How to clean the plate on seal press

[Songyun]

I just got a seal press, however the plate needs some cleaning. How should I clean it? Here is a photo of the plate that I just took it off the press.122100

[Kirk Gittings]

steel wool coarse then fine.

[mdarnton]

I'm not really sure what that photo is, but if you're talking about tissue residue on the aluminum plate, lay some paper towels well-soaked with denatured alcohol or acetone (better, safer) over it, cover that with a couple of sheet of saran wrap and something simple to flatten it out (pile of newspapers, etc) and walk away for 30 minutes. Come back and the tissue will be a slop that you can wipe off with more acetone and a nylon spatula. Then do the steel wool polishing. Acetone in steel wool will remove the last bits.

If you're into safe solvents, use either Everclear (pure ethyl alcohol) or CitriStrip.

[Songyun]

Thanks guys. Now I need to fix the pressure adjustment nob. it seems stuck, would wd40 help?

[mdarnton]

It would be an easy thing to try first.

[gleaf]

penetration oil. WD 40 will drive water out, later it will become sticky.

[Toyon]

Egad, never use steel wool on aluminum.

[Daniel Stone]

Egad, never use steel wool on aluminum.

Yes, use a scotchbrite pad instead.

[Songyun]

oops... I have already done that with the steel wool...

[Ron McElroy]

You should still be able to come back with green scotchbrite to polish out abrasions from the steel wool. If you still have elbows left after this use white scotchbrite to polish the plate surface.


oops... I have already done that with the steel wool...

[Cletus]

I have a Seal press too and I don't think the platen is aluminum, but more likely an iron casting or something like that. It's awfully heavy and it doesn't seem like aluminum would be the most suitable material to make the heavy, flat platen from. But I digress...

Anyway, totally agree with mdarnton on the solvent soak and the scotchbrite over steel wool suggestions to clean the stuck-on adhesive.

I would also strongly suggest getting some of that teflon (or silicone?) coated release paper for when you start mounting, to avoid the results you're trying to clean up now. I use a top and a bottom sheet on my press and with care you should be able to use these for a long time. I don't think I've ever had to change mine and I've mounted many hundreds of prints.

[Kirk Gittings]

Egad, never use steel wool on aluminum.

Egad! Mine is not aluminum......:)

[Roger Thoms]

The platens on my two are both aluminum. I'd try solvents first, denatured alcohol, acetone, lacquer thinner. I might also try De-solv-it which is a citrus based solvent. Another thought is paint remover, just make sure it's ok to use on aluminum.

This thread on APUG has some info, looks like acetone worked for the OP. http://www.apug.org/forums/forum46/22176-cleaning-dry-mount-press-platten.html

Roger

[mdarnton]

When I used to do a lot of dry mounting, I used a sheet of smooth light weight matte board over the photo, under the platen. That way the platen stayed completely clean, and anything stuck to it wouldn't telegraph through to the print. Also, if you were mounting oversize stuff in passes, the edge of the platen wouldn't stamp onto the print. Once in a while I'd pitch the board and get another piece. When teflon paper came out, I added that over the photo, too. Never had to clean a press, and I was mounting a LOT of photos at the time.

I bought a couple of used ones along the way, and I have no idea how people could get them so crapped up, and then USE them that way!

[Kirk Gittings]

I bought a couple of used ones along the way, and I have no idea how people could get them so crapped up, and then USE them that way!

one word.......students.

[Songyun]

ok, guys, mine is aluminum... I used to use a matt board and a piece of parchment paper on top of the print.

[Drew Wiley]

Steel wool? WD40? ....%*&@+!!!!!!.... Aluminum is soft, and the newer platens are teflon coated. Seal sells their own cleaner, if in doubt. A soft woven nylon Scotchbrite pad like you'd use on kitchen teflon pans can be used, but nothing coarser than a white or gray one (never green or purple - too coarse). But WD40 takes the cake. Set your temp a bit too high and welcome to darkroom Chernobyl. The residue can ignite. If not, it can transfer to your prints and utterly ruin them anyway,
or get into the matboard in between, and eventually into the prints that way. And get real Seal release paper. That's what it's made for. ... Otherwise, get smart students like we have here at UC Berkeley. That way you won't have any left over paper scraps. UCB students will eat anything a goat refuses to swallow.

[George Richards]

one word.......students.

Two words.......government employees :( I bought one at a surplus auction that was so gummed up I needed a power sander.

