# HomeMade exposure unit...JUST FINISHED! (PICS)



## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

Finally finished it.

Sorry the pictures aren't to good I had some screens drying.


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## hoodlum clothing (Apr 1, 2008)

looks good.

do you have plans? can i see?


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

wow are those repitile UV lights? U can prob expose a screen in .0001 of a second


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## SoloStampede (Aug 4, 2007)

Where did u get your uv lights and the light fixtures? How did you daisy chain them all?


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

SoloStampede said:


> Where did u get your uv lights and the light fixtures? How did you daisy chain them all?


I got the UV lights off of some website i'll have to look for it.

got the ballasts at home depot.

and i just plugged them all into a power strip then ran that out of the box


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

is there plexi glass on top of it?
how long is your exposure time?


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

Ken Styles said:


> is there plexi glass on top of it?
> how long is your exposure time?


yea i picked up the plexi glass from home depot too.

ive tried exposing with it but nothings happening. I dont know why.

so far ive only tried 5 min but the weird thing is that you cant even see where the image would have started to burn


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## mtmob (Apr 21, 2007)

I too have experienced some burning issues with an exposure unit although mine wasnt homemade it was an atlas exposure unit but what i was told was the problem is that the lights are so strong that they shine right through the black ink on the film i was instructed to print the image on two films then stack them on top of one another. try this and let us know what happens.


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## ECSS (Apr 26, 2008)

Im pretty sure plexi glass blocks uv rays


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

mtmob said:


> I too have experienced some burning issues with an exposure unit although mine wasnt homemade it was an atlas exposure unit but what i was told was the problem is that the lights are so strong that they shine right through the black ink on the film i was instructed to print the image on two films then stack them on top of one another. try this and let us know what happens.


Thanks for the reply.

and I do double stack my images because im using an inkjet to print them. so should I triple them?


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

Also try the regular glass from home depot. I think its like $10 for a big one


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## mtmob (Apr 21, 2007)

yeah try tripleing them and also try the glass i think that might be an issue aswell because plexi glass doesnt magnify the light like regular glass would......


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## mtmob (Apr 21, 2007)

also are u sure that the lights are unfiltered?


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

im sure they're unfiltered, well atleast thats what it said when i bought them.

and how would i secure glass too the box?

i used screws to hold the plexiglass


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## nativegraphics (May 18, 2007)

Try grow lights (lights of America from Wa mart) and non UV filtered glass from Lowe's, they cut mine to size then use foam weatherstripping tape and see how it goes. Also I mounted my power strip on the outside of the box, drilled a hole thru the outside and plugged in my lights to the power strip. Make sure to silicone the hole though, then i got some material to make it a vacume unit! Works great!


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## mtmob (Apr 21, 2007)

As far as securing the glass i suggest buying some floor trim you know the ones that look like quarter circles screw them to each corner then just place glass on the trim make sure the trim is about a 1/4 inch below top of unit so the glass would fit snug in it.


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

THANKS GUYS!

i'll have to go pick up some glass.

also how'd you make that vacuum top?


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## Zed is dead (Feb 12, 2008)

I am pretty sure most units use a temper glass (check with glass shop you don't want the uv protection) I would router a channel around the opening the depth of the glass but make sure you put a tab (with tape) on one side so you can pull out to clean


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## out da box (May 1, 2007)

Try using a shop vac with the circular pick-up end inserted into a rubber or neoprene blanket. you can get a 1/16" thick blanket from a local rubber supplier or online. I paid 40 bucks for a 36x48 sheet of neoprene. Works like magic!


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## ivancuriel (Dec 3, 2007)

ftnclothing said:


> im sure they're unfiltered, well atleast thats what it said when i bought them.
> 
> and how would i secure glass too the box?
> 
> i used screws to hold the plexiglass


you can try screwing pieces of wood on the inside of the box on all 4 corners so the glass can rest on it. just make sure they are lower than the edges of the walls so the glass can sink in a little so its secure and wont move around.


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## mtmob (Apr 21, 2007)

ivancuriel said:


> you can try screwing pieces of wood on the inside of the box on all 4 corners so the glass can rest on it. just make sure they are lower than the edges of the walls so the glass can sink in a little so its secure and wont move around.


