# shirt adhesive alternative



## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

Hello fellas, 

just wanna know what's the best substitute for a spray adhesive? 
it's kinda pricey out here and i wanna improvise my own shirt adhesive. can someone tell me any alternative i could use out from my household? 

thanks


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## TeddyRocky (Mar 23, 2007)

jundogg said:


> Hello fellas,
> 
> just wanna know what's the best substitute for a spray adhesive?
> it's kinda pricey out here and i wanna improvise my own shirt adhesive. can someone tell me any alternative i could use out from my household?
> ...


$2.95 a spray can is expensive? Where are you located?


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## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

TeddyRocky said:


> $2.95 a spray can is expensive? Where are you located?


wish that price is the same here. 
a regular (tall) sprayway can is sold at around $7.83 in a local bookstore.
i dont know if it's the same with the silkscreen suppliers, but those stores are quite far from our house. 
im from the philippines, by the way.

i've seen another adhesive in can that's made by Elmer's but i think they are glue made into spray. i guess it wont do as much as the real shirt adhesive does.

that's why im trying to make something out of anything to make my own non-pricey shirt adhesive.


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

Do an online search for TexTac adhesive. It's a brush-on that you set up with your flash dryer or a heat gun. When it loses it's tack, wipe it down with a damp sponge to remove the lint, heat it up again, and you're back in business. I got a gallon at a show 2 years ago for $15 and I've still got a bunch left. Additionally, it doesn't get all over everything like that damn spray tack. I use platen tape and I haven't even replaced that for 8-9 months. When the TexTac can't be revived with a damp sponge, I just brush on more. My platens look pretty dirty, but underneath that tape they're like brand new. I'd change the tape more often, but I'm lazy.

There are other brands of brush on adhesives, too, but the TexTac works great.


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## deniseg (Jul 23, 2007)

this is probably not the right place to ask but i didn't know where else to put it, i need help we print shirts that have a photo on it of a TT rider and 1 of the guys we sold 1 to has had it signed by the rider that's on the Tee however he's now worried about washing the shirt as he doesn't want to wash it off, so is there something that can be sprayed or brush on to shirt to protect the signature? thnx =)


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## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

tpitman said:


> Do an online search for TexTac adhesive. It's a brush-on that you set up with your flash dryer or a heat gun. When it loses it's tack, wipe it down with a damp sponge to remove the lint, heat it up again, and you're back in business. I got a gallon at a show 2 years ago for $15 and I've still got a bunch left. Additionally, it doesn't get all over everything like that damn spray tack. I use platen tape and I haven't even replaced that for 8-9 months. When the TexTac can't be revived with a damp sponge, I just brush on more. My platens look pretty dirty, but underneath that tape they're like brand new. I'd change the tape more often, but I'm lazy.
> 
> There are other brands of brush on adhesives, too, but the TexTac works great.


thanks, but textac is not yet available in our location.


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## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

deniseg said:


> this is probably not the right place to ask but i didn't know where else to put it, i need help we print shirts that have a photo on it of a TT rider and 1 of the guys we sold 1 to has had it signed by the rider that's on the Tee however he's now worried about washing the shirt as he doesn't want to wash it off, so is there something that can be sprayed or brush on to shirt to protect the signature? thnx =)


it might wash out, depending on the marker/pen that was used. 
try to wash a portion of it and check if it stays on.
otherwise, you may want to over-write the signature with a fabric pen.


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

I have a question on spray adhesives. I bought printers brand Ulano's heat resistance spray adhesive. I use a light mist on the platen and put the shirt on. Very good so far as holding. I will flash cure, say a white ink. Then I do a partial final cure. But the shirt get real difficult to peel off now. 

When the shirt is warm it is very sticky. I finally get it off and do a final cure on another station with the flash cure unit. But now the inking platen cools and it is not sticky anymore. I have to re-spray and start over with the same issues. 

Should I just try to re-heat the inking platen w/o a shirt and see if it gets tacky again? I must be doing something wrong.

I use to use a repositionable spray adhesive from an art supply store and it seemed better. It did not dry out as fast and not too hard to remove the shirts - never stuck to the shirt either. Maybe I need to go back to that??


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## jundogg (Jul 20, 2007)

KoalaTees said:


> I have a question on spray adhesives. I bought printers brand Ulano's heat resistance spray adhesive. I use a light mist on the platen and put the shirt on. Very good so far as holding. I will flash cure, say a white ink. Then I do a partial final cure. But the shirt get real difficult to peel off now.
> 
> When the shirt is warm it is very sticky. I finally get it off and do a final cure on another station with the flash cure unit. But now the inking platen cools and it is not sticky anymore. I have to re-spray and start over with the same issues.
> 
> ...


perhaps the ulano brand that you're using is not suited on the way you work things out. im not that familiar with that brand, but since you mentioned you were good with your previous adhesive, why not getting back to it to save time troubleshooting your problem. =)


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## Cloud9 Design (Aug 29, 2007)

Is there any sort of alternative to spray adhesive. a safe, no-toxic way to hold the shirts down. preferrably with non fumes or voc's. please help!


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## mk162 (Sep 24, 2007)

Yeah, it was mentioned above. TexTac. It's roll or brush on. We put a very small amount on our platens and we're good to go. It smells a little funny, but it's better than spray glue. Nothing is worse than matted down arm hair.

We cleaned the press the other day and now we won't have to work that hard again since the lint won't be stuck down with glue.

I would recommend pallet peel/tape so when it comes time to clean the platens it's actually easy.


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

Cloud9 Design said:


> Is there any sort of alternative to spray adhesive. a safe, no-toxic way to hold the shirts down. preferrably with non fumes or voc's. please help!


Albatross also makes a waterbased palette adhesive called "brush tack." Sells in quarts and gallons. You apply it to the board directly (preferred over palette tape to save your shirtboards) and when it dries it gets tacky. Similar to the textac you can re-wet it and get the tack back into it. It goes for a really long time too.


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