# health safety and ventilation concerns



## knox harrington (Nov 30, 2007)

Does anybody have any information on the safety of pressing hundreds of plastisol heat transfers in a room with poor ventilation over a long period of time?

We press in a basement and I don't want to expose anybody to harmful vapors. Should I set the press up next to a window and install a fan?

What are the health risks (if any)?

Thanks for your insight!


----------



## mrdavid (Sep 14, 2007)

Hi Knox in the room that I have set up for pressing I have put A vent in the room gets little warm in it and when doing 50 to 200 shirts my wife does not like the smell and I have two kids so just on the safe side I put this in hope this helps


----------



## knox harrington (Nov 30, 2007)

Anybody else concerned or have any information about possible health risks?


----------



## WearSuccor (Sep 1, 2007)

Hey Knox, I did a little search and found this:

Inhalation: At ambient temperature plastisol has very low vapor pressure and should not present any problems. During fusion, adequate ventilation of the "oven" should be used to remove any vapors away from the individual, but if excessive inhalation of the vapors does occur, remove individual (s) to fresh air for relief. If breathing difficulties develop or persist, seek medical attention.

It doesn't say anything about health risks...but I know how the vapors can build up, I would definantly put in a small vent fan in a window just for the smell factor..that's what we did. We dont' really worry too much about it now.

BTW, how is your OKI printer doing? Your using the ImageClip paper right? I'm working towards getting an OKI right now... 

is it what you thought it'd be? Quality and all?
Thanks bro!


----------



## knox harrington (Nov 30, 2007)

Thanks for the info.. I moved the press next to a window and I'll open it with a fan whenever pressing.

I got an Oki5500 from Staples. It retailed for $600.. plus a $200 rebate from Staples plus a $200 rebate from Okidata, not too shabby!

The imageclip is good for dark spot art on light (white) garments. It doesn't work well for light colored parts of my artwork (light yellow, light gray, light pink). The color is also a little off (red especially), but I print pop art, so it's not like I'm reproducing photographs or anything so who cares.

It's not good on darks (duh). It's also not good on heavy weaves like hoodies. I still use plastisol for these instances.

Sometimes there is vertical cracking.

Bottomline, it's a really good solution for custom work, short orders, and spot art on white shirts. It sure beats trimming, but plastisol is still the gold standard.


----------



## deChez (Nov 10, 2007)

I have my heat press in a room that has no windows so, if I'm doing large quantities, I bring my air filter/cleaner thing into the room (it's one of those tower things that stands about 2 feet high...available at places like Target, WalMart, etc.)

Because I'm allergic to darn near everything, I often wear a mask as well...just one of those cheapie painters masks, or the kind you get in the pharmacy. These come in really handy when I'm doing an embroidery job on a fabric that sends alot of little fibers into the air. 

Sometimes I wear those little plastic goggles that you can get for a couple of bucks at the hardware store.

Oh yes...I'm a sight to behold when I'm doing a large t-shirt order!


----------



## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

Been pressing a mixture of custom plastisol and digital polymer transfers for over 14 years in the house with windows closed sometimes and had no side effect as far as I can tell. Unless there is something my doctor is not telling me  . The kids complained about the odor sometimes. But they are all grown up now and out of the house. They are all healthy inspite of the exposure(married and 1 single). As a matter of fact I have 5 grand kids now. Have a couple of dogs. One passed away not because of the air quality in the house. He died of old age and died in the backyard(fresh air) in his sleep. The other one is very old now but still up and about pestering me sometimes(honory). If you think about it dogs have very keen sense of smell and would be more affected by it. I heard miners use canary for that. Maybe I am just a tough old cookie.

My 2 cents.

BTW lately I am using *Imageclip* and its odor is not nearly as bad as the ones I have been using in the past.

I would say if it bothers you that much you can always use gas mask like the post I just red earlier from one of the members. Because of her allergic condition she wears a mask when pressing transfers.


----------



## knox harrington (Nov 30, 2007)

Thanks for the responses everybody. I will open a window and use a fan to be cautious but it doesn't sound like anybody has heard of any problems aside from allergies.

If anybody else has an experience, good or bad, please share!


----------



## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

knox harrington said:


> Sometimes there is vertical cracking.


Did you try pre-stretching the shirt with the upper platten lowered down on the shirt but not locked for 2 to 3 seconds to allow the shirt to stretch then lock the upper platten to pre-press the shirt for another 2 to 3 seconds? That helps minimize the vertical cracking for me.


----------



## knox harrington (Nov 30, 2007)

Luis, it helps minimize it, but it does not completely eliminate it for some designs/substrates


----------