Thats exactly what i was trying to say but you said it better i agree....thanx for clarifying that.


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## nativegraphics (May 18, 2007)

By the way -- Nice Job on the exposure unit!


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

yea i have wood around the walls so the plexi glass can rest on it.

im gonna go pick up some glass on monday and see if that works, im almost positive that you guys are right and the plexiglass is just uv protected


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## OrganizedChaos (Jun 5, 2008)

Hey Native Graphics...or any responses?
Are these the lightsticks you used..???
EFI's Online Store for Lights of America | LOA 24" Grow Light Stick
I'm all the way out here in Hawaii and All of the Exposure units sold here are incredibily , ridiculously priced. It kinda makes me wanna go back to the old school days of running a burn in the hot, hawaiian sun. But, now that I'm all grown up now..., my spare time usually occurs when everyone else is sleeping and that wicked insomnia kicks in. 
so...
naturally, exposures need light box, box needs lights, and $600 minimum including shipping for a light box to get here doesnt sound entertaining especially when whether it works or not, shipping it back to the US mainland would be too costly...
Leads me to believe that a homemade box attempt is in order....
Any suggestions on bulb type, wattage, brand, model number??
the whole lighting thing remains quite a confusing issue as not many searches or sites go into detail as far as which lights work best.
The one thing that I keep hearing (and already kinda know) is that it shouldnt and wouldnt cost 600-ish or more to create a succesful exposure unit......
so lets see..., the most important thing in the whole equation, the lights....
cause you kinda sound like you pulled it off for less than 200 bucks which is music to my ears.......
 
Tom


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## cronosSTYLE (Feb 24, 2008)

great looking ! i'm only use 500w halog. light, works fine. But mine ! doesn't look like a pro...


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## pukingdeserthobo (Jun 3, 2008)

does any one have any plans on how to build one?


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## Koda (Jun 5, 2008)

I ran across this the other day. I have not tried to build one yet but maybe this will help.
home built uv exposure equipment screen printing silk screen and screen print


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## OrganizedChaos (Jun 5, 2008)

thanks Koda. I really appreciate it....
I was gonna wing it through trial and error simply because for the cost difference in shipping a professoinally built exposure box to a homemade unit, i have lots of room for error.. and I mean, lots.....
$$$$$
Besides.....
All we are all after is a little UV action....
it cant possibly be that complicated....
Especially when I done pefectly fine with the Hot Hawaiian Sun in the past....
Thanks once again and I'll keep ya'll posted if it's a smashing success....
Considering how expensive it is to get a reasonablly good exposure unit shipped to hawaii, it might not be a bad business idea to build exposure boxes instead of printing shirts....
Hehehe......
But that's not what the voices in my head are telling me to do....


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## Mikey2140 (Aug 29, 2007)

I made a homemade exposure unit after fighting like crazy hanging that stupid halogen work light... bought grow lights at home depot and had some difficulty... so broke down and bought the official UV lights at a light bulb shop... told them i needed "white black lights"... at this point we dont use a vacuum system either... I have a piece of foam covered in a black shirt with a brick sitting on it sitting on the back of the screen to hold screen close to the design... burn time... 5 minutes... and not a problem...

Hope this helps...

Mikey


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## SOBER (Aug 6, 2007)

Mikey2140 said:


> I made a homemade exposure unit after fighting like crazy hanging that stupid halogen work light... bought grow lights at home depot and had some difficulty... so broke down and bought the official UV lights at a light bulb shop... told them i needed "white black lights"... at this point we dont use a vacuum system either... I have a piece of foam covered in a black shirt with a brick sitting on it sitting on the back of the screen to hold screen close to the design... burn time... 5 minutes... and not a problem...
> 
> Hope this helps...
> 
> Mikey


 
sounds good thats what i wanted to do , but everyone here said that i couldnt burn halftones and so on,and that i would get undercutting and that would cuase problems with registration!!...so i didnt get the blacklights...i went
with a single point metal halide 1000 watts so i hope it
can solve my halftone exposing problems....so are you 
burning halftones?


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## OrganizedChaos (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks Mikey...
I remember fighting with halogens once upon a time with no success and really hot atmosphere, stopped that crazy, crazy stuff real quick... ran back into the sunlight..

