DSF

we've been using a bms mug press for the last few years and are thinking about buying a new press, i had been wondering if a better quality press (adkins or somesuch) would be a significant improvement but have just seen the 3d mini vacuum press and wondered if anyone had gone to one after using a regular mug press?. i like the idea of being able to do 4 mugs at once in the vac press.

I use a halogen oven which holds 3 mugs for 18 mins at 200 degrees. I can also do the thinner diameter mugs, water bottles and every thing else in between with no need to change blankets of worry about idle temps or hot spots.

Hi Gav
I run two BMS presses and two Adkins. The Adkins is faster because the temp drop is less, but beyond that they both do the job equally well.

Janners

I admire anyone who uses a halogen oven and gets good results. We tried two ovens and found the temp fluctuation so random that couldn't get a constant 190/200 thus after about 40-50 mugs we gave up and stuck to our mug presses (including BMS ones). We have also used mini 3D vacuum which I think is brilliant but not great if you are needing to do big jobs. There is no way you are going to be able to make good money on a 100 mug job if it takes you 18 mins per 3 (at least 10 hours excluding mug swapping!). Whereas running 3 mug presses which cost the same as a mini-vacuum then it will only take 1 hour 15 mins. Both of course need mug swapping and time to heat back up. My personal conclusion is that a mug press is cheaper and quicker for the same result. Hope that helps in some way. Olly

With UK Printed Mugs on this one ...
aren't halogen "ovens" just a cheap box with a halogen light bulb in them?
I can't see for big production how a small oven, of whatever type, whether with or without a vacuum, can beat a row of presses on a bench in terms of mugs produced per hour for the same investment.
If you could have a couple of decent sized ovens, so you could be cooking one batch whilst you put the transfers and clamped the second batch, then this may work, but I'm not sure where the break even point is where you can produce more mugs per hour with the same amount of money buying individual presses

I only say this as I am not mass producing and find that I am able to get on with other things, bath the kids, cook dinner, prepare the next 97 mugs or even have a cup of tea whilst they are sublimated.
I also spent many hours reading on this site the many issues that people seem to have trying to use their presses, as each one seems individual and has its own settings.
Each time I turn on the oven and place a mug inside it it works, no faffing about with temps or blankets.
I do not disagree that it may not be the best method time wise but as I am in full time employment and this work is for beer tokens, at the moment, it works for me and depending on a persons situation I think may well be of interest.
Also I don't think the wife would be too happy having 3 mug presses taking up more of our dinning room!!!

Get a vac press. As you say, you can do four mugs at once. But the real benefit is that it enables you to do more products (i.e. phone cases).

ST3042. Six mugs at a time in 12 mins. And 3d phone cases

sent using tapatalk on my Note4

You can do 12 mugs at once in that oven, but you're not using the vacuum - if using it as a mug oven, is there any advantage from it against using a standard domestic oven, like this small fan assisted one for less than £50
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEVERIN-FAN-A ... 27f193ac1a

Although others may disagree of course, we started out with two small convection ovens and found this process tiresom and utterly unreliable unless you're doing this purely as a hobby which we are not. Trying to maintain a steady 190/200 degrees was impossible and so it would be pot lot if mugs were sublimated correctly. After two ovens and then one halogen we stuck to three mug presses and would not look back. The vacuum ovens (used without vacuum) do maintain extremely good temps and having used mini vacuum then they are superb. Personally the mini vacuum is for hobby users who don't need to do large job runs of mugs or cases. The larger vacuum sounds better but again only useful if you are doing cases otherwise you may as well spend less money on multiple mug presses. Hope that helps. Olly