T shirt paint

[palk]

I am looking for a paint that sticks well to cotton T shirt fabric that I can clean up the magnetic stencils without using thinners. I am willing to use a paint stripper but it needs to be one that dose not attack the stencil like thinners
Yes I do weird things, in a weird way and I am reinventing the wheel but. I'm looking for suggestions my whole rig cost $40 that's $20 of scrap steel and $20AUD of A4 sized fridge magnets and I can paint about 20 shirts an hour.
I am buying cheap shirts for $4AUD each from K mart.
The screen printers are asking $150 to $250 for artwork /screen and $18AUD each shirt and I have to use their shirts I give most of them away instead of a discount when buying 1/2 dozen lures
I have used DeBeer 1K and 2K auto paint 1k washes after 6 to 8 washes 2k hangs in well but is a bastard to get off the stencils

 

[Alerrandro]

You can use createx airbrush colors, they work good in textil aplications

 

[SiRoxx]

Createx Wicked also works very well for T’s plus being a waterbased paint you can clean stencils with glass cleaner or alcohol.

 

[wickedartstudio]

As the others already mentioned, Createx products work very well on t-shirt fabrics. They do need to be properly heat set for longevity and durability though. Without a heat press, you'll still have the washing out issue.

 

[palk]

Createx Wicked also works very well for T’s plus being a waterbased paint you can clean stencils with glass cleaner or alcohol.

Thanks SiRoxx
I that is what is my sticking point really, the clean up of the stencils and I have plenty of metho or Diggers Ethanol really. I use as a prep wash for my lures.

 

[palk]

As the others already mentioned, Createx products work very well on t-shirt fabrics. They do need to be properly heat set for longevity and durability though. Without a heat press, you'll still have the washing out issue.

Thank you
Heat press, Ay "there go's another another airbrush " how hot in Celsius and duration can I use grease paper or just .25mm Teflon sheets to stop it sticking to the plattens.

 

[palk]

Sorry double post
How do I delete a post

 

[palk]

This is my rig for painting shirts
View attachment 67296
The carpet smooth board along the top is the trick for holding the shirts on the hole rig weighs 8 Kg
The magnet smooths down the shirt

 

[palk]

Ohh I have messed this up
Here is my rig

 

[wickedartstudio]

Thank you
Heat press, Ay "there go's another another airbrush " how hot in Celsius and duration can I use grease paper or just .25mm Teflon sheets to stop it sticking to the plattens.

I use Teflon sheets on my shirts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (which should be about 175 degrees Celsius if my math is correct) for 30 seconds.

 

[palk]

I use Teflon sheets on my shirts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (which should be about 175 degrees Celsius if my math is correct) for 30 seconds.

Thanks you again
What would the wait time befor I could heat press and can I wait to long to heat press.
I understand paint dryes, when paint dryes.

Because of the heat pressing, it would be likely that I ,don't need to wet the fabric with paint as much as I have had to do with 2K paint.
Would that be an assumption I could make.
I was with the 2K and 1k wetting the shirt till it just started to show through the other side not enough to wet my back board, most of the time
I am measuring up an old flat sandwich toaster and wiring up a PID with timer controller and thermo couples for heat control for a poor man's heat press, that should keep it under $40AUD

 

[wickedartstudio]

What would the wait time befor I could heat press and can I wait to long to heat press.
I understand paint dryes, when paint dryes.

Because of the heat pressing, it would be likely that I ,don't need to wet the fabric with paint as much as I have had to do with 2K paint.
Would that be an assumption I could make.

How long you wait to press the shirt is up to you. Yes, paint dries when paint dries; however, that's not necessarily what you're accomplishing by pressing the finished artwork in a heat press. Using the heat press is essentially bonding your artwork to the fabric permanently, that's true whether the paint has had sufficient time to air dry or not. Personally, I prefer to wait until the paint has had time to air dry (meaning dry to the touch) before I put it in the heat press when I have the choice because the paint doesn't stick to the platen of the press as much (sometimes I forget to use the Teflon sheet). You can press the shirt sooner, but it is highly recommended to use a Teflon sheet to protect your work and your press when doing so.

Opinions vary reference your second question. A lot of t-shirt artists use very high air pressure when painting fabrics. Part of that has to do with using the air pressure to push the paint deep into the fabric. I used to use the same approach. I've gotten away from doing that because applying a lot of paint and forcing it into the fibers of the fabric tends to make the artwork on the shirt stiff (almost like it was heavily starched), which makes it not as comfortable to wear to some. So, I now use my normal operating pressure (25 to 30 psi) and apply the paint in the same fashion as anything else I paint. I haven't noticed or received any complaints regarding durability or longevity using that method.

 

[SiRoxx]

How long you wait to press the shirt is up to you. Yes, paint dries when paint dries; however, that's not necessarily what you're accomplishing by pressing the finished artwork in a heat press. Using the heat press is essentially bonding your artwork to the fabric permanently, that's true whether the paint has had sufficient time to air dry or not. Personally, I prefer to wait until the paint has had time to air dry (meaning dry to the touch) before I put it in the heat press when I have the choice because the paint doesn't stick to the platen of the press as much (sometimes I forget to use the Teflon sheet). You can press the shirt sooner, but it is highly recommended to use a Teflon sheet to protect your work and your press when doing so.

Opinions vary reference your second question. A lot of t-shirt artists use very high air pressure when painting fabrics. Part of that has to do with using the air pressure to push the paint deep into the fabric. I used to use the same approach. I've gotten away from doing that because applying a lot of paint and forcing it into the fibers of the fabric tends to make the artwork on the shirt stiff (almost like it was heavily starched), which makes it not as comfortable to wear to some. So, I now use my normal operating pressure (25 to 30 psi) and apply the paint in the same fashion as anything else I paint. I haven't noticed or received any complaints regarding durability or longevity using that method.

That’s really interesting to read. Using high pressure for T Shirts is something I would have done because I’ve read it so many times and because I have no experience painting fabric. This is another example of why I love reading as many threads here as I can. Learning from those with experience is priceless.

 

[palk]

Well looks like, createx is the go at the moment, not over joyed about another process and 180-$300AUD on a press when I really like airbrushes
So I will make up a stop gap I mentioned earlier. As I have all the parts already. It's winter in OZ. So createx purple flavored ham and cheese toastie in the shed for lunch

Thanks for your recommendations and keep them coming

 

[palk]

That’s really interesting to read. Using high pressure for T Shirts is something I would have done because I’ve read it so many times and because I have no experience painting fabric. This is another example of why I love reading as many threads here as I can. Learning from those with experience is priceless.

Sounds like createx is a thermoplastic when it polymerizes. With heat and pressure, physically pushing the plastic around and between the fibers locking it in mechanically so the need to blast it on is not required. And considering cotton fibers are hydrophobic when dry ,,makes sense
But having to buy a $150 AUD + heat press is money I am not over joyed with concidering my shirts are an effort to lessen discounting

 

[kjart]

i have been using golden fluid acrylics to textile and leather,flows great through even with 0,2 tip ,iron the painting for a minute(textile)