Has anyone built a dye-sublimation table?
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Has anyone built a dye-sublimation table?
I know it can be done with the right ink and a heater. When I worked with an unnamed snowboard company they had built their own dye-sub table. Has anyone here done it or know how to go about it?
The key is getting even pressure over your whole pressing area.
A lot of smaller makers have built their own.
Pretty much the frame is like an ibeam press. Then either pneumatic or hydraulic that pushes an aluminium plate down onto another aluminium plate. The temperature needed is about 350F. I think you could achieve it with our current press designs. If you wanted your press could do double duty. Take out your mold and shim up with plywood then a layer of silicon rubber to insulate it. Aluminium pressing surface on top of this. For the top piece that presses down you could prob use your existing heater sandwiched between 2 layers of aluminium and rely on the catctrack to provide even pressure.
A lot of smaller makers have built their own.
Pretty much the frame is like an ibeam press. Then either pneumatic or hydraulic that pushes an aluminium plate down onto another aluminium plate. The temperature needed is about 350F. I think you could achieve it with our current press designs. If you wanted your press could do double duty. Take out your mold and shim up with plywood then a layer of silicon rubber to insulate it. Aluminium pressing surface on top of this. For the top piece that presses down you could prob use your existing heater sandwiched between 2 layers of aluminium and rely on the catctrack to provide even pressure.
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
I think the Folsom customs flickr page has a photo of theirs.
You can buy the inks pretty easily and get the heat transfer paper from the same people. Printers start at about $1000 I think for a modified Epson.
I talked to a local kiteboard maker here whose press unfortunately maxes out at 165cm. You can expect to go through a fair bit of plastic and ink getting the heat and timing right. Then getting good colour representation can be hard.
As cool as it would be I think that the reality is you need to be making skis commercially before it it worthwhile. If you look around you will find a commercial printer who can do thus for you at a fraction of the cost or trouble.
That's not to say you shouldn't build one that would be cool and you would likely pick up some business from us all on here too.
I think if you were thinking of making and selling skis the ability to offer custom topsheets at no or minimal extra cost would be a great selling point. And if you print in house the time it takes to print your own graphic or someone elses is the same so long as they submit the file to you correctly.
You can buy the inks pretty easily and get the heat transfer paper from the same people. Printers start at about $1000 I think for a modified Epson.
I talked to a local kiteboard maker here whose press unfortunately maxes out at 165cm. You can expect to go through a fair bit of plastic and ink getting the heat and timing right. Then getting good colour representation can be hard.
As cool as it would be I think that the reality is you need to be making skis commercially before it it worthwhile. If you look around you will find a commercial printer who can do thus for you at a fraction of the cost or trouble.
That's not to say you shouldn't build one that would be cool and you would likely pick up some business from us all on here too.
I think if you were thinking of making and selling skis the ability to offer custom topsheets at no or minimal extra cost would be a great selling point. And if you print in house the time it takes to print your own graphic or someone elses is the same so long as they submit the file to you correctly.
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....