# Conveyor Dryer necessary or is there a cheaper way?



## rrc62 (Jun 2, 2007)

I'm new to the t-shirt business, but I have some experience in screen printing in the art world. I know that the flash dryer is used between colors while the shirt in on the press, then the shirt goes on the conveyor dryer. My thought was to build my own propane fired conveyor dryer...for two reasons. (1) Electricity is expensive here and (2) I can build one for a fraction of what I can buy one for. The conveyor dryer seems to be the most expensive part of the whole deal. There are eBay deals on just about everything else....Presses, flash dryers, exposure units (although that can built as well)...

My homebuilt unit would be a simple box with gas burners inside. The box would have vertical slots in each end and a conveyor similar to what you see in a laundomat and would carry the shirts through the oven vertically instead of laying on a conveyor belt.

So here is the big question....Is a conveyor really nessessary or is there a cheaper way to cure Plastisol?

Printing on paper, we never woried about curing the ink. Print and let it air dry.


Thanks...Ross


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

Well, I know you can get pretty good deals on conveyor dryers. In fact, I know of a table top for sale for $500. 

Just keep looking. I don't think you could build a conveyor dryer for what you could get a used one for. And really, is it worth the time? As far as propane goes, it seems like an expensive way to cure a shirt. I might be wrong though.


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## rrc62 (Jun 2, 2007)

Where is that $500 dryer located? Would the seller ship it?

I mentioned propane because of the cost of electricity here, but I guess the dryer really doesn't run all day...Just while you're running a batch of shirts.

Ross


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

I would not attempt to try to build a homemade dryer. If you are going to do that, just use your flash. Your flash will be at least as effective as a homemade dryer and it's something you already have. I used a flash to cure shirts for about a year before a bought a dryer. The dryer is GREAT, but it's not a requirement.


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## rrc62 (Jun 2, 2007)

That's good news Rusty. Whats the cure time with a 1800 watt flash dryer?

Ross


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

It will depend on how far you have the dryer away from the shirt. You just need to get the ink up to temp. You will need to do some wash testing to make sure. I would usually do mine for about 30-40 seconds, at a distance of about 3-4 inches.

Do NOT cure the shirts on your platen. They will warp. Take the shirt off the platen and put it on a curing table and position the flash over the table, and set your timer. You can be loading/printing the next shirt while the previous one is curing.


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## smartestprimates (Mar 18, 2008)

does anyone know a good place to get a used conveyor dryer in the NYC area?


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

I use an old electric oven with the broiler on. Get some of the temp square things that will give you an idea of how long to leave the shirt on a cookie sheet under the broiler.


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## propsuper (Mar 23, 2008)

Old proverb in screenprinting--- Smoke is good---Flames are bad. Building your own propane oven hum sounds like flames to me -- hope not-- we got our first oven used lil buddy and served us well checking round might be a good bet best of luck


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## jeffie (Jan 30, 2008)

Hey, fred is right. also thepull method of ink cure testing is real efective, although habor freight has spot thermometers for less than $20 on sale...we converted our 4' wide dryer to infared using outdoor ir heaters (see grainger cata) for $800 ish went from 37kw to 9kw ....saves $150+/month justa thought....I like the idea of vertical cure would make automtion simpler i think...but all in all home based low volume type operation fred is right....jeff


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