NOTE: This classic screen printing equipment has sold!
Want to start a clothing company? Want to own a piece of BMX history? Hey, why not do both. Leigh Ramsdell and I (Hal Brindley) are selling a complete small-scale screen printing shop including the original 4-color press used to print 2B Homecooked, PLAY Clothes, and Useless Clothing. We’re not screen printing any more but we hate the idea of selling it to somebody who doesn’t appreciate its history. Are you the right person to give this sweet setup a new forever home? Comes with a conveyor dryer (with pretty low mileage), flash unit, and some new hand-built treasures like a combination screen-drying vault/UV exposure unit & lots of extras (even some original 2B/Play/Useless screens).
History of the Press
I first bought this press back in 1989 with some money my grandmother gave me when I was a sophomore in college in Williamsburg, Virginia. That’s when Steve Buddendeck and I started 2B Homecooked. We printed every 2B shirt with it for 5 years. Then I started PLAY Clothes and Leigh started Useless and the press appeared in such classics as the PLAY/Useless Debbie Gibson ad in Props (that’s me standing on it while Leigh spins it around).
Play/Useless ad in Props video magazine 1996
When I sold PLAY in 1999, I sold the printing equipment to Leigh. He used it for Useless for a bit, then sold it to flat-landing legend Kerry Gatt who used it to print shirts for Full Circle bike company (which he started with Andrew Arroyo). Then Kerry sold it to Bill Fischer, the guitar player for the punk band The Scaries. Bill used it to print shirts for the Scaries until about 2010 when Leigh bought it back from Bill!
Leigh did some custom screen printing work in his garage and some new Useless designs and in 2013 we used it to make 2B, PLAY, & Useless reprints with our Oldscool BMX kickstarter project. Leigh replaced the crappy old conveyor dryer with the proceeds. We wrapped the project in 2014 and the gear sat in Leigh’s garage until 2020.
Then I started Truly Wild clothing brand and Leigh graciously loaned me the screen printing equipment to start my project. I lovingly and painstakingly restored my old friend who I had originally bought more than 30 years earlier. She was as good as the day she was made. (Leigh had replaced the hydraulics along the way.)
A whole lotta love: restoring my old friend.
I designed and built some nice equipment for the print shop including my proudest creation: a combination screen drying cabinet and UV screen exposure unit that holds up to eight 20×24 screens and has a fold down head for the lamp and a multi-speed darkroom fan powering the cabinet.
Screen drying cabinet and UV exposure unit.
I printed Truly Wild and New Plumage designs with the set-up for almost three years, but now it must move on to the next stage of its glorious history, with you.
What’s included
We’re selling the entire screen-printing set up. Everything you need to run a compact screen printing shop (will fit in a spare room, garage, etc). This includes six main pieces of equipment and a load of accessories and supplies.
Equipment
• Press: 4-color, 1-station, hydraulic lift, two platens (20″x 28″ base)
• Conveyor dryer: 20″ x 72″ (36″ tunnel) two independent heat elements (20 amp 220 volt) costs $2966 new.
• Flash unit: 17″x 17″ heat opening
• Press table/ink storage
• Combination screen drying cabinet and UV exposure unit: holds eight 20 x 24 screens, multi-speed fan, fold-down 50 watt LED UV head.
• Wash-out booth: custom screen racks, back light, filter bag
Accessories
• 25 Aluminum frame screens (20×24) asst meshes 110 to 230
• 37 Wood frame screens (20×24, 20×20, 20×18) asst meshes
• 55.5″ x 5 yard roll 158 mesh count
• Lots of plastisol inks and some water based and discharge inks
• Squeegees of various lengths and hardness
• Digital temperature gun
• Complete selection of screen cleaning and prep solutions & chemicals (see pics)
• Emulsion film and liquid emulsion spreaders
• Screen tape and screen scrubbers
• Clear 13 x 19 film for printing transparencies
(note, I’m not selling the transparency printer but they’re pretty cheap)
Price: $3,500
To buy this setup new right now would cost over 7 grand. (3,000 for dryer, 500 for press, 700 for UV flash, 800 for drying cabinet and exposure unit, 200 for washout booth, plus at least 1900 in screens, ink, tools, chemicals, and supplies). We’re asking $3,500 for the whole shop because I need the space back.
Shipping/Delivery
I’m willing to deliver the whole set up for $100 plus expenses (truck rental, fuel, etc), or you can pick up. The equipment is located in Asheville, North Carolina.
Questions?
Have questions about anything? Don’t hesitate to contact me! halbrindley@hotmail.com
Pics
Here are a few pics of some of the equipment, tools, and supplies.
