Silkscreening

[philo]

I know someone who has a silkscreening business for making t-shirts.

One of their lights failed and he asked me to look at it.

There is an ancient power supply that runs off 240 volts and seems to have a high voltage transformer that died. It might step the voltage up to 600volts?

I was wondering if I could just use a 1500 watt halogen tube and just run it (through a heavy duty relay) right from the 240 volts and not bother with a transformer.

I found a lamp and socket that would fit in the head.

Anyone here know about this?

[hubops]

I'm a worry-wart. I worry about little details. An ancient power supply with a transformer that - seems to have died and - might step-up the voltage to 600 volts .. makes me worry. Sorry.

ps: are the lights used in the silkscreen process ? or to light the studio room ?

John T.

[philo]

No worry, I'm a retired service engineer with 38 years experience working with high-voltage equipment...I know how to work safely.

For the silk-screening process.

Since I posted, I talked to the owner and he says the light is not terribly critical, basically the brighter the light the less the exposure time.

I think I can get something working for him yet.

[Iggy]

replying to philo, Iggy wrote: Yep, your plan is fine or you can skip the relay as well for a whole new fixture that even just uses 1-leg of the old fixture's wiring for 120-volts. I don't know what the lumens are, but CFL's are of all sizes and light types with mega lumens (

). I did a 20x20 room's standard 3-bulb $20 fixture with 3 55-watt CFL's at 3,600 lumens each and turned the place into a virtual sunroom, beautifully bright.

[philo]

Thanks.

Got the first one working today.

There is an electronic timer that I simply bypassed and replaced with a mechanical timer I had in my junk box which originally was from a bathroom's heat lamp.

Then all I had to do was wire the cooling fans to be on at the same time.

I will tackle the 2nd unit after Christmas and may end up simply putting in a 230v halogen lamp if I can't get the power supply fixed.

Now I'm tired, not used to doing work anymore :)

[Iggy]

replying to philo, Iggy wrote: Great Job! The silkscreener dude's lucky to know you, especially in getting such a quick response.

[philo]

Seems like there was no one in town that works on these

[Tekkie®]

philo posted for all of us...

Thanks for the update. I have trouble enough getting up a head of steam going to the bathroom. I fell today and the cops had to come to give me a lift assist. I'm lucky!

[philo]

Sorry that you fell.

My wife has fallen a few times without injuring herself but one year ago broke her wrist.

It was near the fire station so they checked her out to make sure there were no more injuries, then helped me get her into the car. She is fine now.

Since I had my knees replaced five years ago I only fell once.

It was not dramatic because I was only 2 feet up a ladder and landed on my feet.

My days of going up tall ladders are over.

Anyway, if I get the 2nd light going I'll actually earn a bit of money because he said it would cost him a few thousand dollars to get new lights.

[Newgene McMensa]

If the light is for burning photographic screens, you might contact the local supplier for commercial printing companies. I worked at a print show years ago and offset press used a similar process for burning plates. I think we used 1500 or 2000 watt bulbs, powered from 220. This is from memory, been a long time.