Coaster Press

[GoonerGary]

I was told by a supplier that presses with a silicone base work well for glass coasters. Anyone any thoughts on this?

I'm looking for the smallest press possible due to confined working spaces. I have no intention of moving to large products as every product type I produce will be small and round.

I like the idea of those Xpress plate presses, nice price and small. I plan to press 90/ 100mm diameter glass/ uni sub coasters and 0.5mm metal sub discs. What would be suitable for these substrates?

[pisquee]

There isn't a huge markup on coasters, but they work well as a product as they sell quickly, and you can print quite a few at a time on an average sized press, so your profit per hour is better if you can print 12 coasters at once compared to only 1.
We use a PressMech, which have some sort of soft/cushioned bed on the bottom platten, and so works well for glass and slate work without extra sheets of silicone.
For pressing thicker items, I would definitely recommend a swing away press as they tend to give a more even distribution of pressure compared to a clam press, which will help give an even, consistent print across the whole press area, but they also tend to be better at accommodating thicker items than a clam.

[GoonerGary]

PressMech? That's £1,500 of profit that will have to wait a while to recoup.

I see your point doing 4/6 coasters at a time which seems very logical, but will your average Adkins 28/ 38 or 38/38 evenly distribute the heat for an identical set of coasters?

If a clam can't evenly distribute pressure, what's the point of those???

[Paul]

If a clam can't evenly distribute pressure, what's the point of those???
garments ;)

[GoonerGary]

Buying a press for £109 goes against everyone of my principles, but I'd love this to work for glass coasters...

Flat T shirt Press 23x30cm Swing.

http://www.coralgraph.com/heat-press/flat-press/flat-t-shirt-press-23x30cm-swing-ce-certified-uk

You could have one as back up, but a £500 Adkins for back up is crazy.

Any recommendations?

[GoonerGary]

I am starting to narrow down options:

Adkins Beta Mini 38cm/ Xpres XP7005A swing away @£954

Stahls Hotronix MAXX 28x38cm @ £598.80 incl

or that CG £109 clam press is still inviting.

The Hotronix Maxx has that patented central clam action, does it come down extremely parallel with the bottom platen or does it touch the back of the platen first?

Will it work as good as a swing away or is it just marketing hype?

[RogerC]

I am starting to narrow down options:

Adkins Beta Mini 38cm/ Xpres XP7005A swing away @£954

Stahls Hotronix MAXX 28x38cm @ £598.80 incl

or that CG £109 clam press is still inviting.

The Hotronix Maxx has that patented central clam action, does it come down extremely parallel with the bottom platen or does it touch the back of the platen first?

Will it work as good as a swing away or is it just marketing hype?

I have got the highlighted press and it is brilliant. I can press clothing, coasters & mouse mats (neoprene rubber and unisub) etc with complete certainty they will press correctly. Oh and I got mine for a 'song' compared to the price you posted. Keep an eye on that 'Bay' site because they do come up on there from time to time.

[GoonerGary]

Thought I had decided on the Adkins until I read the spec sheet and it needs 3 feet of working space. I don't have that space with the amount of different equipment I have...need new premises and staff!

Might have to with the glorified iron...the George Knight JP12! But in fairness it actually suits my needs perfectly, silicone base, small and moveable, swing away and should last longer than a £109 Chinese special.

[NikGrey]

That Stahls Hotronix is the same design as my Adkins, the ONLY difference I can see (apart from a slightly different controller casing and the overall colour) is I have a big electro magnet where they seem to have a bolt with a rubber condom over it !

Mine is bigger than yours though at 400x500mm :)

And mine (and I am sure all Adkins of this Ilk) delivers an even pressure - not really sure why there are people against the Clam type ? ok, maybe we cant get as much pressure as a Swing Away but I am certain I will never use the pressure I have available with my version. I have been playing with mine tonight as I thought I saw a quick and easy Modification but it didn't work.

[RogerC]

Thought I had decided on the Adkins until I read the spec sheet and it needs 3 feet of working space. I don't have that space with the amount of different equipment I have...need new premises and staff!

Might have to with the glorified iron...the George Knight JP12! But in fairness it actually suits my needs perfectly, silicone base, small and moveable, swing away and should last longer than a £109 Chinese special.

Just my opinion but if it was me looking and I had the budget I would go for the Maxx not the GK press. The Maxx is a much better construction and the big bonus is the warranty.......1 year on the GK press but on the Maxx you get


Lifetime warranty on heating element and 1 Year RTB warranty on all other parts . Considering the 'other parts' are going to be much cheaper you get lifetime coverage on the (probably) most expensive part to replace.

[purpledragon]

I am starting to narrow down options:

Adkins Beta Mini 38cm/ Xpres XP7005A swing away @£954

Stahls Hotronix MAXX 28x38cm @ £598.80 incl

or that CG £109 clam press is still inviting.

The Hotronix Maxx has that patented central clam action, does it come down extremely parallel with the bottom platen or does it touch the back of the platen first?

