Replace cloth on heat press

vlazdir · Jan 19, 2016

Hi everyone,

I've been following forums on this site for a while now and I've learned a lot here! I'm very grateful for the very knowledgeable and sharing people in here! I've been doing photography for a couple of decades and finally I got my own darkroom set up a little over two years ago. I'm starting to get the hang of it, much thanks to this forum! That was a short introduction, now onto the question.

I have and old heat press/print dryer, the type with a glazing plate and a cloth that stretches over and presses the print towards the plate. I think it must be nearly 60 years old and the cloths have done their duty. They are spotty with fix and other residue and they can't maintain even pressure throughout the print anymore. I don't expect anyone producing cloths for this particular model anymore and I'm thinking about making new ones myself. I guess it should be rather static in terms of elasticity, but I have no idea of what fabric to choose. Has anyone here ever done this? What fabric did you choose?

Regards
Erik

ndrs · Jan 19, 2016

Thick cotton, white, unbleached or light colour if you can't find undyed.
Boil the fabric to get anything soluble out and to let it shrink before cutting/sewing. It can shrink even more when used, so leave some extra to allow this.

Neal · Jan 19, 2016

Dear Erik,

Find a local fabric store, something run by one or two people seems best to me, and they will be able to make it for you at a very reasonable cost. They usually have a machine availalble to stitch the edges (a surger if I recall correctly) to ensure that they don't unravel. Bring your old ones with you to show them what you need and, as noted above, make sure the material is pre-shrunk before sewing.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

Hilo · Jan 19, 2016

Erik,

Are you printing on fiber paper? Do you want to use the machine to dry the prints, or to gloss the prints?

Michael

RobC · Jan 19, 2016

Neal said:
Dear Erik,

Find a local fabric store, something run by one or two people seems best to me, and they will be able to make it for you at a very reasonable cost. They usually have a machine availalble to stitch the edges (a surger if I recall correctly) to ensure that they don't unravel. Bring your old ones with you to show them what you need and, as noted above, make sure the material is pre-shrunk before sewing.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

+1

Also make sure they know that the cloth must not leave cotton fibres in the print emulsion so it needs to be finely wound cloth.

bsdunek · Jan 19, 2016

ndrs said:
Thick cotton, white, unbleached or light colour if you can't find undyed.
Boil the fabric to get anything soluble out and to let it shrink before cutting/sewing. It can shrink even more when used, so leave some extra to allow this.

My vote too. This is also good.
Find a local fabric store, something run by one or two people seems best to me, and they will be able to make it for you at a very reasonable cost. They usually have a machine availalble to stitch the edges (a surger if I recall correctly) to ensure that they don't unravel. Bring your old ones with you to show them what you need and, as noted above, make sure the material is pre-shrunk before sewing.

I used cotton dish towel material on mine and it has been working fine for several years.

Jojje · Jan 19, 2016

Fotoimpex in Berlin sells cloths for Büscher presses. https://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/darkroom/buescher-replacement-cloth-for-42x52cm-press.html

Sirius Glass · Jan 19, 2016

What type and model heat press do you have? I have found that David and Norma Smith at http://www.darkroomdoctor.com/ stock many different print dryer aprons.

vlazdir · Jan 20, 2016

Hilo said:
Erik,

Are you printing on fiber paper? Do you want to use the machine to dry the prints, or to gloss the prints?

Michael

It depends on the use of the finished print. Those that go on the wall or as gifts will be on fibre. For my own personal photo albums I do RC, unless I want to tone them. So for fibre the main intention is drying and flattening. I haven't had much success in glossing as they get very spotty even though the steel plate has been thoroughly cleaned.

vlazdir · Jan 20, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
What type and model heat press do you have? I have found that David and Norma Smith at http://www.darkroomdoctor.com/ stock many different print dryer aprons.

Thank you, I'll drop them an email!

Finding the type and model requires some investigation. It is made of light green coloured steel, double sided with a slight arch shape on either side. The cloth is double backed on it self at the furthest from the hinge and then tightened by a spring loaded steel rod that goes across the entire width of the press. Capable of about 12"x16" prints.

vlazdir · Jan 20, 2016

Thanks so much for all your responses everybody! With this I'll be able to get them made

Sirius Glass · Jan 20, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
What type and model heat press do you have? I have found that David and Norma Smith at http://www.darkroomdoctor.com/ stock many different print dryer aprons.

vlazdir said:
Thank you, I'll drop them an email!

Finding the type and model requires some investigation. It is made of light green coloured steel, double sided with a slight arch shape on either side. The cloth is double backed on it self at the furthest from the hinge and then tightened by a spring loaded steel rod that goes across the entire width of the press. Capable of about 12"x16" prints.

I have a 20" drum dryer and they had the apron. Installing the apron was a big job, but they told me how to do it and what to watch for. I hope it works out well for you.

snowball26 · Nov 13, 2020

Thanks for the information.

snowball26 · Nov 16, 2020

I don't think that that heat press is still working well even if it heats, and work it can simply print bad this is the main problem. I recommend you simply buy a new and cheap model if you don't want to work much with it, but only sometimes to use it. Even if you will find the necessary cloth I am sure that it will print the image badly. I have also had an old model of heat press which I have taken from my grandparents I tried to work with it but the printing didn't want to apply or my piece of cloth simply burned. I can recommend you to buy a new heat press from palmgear.com there you will find the best models at the most reasonable price.

Philippe-Georges · Nov 16, 2020

I had a replacement made by a craftsman who replaces and restores hoods for trucks, ancient cabrio's and, mainly, WW2 jeeps. He works with flax and cotton and knows how to sew and seam that heavy tissue. The cotton was steamed and still a little wet before it was applied.

Hilo · Nov 17, 2020

vlazdir said:
It depends on the use of the finished print. Those that go on the wall or as gifts will be on fibre. For my own personal photo albums I do RC, unless I want to tone them. So for fibre the main intention is drying and flattening. I haven't had much success in glossing as they get very spotty even though the steel plate has been thoroughly cleaned.

I realize what I am about to write does not address your question. It doesn't need to as everyone here has given you all the info you need.

Given that your question is really only about fibre paper (because with RC drying can be in the air and flattening is no issue) you can also look into drying in the air and flattening with a dry-mounting press. You would need to find this press and second hand they're between 350 and 650 euros, for a 30x40 or a 40x50cm press. That seems like a lot of money, and perhaps you're not willing to spend that. However, this does solve the problem permanently. My first of the two presses I have I bought in the early 80ties and it never failed me.

I dry fibre prints by hanging them on a line fixed with plastic clothes pegs. Of course, the prints are not flat when dry. Then they get pressed flat with the press. After that, you 'rest' them between acid-free blotters, for a night or so. After that I trim 5mm from all sides, to cut away the tension a sheet of this paper has. That's it. I have always dried them by hanging them up, alternatively one can get drying racks.

Great presses out there are the Seal 210 M (for 40X50cm but you can also do 50X60cm in parts), the Büscher 30X40; or 40X50 and 50X60cm (each of these can also handle one size up, in parts). Other good brands are Ademco and Kindermann.

Michael

Replace cloth on heat press

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