I need to vent...

[Breezy85]

...I hate Cast laminate! Ugh. It frustrates the heck out of me setting it up on our laminator. I need 4 hands because it's so dang thin.

 

[ikarasu]

What's the issue? Not sure what laminator you use... But on our seal...

Grab on the right side, and on the left side... Stretch it out and affix it to the output edge of the laminator .Press down all along the edge. (you lose about 6 inches of material this way... )

It may look like it's not perfectly even tensioned... But it is. Load your material to be laminated if you have 2-3" of white space... Drop the roller, and your good to go . We load 2-3 times per day, and it tracks 150' without seeing more than a quarter inch in either direction Doing it this way.

Cast is thin, but for laminating I find most problems is from lack of experience - watch some YouTube videos and learn the tricks .It'll make your life a whole lot easier!

 

[ams]

I don't see how it's any different than others. Why do you need to set it up differently?

 

[Reveal1]

...I hate Cast laminate! Ugh. It frustrates the heck out of me setting it up on our laminator. I need 4 hands because it's so dang thin.

Yep, it can be a challenge. The way we were taught years ago is to use a piece of coroplast a little wider than the laminate and about 6 inches deep. Once you have the edge of the lam peeled away from backer and hanging down a couple of inches from the backer takeup roller (backer taped to roller with cheap duct tape which sticks long enough to silicon to get it started), press the coro to the lam and up against the roller which keeps the lam evenly tensioned. Then pull the coro through the feed path. Don't know if that's the best way but works for us. For lack of more entertaining things to do, we have a contest to see who can waste the least material, with 2-3 inches being normal. BTW - been using that same piece of coro for 7 years!

 

[papabud]

i never fully unload my laminator. so i attach the new roll to the end of the last roll. and your good to go. takes seconds

 

[bannertime]

i never fully unload my laminator. so i attach the new roll to the end of the last roll. and your good to go. takes seconds

I assume this works for when you're changing laminates and not just rolls at the end of the prior roll?

 

[papabud]

I assume this works for when you're changing laminates and not just rolls at the end of the prior roll?

yes
i will change type or size with out issue.
basically your using the end of the first roll to pull the start of the second roll through

 

[Breezy85]

What's the issue? Not sure what laminator you use... But on our seal...

Grab on the right side, and on the left side... Stretch it out and affix it to the output edge of the laminator .Press down all along the edge. (you lose about 6 inches of material this way... )

It may look like it's not perfectly even tensioned... But it is. Load your material to be laminated if you have 2-3" of white space... Drop the roller, and your good to go . We load 2-3 times per day, and it tracks 150' without seeing more than a quarter inch in either direction Doing it this way.

Cast is thin, but for laminating I find most problems is from lack of experience - watch some YouTube videos and learn the tricks .It'll make your life a whole lot easier!

My trouble was coming from just removing the backing from it, because it's so thin and I was loading up a 54" roll it kept falling back on where I had already removed it and then the laminate itself would fold up on itself. We don't use it often, but when we do I always dread loading it cause it's such a pain in the neck. Plus I don't have any other coworkers except the boss/owner so when she's out of the office, I have to do everything by myself.

I don't see how it's any different than others. Why do you need to set it up differently?

I don't set it up differently. It's just a pain in the butt for me. I'm very petite and have short arms, so loading a 54 or 60 inch roll can be challenging.

Yep, it can be a challenge. The way we were taught years ago is to use a piece of coroplast a little wider than the laminate and about 6 inches deep. Once you have the edge of the lam peeled away from backer and hanging down a couple of inches from the backer takeup roller (backer taped to roller with cheap duct tape which sticks long enough to silicon to get it started), press the coro to the lam and up against the roller which keeps the lam evenly tensioned. Then pull the coro through the feed path. Don't know if that's the best way but works for us. For lack of more entertaining things to do, we have a contest to see who can waste the least material, with 2-3 inches being normal. BTW - been using that same piece of coro for 7 years!

We have a metal leaderboard that came with the laminator that we use, but it can be more annoying than useful. I worked at a place where we did use a piece of coro like you and it just lasted years. The challenge for me is just that it's a thin material, it's a large roll and I have short arms and petite hands. So it's a pain to deal with by myself.

 

[papabud]

breezy i had the same problem thats why i started using my way of doing it
you leave the last laminate still in the rollers.
stick the new lam to the old, this will hold it in place. peal the backer off from one corner and work your way down. now that its loose.
grab it and pull it a little then hold the backer as you feed it a little using scrap or your metal thingy. till you have enough backer exposed to put it on the spool.
done ready to laminate

 

[CSOCSO]

what laminator?

 

[TimToad]

My trouble was coming from just removing the backing from it, because it's so thin and I was loading up a 54" roll it kept falling back on where I had already removed it and then the laminate itself would fold up on itself. We don't use it often, but when we do I always dread loading it cause it's such a pain in the neck. Plus I don't have any other coworkers except the boss/owner so when she's out of the office, I have to do everything by myself.