Will it work as good as a swing away or is it just marketing hype?
you seem (quite rightly too ) quite centred on quality ie you want a press that will have an even spread of heat etc . you shouldnt have any issues with an adkins or stahls for example but a press for £109 maybe a simple matter, to put it in a way that you can relate to , you are a photographer if i was asking you for advice on what camera to buy would you recomend a cheap vivitar or would you recommend a nikon ? im pretty sure you would advise the latter . the same applies to presses you get what you pay for £109 is dirt cheap and i doubt the seller is simply the generous sort so it must be quite a bit cheaper to them quality always shines through i believe both adkins and stahls have small presses try speaking to target transfers or xpres

[James990]

I would never recommend a Nikon, always recommend a Canon, they are by far much better than Nikons in every respect!

[purpledragon]

I would never recommend a Nikon, always recommend a Canon, they are by far much better than Nikons in every respect!
theres always one !!!

[Paul]

theres always one !!!
two :)


but withcameras there is another thing called skills. I am sure i will be able to take better photo with cheap camera then somebody with posh dslr but with no skills.

with press you want what brett said, best build quality you can afford.

[RogerC]

two :)


but withcameras there is another thing called skills. I am sure i will be able to take better photo with cheap camera then somebody with posh dslr but with no skills.

with press you want what brett said, best build quality you can afford.

Bet you can't..........it's all down to the quality of the optics and even a cheap DSLR (is there such a thing) has better optics than a cheapo camera.:biggrin: Anyway we all have differing opinions on 'off topic' matters but I feel we will all agree that when it comes to presses etc it's quality that counts.

[purpledragon]

two :)


but withcameras there is another thing called skills. I am sure i will be able to take better photo with cheap camera then somebody with posh dslr but with no skills.

with press you want what brett said, best build quality you can afford.
not sure i can quite believe all the replies regarding cameras get a grip people i used it as an example that the poster would relate to a vivitar is a cheap camera a nikon is a quality expensive camera the point was if you buy cheap the you would expect to get what you pay for if you buy expensive then you should expect to get far better equiptment i really didnt want to start a debate on if canon is better than nikon (they are not by the way in my opinon) or if you can take a cracking picture witha vivitar if you have exceptional skills again id dispute this anyway the comment about optics from roger is quite correct
Brett

[pisquee]

My only add to this is that there are exceptions to rules - there are definitely cases where amongst the crap of cheap products there are some which shine above their apparent value, but the key to finding where they are is research. I am not just talking about sublimation here, I've seen the same principal in consumer electronics, professional sound and video equipment (previous career), along with sublimation equipment and blanks. There are gems to be had for relative pennies if you hunt around. At the same time, there are high end pieces of equipment that sell on Ebay for a mere fraction of what they're worth - pretty much every PressMech, Adkins, Jarin, and Insta presses we've had we have got used for around 10-20% of their RRP, and the same goes for our wide format printers, wide format scanner, and rotary heart press. Some of the presses we flogged for a profit at the price they should have been, but the 2 PressMechs we have kept as we liked them the most.

[JMugs]

Pressmech....love mine...simple engineering by a man called "Dickie". Build in the UK.

[James990]

Nikon is an expensive camera full stop! Not worth the hype or money! Canon are far better in performance and in value for money! Wouldn't give a nikon house room!

[pisquee]

Pressmech....love mine...simple engineering by a man called "Dickie". Build in the UK.

Built in the UK, and very much resembling a vintage (green) Adkins press I once saw pop up on Ebay last year!
The man called Dickie knows his presses inside and out, and can talk you through taking them apart and fixing them over the phone.

[GoonerGary]

I'm going to go into my work room and stare at it for half an hour and figure out if I can make better space. But I know already a large format Pressmech isn't going in there.

Unless somebody wants a Leitz Focomat V35 to make some room? Off topic now, but one just sold on ebay for £138, that's criminal.

With an uncertain 2014 for me and having to change direction, it's difficult to invest in quality when I don't know if the products will sell.

[purpledragon]

With an uncertain 2014 for me and having to change direction, it's difficult to invest in quality when I don't know if the products will sell.
always going to be a difficult decision the first press i bout was cheap and certainly not cheerful if i had settled for that idve finished before i started luckily i was in a position to buy better so my first purchase was down the drain and an expensive mistake in those terms .
Heres your problem you dont know what will sell so dont know how to buy to accomodate this BUT if you buy cheap the goods you produce could be substandard as a result so your new venture would be sunk before it started. its like buying a printer you get an a4 sub printer cause all you want to do is produce mugs but one of your mug customers wants a ton of tote bags but you cant do these cause a4 isnt big enough . its difficult to know what to do for the best. you really need to buy as good as you can afford i think is probably the best way to go

[pisquee]

But I know already a large format Pressmech isn't going in there.

The A3 press is what we use, and can easily do 12 coasters at a time, or 4 slates. We are thinking of maybe trading our two in to upgrade to one of the new larger models though.


With an uncertain 2014 for me and having to change direction, it's difficult to invest in quality when I don't know if the products will sell.

