[sdiy] Silk Screen metal panels

[DSL FODA01]

Josh,

I worked for a screen printer for a while.  We printed a lot of different materials and rarely said 'no' to a job.  Often we would have to do a test imprint on a sample to see if the adhesion was sucessful.  If I recall correctly, we did use epoxy ink.  One thing you have to watch with that stuff is that once it is activated, you only have so much time before it hardens.  If you are not careful, it can harden in the screen and on the squeegee before you have a chance to thin it and get it cleaned off.  I remember we were printing some very large electrical panels by hand and I had to shuttle them onto and off of the press quickly so that none of this would happen.  Having said that, I think the epoxy was overall the best ink for most of those type applications.

Dave

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dirk Vanden Berghe 
  To: josh summitt ; SynthDIY 
  Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 4:01 AM
  Subject: Re: [sdiy] Silk Screen metal panels


  Josh,
  If the panels are aluminium, I give them a layer of etching primer first. That primer grabs through the corrosion layer on the surface of the aluminium. Any good paint will stick on that primer.
  Epoxy is better but more expensive.
  Dirk

  josh summitt <ascetik at gmail.com> wrote:
    Has anyone on this list tried silk screening their own panels. My problem is what kind of paint works best on metal. I have tried acrylic and it just scratches off. I have tried enamel but it is too thin and bleeds through the silk screen and i never get defined lines. Does anyone here have experience? I have thought about trying automotive paint but don't want to spend anymore money on paints that don't work. 
    Thanks
    Josh





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