place mats advive

[JMugs]

Mine are unisub ones availble from BMS, Novachrome and xpres etc...not one of them is warped and I have experimented with 10 of them. They may be a little warped when first out of the press, and I do mean just a smidgen, but on cooling they are as flat as the press bed.

No weight, just put on the bench.
Janners

[Andrew]

Mine are unisub ones availble from BMS, Novachrome and xpres etc...not one of them is warped and I have experimented with 10 of them. They may be a little warped when first out of the press, and I do mean just a smidgen, but on cooling they are as flat as the press bed.

No weight, just put on the bench.
Janners

If you don't get warping but the print is also poor then definitely not enough heat getting through. Do coasters print well with the same settings?

[JMugs]

Hi Andrew
I don't do coasters, I generally do larger items.
What I might do tomorrow is print a picture as opposed to the profile patches. I like using the profile patches as they give a good range of colour. The majority of colours are fine, it is just the darker greens. If I print the same patches to aluminium the darker greens are solid blocks of colour.
I have printed landscape chromalux aluminium panels this afternoon with a lot of deep greens in and they are fine.

If I step back a bit

204 degrees 70 sec's not too bad
204 degress 80 sec's worse

Just checked unisub 204 degrees guide 60-70 secs..

Andrew 200 degrees 60 sec's

So maybe too long 204 degrees 60 or 65 secs.

Janners

[Andrew]

70s shouldn't be a problem. Pity you don't have unisub coasters to test as they are easier and cheaper but ultimately the same.

Put pressure up initially and if there are still problems I would look into checking temp of your platen.

[jennywren]

Must have a very warped mind!

Its so warped like my flipping place mats, mind you have seeing this thread again has raised the possibility of trying again

[James990]

Must admit all the place mats I have printed have so far never warped, but I suppose there will be the first sometime! At least I know how to stop it now!

[JMugs]

A quick update.
I have always printed anything wooden with a wicking cloth to allow the moisture an escape route. Never had a problem, but this is with bigger items.
So removed the wicking cloth pressed at 204 degrees for 70 seconds. Perfect and no warping.

Lovely!

Janners

[jennywren]

A quick update.
I have always printed anything wooden with a wicking cloth to allow the moisture an escape route. Never had a problem, but this is with bigger items.
So removed the wicking cloth pressed at 204 degrees for 70 seconds. Perfect and no warping.

Lovely!

Janners

Sorry to stupid what is a wicking cloth and where do you buy them from

[JMugs]

I use a wicking cloth when pressing mdf panels and large aluminum panels. It goes on top of my blowout sheet. It allows water vapour out of the item, but perhaps most important is that on larger items the print is big. That big print releases a lot of water vapour, this needs to go somewhere....the wicking cloth.
Now you can get them from the States or from.....xpres...or I use the rear section cut out of a gash t-shirt.

Janners

[technick]

Resurrecting this post from the dead! Having painful encounters with Unisub placemats, can anyone give an up to date solution on how to stop warping?

I have tried clamping a couple overnight in a old chinese heat press, as well as heating upside down for 30 seconds and wiping the bottom with a wet cloth prior to printing - but no joy.