If this is a business project, then draw up a business plan. Look at your competitors, or others in he market, both locally, and nationally if going the wholesale/trade route. Look at what they sell, how much for, what their MOQs are, what their trade price are, and how they relate to their RRPs. Go to a trade show to see this all under one roof - You've just missed Top Drawer (London), but Spring fair (Birmingham) and Scotland's Trade Fairs (Glasgow) are both this weekend IIRC.

Work out what you're going to sell, to who, and for how much.
Work out how much money you need to invest in this business, and whether that's coming from cash, or credit card/loan/overdraft, and work in appropriate interest charges.
Work out how long it will take to recoup your investment and turn a profit.

[JMugs]

It is the big pressmech that I use. I like it.

Janners

[GoonerGary]

Well what appeared to be just an idea, happened. I've removed by beloved Leitz photographic enlarger and there's just about enough room for a Stahls.

[JMugs]

Ohhh that's just the start...be warned....photography....images...sublimation...bl anks....opportunity...customer base...ideas...studio....themes....

Mrs Janners is a Pro Tog. Other togs come to her to go "Where did you get that?...errr Hubby"...then I get the can you, how much, when, wedding, portrait, promotional...

I guess what I am saying is that as a photographer you have a fantastic opportunity opening up to you that perhaps as of this moment you can't imagine. A whole new world....and believe me it will be exciting.

If it takes you for the same ride as it has us, it will be different to many on this forum. There is a nucleus on this forum all very similar, then there is Mrs Maggot, Pisquee, Purpledragon, Social Giraffe...etc who are branches away from the main trunk...the roots are the same though and everybody tends to have mugs in common to a greater or lesser scale, which is great.

Are you excited yet? Is your curiosity growing?

Janners

[JMugs]

I do ramble on sometimes....

[GoonerGary]

Back in my lecturing days, I was the 'mug king' during the summer. Then photography, but recession spoilt my big plans. Then the business drifted more into / graphic design and manufacturing products. So now I'm coming back into sublimation part time but with different ideas. Just wish I had space and staff for all these businesses, all this knowledge going to waste! The biggest risk is actually going big.

[JMugs]

I watch excited, better than the rubbish on TV.
Janners.

[JBDesign]

reply to pisquee,
Brilliant post. In a nutshell, what I am trying to get my head round. I wish it was as easy as bunging stuff out there and seeing what happens but i know it isn't ;-)
Jon
re the photo stuff, surely the most important thing is the mind behind the camera. It's a shame, but as 99% of all photography ends up as a 800 pixel jpg on a screen it all gets a bit irrelevant comparing really bloody good to just a bit more really bloody good. And it depends what the photo is for of course. imho. (Fuji x100, me ;-)))) ) But don't mind me, have at it. . .

[Paul]

re the photo stuff, surely the most important thing is the mind behind the camera
http://www.co8.org/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gifhttp://www.co8.org/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gifhttp://www.co8.org/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gifhttp://www.co8.org/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gifhttp://www.co8.org/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gifhttp://www.co8.org/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gif
best thing i have read for long long time.

[GoonerGary]

Well I'm enjoying the new space in my workshop, just not getting many takers for the photographic equipment I've removed. The big clear space allows you to think more clearly, clutter stresses me out!

After some in depth looking, I noticed that a lot of the presses only have a temperature range of up to 200 degrees C or slightly higher. If I'm pressing coasters at 200, there's no 'headroom' as we say in guitar amplification so I can't see a heating element working too well or too long at full stretch. What if I need a few degrees higher?

So that has brought my attention to the Adkins presses again which will reach temperatures of 260 degrees C.

The Adkins Studio Mini Clam; people dismiss clam presses as not having even pressure, is that just tarring all clams with the same brush? Is a good quality modern press going to do a job of pressing four glass coasters evenly and without damage?

http://www.aadkins.com/studio_mini.php

or the Studio Versa Press 38cm x 30cm; again combo presses get a bad reputation. I'm not interested in fancy attachments, but will this be a good reliable swing away press?

It's the only high quality compact swing press I've come across so far.

http://www.aadkins.com/versa.php

[arthur.daley]

Well I'm enjoying the new space in my workshop, just not getting many takers for the photographic equipment I've removed.


Hi

Have sent you a PM


Arthur

[GoonerGary]

Digging up my old thread and I still haven't bought my press. I'm being prudent until I resolve a technical issue. In great news, I sold my Leitz enlarger for a very tasty sum and it's amazing how some spacial awareness can gain you lots of room.

I don't hear much about heatpressuk and all I know is that they have some SEO keywords for a name and people like their 5 in 1 mug presses, there's a 5% discount on them too.

The little swing away prices don't look to dissimilar to cheap ebay specials, but are these reliable solid machines? They have a price that would indicate that they are ok.

http://heatpressuk.com/heat-presses

[Alastair@Xpres]

Hello there,

The presses that we supply should be fine. If you want send over a sample and I can press it for you and send it back so you can see exactly what you will achieve from our plate press. If you would like to do this just send over an email or you can give me a call to get this arranged.

Thanks and I hope that I can help with your inquiry