| SkullandBonesSkateboards.com Forum Index » SCREEN PRINTING » Contoured screen printing |
|
Page 1 of 3 Goto page 1, 2, 3 Next |
|
| Author |
Message |
| skinny |
 Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:33 pm |
 |
|
|
Joined: 12 Sep 2004
Posts: 2706
|
I think it is time to bring this one back.
Lets disscuss your tries at bent screen rigs.
The problems, the ideas. Even if you have never made one, tell us your understanding of how it should work. Please contribute photos if you have them. |
|
|
| Back to top |
 
|
|
|
| Five Points Skateboards |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:25 am |
|
|
ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 4167
Location: Columbus, OH
|
I made one a couple years ago. I still have it and keep meaning to get back to it and fine tune it, but haven't had the time.
It works pretty good. The screen got loose on me somehow after I fastened it to the frame. not really bad, but enough to piss me off. I'm going to tear off the mesh and restretch it.
My main problem is burning the image onto the bent screen. I'm thinking of using some sort of heated plexiglass to hold the transparency to the screen while burning. I used some of that adhesive spray last time and it just didn't cut it, so the print is kind of sloppy, that's why I don't use it much.
I also read something about stretching the mesh onto a thin metal fram that you could burn the image flat, then using screws or something, attatch it and bend it to the curved fram. I'm not sure about this one yet, and have no welding tools to make a sheet metal frame out of.
I think it would work with some fine tuning. The jig and frame itself fit the decks great. It's a bit cumbersome to use compared to the between the trucks prints, but other than that, and the mesh/transparency issue, it seems to work. I'll have to dedicate some more time to it and see if I can bring it back to life.
Here's the graphic:
 |
_________________
Tim
Five Points Skateboards |
|
| Back to top |
 
|
| evilo |
| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:43 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 44
|
i've seen some dude use the thin metal method and it doesn't work very well. aluminum curved and a lot of skill is the best.
here is a fine example, the dark red is all half-tone, fade out on tail etc.
 |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
| zombz |
| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 11:27 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 2
|
that deck is awesome. Im currently working out some ideas to build a flexible modular screen rig for decks. basically the frames would be made out of LDPE plastic and they would fit into registration hinges, etc... The idea would be that it would be easy and inexpensive to make, and you could use the same image on different spec'd decks.
i was thinking that using a vinyl vacuum bag would help with shooting a contured screen. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Five Points Skateboards |
| Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:14 am |
|
|
ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 4167
Location: Columbus, OH
|
| That's a f'n good printjob, evilo. looks like a heat transfer it has so much detail. very impressive! I just don't have the time to dedicate to it. making the decks takes priority, and for me, the graphics are just secondary. I enjoy printing, and have gotten a lot better at it over the years (those pics above are quite old), but with the time it takes making and finishing the decks, I am pretty much just printing a one color logo between the trucks and shipping them out. Putting that work in to have them scraped off in 5 minutes doesn't make sence to me. Yes, I know it does help sell the product, but my clientel aren't exactly worried about graphics at this point, ya know. custom shapes, and sizes are more what I concentrate on. Would I love to have 5 color tip to tail graphics, sure, but it's not feasible for me, being a one man show. I average about 15 decks/week, which doesn't seem like much, but goddamn, for one man doing it all with a full time day job and family, it is. Now, back to the point, lets see some more curved screen madness! |
_________________
Tim
Five Points Skateboards |
|
| Back to top |
|
| auragreg |
| Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:02 pm |
|
|
Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 2382
Location: Highland, Michigan, USA, Earth
|
excuse my inexperience ...
but what about some sort of a big drum roller ... like the printing presses use?
then the deck would just have to be moved and angled to accomodate the roller.
i think this is similar to how heat transfers are applied. |
_________________
I was born to love you. I was born to lick your face. I was born to rub you. But you were born to rub me first.
Support skateboard art/artists: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BurbSkateboards |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
| sheltered |
| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:49 am |
|
|
Joined: 16 Sep 2005
Posts: 86
|
It has been decades since I screened anything comtoured. When i did it was volleyballs and the backs pf telephone receivers. For the volleyballs I used a curved screen and a squeegee cut to a curve.
Has anyone seen a cylinder like a bottle printed? The squeegee never moves, the screen and bottle move or rotate. It would be a complicated task with a board. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| pennswood |
| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:20 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 213
|
exposing curved screens,
get a piece of thin plexiglass,
make sure it is not UV protected,
this will stop the exposure process.
then on top of your exposure unit,
place some pieces of 2x4 rainbow shaped,
out at the edge of the screen.
on these the plexiglass,
then tape your film to the curved screen,
set it on top of the plexi over the rainbows.
now,
a little bit of weight on the curved screen,
pushes down on the plexi it takes the shape of the curved screen,
which pushes the film up against the screen,
so you get total and pefect contact between film and emulsion.
we used thin metal frames with the mesh stretched and glued,
i posted up the drawings of this before,
if you dont want to do that,
just staple the mesh to the screen,
but the metal frames allow you to only need one curved frame.
i printed boards this way for 5 years.
1000's of boards.
i posted all this before,
seems no one really wants to learn how,
gave you all the secrets that took me years.
even if i built this whole setup for you,
does not mean you will be able to print tip to tail.
it is not just equipment, this takes skill,
it has to be practiced.
i also built a table that rocked the board under a flat screen,
similar to a bottle printer.
the screen stays in place,
and the board tips up to print the nose,
flattens out for the center,
then tips up as it gets to the tail.
very tricky to use this setup,
did not get great results.
then we went to tilting the flat screen while printing.
this takes 2 people,
check out 411 issue seven for video footage of this process.
we did it this way for a few years.
then onto printing the flat veneer, then pressing the boards.
works good,
but has issues, and you have to press very carefully.
now we are screenprinting onto a special plastic release film,
then applying the prints with a heat transfer machine.
must say this is the best way to do it,
but you need a heat transfer machine. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| skinny |
| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:57 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 12 Sep 2004
Posts: 2706
|
@ Pennswood....
Joe I know you have helped with all of this info before, but as you know well, this site gets new users all the time.
Why would I post this? I mean you know for a fact that I understand this......
I just want to keep the info alive, or H.T. will be the only way to do this.
I think we all apriciate your posts.
I am getting some materials to do the flat exposure, on a partial bent screen. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
| sk8bones |
| Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:51 am |
|
|
Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 540
Location: Oklahoma City
|
I'm a total noob. I know nothing about screen printing, but the question of how to print nose to tail is quite interesting. I hadn't thought of the metal frame and bend method. That is a very good idea. My question is more about the bent frame itself. How heavy can you make it? I don't know if it makes any difference, but is there a point where the frame becomes too heavy to work with or put in a press hinge? What materials are curved frames made with in general?
I understand that heat pressing is a whole lot easier. So is buying pre-screened decks. I like the quality of a well screened deck. You can't replicate that with a heat transfer. It is also a much different product IMHO. I know it's hard as hell, but I'd love to see some multi-colored nose to tail graphics that aren't made with the understanding that they'll be wiped out in 5 minutes. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
