Is there anything out there about how to screen print on blanks? (since thats the process I understand many OEMs use)

If not, I make a suggestion for there to be an article in an upcoming RodMaker.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2010 09:04PM by Alex Dziengielewski.

It's somewhat expensive and not something you really could afford to do one-off.

On the upside, it is very durable and looks great. I just don't think many could afford to set up to do it.

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alex, it sounds like you now have a challenge on how to figure this out.

The machine alone is around a 1,000 bucks. then you need to get the founts

Good Wraps Bob

I can spend $1000 in labels way before the equipment wore out for screenprinting.

Sometimes you gotta look long term. There's also a lot of new technology out there. Pad printing looks like an option as opposed to screen printing. Time to do some learning.

Pad printing is used for golf balls - so it's pretty durable and flexs to the shape of the surface. Hopefully my rods wouldn't take those same type hits... if so there are other issues.

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Alex how is those 5 to 6 ft Bass rods coming along. I got to thinking about how long it takes to build a rod and give it to a customer . Where our differences were I build 10 foot plus Ironhead rods. I forgot to mention the cost of the special ink used in silk screen. Most manufactures are going pad now days

Good Wraps Bob

I WAS UP LATE THE OTHER NIGHT.I SAW ON A TV INFOMERCIAL A COMPLETE SCREEN PRINTING SYSTEM.YOU CAN EVEN MAKE CUSTOM TEMPLATES.NOT SURE HOW MUCH IT WAS BUT I TEMEMBER THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO DO WITH MY DAUGHTER.I JUST FOUND IT.NOT SURE IF IT WOULD WORK.



[www.4yudu.com]

I think my wife found it also. I believe it is by the same company that makes CRICUT This machine has lots of possibilities for the rod builder

Good Wraps Bob

Bob - I don't know any bass fishermen that use 5 or 6' rods except in very unique situations- so why would I? 8' rods are very common and longer isn't allowed due to "doodlin" in the past. 10' should be maybe 3 more guides - so 15 minutes?

That is the type info I was after. I know you can buy home set ups for screenprinting rather economical. There are tons of "garage printers" out there doing shirts by dye sub, heat transfer, and screenprinting. Technology has changed... got to be some options for someone who does more than just a few rods per month.

How many colors do you need? I get most of my decals now in one color... at least screen or pad printing could give you some different possiblities.

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My wife says the silk printing machine is a pain in the back side to use

Good Wraps Bob

Alex What are you going to put on your rods all the blank specs plus your customers and your name on it

Good Wraps Bob

no interest in customer name. just the basics.

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A nice quill hand job looks good to me on a custom rod

Good Wraps Bob

alex, have you thought of a stencil and painting. it would be quick and economical once the stencils are done. just something that popped in my head while reading the posts

Alex, I'll poke around. I have seen it done on How It's Made. I have a friend that designs and builds packaging machines. He may know someone that knows someone...

Chuck

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"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

I used to do this when I was back in the UK with a silicone rubber pad. It is a very quick way to get your logo onto a blank permanently, but really only economical if you are doing a run of blanks because of set up time and cleaning the equipment after. A freind of mine made the printing machine for me. Finding the right hardness of silicone rubber for the pad was a bit of a trial as was getting the right ink. Look for mug or pen screen printing set ups if you want to go this route

Alex - no luck, but I see some used small pad printers on the major @#$%& site. A Google search revealed a couple places that rent pad printers.

Chuck

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Alex if you would like to consider purchasing a computer controlled automatic cross wrap lathe to go withe the screen printer set up I think I can arrange a roll up deal you can refuse!

Just from what I've been able to read up on this it seems to me that screenprinters would be much better suited to a mass production type of operation. By that I mean running dozens (and dozens) of product through screen printers a day. Something more attuned to a large rod company than a dozen rods a week (or / day for that matter). On top of that from the few videos I've found online they appears to require considerable clean up after each "production run". Pad printers don't seem to be far behind on cost, maintenance and operation either - even the manual models (circa $650). At that cost for basically fixed text it seems to me that a really top of the line printer that can do multiple lines of customized printing is a better option. I've seen the labels that Kevin Knox does on his Powis Parker FoilFast p21X printer - they are outstanding. Pretty much any font you would want and very crisp lettering. They are expensive (circa 1,500 - $2,000 ) so I'm still using my Epson Officejet color printer and printing on waterslide or Avery "clear" labels until I can justify another capital expenditure. Right now the second ALPS lathe chuck, more blanks, more guides etc preclude the Foilfast as an option for me for now. I did notice that the P21 model has been replaced (discontinued) by the P21X model. Maybe some will show up on @#$%& or surplus.