# Screen Printing DIY help



## Christenamartens (Sep 20, 2021)

Hey guys! So my husband just built me a wooden screen press. The video that we watched called for palette tape on the palette. I looked on Amazon, there's an 18inx100 yard roll for $60. I don't need nearly that much. 

Is there something I can use instead?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

You don't have to use anything. You can go bare. Only takes a second to clean your pallet after a job. Less time than it takes to put down the tape.


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## Christenamartens (Sep 20, 2021)

splathead said:


> You don't have to use anything. You can go bare. Only takes a second to clean your pallet after a job. Less time than it takes to put down the tape.


I wonder if they recommended that because the palette is mdf. Would that make any difference? Is the palette tape just to keep the shirts from catching?


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## sbremner (Oct 24, 2007)

For busy shops, pallet mask lets you clean up fast, and lay down new mask. For instance, in our shop, we use in on our automatic press, but now on our manual as much. However, your surface looks porous, being particle board, and needs some kind of finish to keep ink and adhesives from sinking in. My first DIY press, about 40 years ago, was plywood, sanded smooth and polyurethaned.


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## abetterimage (Sep 8, 2007)

You need something on the pallet to keep the shirt from moving during the print process. Though still needed on one color applications (which is all you can do with your press), it is critical on multi color applications to keep the shirt in place when lifting the screen.
Platen tape is one solution, and you would benefit from it because as sbremner said your platen is porous. Often hand made platens are made from melamine board to give the smooth sealed surface, but you could coat your MDF with something to seal it. Probably not critical what to use since you won't be flash curing a one color design so heat isn't an issue.
You basically have 3 options: 1) Double coated pallet tape - top and bottom adhesive already applied. 2) Single coated pallet tape - you put adhesive on the top after applying it to the pallet. 3) Spray adhesive - applied to a sealed pallet or taped pallet. 4) Pallet glue - also applied to a sealed pallet or taped pallet. This can be sprayed on with a spray gun or spray bottle, or spread with a plastic or cardboard spreader. You can purchase this in quarts or gallons.

Since you want to do stuff on the cheap, paint (KILZ?) or seal your platen and buy a quart of liquid pallet adhesive or a can of adhesive spray (if you don't mind coating everything around your press) and you'll be good.


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