How to Build a Silk Screen Table
Silk-screen printing is a versatile technique that is easy to learn. You can build a simple silk-screen table that will allow you to print on posters and T-shirts, as well as flat materials such as wood, plastic, metal and glass. Find the materials you need at an art supply or hardware store. You also can buy them online from screen-printing supply companies.
Things You'll Need
- Plywood, 3/4-inch thick
- Two-by-four wood
- Sawhorse clamps
- Pressed board (masonite) 1/4-inch thick
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Wood screws
- Nails
- Wood glue
- Screen printing clamps
- Silk-screen frame
- Saw
- Hammer
- Screw gun
- Sander
Instructions
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1
Cut a 4-foot-square piece of 3/4-inch plywood. Sand all edges smooth.
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2
Cut a 17-by-19-inch piece of 1/4-inch pressed board or masonite. The pressed board must have one side that is smooth.
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3
Measure 6 inches from one side of the plywood and draw a straight line parallel to that side of the wood.
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4
Place the 17-inch end of the plywood against the line and center it on the plywood, smooth side up. Fasten the pressed board to the plywood using wood glue and 3/4-inch wood screws recessed an inch in from the sides.
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5
Measure 2 inches from the other end of the pressed board, toward the inside of the plywood, and draw a line in pencil parallel to it, ending at either end of the pressed board. Mark the center point of the 17-inch length of the line. Measure 6 inches to either side of the center point and mark the spots. Fasten the two screen-printing clamps to these spots with wood screws.
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6
Build two sawhorses using two-by-four wood, wood screws or nails and sawhorse clamps. Cut eight two-by-four lengths of wood to 42 inches, and two more pieces to 48 inches. Insert two 42-inch pieces into the bottom fittings of each sawhorse clamp and screw or nail in place, as legs for the sawhorses.
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7
Stand up two sets of legs with the clamps on top, next to each other. Lay a 48-inch piece of wood across the top of the two clamps and fit it in place, then fasten with screws or nails to create each sawhorse.
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8
Place the silk-screen tabletop on the sawhorses and fasten with wood screws. Position the saw horses recessed 8 inches from opposite ends of the silk-screen table. Do not nail or saw on the pressed board, as it is your live printing area and must remain smooth.
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9
Place a silk-screen frame with an inside dimension of 18 by 20 inches inside the silk-screen clamps and center the screen area over the pressed board. Tighten the clamps to complete the table.
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Tips & Warnings
For printing operations, the silk-screen frame must have an image put on it. You will need photo emulsion, and a graphic image printed on clear vellum (also known as a film positive). A halide light or other bright light exposes the image onto the silk-screen frame once it is coated with photo emulsion. Silk-screen ink is placed in the imaged frame and forced through it with a squeegee.
You can build the silk-screen table on an existing wood table, rather than on a piece of plywood.
References
- Photo Credit wood saw image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
