pressing irregular shapes

[arthur.daley]

Hi All

I have never used a flat bed press before or a plate or cap press etc etc, just a mug press.

i just need to figure out if I understand how this all works..............

If you have a flat surface to print onto, great, no problem

If you have a slightly irregular surface - thick slates with a riven surface? you would have to use a silicon sheet(s) to to take out the uneven surface variation, the silicon would keep your printing paper in contact with the substrates surface and apply an even(ish) pressure and conduct the heat to the paper/substrate?

or am I missing something ?? (yet again)


Arthur

[JMugs]

You have it...

See simple.

Janners

[arthur.daley]

Thanks Janners

Can you tell me how thick are the silicon mats and any idea how many you can use in one go?

i would have thought that a couple of mm in total is your lot as silicon surely works as an insulator and would push pressing times up by an order of magnitude!?! However, I seem to remember Nik Grey describing his mug base printing set up and using multiple layers of silicon to take up the concave mug base


Arthur

[JMugs]

Hi Arthur
For all normal purposes you will only need one silicon sheet (I think mine is 3mm) and the same size as your press bed is ideal. It does allow for the slight variations in the surface of items like slates. I find the change in time / temperature isn't a lot, and if you press with it from the start then you are only doing the normal amount of fine tuning for your press / product. I know some people do not use them at all. ie slates are pressed face down so the soft bed of the press takes up the variations.
In short it is as simple as can be.

Nik and his mug base pressing is just one of those things where we all go off on a tangent at times to see what we can do.

Quality is the thing, good ink, good printer, good paper, good press, good product, cut corners at any point and you are more likely to have a problem... but then we all know that.

Janners

[NikGrey]

My 'Mug Base Puck' (packing) was only about 1mm in thickness - I was not using Silicon though, it was Teflon sheeting (same thickness as paper).

I have some sample Mouse Mats here from Listawood - the 3mm ones, I am saving them for experiments. they get very hot when you sublimate them so will certainly take the heat - I will be keeping some of these intact for the products Arthur is talking about.

I am almost 100% certain that these will work as you need Arthur.

[JMugs]

Just checked my silicon sheets are 1.6mm they came from Martin at BMS.

Janners