DSF

Any great tips on how to avoid getting your press in a mess doing hi via vests? Got an enquiry for 50 with customer supplying the vests, Last time I used 150 degree vinyl, did them outside too! would 120 degree reduce the mess? What temp does the yellow mess start floating around!?! Or isn't it temp related? Stuff seems to go everywhere and makes me hate the idea of doing them but needs must and all that!

Have you (or anyone) tried these with hi viz vests? I always use a cover sheet but not tried these, I thought it was fluorescent fibers that somehow waft into crevices on the press and re-emerge when you don't want them too! I had to waste a few white T shirts getting rid of the effect last time, I'd even done the job outside too hoping it might limit the yellow mist spread!

I've done loads of Hi Vis vests and never had this problem. Maybe I've been lucky. I press at 160 for vinyl and 190 for subli. I usually put a piece of baking paper over the whole of the garment just so the reflective tape doesn't directly touch the press.
You could try putting a cover over both parts of the press to protect them from the fibers. Remove them when doing other stuff.

Yes I use baking paper too, perhaps i need a bigger top sheet to stop it drifting into crevices of my Adkins beta swing press, thats possibly where it goes to hide! Could heat tape it up the sides,,,

mr-gobby;129063 wrote:Yes I use baking paper too, perhaps i need a bigger top sheet to stop it drifting into crevices of my Adkins beta swing press, thats possibly where it goes to hide! Could heat tape it up the sides,,,

Strange, I have exactly the same press.
What make are your HI Vis Vests?

The 'yellow mist' is the dye in the fabric turning to gas when it gets hot. Hi Vis fabric is sublimation dyed, in the same way that football shirts are. The gassing tends to happen at higher temps - 150/160c is the temp that most quality dyed vest start to release some colour, but it is only really a problem at higher temps.
I mainly use Yoko vests and don't have much of a problem when using vinyl. If I sublimate onto them at 200c then I need a cover sheet and a deep clean of the press after printing.

If you are seeing a visible cloud at 150c then you need to find another vest to print onto. Make sure you have good ventilation ( preferably extraction) and a face mask. You don't want to be breathing that stuff in. Don't risk your health just because your customer is too cheap to let you earn a pound on the blank garment.

mr-gobby;129060 wrote: I had to waste a few white T shirts getting rid of the effect last time, I'd even done the job outside too hoping it might limit the yellow mist spread!

If you use sign vinyl, keep the backing paper to use as a cover sheet, silicone side down. You ideally need a piece of paper larger than the platen - Nova Chrome sell chip shop paper that is cheap and works very well.

Isopropyl Alcohol is good for cleaning the platen. Most sign making suppliers sell it for about £10 litre ( MDP Supplies etc).

gotta cover of the floro subs into your press....