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HP 115 can I leave it alone?

RatherDashing

New Member
I'm thinking about getting an HP 115 for my classroom. Do I need to use it weekly or can I unplug it, and wheel it to storage for a month? Would it be dead if I came back from summer break if it wasn't used?
 

BigfishDM

Merchant Member
I'm thinking about getting an HP 115 for my classroom. Do I need to use it weekly or can I unplug it, and wheel it to storage for a month? Would it be dead if I came back from summer break if it wasn't used?

Yes you will be fine, have you found a dealer yet? I have those on sale for only $7,299.00 and I have a branch out in Portland.
 

flyplainsdrifta

New Member
yessir. we had a lx sit for about 3 months while we prepped a new building. running like new again. latex is best for classrooms as well, and with the range of things you can achieve with it is pretty great for the price.
 

ikarasu

Active Member
It can sit for a month at a time... but they are very heavy machines, and I would not want to try wheeling them down a classroom hallway to put into storage. Odds are you're going to bump it around. They;re not very mobile...

However if you're ok with them being stationary, it can still sit in the class without being used for months on end.
 

RatherDashing

New Member
Yes you will be fine, have you found a dealer yet? I have those on sale for only $7,299.00 and I have a branch out in Portland.
I was looking at USCutter.com, they have the print and cut combo for a decent price. I'm about 2hours away from Portland, and if you guys can match the quote (or get close to it), I'd be more than happy to use you instead. Who can I contact for the quote?

$10.000 machine gathering dust in the closet, isn't this a bit of an overkill?
It'll get used, for sure, but not like a full time print shop. I have to teach them things every now and then :D It's also far from my most expensive machine.

It can sit for a month at a time... but they are very heavy machines, and I would not want to try wheeling them down a classroom hallway to put into storage. Odds are you're going to bump it around. They;re not very mobile...

However if you're ok with them being stationary, it can still sit in the class without being used for months on end.
It sounds like this machine will be much better for me than an eco-solvent. The storage is through one door in the back of the class, no hallways, so I am not too worried about that. I'm more concerned about where in my classroom it will go.
 

BigfishDM

Merchant Member
I was looking at USCutter.com, they have the print and cut combo for a decent price. I'm about 2hours away from Portland, and if you guys can match the quote (or get close to it), I'd be more than happy to use you instead. Who can I contact for the quote?


It'll get used, for sure, but not like a full time print shop. I have to teach them things every now and then :D It's also far from my most expensive machine.

It sounds like this machine will be much better for me than an eco-solvent. The storage is through one door in the back of the class, no hallways, so I am not too worried about that. I'm more concerned about where in my classroom it will go.


Yes sir call me up, 714-878-7989 I am Josh.
 

ikarasu

Active Member
I was looking at USCutter.com, they have the print and cut combo for a decent price. I'm about 2hours away from Portland, and if you guys can match the quote (or get close to it), I'd be more than happy to use you instead. Who can I contact for the quote?


It'll get used, for sure, but not like a full time print shop. I have to teach them things every now and then :D It's also far from my most expensive machine.

It sounds like this machine will be much better for me than an eco-solvent. The storage is through one door in the back of the class, no hallways, so I am not too worried about that. I'm more concerned about where in my classroom it will go.

Just so you know, you need 2 240v outlets, which depending on your classroom you might not have. If its a normal classroom, probably not. So make sure to add that into your budget, as it can be pretty expensive depending on how far away the breaker panel box is!

But yes, it's a perfect machine. Mine has sat for a month without use, in below zero temp... and it booted up and printed perfectly fine. For everything you want to do theyre great, good for T-shirts (With a cutter), stickers, canvas, etc.

Being a school latex might be your only option also. Eco-solvent and solvent produce some pretty bad fumes, I'm not sure you'd be allowed them in school without proper ventilation... which would be a lot more money.
 

RatherDashing

New Member
Just so you know, you need 2 240v outlets, which depending on your classroom you might not have. If its a normal classroom, probably not. So make sure to add that into your budget, as it can be pretty expensive depending on how far away the breaker panel box is!
I have heard this, and we do have an electrician as part of the district maintenance crew. I'm hoping he'll be able to add the outlets easily right onto the current power stip (I have a classroom with 32 computers in it).
 

ikarasu

Active Member
I have heard this, and we do have an electrician as part of the district maintenance crew. I'm hoping he'll be able to add the outlets easily right onto the current power stip (I have a classroom with 32 computers in it).
Ask him before comitting! They generally need to be on their own breaker.

