heat press advice

[Alan Drury]

The HF4500 sports press is a very good press, with interchangeable heads and teflon coated heat platten (teflon sheets not required) and parts readily available from the manufacturers. Available from Graphityp, Victory Design or Jarin Industries/Europa Leisure.
Alan D

[Lynn Normington]

scott don’t know the press you are talking about but check out http://www.themagictouch.co.uk (or .com) 🙄

Lynn

[Steve Underhill]

If you are printing T shirts a clam press is not what you want, you want a 40x50cm swing away press, this is so you can see what you are doing and position logos, names, etc precisely, and the bigger platen will let you do larger size stuff easier.
Teflon coated platens seem a bit of a gimmick to me, a pack of silicon sheets is only 30 quid for 500 and you can re use them loads unless you’re dye subbing, teflon coated or not I bet I cold get super flex backing to stick all over it :lol1:
I use a thermopress swinger and got it from revolution transfers, it has performed faultlessly for a good 18 months now I cant remember a day I havent used it.

Cost £1300 but well worth it, i think the price may have come down to about £110 ish now

[Ian Bingham]

any heat press by adkins is great
we have 4 and they been going for yrs as steve said swing head is the best
think its called the beta range
back up service is great too
ian

[David_Evans]

Hi Scott,

I bought the Siser TS-one from grafityp about 3 years ago on the recommendation of a few friends that use it. Had no probs with it at all(apart from dropping it on on my hand) swing away changeable platens and very sturdy weighs about 40kg.

Dave

[Martin Pearson]

So excuse my ignorance Steve as I don’t have a heat press but what is the difference between a clam shell and a swing away and are they for different sorts of work.

Tell you what though that is some price drop on your heat press :lol1: :lol1:

[Steve Underhill]

Clam shell presses are fixed and fold down from a hinge at the back, so at the rear of the press you wont have as much room to get stuff in as at the front if you know what I mean, a swing away press lifts up the whole platen and swings it away from the bed of the press therefore exposing the whole bed so you can stand directly over it and see to line stuff up etc

Thats my press above, the platen and handle etc swing to the right away from the press so you can see the whole of the garment from above etc,
also you can press stuff like tins etc with an even pressure, you cant get an even pressure on bulky items towards the back of a clam shell.

As you see a clamshell press gives you less options regarding placement and accuracy.

But the swing aways come at a price almost £400 more, the swinger above is now £131 less than I paid at £1169 so not too bad.
we paid £1300, but having the bigger pressig area and the swing away was a necessity rather than a bonus.
we can also use a cap or mug attachment for it, they just replace the big platen and are both about half the price of a dedicated mug/cap press.
And no I dont get commission from Thermopress or revolution lol 😛

[Martin Pearson]

Steve, thanks for the explanation. As I said I don’t do anything like that but it doesn’t stop me taking an interest in what other people are doing, basically because I am a sad old so and so without a real life :lol1: :lol1:

[Barbara Eden]

I agree with Alan.I’ve got one from Jarin Industries,great service and warranty, and made by them here in the UK-they even custom build too.

Happy hunting 🙂 🙂

Babs

[Alan Drury]

Sorry Steve, don’t agree that teflon coated platten is a gimmick, why buy the paper at all even if it is cheap and for multicolour stuff why risk movement when you put the sheet on. If you have no sheet you can check things are in position before pressing and can double press if required directly onto print.
I can see advantages with swing away heads and if you have plenty of room – good kit, the HF4500 is a clam press so needs much less room and the ‘sports press’ bit means the bed is about 5" away from the back so collars/buttons etc are not an issue.
Jarin are the manufacturers and as Barbara has said service is excellent, based in Witham, Essex. (for the record I am not connected to them, just a very satisfied user)

Just thought I’d add that Steve is correct in as much that some of the swing away presses do have the facility to put cap bases on, the HF4500 does allow different bases but they are for garments or mouse mats only.

Alan D

[Mathew Parrott]

Agree with Alan the Europa Leisure presses are good quality and UK made. They have a range of sizes and prices.

[Peter Mindham]

quote Mathew Parrott:

Agree with Alan the Europa Leisure presses are good quality and UK made. They have a range of sizes and prices.

Is this an advert methinks?
🙄

Peter

[Kevin Lewis]

quote scott evans_21:

hi everyone.

iam looking to buy a heat press dose anyone have any advice on what to buy and what not to buy.

ive had 1 of ebay and its crap!!!

iam intrestead in the stx hotronix auto openig clam press has anyone used one of these if so what do you think

We sell George Knight Presses, and I’d certainly recommend these, the DK16, DK20 or DK20S, Stahls are good presses, Jarin are good presses, Adkins – Just steer clear of the cheap ebay presses, as you’ve already discovered 😉

Cheers

Kev

[Scott.Evans]

i purchased a swing prees of magic touch after works grate verry happy

[Peter Normington]

quote scott evans_21:

i purchased a swing prees of magic touch after works grate verry happy

scott

I think your spelling needs to improve before using your Prees. and grate as it may be mis spelt tee shirts will only cost you money!

Only joking, 😀
TMT are very good and their service to us was second to none

Peter

[Warren Beard]

Anybody using one of these?

Looks good value for money but was wanting personal recommendations.

anybody got one?

http://www.revolutiontransfers.co.uk/pr … 0W-SWINGER

cheers

Warren

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

…Hix presses- well built, long lasting, top quality, even aged ones!

[Steve Underhill]

quote Alan Drury:

Sorry Steve, don’t agree that teflon coated platten is a gimmick, why buy the paper at all even if it is cheap and for multicolour stuff why risk movement when you put the sheet on. If you have no sheet you can check things are in position before pressing and can double press if required directly onto print.

Alan D

Only just noticed this, thought Id explain.
teflon coated or not, pressing the heat platen onto flex directly or a transfer isnt something I would want to do, only on flock,
therefore would put a silicon sheet over anyway.
Why risk it for the sake of a 6 pence sheet that can be reused loads of times.
And I can check whats under the silicon sheet allright as they are extremely translucent, (my ones anyway) and you only risk movement if you are careless, even if it did move you only have to move it back. :lol1:
So a teflon platen certainly wouldnt influence my choice of press, even if it is a nice idea.

[Alan Drury]

We all have out different workflows, I have been double pressing multicoloured logos etc directly onto Victory’s Easymark and Opaque for several years and never had a problem, I couldn’t comment on what would happen with other manufacturers material though.
Alan D

[Steve Underhill]

Always good to know, i remember when we first had the press i forgot to stick a sheet in, and the plastic carrier stuck to the platen, was scraping it off for ages, i dont forget the sheets now.

😳

[Alan Drury]

I suppose that’s where the Teflon platten has its advantage, it would damage with zips and the like though and I suspect more expensive to replace.
Alan D