I am forever fighting dust in my shop. I cannot seem to keep the dust from in-between my lamination and prints and from in-between the vinyl and substrate. I have two work shops on dirty work and one for clean work. I never do my vinyl application in my dirty shop, that is for cutting and what not. Should be using some type of filter system in my clean shop. Does anybody else have this problem or have any tips for me.
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Dust on Lamination and Substrate
- Thread starter shacho
- Start date
BIG EASY DOES IT
New Member
Clean, Clean, Clean, and then clean some more. Keep roll up doors low or closed to reduce new dust. Keep humidity a little higher to reduce static in the room. This will HELP keep materials from attracting debris. Use a ShopVac with a dust filter to suck up dust instead of sweeping. All these things would need to be done on a regular basis and you will start to notice a difference. We are less then 100 yards from a freeway and have our roll up doors open constantly. Too many trucks coming and going to keep closed. I was constantly dusting with the duster our tables and vinyl. Since using the shopvac with a heavy dust filter I only have to go around once a week. If you have a clean room you should be able to cut that down even more.
2B
Active Member
like the others state, vacuum and keep your work separate.
also the biggest aide we have found is as you are laminating your prints wipe them as they go into the laminator
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product...car+duster.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=2&refType=
also the biggest aide we have found is as you are laminating your prints wipe them as they go into the laminator
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product...car+duster.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=2&refType=
Big Easy nailed it.
You have to engage the entire shop in making cleanliness a priority. We have a split studio/shop with half clean for designing, printing, laminating, etc. and the other half is "the shop". We use a Fletcher cutter for everything but long rips of DiBond, MDO, Lexan, etc.. so we have even less dust than a shop with a panel saw.
We use Swiffer dusters in the clean side multiple times on everything we handle. We vacuum with a shop vac with an extra dust filter almost every day. We rarely sweep anywhere or anything except the big chunks in the "shop". An air hose is nice to have in the mounting/laminating area if you are so equipped.
You have to engage the entire shop in making cleanliness a priority. We have a split studio/shop with half clean for designing, printing, laminating, etc. and the other half is "the shop". We use a Fletcher cutter for everything but long rips of DiBond, MDO, Lexan, etc.. so we have even less dust than a shop with a panel saw.
We use Swiffer dusters in the clean side multiple times on everything we handle. We vacuum with a shop vac with an extra dust filter almost every day. We rarely sweep anywhere or anything except the big chunks in the "shop". An air hose is nice to have in the mounting/laminating area if you are so equipped.
I see your post states dust between lamination and substrate.
I recently saw a Drytac video where the were mounting cold lam on a photo. the Instructor stated you should wipe down the print with tac cloth at minute 1:30- right as its fed into machine:
[video=youtube;GT8yLNsa2Io]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8yLNsa2Io[/video]
I recently saw a Drytac video where the were mounting cold lam on a photo. the Instructor stated you should wipe down the print with tac cloth at minute 1:30- right as its fed into machine:
[video=youtube;GT8yLNsa2Io]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8yLNsa2Io[/video]
Bogie1of8
New Member
It's pretty dry here so we installed a steam injection system to our HVAC to help keep the humidity up. We also run the HVAC fan continuously so we are always pulling air through the filters. Weekly janitorial service. and we use these high tac rollers as we laminate to pick up the dust.
http://www.grimco.com/Products.aspx?cid=0901&pid=05529
Clean, Clean, Clean
http://www.grimco.com/Products.aspx?cid=0901&pid=05529
Clean, Clean, Clean
DirtyD
New Member
Grab a number of 2' x 2' box fans like this:
Tape 2' x 2' furnace filters to the fans.
They will really help keep dust down.
This sounds interesting - so you tape the furnace filter to the back of the fan and point the fan away from everything?
I use 2 filters. I put a really cheap furnace filter on the back, to catch all the bigger particles first. then on the front I put a better filter. I usually get 3m Filtrete filters for the front.
I write the date on the filters so I can tell how old they are. I use Gorilla Tape, 2 to 3 pieces on each side. I fold the tape to make a tab so they are easy to remove.
The fans come with small plastic feet. I am going to use some flat wood or aluminum to make better feet. Maybe 6" long x 2. If you knock one of the fans over they can make quite a cloud of dust.
When I change the filters I use an air hose and a compressor outside to blow out the fan.
I have 4 of them running and they really catch a lot of dust. I place them where the back or intake gets plenty of air and they are out of the way. They have 3 speeds I usually have them set to 1 or 2. The filters turn black...
I write the date on the filters so I can tell how old they are. I use Gorilla Tape, 2 to 3 pieces on each side. I fold the tape to make a tab so they are easy to remove.
The fans come with small plastic feet. I am going to use some flat wood or aluminum to make better feet. Maybe 6" long x 2. If you knock one of the fans over they can make quite a cloud of dust.
