Mug Bottom Heat Press

[GoonerGary]

Let me know how you get on with your 5013 mugs. What gun are you using for the thermo? I might pick one up soon.

[Justin]

Just a black and decker heat gun, lowest setting starts the process but too slow so you need higher temp setting. This can work a little quick so keep further away

[Justin]

I got a faint print out on the XP5013, don't ask how long it was in the press for though! Looks like a bit of over-spray nothing more. Tried a Listawood 7oz mug, nothing so obviously not base coated.

Thinking I'll get a can of Subli-Glaze to have a play with. I'll need a plate press with a good opening, couple on eBay, something like this.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plate-Press- ... :rk:6:pf:0

Not sure how big the opening is, probably need to remove the base and lift up. Also need to cut the foam on the upper platen to fit inside the mug base due to the slight shallow.

Just read that the Subli-Glaze needs to be cured in oven at 160c for around 20 mins, wonder if 12 mins at 190 would work (i.e. time they take to print main image in oven)

[GoonerGary]

160 degrees - 19-20 mins is the exact time I print two full trays of mugs in the Blizzard oven!

[Justin]

Should cure the coating nicely then Remind me which mugs you use?

[GoonerGary]

5013 also. The most mugs I've put into the oven has been 18, but I'm going to drop that down to 12 or 16 as I'm getting patchy results. Haven't singled out the exact cause yet.

Not that it matters for the underside of a mug, but look how bad the coating is with dust and pinholes.

https://youtu.be/KrH1WGaNxu8?t=213

[Justin]

I'm going to try the clear coating. Just found an old blanket so I'm looking to cut small discs from the rubber, place these over the small base transfer and press in my flat press, perhaps 6 mugs at a time. I can't really see the benefit to using the plate press as this will surely do the same thing.

[pisquee]

You can get a PressMech to open enough to get a mug in, but would need to adapt the top heat plate to make it work with the mug base (or get Dicky to make one) - you'd still only be doing one mug at a time though. If you were personalising the base print, you may be able to add enough value to the mug to make printing it twice worthwhile, but I doubt it.

[Justin]

That's how I've been testing so far on the Pressmech. Why would the top platen need changing? If it works for 1 mug it would work for multiple mugs?

[pisquee]

Suppose was thinking in terms of getting a tight fit into the concave of the mug base, that a circular heat plate would work well if made to the size of the mug - suppose the ideal is a top heat plate with 12 circles for the mugs, and a jig on the base plate, so that the mugs get aligned properly.... suppose you could get some metal circles the correct size cut, and welded to the top platen, and made the bottom jig out of wood, and clamp it in place. you could then do 12 mugs at a time, which gives you a bit more efficiency- assuming 3 minutes to press, that's 15 seconds pressing per mug.