Photopolymer plate mounting
I’m looking to mount photopolymer plates to wood blocks. I did a test and the standard adhesive worked better than Super77, but they started peeling off after a few weeks and I’d like them to be more permanent. Any suggestions on a better glue or adhesive? I want to avoid gorilla glue or anything that expands as it dries, obviously.
To give you a better idea of what I’m trying to do, take a look at this Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mrcraigward/fe2o3-glyphs-a-conceptu...
Scroll down and you can see the moveable blocks I made to enable custom prints. Those worked fine for the test run, but, like I said, they’ve started to peel and will present issues on press now.
We explored laser or CNC cutting but it can’t hold the detail and is too expensive. Magnesium blocks are also way too expensive, so need to stick with PP.
Thanks!
There is virtually no difference between original old fashioned Printers/Graphics Plate, Block, Cut, mounting material AND modern house furnishing/flooring *Double sided* carpet tape, in U.K. around .003” thick!! dead ringer for original Graphics supplies.
Adheres well (plate to base) to virtually every base, end grain hardwood, block board, M.D.F.aluminium, etc.etc.
On Aluminium and M.D.F. occasionally needs warming up to dismount.!! or a very thin *whippy* pallet knife, or both.
We have abandoned the use of carpet tape for our plates. While useful, repositioning is an absolute pain. Removing used adhesive material became a major chore. We found WD-40 to be useful in soaking the adhesive reside for about 15 minutes before scraping off with an ink knife but noticed increase wear and tear on our plates as a result of the extra “attention.”
We have shifted entirely to Boxcar Press’s film adhesive and with much happier results. It is easy to reposition plates on the bed. There isn’t any residue for cleaning needed. It is tremendously inexpensive compared to carpet tape which these days is a bit difficult to find.
Our only regret is that Boxcar refuses to ship for reasons unknown by more postage-efficient U.S. Postal Service. We have learned to lump our orders into one lot to save on their more expensive UPS postage. We have asked as customers for Boxcar to use the less costly method and were told they’re not interested.
We would suggest anyone try the Boxcar Press film adhesive. The better results speak for themselves.
Easily remove any tape adhesive with Solvoplast, a medical product available at most drugstores. No oily residue either. :o)
forme - Thanks for the tip. Are you in Canada? I’m in the U.S. and unable to find a U.S. supplier of it. Also, it looks dreadfully expensive, only a few ounces for quite a bit and then international shipping.
Still, I’m open to a new idea. How do you personally use Solvoplast with your photopolymer plates? Do you need gloves to protect your hands? What equipment do you use to remove it? In other words, what is your personal experience with it, please?
SolvoPlast is used extensively in the medical field for removing Tape and bandage adhesives from the body. Thus it has no harmful effects upon skin. I last purchased a 16oz. bottle from Amazon at a cost of $10. Mind you, that was a couple or three years go, and with ever-escalating prices, I’ve no idea of current prices. However, a little goes a long way and it lasts a long time. There is no residue after using, but a swab of alcohol over the area does give reassurance of pristine clearing. You might also check with your local hospital to see what they use to remove tape. Under ObamaCare, you might get it for free! :o)