George

[Henry Ambrose]

ok, guys, mine is aluminum... I used to use a matt board and a piece of parchment paper on top of the print.

Probably should always do this anyway.

[tgtaylor]

When I used to do a lot of dry mounting, I used a sheet of smooth light weight matte board over the photo, under the platen. That way the platen stayed completely clean, and anything stuck to it wouldn't telegraph through to the print. Also, if you were mounting oversize stuff in passes, the edge of the platen wouldn't stamp onto the print. Once in a while I'd pitch the board and get another piece. When teflon paper came out, I added that over the photo, too. Never had to clean a press, and I was mounting a LOT of photos at the time.

I bought a couple of used ones along the way, and I have no idea how people could get them so crapped up, and then USE them that way!

+1


And get real Seal release paper. That's what it's made for...

+1

Thomas

[Songyun]

I tried to turn the nob to adjust the pressure, but nothing moved, should I used some locked pliers to turn the nob?

[konakoa]

Thanks guys. Now I need to fix the pressure adjustment nob. it seems stuck, would wd40 help?

Songyun, to adjust the pressure, close and lock the press completely. Once the press is closed and clamped down the locking nuts at the top of the press will turn freely.

With the nuts loose, now lift the clamp arm up to open the press. Place a scrap print and mat board in the press. Close the press but don't clamp it down. Turn the screws--not the locking nuts--until the clamping arms are at 45 degrees when seen from the side of the press. Lock/clamp the press, and re-tighten the locking nuts. Clamping pressure is now set.

[jessiestorey]

why not steel wool coat on aluminium? even i have tried once..

[Kirk Gittings]

There is no problem with using steel wool on aluminum. Hell how often do you need to use it? The answer is once after buying the machine from some idiot that doesn't know how to use a cover sheet or once after you didn't use one and saw the error of your ways.

[Drew Wiley]

Steel wool leaves fragments. Most hominids gave up that stuff somewhere back in the Pliocene. There are far better alternatives.

[Kirk Gittings]

There is no problem with using steel wool on aluminum. Hell how often do you need to use it? The answer is once after buying the machine from some idiot that doesn't know how to use a cover sheet or once after you didn't use one and saw the error of your ways.

Fragments? WTF? Have you ever watched the anal retentive chef from SNL? Fragments which come off with a damp paper towel and if they don't are a full sheet of cover material (I use a clean sheet of mat board) away from your prints.

[Jan Pietrzak]

I have watched this thread for a while now the only thing that I can add is that if that was ever done buy a student in one of my classes. That student would have failed the class and been bared from ever taking a class at the school that it happened at. If I was having a bad day I would have sent his or her picture and name to every school in SoCal to not let them take a class there.

I never want to clean a platen in that bad a shape, ever.

Oh and I would have charged the student for the replacement of the press.

Jp

[Kirk Gittings]

I bought my vintage press about 20 years ago from the photo dept of UNM. They gave it to me for next to nothing because it had been trashed by students for a couple of decades-before which they had bought it used as government surplus. They said there were no parts still available. The upper platen was black and had dry mount cement in thick layers all over it. It had been cooked on over and over and over again. The bottom rubber thing was also cooked and flattened. It also would not work. I called the manufacturer and they only had one part still available for it-the points, which I bought. It turned out to be the part that was broken. I then cleaned the crap out of the upper platen with steel wool and applied a couple of layers of felt over the bottom rubber to cover the burn and build up the height again-with a couple of layers added it could now apply some pressure.

That trashed, ancient, gov. surplus press has served me perfectly ever since. It is like 20x30. I think I have less than $60 total in it and 20 years of use-still going strong.

[Daniel Stone]

Fragments? WTF? Have you ever watched the anal retentive chef from SNL? Fragments which come off with a damp paper towel and if they don't are a full sheet of cover material (I use a clean sheet of mat board) away from your prints.

I'm not one to jump into arguments, but YES, steel wool is notorious for leaving "fragments"(actually stray strands of that steel wool) embedded into softer material, including aluminum(which is most likely cast, not machined from a solid block), wood, or even more bothersome: your hands ;)

The added "benefit" of steel wool is that because it is ferrous, it will rust eventually. So yes, it might be 'a full sheet of cover material away from your prints', but at the end of the day, there are other materials which are probably better suited to the task than steel wool.

Again, not trying to argue, just explaining in detail a bit more of Drew's points(well, points I believe Drew might have been attempting to make) :)

But as that saying goes: "Different strokes for different folks"

-Dan