VacuSeal press?????

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framinzfun

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 28, 2002
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893
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eastern pa
Hello.... this is my first post, so please be gentle......
I was wondering if anyone has a VacuSeal press...more specifically, the VacuSeal 3648H.
We have an old Masterpiece 500T drymount press, it is OK, but is is rather small, 26x34 I believe, and with the recent surge of digital prints and such, heat presses are not very useful in many cases. The above mentioned vacuseal is listed as a hot/cold press. Does this mean you can use it as a heat mount press AND a cold press? Does it work well? Is it a quality piece of equipment?
Thanks.
 
I have a vacuseal press a little bigger than the one you mentioned.

Yes you can use it hot or cold. Pretty easy to program. You just have to know what you are doing.

I am taking a basic class in Atlanta to help me. I do know enough to get me in trouble with it but would like to be somewhat knowlegable about how and when to use it. You can really get into trouble heating things that aren't supposed to be heated...

That's my two cents worth. Sorry I couldn't help you more!
 
Sorry for being so rude.

Welcome to the grumble...

I'm sure your ? will be answered...

If nothing else, mine makes a large table to put projects on. :D
 
framinzfun,

Welcome...

I have the VacuSeal 4836H and it does what you ask. Because I had an old frog eyes before the VacuSeal I was easy to please, but six years later it is still doing its job perfectly. The only advice is to go one bigger if you can. Size does sometimes count.

It is a quality machine, and it does work well.

Was that gentle enough?
 
That press will indeed work either hot or cold. I've had a 4466 Vacuseal for 18 years and it is the most reliable equipment I've ever used in the shop.

Keep in mind, however, that the 3648 will mount something like 32x44 and no amount of coaxing will make it mount anything bigger. Unlike the 500T, you cannot mount larger items in "bites." I rarely run into items too big for the 4466, but I get several items each week that would not fit in the smaller press. The larger press will also allow you to mount several smaller items at one time (though I've found it's best not to overlap them. :( )

Welcome to The Grumble. If anybody picks on you, just let us know and we'll exile them to the help-wanted forum.

And congratulations on a very descriptive topic title. Straight to the point, not too cute, not at all suggestive . . .
 
Thanks for the replies, they are very helpful... I hadn't thought of the fact that you can't mount pieces in "bites" like the 500T... in that case, I guess a bigger press would be better.
My other question is, having never dealt with a cold press, how does it work? What sort of adhesive do you have to use to mount the piece?
 
Hey Ron, you better start looking for a new job!

I love my Seal 44x66M+HS. I picked it up used from the Used Framing Guerrilla. It came with 4 cutting pads glued to the top, which makes for a great cutting table. If you have the room, don't settle for anything smaller than this.

I once had to do an emergency diaphragm repair, where the edge cushion would no longer allow for a good seal and full vacuum. I found out the hard way, that if your machine does not pull at least 80% of it's full vacuum, you will get a few posters back with bubbles from poor heat transfer due to lack of adequate pressure.

If the Grumblers would like, I would be only too happy to post this tip on how to repair this problem with what you have in your shop.

I could never think of a good reason to buy a Cold Mount press since the Hot Press will do both.

Don't worry Ron, we will visit you in help wanted
 
framinzfun, (he says, ignoring Less, as usual,)

Here are some of the common choices for cold mounting with your Vacuseal or similar press:

3M 77 Spray - messy, bad for your lungs and not all that permanent

Cold mount tissue, in sheets or premounted to various boards. My favorite is Crescent Perfect Mount on Super Smooth board. PMA (3M) is also very popular.

Mounting pastes (e.g. Seal VacuGlue.) Typically, these go on with a paint roller. They can be very long-lasting and, because of some moisture content, can flatten severly wrinkled papers in some cases. Also because of the moisture, may have to be countermounted to keep the board from bowing badly as it dries. This is what I nearly always used when I had a Corona cold mount vacuum press.

The simplest procedure is normally going to be heat mounting with tissue or something like Speed Mount board, so the key is to learn to recognize what types of materials should not be heated. Despite horror stories, I have never had a problem heat mounting an inkjet print. There are some thermal printing processes, however, that yield a very meltable product. Blueprints, thermal engraved invitations and diplomas and butterfly collections also do not heat mount well.
 
Okay, Less, I'm done ignoring you. I would love to hear about your emergency diaphragm repair procedure. I haven't had this problem (I don't dry mount barbed wire collections anymore) and I am resisting the urge to tell a insensitive story about a old college girlfriend, but I suppose it could happen. If it does, it would be just my luck for you to be off-line and out gazing at the sunset.
 
Sorry framinzfun, I forgot you asked how to use it as a cold mount press. Details details :rolleyes:

Gee Ron, I'm glad you asked!
I'll post it in the Tips Section, But first I must measure my moulding and do some work :eek:
 
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