When I change the filters I use an air hose and a compressor outside to blow out the fan.
I have 4 of them running and they really catch a lot of dust. I place them where the back or intake gets plenty of air and they are out of the way. They have 3 speeds I usually have them set to 1 or 2. The filters turn black...
Thanks for the smart *** reply Gino. My first post on this web site and this is what I get. I clean my shop every day. I happened to be in a dusty area of town. I just thought somebody may have some great idea that could make my job less. Like the humidly and the fans with filers. So thanks sincerely to all the rest of you.
DirtyD
New Member
Yea..that's typical Gino..there is usually some kind of advice hidden in his "wisdom."
We had the same problem until we got rid of our carpets, they were just trash and static traps.
Now we have smooth concrete floors that we go over every night with a dust mop, that takes all of 5 - 10 minutes.
The other things that made a big difference is to bushing off our tables with a clean shop brush before every job and
we go over every substrate with a painters tack cloth before we mount the graphic and wipe down all vinyl with a painters tack cloth
as it's going thru the laminator.
These should be your best friends:
Now we have smooth concrete floors that we go over every night with a dust mop, that takes all of 5 - 10 minutes.
The other things that made a big difference is to bushing off our tables with a clean shop brush before every job and
we go over every substrate with a painters tack cloth before we mount the graphic and wipe down all vinyl with a painters tack cloth
as it's going thru the laminator.
These should be your best friends:
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DirtyD
New Member
When i sweep I use a sweeping compound to keep everything on the floor and not in the air.
Going back to the box fan and filters, that seems like the hillbilly DIY to an air filtration - I saw this on Menards website - Does anyone have something comparable and do they work good?
Going back to the box fan and filters, that seems like the hillbilly DIY to an air filtration - I saw this on Menards website - Does anyone have something comparable and do they work good?
Gino
Premium Subscriber
:ROFLMAO: ya have a problem with dirt getting into everything you do and it boils down to you have too much dirt you can handle, so you take offense at the honest truth, but you like all the gimmicks of fans, filters and flooding your shop with water. So, instead of fixing the problem, you just wanna put a patch on it and still do nothing. It's always easy to fix symptoms, but too hard to eliminate the actual problem. You sound just like the pharmaceutical companies.......
Whether it's your first or 1,000th post..... what has that got to do with solving your mess..... figuratively and/or literally ??
:ROFLMAO: ya have a problem with dirt getting into everything you do and it boils down to you have too much dirt you can handle, so you take offense at the honest truth, but you like all the gimmicks of fans, filters and flooding your shop with water. So, instead of fixing the problem, you just wanna put a patch on it and still do nothing. It's always easy to fix symptoms, but too hard to eliminate the actual problem. You sound just like the pharmaceutical companies.......
Whether it's your first or 1,000th post..... what has that got to do with solving your mess..... figuratively and/or literally ??
Its obvious i have to much dust you have to be a moron to say that. You just aren't getting it are you? I clean every day and i cant keep up with dust because where i live. So i come here to ask for advise and got some great feedback. This is what this forum is about, right? Your the only one that come up with an answer like that. Its not what you say its how you say it. Did your parents teach you any tact/manners. If any administrators are reading this, what do you think about Gino's reply.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
And didn't your mommy or daddy teach you not to be a snitch ?? No one likes a tattle-tale.
I didn't call you any names or swear at you, but you took upon yourself to pull all the stops out cause you got you feelings hurt.
If it's that dirty where you live..... how do you keep your food clean, your windows at the house, your car's windshield..... anything ?? Do you clean you food all day long, too ?? C'mon, stop being a whiner and grow some and clean your place properly or hire a cleaning company to do it, since you evidently don't know how.
By the way, the admins already have told me about them. If you don't like what I have to say, which contains more truth and fact than you can handle, put me on your ignore button.
You just don't get it, do you ?? You live in filth, by your own admission and you want some magic button...... ?? Get real for crying out loud.
I guess here's what you want............
Go to Home Depot, buy a window box fan and an air filter and put it into your bedroom window and plug it in with the air direction/flow aimed at removing air and not bringing outside air in, thus creating a flow that will take all of your dirt away. After the fan is inserted into the window opening, be sure to seal off around it to create a better vacuum, so you get ALL the dirty dirt out. Turn the knob to the middle setting and watch your house suddenly become dirt free. Instantly. None of the dirt coming up from the floor or from behind your bed or shelves will become airborne, so you don't hafta worry about it floating down on your prints/lamination ever again. Be sure to bring a hose in from your bathtub and hose down the floor, so that the very fine dust and debris won't clog your nostrils during this process. Just as a reminder, be sure all electrical cords are up off the floor to prevent electrical shocks.
Yep, that's the ticket, huh ?? Thanks..... got it now !!