I've heard of some burn through problems using metal halide lights, but I guess it may depend heavily on exposure time, positive contact, and screen to light source distance to remedy that... I dunno???

Burning formula's have many variables and trying to find that magic formula is the hardest part....
With Distance, Heat, Wattage, Beam Angles, Cooling, Exposure Time, Emulsion Thickness, Fabric Mesh, etc....
It makes me wanna find someone who made a succesful one and make an exact copy....
LoL
I guess I'll take a swing and try some step wedges to test times and effectiveness...
Good Luck and thanks again for the input....!!!!
ToM


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## marcelolopez (Jul 16, 2007)

OrganizedChaos said:


> Thanks Mikey...
> I remember fighting with halogens once upon a time with no success and really hot atmosphere, stopped that crazy, crazy stuff real quick... ran back into the sunlight..
> 
> I've heard of some burn through problems using metal halide lights, but I guess it may depend heavily on exposure time, positive contact, and screen to light source distance to remedy that... I dunno???
> ...


Look in the search box for Richard Greaves, he wrote many very instructive articles, regarding exposure time, emulsion, etc, etc, etc.


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

Hey guys. Need some help

My exposure box still doesn't work. Laid off of the screen printing for a while. Now im trying to get it to work again.

I did get that glass, finally.

But when I burn it I can still wash the emulsion completely out. The longest I've burned a screen is for 15 min. Im using Unfiltered Black Lights and a DualCure Emulsion.

Anyone know what my problem is?


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## InterStreme (Feb 9, 2008)

I got a sheet of tempered glass from my local glass supply guy for about $40.00. I told him I needed something to put about 40lbs on top of (for halftones). He told me I could probably stand on it. He was right...i can stand on it.

Anyways, I don't believe plexi blocks some UV.


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## Fuzz (May 7, 2007)

From my understanding, tempered glass blocks some UV due to the process used in making it and will cause longer exposure times. Plexi supposedly blocks most UV and is not good at all for exposure units.


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

I think I might have found my problem. Im going to lower the glass on the exposure unit tomorrow. It's about 6 in. away from the bulbs right now, im going to drop it down to about 2 in. away and see how that works


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## VinSanity (Sep 15, 2008)

Ken Styles said:


> Also try the regular glass from home depot. I think its like $10 for a big one


You can get even cheaper glass in various sizes. 

Took me a while for it to hit me, but go to a thrift store and look for some old picture frames. I found a 20x24 piece of glass for $2.00!

All the new picture frames come with fake glass. Gotta go old school for the real stuff


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## VinSanity (Sep 15, 2008)

ftnclothing said:


> I think I might have found my problem. Im going to lower the glass on the exposure unit tomorrow. It's about 6 in. away from the bulbs right now, im going to drop it down to about 2 in. away and see how that works


Nice job on the exposure unit, although it looks like the bulbs may be spaced to far apart from one another. Could make for some uneven exposure as I know from here at work, our exposure units bulbs are spaced about .5 inches away from one another.

I've had times where a a couple bulbs burnt out, and since they sit about 4-6 inches away, it showed that my exposure was uneven. That dead space in your exposure unit may not be a good idea as it could cuase some headaches in the future. 

I use a single point light source for my screens as I've heard and read that it is the best way to burn screens


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## ftnclothing (Dec 16, 2007)

thanks for the help guys.

finally got it to work.

dropping the glass about 2 in. away from the bulbs worked perfect.

i already burned 5 screens!


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

I built a similar box. I use glass, buy UV long bulbs (internet) I don't think HD would have them. 5 min does it. I put a black cloth foam cover on the ink side of the screen and some weights to make good contact. Make sure the art is really dark, double or triple should do it.


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## KoalaTees (Jul 25, 2007)

I made that one from the link of Koda. Works good. I did not put in the smaller bulbs. Now how do I make it a vacuum table?


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## Adam Becker (Mar 22, 2009)

i could be wrong, but I've read somewhere that certain blacklight bulbs will expose screens extremely quickly (30 seconds, a minute, etc.). Maybe you're exposing for too long?


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## punkrastaman (Jul 14, 2010)

ayos nice 1...ilan ung thickness nang glass nyo?


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