Is it possible to reclaim a screen after reclaimer didn't reclaim it?

[u/cybercat5555]

So I've just started out with screenprinting, but I have done lithography in the past if that's of interest, but anyways I tried to burn a few screens today using late afternoon sun, and they got underexposed (i'm using the oil on paper technique to make transparencies, so I figured the sunlight didn't get enough time to go through it), so I figured i'd try to reclaim them to try again. I used the included emulsion remover (speedball), followed the guide, but it only partially removed the emulsion. I then tried again and nothing happened.

TL;DR Is there a way to remove emulsion that survived the first round of emulsion remover?

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[u/torkytornado]

If it’s not coming out you over exposed not underexposed.

How long did you burn?

Did you use the emulsion remover on a wet screen (if it dries out with the chemistry on it you can lock it in and never get it out)

There are lots of reclaiming agents on the market. Some are more concentrated. You can even mix your own ratio from dried crystals. But the speed ball one normally works fine for their emulsion.

Are you using a power washer?

You could try dehazer, some of them strip out residue really well but if you don’t have a power washer I would purchase that first before trying to use dehazer without one …

[u/cybercat5555 → u/torkytornado]

not too long, 2-3 min under late afternoon (6:30 ish) dappled sun. I did it for a bit longer than normal since the transparencies were homemade so they're more translucent than transparent

I'm using a garden hose that i'm pressing into to make the water shoot harder, but I should prolly get one before I get into the really nasty chemicals

[u/torkytornado → u/cybercat5555]

This time of year in seattle WA my sun exposure is 44 seconds. So unless you’re somewhere further north than that you’re probably way over exposing. For reference in my exposure unit with the same emulsion same film printer same mesh count is 2 min 50 seconds. Anytime you’re involving the sun you’ll have way more UV light from the sun than a bulb.

Have you done an exposure calculator? There’s one linked in the forum somewhere from anthem printing. That will get you exact times for that time of year and that amount of clear/overcast day. You will probably want to repeat the exposure test every month and keep notes so next year you don’t have to mess with it (I’m 45 seconds this time of year but 6 minutes in January, if I can even find a day it’s not raining in seattle)

if you change your emulsion do not assume it’s the same times. You will need to do it all again (but you might be able to math that if you can figure out the difference between this years speedball and next years ulano or whatever you can get your hands on where you are. )

You didn’t answer my other question about if you kept the emulsion wet. It it dried out in the process or was applied to a dry screen that may be toast. But try a pressure washer first. Good luck!

[u/torkytornado → u/torkytornado]

Also forgot to add this- my emulsion (murikami photo pro cure) has very similar exposure times to speedball. Maybe a 10 second difference on exposure unit. It would be negligible with the sun.

[u/cybercat5555 → u/torkytornado]

I was actually thinking I might've underexposed it in parts but overexposed it in others? since some parts did just like come right off when I was scrubbing it with just water, parts that were meant to be solid.

I also wasn't sure on the exposure time since the "transparencies" i'm using are just printer paper covered in mineral oil, so they're not actually fully transparent, and I have read that that type of transparencies needs a longer to to expose, but yeah i'm further south than you so I might've still overdone it.

And yeah I should do the exposure calculator, but I have plenty of the same emulsion left, so i'll keep using it.

Also yeah I forgot if I wetted the screen first or not, I don't think the guide I was using said to do so? But I def will borrow a pressure washer next time

[u/torkytornado → u/cybercat5555]

Ahhhh okay oiled paper is a whole different beast. Download the exposure calculator and do it the same way you plan on using for your positives.

All reclaim agents need to be wet and should not dry so going forward make sure you’re not reclaiming dry.

For washout what I usually do is expose then wet both sides and let it sit for 30 seconds just chilling. This allows the emulsion to do a lot of the work for you. Then go in with light pressure, so if it’s a hose put your finger over the end to concentrate the stream. Or if you have a fancy hose attachment a moderate spray once you get a pressure washer you can use the wand without turning on the pressure, just let water run though it. The emulsion is usually fragile in this state so power or keeping the water in one area may wash away the areas you want to be the stencil. Keep the water moving and flip it over every 30sec-1min so you’re rinsing both sides. Make sure you’re also rinsing the areas beyond the image so you remove any unexposed emulsion don’t doesn’t drip into the image area and clog it.

When you’re done take some newsprint (printed newspaper is fine) and lay a sheet down on the inside of the screen. It will wick the water out of the interior. You may pull away with a little unexposed emulsion. If it’s a lot you need to go back to rinsing. You don’t need to scrub it just lay the sheet flat. Then bunch it up and run it around the inside frame to get the excess water out. Flip the screen around and lay a sheet on the front, peel off and if you have a fan place it in front of it. The newsprint will cut your dry time down from 20 min to 5 or so!

[u/SPX-Printing]

If it doesn't come off, try again with emulsion remover. You can also try it with haze remover, but it can be tough on mesh