Suggestions for a dry mount press

[Rob Skeoch]

I've been printing fiber base prints and realize I need a dry mount press. I'm open to suggestions.
16x20 is most likely the largest I would go.
-Rob Skeoch

 

[langedp]

A Seal 210M seems to be the defacto standard for this size. That's what I have and I got it off eBay.

Dave

 

[mgb74]

In addition to watching eBay for auctions close to you, I'd put a "wanted" on Craigslist. You can sometimes coax one out of retirement that way.

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Rob,

Ditto on the Seal 210. Keep a sharp eye out; I had mine given to me.

Konical

 

[JHannon]

There seems to be a demand for them lately. I have been watching Ebay for months now looking for one. (I used the "Favorite search" feature where you get emailed when new items appear.)

They are usually ending at very high prices if you include the shipping (which is a problem because of the weight). Maybe the ink jet users are buying them to mount their work...

 

[doughowk]

You can usually find a Technal for alot less than a Seal.

 

[jp80874]

Many high school and college photography departments are converting to that other stuff. Possibly you could contact them to see if anything will be for sale at the end of the term. The one I attend uses the next size up a Seal 500T, but is not planning to close soon. As we read many labs and printers are converting or going out of business. Ask around. The largest Pro Photo shop in this area has a bulletin board for personal FS offers.

Just another way to solve the problem.

John Powers

 

[Shane Knight]

Second vote for the Seal 500T. It's a bit large, but if the price is right and you have the space, get it. Another good source to find used presses are frame shops. Frame shops always call other frame shops if they need or selling equipment.

If you need a reference on adhievsives, try Fusion 4000, it's a great.

Good Luck

Shane Knight
www.shaneknight.com

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I owned and used a Seal 210. It was great. Very heavy, try to find one locally if you can. Mine was shipped from Indiana to Massachusetts via Fedex. It really should have shipped on a pallet..

 

[edz]

The Seal (now known as "Masterpiece" and some, for a short while as Bienfang following the purchase of Seal by Hunt and then the sale of parts as components of its graphic products business to Neschen AG) mechanical presses can work in sections so I'd stick to the 210-M, resp, 210-MX. If you are mounting or doing textures (and less flattening fibre) then I'd also look to the Ademco dry mount presses. For textures they are in some significant ways superior to the Seal models. If you will be doing a lot of laminating you may want to look at the vacuum models. Watch out for some older mechanical Seal models as they used asbestos and this can be an issue.