# how do i add micro registration to my 5 color homemade press?



## gnilrac (May 5, 2009)

Hi there, i hope you guys can help me on this.
I built a 5 color 1 station carousel,which prints great.
My only snag is how to add micro registration,which i thought i could sort out by tapping the screens with a rubber mallet.
Sounds good in theory,but not accurate as i am starting to do cmyk prints.
Any suggestions would be welcome,thanks.


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## gnilrac (May 5, 2009)

Sorry,heres the pic of my press!
Yes i am proud of it!


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## scottyjr (Sep 12, 2009)

I used Livingston clamps that have micros and fit them to my homemade 6 color but they are pretty much useless. In my opinion, any micro that is not 'loaded' is not worth having. There is going to be 'slop' between the internal and external threads of the mating components. With that slop it's like a guessing game. When you turn the micro a quater turn, are you decreasing the the gap between the mating thread surfaces or were the mating surfaces already in contact and you really are moving the clamp. A loaded micro has tension applied to the movable part of the clamp in both the left right and the front back directions. In every loaded micro I've seen the tension comes from heavy duty springs. One end is attached to the stationary part of the head and the other to the movable part. This tension is always pulling the mating surfaces of the micros' threads in contact with each other thereby removing any 'slop'. With loaded micros you know that when you turn the micro a quater turn left or right, it will move the screen in an exact linear direction. 

Another important benefit to loaded micros is maintaining the screen position during and after adjustment. Suppose in an unloaded micro you've turned the micro a quater turn and have removed the gap between the mating surfaces of the threads. Now you actually make the screen move by turning another quater turn. Ok, looks good, clamp it down. But during clamping, the screen still has the ability to move in the other direction from where you placed it because of the slop in the threads.

Unless the micros are using very fine camera-like threads they've gotta be loaded to be useful to accurately register screens; at least without pulling your hair out. I know there are some screen printers out there that can, within a reasonable amount of time, register a butt registered, multicolor print job without loaded micros. That sure ain't me; it takes me forever.

- Scotty


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## Naptime (May 19, 2011)

scottyjr said:


> I used Livingston clamps that have micros and fit them to my homemade 6 color but they are pretty much useless. In my opinion, any micro that is not 'loaded' is not worth having. There is going to be 'slop' between the internal and external threads of the mating components. With that slop it's like a guessing game. When you turn the micro a quater turn, are you decreasing the the gap between the mating thread surfaces or were the mating surfaces already in contact and you really are moving the clamp. A loaded micro has tension applied to the movable part of the clamp in both the left right and the front back directions. In every loaded micro I've seen the tension comes from heavy duty springs. One end is attached to the stationary part of the head and the other to the movable part. This tension is always pulling the mating surfaces of the micros' threads in contact with each other thereby removing any 'slop'. With loaded micros you know that when you turn the micro a quater turn left or right, it will move the screen in an exact linear direction.
> 
> Another important benefit to loaded micros is maintaining the screen position during and after adjustment. Suppose in an unloaded micro you've turned the micro a quater turn and have removed the gap between the mating surfaces of the threads. Now you actually make the screen move by turning another quater turn. Ok, looks good, clamp it down. But during clamping, the screen still has the ability to move in the other direction from where you placed it because of the slop in the threads.
> 
> ...



3 years later he gets a response!

this is a great piece of info. I'm in the process of adding micros to my press this week. And after viewing hundreds of photos of pro micros and hobby micros, I could not figure out how to remove slop from the threads on standard hardware store turnbuckle threads.

I do believe loading springs will be the answer.

not sure if you are still on the board or not, but thanks !


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## PhilR (May 3, 2011)

Naptime said:


> 3 years later he gets a response!
> 
> this is a great piece of info. I'm in the process of adding micros to my press this week. And after viewing hundreds of photos of pro micros and hobby micros, I could not figure out how to remove slop from the threads on standard hardware store turnbuckle threads.
> 
> ...


I'd suggest looking around for turnbuckles designed for the motor engineering industry. They're likely to be manufactured to much tighter tolerances. Like this: Turnbuckle M10 Link. Adjustable from 120 mm to 160 mm | eBay


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## ScreenFoo (Aug 9, 2011)

I'd also point out that for some of us, slop is not the end of the world. A tiny amount of slop will ensure that if you 'push' the screen slightly, and then back off the threads, the screen won't move because of z-axis forces when you lock plates together. 
Preloaded micros sound sweet, but I've lined up thousands of jobs without them... (FYI--The _real_ trick is in not needing them. )


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## DigitalInkArts (Jul 20, 2011)

Naptime said:


> 3 years later he gets a response!
> 
> 
> LOL. 3 years. I was going to say, Cant be too proud of that Phone cameras megapixels. But now, It all makes sense!


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## Naptime (May 19, 2011)

PhilR said:


> I'd suggest looking around for turnbuckles designed for the motor engineering industry. They're likely to be manufactured to much tighter tolerances. Like this: Turnbuckle M10 Link. Adjustable from 120 mm to 160 mm | eBay


i thought about that... didn't like the price..

we are saving for a vastex or a workhorse. 

just trying to add something inexpensive to make this press a little faster at setting up multi color jobs.

i actually thought about turnbuckles for radio controlled 1/10 scale cars. but they are getting crazy on their prices as well. they've skyrocketed since back when i was racing.

i just picked up some turnbuckles at home depot, and they actually have far less slop than i thought they would.


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## Naptime (May 19, 2011)

ScreenFoo said:


> I'd also point out that for some of us, slop is not the end of the world. A tiny amount of slop will ensure that if you 'push' the screen slightly, and then back off the threads, the screen won't move because of z-axis forces when you lock plates together.
> Preloaded micros sound sweet, but I've lined up thousands of jobs without them... (FYI--The _real_ trick is in not needing them. )


the last time i bought turnbuckles, they were much larger, and there was a LOT of slop.

today i finally made it over to pick up some 5" tb's are home depot. there is far less slop than i thought there would be. 

skipping the springs for now.. but we'll see.

started playing with putting it all together earlier.. should be ready in a few days.

have a bunch of jobs to get done, can't go tearing the press apart now. lol.


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## mcadaman (Feb 5, 2009)

Another place to try would be Grainger. They carry everything you can think of. I would try to find something with a "fine" thread.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

You really don't need Micro Registration. If you have a Registration Gate, the arm will come down in the same place every time, keeping your registration.


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## Naptime (May 19, 2011)

right. but it's for setting up multi color jobs, faster.

the arm coming down in the same place is great, once all the screens are setup.

but you have to get them setup first. and that's where the micros come in at.

for a year i have been tapping here, tapping there, with a wrench or small mallet. then lock it down and hope nothing moved.

there is no denying that setup is much faster with the ability to register with the turn of a screw.


even simple line tables have a form of micro registration.


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## Preston (Mar 21, 2006)

selanac said:


> You really don't need Micro Registration. If you have a Registration Gate, the arm will come down in the same place every time, keeping your registration.


No you do not need micros. I register multi color prints with a ball-pean hammer for years but micros do make it a lot easier. Also, you do not need slop free micros. You just need to learn your machine and how much and which way the screen will move when you lock down the micros.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

You don't need any of that.

Look on YouTube for, Multi color registration screen printing. Moya Tees Screen printing or something like that. I setup in minutes using that method.


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