# need help with rhinestones staying on



## venee2 (Jul 28, 2012)

hi i am new to iron on transfers. i thought it was so simple but i am getting a costly lesson. i thought i had it down pack and started taking orders, but after i sold to a store i realized the rhinetsone were complety falling off. i invested alot of time and money , i dont know if it is the home iron i am using or the transfers? i have been using a home iron to put the rhinetones on have been pressing on each side and have been using a had beddazler, i also invested a lot of money in transfers from china, i saw on the site that korean stones are better, but i own these chinese transfers, is this my problem ? should i invest in a heat press, and would a $300 heat press be my answer or another loss of money? i am also doing a show this upcoming week and i am ready to close shop and give up and accept my loss. what am i doing wrong? is it the iron? is it the transfers? is it both? any help is much appreciated, i am applying this to cotton and denim
thanks vanessa


----------



## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

My guess would be it's the home iron. To properly press stones you need the proper heat, dwell time, and pressure and my opinion is that the pressure & temperature required is not being meet with the home iron. A commercial press would do the job nicely. A lot of presses are available on the market that will do the job in every price range but I can only say that buying from a reputable dealer would be the best way to go.


----------



## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

I definitely think it's the home iron. I would suggest investing in a budget priced heat press. I can almost assure you that it will solve your problem. I would also recommend using Korean stones. The quality is usually much higher than the China stones.


----------



## venee2 (Jul 28, 2012)

thanks for the advise from both of you, i really appreciate it. ed i see u work at proworld i am in nj are you any where near where i can buy a heat press from you i would need one asap , i can pick it up tommorow?


----------



## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

We are not open on Sundays but you are welcome to pick it up on Monday. I will PM you with details.


----------



## venee2 (Jul 28, 2012)

ok i will come monday and call first thimg in the morning , i am praying u can help me


----------



## diana13t (Mar 11, 2009)

Make sure you get a heat press that gives you a digital display of the temperature AND Pressure. The first heat press I bought was $300 and diplayed the temp in Celcius but did not display the pressure. So I had all kinds of problems trying to figure out if the pressure was Light, Med, or Heavy or anywhere in between. I had a lot of trouble and quickly invested in a solid heat press. Also, pay attention to the size of the heat press. Make sure it's big enough for the size of designs you're using and that you have enough space for it (i.e. is it a clamp press, does it swing out to the side, etc.).

Good luck, I hope all goes well!!!


----------



## Leg cramps (Feb 9, 2009)

and having an automatic opening one would be nice.thats what my next press nedds to have.nothing like trying to rush back to the press when the timer goes off,instead let it open up automatically and then no worries.


----------



## ShaggyDog (May 28, 2012)

All good advice on a press, Yes on timer yes on digital read out. 
I don't have room for a swing away, you might. 

My next press is going to be 20 wide, I hate getting caught short on bigger items. we learn as we go.


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

Oh goodness... I SOOOO feel your pain! Although I didn't use a home iron. I used a Chinese heat press I bought brand new for about $300. I had a major dance studio placed in the top 5 in the nation have me design some shirts for their staff and dancers. Their first order was for over 100 shirts and I was SO excited! I made the shirts and delivered them. They promptly ordered another hundred plus before even unpacking the first order! Then I started getting the phone calls and texts saying that stones were popping off left and right. I repaired or replaced everything I could but they obviously didn't ever order from me again.  And I don't blame them. I almost ruined my reputation before I even got started.

I'm not saying that all Chinese presses are the same because there are zillions out there, but do yourself a favor and get a temp gun to check the center, left, right, top, bottom, and corners of whatever press you get. I've seen a lot of people have problems and a lot of people have success with the less expensive presses. Just be sure that the one you get isn't a lemon. If the heat distribution varies too much, you'll get glue oozing out of the sides of some stones and others falling off altogether. I completely understand working with a budget. The next great big order I got, I used ALL of the profits to buy myself an American made heat press and I haven't had a single problem or stone falling off ever since.


