How to make the base of a silk-screen printer

A silk-screen printer base is the bottom piece of a silk-screen printer. It has a smooth solid surface.

In humid climates, it is best to make a base reinforced with a frame so that it doesn't warp. The base frame is made of pieces of wood attached to the base to make it stiffer. The instructions in this module are for a reinforced base.

If there is no danger of the wood warping, you could use the base of the silk-screen printer without the frame.

See:How to make a silk-screen printer for all the steps in making a silk-screen printer.

Here are the steps to follow to make the base of a silk screen printer:

1. Simply use the 380mm x 280mm piece of plywood as the base of the silk-screen printer.

   Reinforced framed base

   In some climates, it may be helpful to reinforce the base with a frame so that it doesn't warp. The base frame is made of pieces of wood that attach to the base to make it stiffer.

Here are the steps to follow to reinforce the base with a frame:

2. Use the optional base frame pieces described in the chart in Materials needed to make a silk-screen printer .
3. Make a frame by joining the base frame sides to the base frame ends.
4. Use two 50mm nails and carpenter's glue to fasten each joint.
5. Pre-drill for the nails to avoid splitting the wood.
6. Glue and nail the 5mm base to the base frame, as illustrated.
7. Use panel nails cut off to 15mm in length.

• Stringer and Faraclas 1987

• Task module: How to make the base of a silk-screen printer
• In task module: How to make a silk-screen printer
• In task module: Using a silk-screen printer
• In task module: Printing literacy materials
• In task module: Producing printed materials, by Anne Klaassens (contributor), Robin Rempel (contributor), Trudy K. Stewart (general editor, contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), Diane Wroge (contributor), and Adelle R. Walter (illustrator)
• In task module: Developing instructional materials, by Trudy K. Stewart, Leah B. Walter (contributor), and Trudi C. Hunt (contributor)
• In task module: Developing an instructional program, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), Patricia M. Davis (contributor), Trudy K. Stewart (general editor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), and Adelle R. Walter (illustrator)
• In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 22 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International