Tried using a hair straightener to cure my emulsion and it actually worked

Last tuesday I was in a pinch because my exposure unit blew a fuse and I had a run of 20 shirts due the next day for a local band. I remembered someone online saying heat cures the emulsion so I grabbed my girlfriends cheap $15 straightener and passed it over the screen for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Has anyone else tried weird household tools to get a job done when the gear fails?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_dixon8d ago

Heard about people using toasters to preheat screens but the straightener is a new one.

jordan_webb495d ago

Damn, that's actually kinda brilliant in a sketchy way. But here's the thing nobody's talking about: heat curing emulsion can trap moisture inside the mesh if you don't do it evenly, and that'll bite you later when the screen starts breaking down mid-run. Your straightener probably worked because it was dry heat and direct contact, but you're gambling on the emulsion fully crosslinking. I've seen guys try irons, heat guns, even a damn panini press once, and the ones who got lucky were all on thin mesh with low humidity. You might've dodged a bullet this time, but next time just wire the exposure unit straight to a car battery or something instead of risking a whole batch of shirts on a hair tool.