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05734109 Official requirements. Show your electrician Page 11. I dont know how schools are wired... but if your breaker is 50 ft from your room, you may be in for a huge bill just on materials alone. Printers arent as easy as plug and play... they need specific requirements for electrical.
 

AF

New Member
The electrical is no big deal. Just costs money to add the wiring, outlets and possibly a new panel.
 

ikarasu

Active Member
The electrical is no big deal. Just costs money to add the wiring, outlets and possibly a new panel.
No big deal for a business... But a school might be different. At my work I can run a wire all long the ceiling wall... at a school the codes are a bit more strict. Depending on the location / age of the school, you might be tearing into a lot of wall. It shouldn't be a problem... But you don't want to spend $10,000 on a machine, then have your maintenance guy tell you they have to run 100 ft of wiring throughout the whole school just to get your room hooked up.

It's always best to involve everyone who will need to be involved in the project before a decision/plan is made. Great advice for life, not just the work place! My boss learned that the hard way today when after a multi-day, Multi-person project came to the last step today, and they were not only told, but shown the way they planned on putting it all together was a complete fail. Now we had to re-schedule the install, and figure out a way to do it without modifying it too much. All it would have taken was 1 e-mail or 2 minute conversion to be told that while it worked on there 2 inch sample, it's a whole different thing for a 5 FT tall frame.

Same goes with this! Always involve everyone, from the top, to the bottom. I would read over the whole sit prep guide. IT gives full measurements... including how much space you need to load. Make sure it'll fit in storage... make sure anyone else who uses that storage knows the machines pretty sensitive, and they cant stack stuff on it, etc.
 

AF

New Member
Out here, for something like adding outlets, you have to provide full plans to the BS dept including as-built, site plan, ADA, circulation, proposed electrical outlet etc. Permit costs would be astronomical (Commufornia). Anything between the panel and the outlet will require earthquake retrofit and must be brought up to code. So installing $25 in outlets and maybe $50 in wire will run about $5,000+. Most of that money goes to the department of BS. Running a wire along the ceiling would cause you to lose everything you own if there was a fire and others affected due to civil suits and subrogation. Cheaper to pay the extortion costs at the city and stay above board.
 

ikarasu

Active Member
The breaker is in my room. I'll see what mainenance says about it when I show them the document.

Presuming you have a free breaker slot, you should be fine then.

What class do you teach? And do you have any experience with a wide format printer? Theyre quite a bit different to operate than a regular one, so you may be in for a learning curve... It's not too hard, but you have a lot to learn! Especially with all the different t stuff you'd like to do.

If you plan on doing t-shirts on a regular basis... You may want to look into a heat press also.

You should research dye sub printers too. too can buy a small one for pretty cheap, and it's best for t-shirts / etc. Afaik it's just as healthy as latex.

The latex is good for vinyl, making signs.. printing on canvas, etc. If I were teaching kids about signs or Wall graphics idngo latex. If you want to do stuff like that shirts and coffee mugs, or small signs under 2-3 ft.. I'd look into dye sub .

You can get one the size of a all in one laser printer for under a grand, or go bigger. It all depends on what you want to teach!

If you go latex, you could make posters / banners and other school signage also. So each have their benefits.


USCutter - Sublimation Category
 

RatherDashing

New Member
I've got a heat press, we use it with htv. I've never done large format printing, but am eager to learn. I teach business and tech classes. I've been looking at dye sub, but wouldn't a printer with cutter be easier? I have a colleague that I'll be at a workshop with next week that uses a sawgrass dye-sub, so I'll talk to her more about it.
 

ikarasu

Active Member
It all depends exactly what you want to do.

Dye sub is good for shirts, hats, coffee mugs... Direct into metal, etc .

Latex can do shirts and stuff... But it's like htv. It leaves a vinyl you can feel. It's not bad, just not as good at fabrics as sublimation.

So again, it all depends on what your use is. If your mainly flung cloth items.. go small dye sub .

If you want a wider range, and plan on doing the occasional shirt... Latex is the way to go. You can do Lots more with the latex, but if your only going to print shirts it's pointless .

With the latex, your art department can print stuff, anytime in graphic design can use it... It would benefit alot of classes.
 
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