# Final cure with a conventional gas oven



## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

Im not sure if this would work. But I was wondering if a conventional gas oven will work to ensure a final cure. Recently we have started doing images larger than what our flash dryer can really handle efficiently. Were not really printing huge runs so Im wondering if we can just flash the shirts then one at a time put them in the oven for a final cure.
I mean theres no open flame and a rack to slide shirts in on. What do you think and if its possible what temp and for how long would you leave shirts in.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Work? Yes. Would I want to eat food cooked in it afterwards? No.


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## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

yeah?? would that be from the evaporation when ink dries or??


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## denck (Apr 7, 2009)

*OMG*

Dont use a oven to cure shirts!
If you hard up and need to cure shirts anotherway
try using a propane heater!
or 
Heat press

Plastisol ink needs to cure at 310- 350 for twenty seconds.


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

I don't know about a gas dryer, because the heat would be from the bottom. I use an electric oven to cure shirts, set to broil, which turns on an electric element at the top. It works great, albeit not nearly as good as a conveyor.


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## LogoDaddy (Sep 26, 2007)

Gas ovens broil!


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

OTFINC said:


> yeah?? would that be from the evaporation when ink dries or??


Just general concern about pthalates, formaldehyde, etc. etc. For one thing PVC (the main ingredient in plastisol) is a known carcinogen.

If respirators and good ventilation is a requirement for some printing (and it is) then mixing that with food is a self-evidently bad idea.

I'm not aware of any studies done on the topic (because who in their right mind would mix their industrial manufacturing process and their food preparation), but I'm generally a cautious (even paranoid) person when it comes to this kind of thing.

Common sense should have told people inhaling smoke would be bad for them before the medical proof ever rolled in. Personally, I feel the same way about this.


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## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

well Im not hard up yet. just trying to cross a few bridges till I can come up with the capital to buy a heat press. until then I am using a one color system and we have been flashing the shirts right on the pallet. Which has worked just fine. We are starting to notice some warping but thats not really my issue as Ill just build a drying station today.
My main problem is image size. Im going to be printing a 16x16 here in the next day or so and the flash dryer I have is only a 16x16 so it just doesnt really have good coverage. As Ive noticed the actuall heating element isnt that large. (just measured it and the element is only 15x15) and it certainly gets hotter in the middle than the corners. 
So even if I dried it in two sections Im not sure I woudl effeciently hit the corners.


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## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

yeah very true. I know the ink is petroleum based. I value your opinions and thats why Im hear asking. So If I came up on an extra oven it would be possible. I have a friend who does repair work for apartments and can get an extra electric oven here today just for drying the shirts.


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

If you are worried about it, I would just not use the oven for cooking afterwards. There have been many threads on this, and it's not worth repeating the same safety arguments. I don't use the oven in my kitchen. 

Also, I didnt know gas ovens broiled. Gas oven seems like a bad idea due to the open flame.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

OTFINC said:


> So If I came up on an extra oven it would be possible.


Yes, it would be possible. Still not especially _practical_, but if it's a dedicated oven for the purpose, that eliminates many of the potential concerns.

(still leaves the potential for burns, inefficiency of energy transfer, time for changeover, lack of ventilation)

As midwaste said, it's come up before and a number of people have stated that they either do or have done this.


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## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

yeah thats completely understood. If i was to use a heat press would I still want to flash the shirt before putting it under the heat press? And before I go look is there any recommendations on pocket friendly heat press that will do a 16x16 or so.


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## Fuzz (May 7, 2007)

Im no heatpress expert but I would think whether you flash or not the ink would stick to the press. That being said, I think i would treat it like a plastisol transfer and flash it, then cover it with transfer paper or something like that (wax paper???) before I pressed it. Id flash cause I wouldnt want to risk messing up the print with the trasfer paper.


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## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

Well Im pretty new to all of this. I havnt ever used a heat press or even seen one being used. I would think we would have to flash so the ink wouldnt come off but I really have no idea so.... Anyone who has ever done this please advise.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

It's not something I've done either (I use waterbased inks), but from what I've read here Fuzz's advice is the way to go.


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## denck (Apr 7, 2009)

yes when using a heat press you use a teflon sheet to cover up the ink


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## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Either a Teflon sheet or a sheet of parchment paper from the baking isle at your supermarket. You can use the heat presas to both flash and cure the shirt. Just bring the top plate down near the shirt for some period of time till it gells over and then use the parchment paper and complete the press.


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## OTFINC (Mar 24, 2009)

killer, I have a flash unit so flashing is not a big deal. Im just looking to final cure. And being that Im not doing large runs. most weve done at one time is like 40 Im just not sure a conveyor is in my budget ontop of not really having the space.


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