# Dont kno how to use a new flash dryer i just bought!!!! need help



## Taktics (Jul 3, 2007)

Yes hi i need help with a flash dryer. I just got it its 15 amps and 1800 watts, 120 volts. I dont kno how long to leave the shirt under and when im done printing the shirt i put it under for like 1 min. to flash cure but nothing happens to the ink it just stays normal like i never use the flash dryer neeeed help.... first time using a flash dryer.!!!


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## kriscad (Dec 18, 2006)

if you had a temp or heat gun i could tell u lol

but try 5 seconds to start with... see if ink is wet, work your way up until it dries without getting on your hand


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## TeddyRocky (Mar 23, 2007)

Taktics said:


> Yes hi i need help with a flash dryer. I just got it its 15 amps and 1800 watts, 120 volts. I dont kno how long to leave the shirt under and when im done printing the shirt i put it under for like 1 min. to flash cure but nothing happens to the ink it just stays normal like i never use the flash dryer neeeed help.... first time using a flash dryer.!!!


So you're using your flash to cure the shirts right? Is it turned on? haha....

1 min is a very long time and would burn the hell of the shirt. If you're flashing the shirt, it's about 10 seconds, if your curing the shirt, its about 25-30 seconds. (2 inches above the shirt). 

Grab yourself a laser thermometer to know your temperature. I believe the 1800 flash dryers reach up to 600 degrees F in the center.


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## Taktics (Jul 3, 2007)

Yes, thank you lol i know it is turned on the thing is that i just found out its kind of cheap 1 that someone built but nothing bad or nothing special it heats up right but when it get warmed up it takes a couple of min... and after im done with the print it dries in about 15 seconds.. i need some help in screen printing i dont have that 1 color station so i just have the screen and the stencil.... from there i need help as in how far is the off contact and how to print the ink on to the shirt.. thanks for the help


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## SxEDGE (Apr 18, 2010)

"*Testing a Direct Print for Cure*
The definitive test to determine if plastisol inks are cured is a wash test, that is wash the garment in hot water with a strong detergent. Generally it will take from 5-10 washings to fully test the cure, but if the ink is seriously undercured, the print will show deterioration after only 1-3 washings. There are two other tests commonly used to check ink cure. The most popular test is to stretch the print about 2/3 of the total stretch of the T-shirt. If the print cracks badly and does not retract when the fabric is released, the ink is probably under-cured. The stretch test does not always work on thick deposits of ink, such as with on athletic jerseys, where the top layer of ink may stretch but the ink deep down in the fabric may be under-cured.

Another test for curing can be done by placing a few drops of ethyl acetate onto the back of the ink on the inside of the garment. This spot of ink is then placed onto an area of unprinted garment and burnished or held tightly together for two minutes. If there is a transfer of ink to the unprinted area, the ink is not fully cured and the garment should be run through the dryer again. Like the stretch test, this test is not always accurate. Ethyl acetate is a fairly hazardous chemical.

If the ink is undercured, you can run it through the dryer again and complete the cure." -Source: General Information About Plastisol Inks

*Curing Plastisol Ink:* Screenprinting Answers: Curing Plastisol Ink


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## stadiumgear (Jul 15, 2009)

I have been using a flash dryer to cure for about a year now. I set it at about 3 inches off the shirt and cry for about 45 seconds....have not had one shirt wash out yet.


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## tgoeltz (Aug 7, 2007)

stadiumgear said:


> I set it at about 3 inches off the shirt and cry for about 45 seconds/quote]
> 
> Waiting that long to dry a shirt is painful, but I haven't resorted to crying yet.


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## thutch15 (Sep 8, 2008)

You need to get a temp gun...all flash units are going to be different. Just test with the temp gun and move it up or down to get the correct temp for you ink.


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## stadiumgear (Jul 15, 2009)

tgoeltz said:


> stadiumgear said:
> 
> 
> > I set it at about 3 inches off the shirt and cry for about 45 seconds/quote]
> ...


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## Ion Screen (Oct 22, 2010)

stadiumgear said:


> tgoeltz said:
> 
> 
> > oooops...(Dry). Typos are the damndest things.... Ironically, I cry every day weather I need it or not! ha ha ha ha.
> ...


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## Ldfe1986 (May 8, 2013)

Thanks for all the great tips! I have a logos FL 1800 & was wondering the same thing. I think this solved my problem


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