----------



## venee2 (Jul 28, 2012)

ok so i bought the heat press and was so exited , i went to proworld and they were super helpful and friendly. Linda was great she showed me and my husband how to us the press and was so patient with me. i came home and started to iron on my rhinestones, i put a few in the wash and they arent holding up great, better, but not great, are the stones looser when wet? i am pressing on 326 temp , medium pressure for 13 seconds. what am i doing wrong??? im so frustrated that i cant figure this out. another note i am realizing that the rhinestone are not sticking well to denim, it is 99% cotton 1% spandex is this why? please any advice i would greatly appreciate it, i hava show in a day and dont feel comfortable selling things that are not going to last


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

Well, everyone will give you different temp/time settings, but I press all of my stuff at 365 for 30-35 seconds and then peel the transfer tape and press again for another 10-15 seconds.

326 is not enough temp and 13 seconds is definitely not enough time. I'm using machine cut stones which are higher and have better glue than Chinese or Korean, so you may not need to go quite as high as me... but I would at least give it a try.


----------



## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

I press my korean rhinestones at 325 degrees for 12 seconds with a med-heavy pressure and have no issues with them falling off. If you are still having issues after applying them with a heat press then the problem may be more a glue issue. Maybe you should contact the supplier where you purchased the transfers from.


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

BlingItOn said:


> I press my korean rhinestones at 325 degrees for 12 seconds with a med-heavy pressure and have no issues with them falling off. If you are still having issues after applying them with a heat press then the problem may be more a glue issue. Maybe you should contact the supplier where you purchased the transfers from.


I make my own transfers and use machine cut stones. It's not a problem with the stones or glue. They just take more time and temp to fully melt the glue, but then they adhere perfectly without the stringy glue oozing like I've seen with other stones.


----------



## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

I use 350 degrees at 15 seconds and the I flip it over and press it again inside out on the glue side for another 15 seconds and don't have any problems with mine. I have some shirts that haven't lost a single stone in at least 3 years and I wash and dry mine in the machine just like any other clothes. No special treatment in washing or drying.


----------



## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

I press my machine cut rhinestones at 325 for 15 seconds at medium pressure, let it cool a bit, peel the tape off and repress for 5 seconds. I throw my stoneed shirts in the washer and dryer with the rest of the laundry and haven't lost a stone yet.


----------



## LEO (Oct 10, 2006)

Machine cut stones:
350* for 20 secs
** repress inside out for 5-8 secs.
Peel warm if silicone tape
Peel cold if acrylic tape

LEO


----------



## leapoffaith (Nov 8, 2009)

I press at 330 for 20 seconds, peel tape, cover w teflon sheet and press another 10 seconds. I use Korean stones and never have a stone fall off. I wash and dry over and over with no problems.

I think it's either your press time is not enough time or pressure, or you bought transfers with poor quality stones. Could be a combination of both. 

Sorry you're having trouble -- that's so frustrating!


----------



## venee2 (Jul 28, 2012)

Thanks everyone , my rhinestones are starting to stay on better , no complaints yet , i hope they dont start, what do u think of applying them on puffer jackets made of polymide, will i have a problem with the seams?.


----------



## vikylobe (May 30, 2013)

venee2 said:


> Thanks everyone , my rhinestones are starting to stay on better , no complaints yet , i hope they dont start, what do u think of applying them on puffer jackets made of polymide, will i have a problem with the seams?.


Putting them on polymide jackets should be no problem. I have done some iron ons on various jackets and they seem to be intact.


----------



## Odd spring (Sep 4, 2013)

I used a home iron when I first got started. I turned it to the highest setting. Left iron on for 20 seconds on the front side then turned the shirt inside out and pressed again for twenty more seconds. I applied pressure once I flipped the shirt inside out. Never had a problem. I still recommend a heat press. So much faster. Best wishes with your new venture.


----------

