Andrew James Heat Plates

[pisquee]

So, once the December rush was over I ordered the heat plate after discussing on here, and although our manicness hasn't stopped as once Christmas was done we were straight into preparing for Top Drawer (starting this Sunday)

Anyways, I have the plate set up now. Was a lot lighter than I was expecting. I am wondering what temperatures others are running them at for preheating mugs, with a scale of just 1-5 rather than degrees C it is all a bit guess work, so if anyone's found a sweet spot I would love to hear it, as I'm sure it would be good advice for others coming down this road.

I can say that having it on 5 it is too, and was painful putting the trasfers around the mugs! LOL

[JMugs]

Snigger, chortle, guffaw...

[pisquee]

So, set on 1 seems to do the trick quite nicely and the mugs feel similar to when if was putting the base only into a mug press set at 100 degrees C, and the mugs coming out printed fine. As they're only around £20 I would definitely recommend them to anyone printing full bleed mugs, and especailly anyone printing the glass mugs and tumblers

[Andrew]

1 is the setting we would set it to if using it. The wraps are already on and probably on the tray for a few minutes max. The 5 setting can actually start the sublimation process where the contact area is.

[GoonerGary]

Is this not another gadget spinning the lecky metre round and round at speed? What's wrong with popping your mug in the press for a few seconds beforehand?

[Andrew]

Is this not another gadget spinning the lecky metre round and round at speed? What's wrong with popping your mug in the press for a few seconds beforehand?

Heating the base is for a specific reason. The extra ceramic at the base acts as a heat sink and draws heat in so it takes longer than the rest of the mug to get upto printing temp. Pre-heating just the base can counteract this. Whether you need to do this or not depends on what mug you are using and print requirements (full top to bottom). If you heated the whole mug by putting it in the press then you would still have the same scenario of the body warming quicker than the base.

[NikGrey]

Our Tall Friend is the One to ask about this, I saw his 'Setting' but it might be 'Commercially Sensitive'

[JMugs]

I use a small oven that holds six mugs, mugs go in upside down, top element only on, set at 70 degrees.
Also works a treat. Next batch of mugs sit on top ready to go in.
Same idea different approach, was the same sort of money in a sale at currys or commet.

Janners.