DIY Screen Printing NOW! Build your screen printing press (carousel)!
Thank you for buying this tutorial! I hope you will enjoy this tutorial. In this tutorial I will guide you through the process of building one station and 4 color screen printing press carousel. At the end of this tutorial, I will give you guidance on how to modify these plans to build 2 station, more color press. I do apologies for my written English. I’m working on it! I will write as clear English as I can. If you find something difficult to understand in this tutorial, please, don’t hesitate to contact me
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Safety First! This DIY guide is designed for users with no experience required, but I would like to remind you that the project is 'at your own risk' meaning that in no event shall the author be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this guide. Protect yourself at all times by wearing a proper clothing, mask, goggles, and working in well ventilated areas. Use common sense doing this project, consult tool safety manual if needed, and ASK if you have any questions. If you follow this guide your end result should be similar to this:
I’ll start with the tools you will need to complete this project. Essential: •
Hammer (no difference in style, anyone of these are good)
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Drill (+ various size drill bits)
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Saw
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Screw driver (flat head or Philips depending on your screws)
Good to have but can do without: •
Table vice (regardless size)
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Chisel (s)
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Metal/wood file (ideally 1 medium flat and 1 small round)
And now the parts needed to build the carousel. (You don’t have to buy exact sizes just apply principles shown here) Please read though the entire tutorial before buying any parts.
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2 Different size planks
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1 Swivel wheel (look for ‘heavy duty’ ones, because even though little more expensive much stronger and stable
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4Loop Screws (small size)
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4 Hooks for loop screws (you can buy set together with loop screws)
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2 Washers (~3cm diameter)
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4 Hinges (ideally like the one on picture)
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4 Hard metal plates (can be with predrilled holes, but not obligatory)
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8 Hard metal 90° angle plates
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4 Larger size hard metal 90° angle plates
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8 flat C clamps
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Bolts + Nuts
There is another 6-8mm bolt/ wood screw (~8cm long) you will need for registration. Unfortunately I have no idea how to call it, but that’s how it looks like:
For this bolt/screw you will also need 4 according size regular nuts (one for each carousel arm) Also you will need smaller size short bolts+nuts that would fit in metallic plate holes.
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Wood screws
Buy some 50 pcs they are cheap. About 3cm long, also some 50 smaller (about 1cm long)
Before you start buying any parts and building your screen printing press, I would like to remind you what I was writing earlier: You can, but you don’t have to buy exact the same size parts, just apply principles shown in this tutorial. Please read though the entire tutorial to better understand the part sizes and quantity needed.
OK! Let’s start building!
Building guide:
Now you need rotating platen to which carousel arms are attached: if you do 2 color press do it square as I do 4 colors I could do square also, but I chose to do 8 corner platen. First I draw this on a paper then glued over the platen I chose. I used old cutting board which was 2cm thick and from plywood. You should better ask shop staff which would be the less prone to splitting being relatively thin. Your circle should be about 20 -25cm diameter. A little larger I think is better than smaller because then you can be sure that your biggest screen frames will not touch in upright position.
To be sure my plywood wont split I pre drilled all 3 holes with a drill little smaller in diameter than my screws.
Questions / Answers These are the questions I have been asked. Maybe you are interested as well. •
Is it possible to do more color DIY press?
YES! The key to this upgrade is the rotating platen. I did my 4 color press on 8-corner platen. The size of it was for 4colors. If you want all 8 you should increase the diameter of it by at least a half so the frames won’t touch in upright position. You could also increase arm length. You could also want to make 6 color press. To do that you must make 6-corner platen. It’s a little trickier to draw than 8-corner. Here is how I did it:
Also you will need to adjust the t-shirt platen. It slides- no problem! •
How about 2 or more station press?
Easy! If you know it from the start that you want 2 station press it’s very easy. All you have to do is take longer base plank and put swivel wheel with rotating platen in the middle of it rather than one end. You can even do 4 station press if you have enough room space. Compare 1 station vs. 2 station vs. 4 station
