[Hallicrafters] Paint colors & silkscreening

[Al Parker]

Hi all,
    I have recently had a silkscreen for R-42 & R-46 spkrs made by a local
screenprint shop that specializes in intricate artwork for T-shirts and
other things.  As Glenn says, the labor is the big part, the guy spent at
least an hour or so, in 2 or 3 sessions, to get the font, size, and
spacing right, and this was a simple job.  He made it on "real" silkscreen
matl, not what he uses for T-shirts, and it's in a wooden frame, like I
used 30+- yrs ago.  He charged me only $40-45, $25 or so was for matl,
which he ordered special.  I think I got a good deal.
      I do know of one intricate screen for a  receiver panel (RCA
CRM-R6A) that was made a yr or 2 ago.  It cost him  $100.  Recently 2 of
us had our panels done, and chipped in to help with the screen cost, and
total for each of us was $90, a bargain, by a commercial shop.  (We had
painted the panels b4 sending them.)
    Lots of people have told me how "easy" it is to make screens, but I
don't know if any of them had done it.  I've had it done twice now, in 30
yrs, and it's not difficult if you know how, and have the equipment.
Computer graphics have made it easier, but I expect the program the pros
use is not freeware, it's sophisticated, and takes some learning &
experience to master it I expect.
    Setup and then cleanup is a pain when you do the "printing" work.
Mastering the ink (paint) mix and application technique takes some trial
and error.  The few people that do panel, etc., work for the stuff that we
typically want done sure aren't getting rich at it at $100-125 per panel,
particularly when only a few are done at once.  I don't know what some of
them are charging, but I wouldn't do just one speaker for much less.  2 or
3 would reduce cost per a lot.    Just my observations, from experience,
maybe worth about what you paid for them.
73,
Al, W8UT
New Bern, NC
BoatAnchors appreciated here
http://www.thecompendium.net/radio/
http://www.hammarlund.info

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Glen Zook" <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: "Harrison, Bob M" <Bob.Harrison at unisys.com>; "Pagel, Mike"
<mpagel at uwsp.edu>
Cc: "halliqth" <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 4:10 PM
Subject: RE: [Hallicrafters] Paint colors


> Making silkscreens is not that difficult but does
> require some tedious work.  Although they can be
> cleaned and reused you have to be very careful in how
> you store them.
>
> It has been many years since I have made any
> silkscreen.  However, my eldest daughter (who is a
> very successful commercial artist) works with them
> from time to time.  But, most of the time her
> silkscreens are used for medium quantity (like between
> 500 and 2000) of items like "T" shirts.
>
> The actual material costs in making silkscreens are
> not that much.  It is the labor involved that really
> adds to the final cost.
>
> I have heard of people having a local custom "T" shirt
> place make silkscreens for various amateur radio
> equipment.  Supposedly the cost is around $20 per
> silkscreen.  I don't know how many copies can be made
> using these screens and how well that they clean up
> for storage.  Of course one has to have the artwork
> ready before the silkscreen can be made.  That can
> take a lot of time before things are "just right".
>
> Glen, K9STH
>