensus forms one way or another.
It would be great if you could organize a workshop/demo, maybe a short run of T-shirts? I tried to get some T-shirts going a few months ago but, y’know.
I can front some cash to buy blank shirts, and maybe even bottom-line the event, if necessary.
Happy to hear that this equipment has been set up for a trial. I’m looking forward to seeing how this works out.
I think it is important here to clarify how VHS works. VHS arrives at all decisions affecting the space via a consensus model. This means that no single person at VHS has the authority or mandate to specify the usage of space at VHS.
In addition to this, any issues that lead to differences of opinion about how the space is used will most likely need to be addressed via a formal written proposal that is made, discussed, amended and then finally voted on at a QGM.
What this means is that if there is opposition for long term setup screen printing at VHS that you will need to make a proposal and have a vote on this at a QGM. Consensus model means that 70% need to be in favour and that you have attempted to address everyones concerns on this proposal in a meaningful fashion. The outcome of any workshop and training that you give would obviously factor into this proposal.
