# too much platen adhesive left on shirts



## ChanceA (Feb 3, 2012)

I finally upgraded to a flash dryer from a heat press.

The last job I did went well until I went to fold the shirts and found that there was way to much adhesive inside the shirts.
They were stuck together and when pulled apart they were sticky inside.

Luckily washing them took care of the problem.

I am curing on the platen.

I never had this problem when curing on the heat press.

anyone know how to keep this from happening?


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## ironhog (Mar 24, 2009)

Are you removing she shirt then placing it on the platen or just going from printing and rotating under the flash? Was told to pull shirt off then lay it on top of platen when curing with a flash.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

Don't cure on platen. Use a table with ceramic tile. If you have wood platens you will be ruining them. You can flash after last stroke and stack.


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## ChanceA (Feb 3, 2012)

Yeah, I have been curing on the platen.

I'll try removing them.


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## Ripcord (Sep 2, 2006)

Make a separate table for curing. You don't want to continuously heat your platen. Also, while the shirt is curing on the table, you can be loading the next shirt onto your platen, so you'll save time.

Next time there's sticky adhesive on a shirt, try this trick: Turn the shirt inside out and pat the sticky area with a cotton ball. The fibers will stick and the sticky feeling will go away. The customer won't notice because it's all on the inside of the shirt, and the first time they wash it it will all be gone.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

Get some water based pallet adhesive. The spray stuff is nasty gets every where and is hazardous to your health.


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## tkster95 (Aug 11, 2011)

I've been using double sided pallet tape for about a year or so now... love the stuff. I haven't had to use spray adhesive since I got it. Its a bit expensive but worth every penny to me. It doesn't leave a residue on shirts (except on the first shirt... cause its still so sticky at that point it can come off a bit... that's why before I do a run I take a spare shirt and place it on the pallet once or twice to make sure the tape doesn't have a death grip on my shirts) and it lasts quite a while too.. on a 4 station press I can probably get 600 shirts printed before I have to switch out the tape.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

I use single sided tape and water base adhesive. The tape won't last on fleece. Get 500+ shirts. The flash scrub with water and pad to remove fuzz and print another 500. I switch tape every 5000-10000 shirts.


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## sewexclusive (Mar 14, 2009)

Where did you buy the tape?


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

I buy any vinyl sign transfer tape medium tack and use the CCI water base pallet adhesive from Ryonet. I cut it 50% with water for tshirts and use it at 100% for fleece. 

Silk screen super store is where I tried the double sided from. It is also cleanable and should last more then 500 shirts but the cost vs the return was too high. https://www.google.com/#q=double+sided+platen+tape.&spell=1. Here's a google search that shows a few places to buy as well as other threads about the stuff.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

The tape doesn't work well if you use a Flash dryer to cure. 

A guy on eBay sells a Flash Dryer adapter. Think it was either $99 or $150. Don't remember if it was free shipping or not. He as to modify it if you have a different Flash Dryer than he has. 

I had my brother in law weld one for me. Since I described it over the phone and showed him a picture it didn't look that nice, but works. 

I bought galvanized nipples to use as sleeves to raise the adapter up. Other's use a 5 gallon pale with a 4x4 and a platen on top.

BTW: great idea Ripcord.


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## flyprint4 (Oct 16, 2013)

I must say water base adhesive is the way to go I use TEXTAC by imagemate $38 a gallon can dilute up to 50% and lasts a long time. Ive cured directly on my boards before on short runs but they are aluminum so no warping issues or burning to worry about just be sure to pop up your shirt first prior to flash drying its the glue thats melting to your shirts causing all the mess being that its still pressed on the board.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

The textac is one of the few I haven't tried and the price looks good if you can dilute 50%.


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## JeremiahInk (Mar 21, 2014)

sben763 said:


> I buy any vinyl sign transfer tape medium tack and use the CCI water base pallet adhesive from Ryonet. I cut it 50% with water for tshirts and use it at 100% for fleece.
> 
> Silk screen super store is where I tried the double sided from. It is also cleanable and should last more then 500 shirts but the cost vs the return was too high. https://www.google.com/#q=double+sided+platen+tape.&spell=1. Here's a google search that shows a few places to buy as well as other threads about the stuff.


does the tape need to cover the whole paten? i have a 16x22 platen so could i use a 15 inch wide roll of tape? thanks!


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

JeremiahInk said:


> does the tape need to cover the whole paten? i have a 16x22 platen so could i use a 15 inch wide roll of tape? thanks!


 
Doesn't have to but I have 15x16 platens and use 16 or 18" tape


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