I don't set it up differently. It's just a pain in the butt for me. I'm very petite and have short arms, so loading a 54 or 60 inch roll can be challenging.



We have a metal leaderboard that came with the laminator that we use, but it can be more annoying than useful. I worked at a place where we did use a piece of coro like you and it just lasted years. The challenge for me is just that it's a thin material, it's a large roll and I have short arms and petite hands. So it's a pain to deal with by myself.

Are you left alone in the shop for long periods of time? Anyone else who works there including the owner that wouldn't help you, is a jerk.

My wife is 5'4" and until recently we had an employee about the same height and wingspan. In our shop as our recently departed employee just found out, you either help each other, or you are gone. The average wage rate in our area for a graphics/production person is around $15-17 and we pay several dollars an hour above that to start. We expect some teamwork and self-motivation for that pay level, but sadly rarely receive it unless one is asked to assist on something. Everybody is a team player when interviewing and the first few weeks or months, but that quickly fades.

Talk with your employer and get some help. It will save the shop money and and make your job easier and more productive while lowering your frustration level over what is a routine task in a large format print shop.

We have a Royal Soveriegn 55" laminator and we just open the rollers, feed an inch of so laminate between the rollers until its tight along its length, close the rollers, carefully slit through the liner only, peel back the liner, tape it up to the take up reel, run the laminator a few inches and unless we've loosened the tension, its ready to go. Boom! Done.

 

[Breezy85]

what laminator?

We have a Kala Mistral and laminate up to 60 inches.

Are you left alone in the shop for long periods of time? Anyone else who works there including the owner that wouldn't help you, is a jerk.

My wife is 5'4" and until recently we had an employee about the same height and wingspan. In our shop as our recently departed employee just found out, you either help each other, or you are gone. The average wage rate in our area for a graphics/production person is around $15-17 and we pay several dollars an hour above that to start. We expect some teamwork and self-motivation for that pay level, but sadly rarely receive it unless one is asked to assist on something. Everybody is a team player when interviewing and the first few weeks or months, but that quickly fades.

Talk with your employer and get some help. It will save the shop money and and make your job easier and more productive while lowering your frustration level over what is a routine task in a large format print shop.

We have a Royal Soveriegn 55" laminator and we just open the rollers, feed an inch of so laminate between the rollers until its tight along its length, close the rollers, carefully slit through the liner only, peel back the liner, tape it up to the take up reel, run the laminator a few inches and unless we've loosened the tension, its ready to go. Boom! Done.

I've been asking for at least a part time person to help with production for months, nothing. While as a person, I really like my boss at the same time, there's lots of procrastination and the lack of extra staff here is why we aren't as busy. She could have someone to do inside sales and cold calls while she goes to do outside sales. Which would bring more in, but she sees it the opposite way. Like right now, she's out for the rest of the day. It's 1:10pm and I have a few jobs in my design queue, one print that just finished and thankfully nothing else in production, waiting on two customers to come pick up their orders. As well monitoring emails for a couple other customers to make any possible design revisions or design approvals. If I wasn't relocating in a couple weeks, I would definitely ask for a raise for doing the job of two people and running the place while she's gone. However, I'm moving out of state and at this point, not an issue.

Aside from that, how do you cut the liner without cutting the laminate? Haha. Cause that would be a great technique to try without the headache.

 

[TimToad]

We have a Kala Mistral and laminate up to 60 inches.



I've been asking for at least a part time person to help with production for months, nothing. While as a person, I really like my boss at the same time, there's lots of procrastination and the lack of extra staff here is why we aren't as busy. She could have someone to do inside sales and cold calls while she goes to do outside sales. Which would bring more in, but she sees it the opposite way. If I wasn't relocating in a couple weeks, I would definitely ask for a raise for doing the job of two people and running the place while she's gone. However, I'm moving out of state and at this point, not an issue.

Aside from that, how do you cut the liner without cutting the laminate? Haha. Cause that would be a great technique to try without the headache.

Wait, your employer is gone all day on outside sales and you are the only one there doing everything else? No wonder you are leaving. If I left for even half a day a couple days a week to do outside sales, we'd have grown to be a four or five person shop by now if there was any decent help available.

Sounds like a hobby for the owner and she will likely struggle to stay viable over the long haul unless she invests more heavily in how to keep the tribe happy and working hard in her absence.

To slit just the liner while its on the laminator rollers, you need to use a brand new X-Acto blade and its a touch thing. You eventually get the feel of just how much pressure to use to not go through both layers. It takes a gentle even touch with small, petite hands. LOL

Good luck with your future endeavors.

 

[Breezy85]

Wait, your employer is gone all day on outside sales and you are the only one there doing everything else? No wonder you are leaving. If I left for even half a day a couple days a week to do outside sales, we'd have grown to be a four or five person shop by now if there was any decent help available.

Sounds like a hobby for the owner and she will likely struggle to stay viable over the long haul unless she invests more heavily in how to keep the tribe happy and working hard in her absence.

To slit just the liner while its on the laminator rollers, you need to use a brand new X-Acto blade and its a touch thing. You eventually get the feel of just how much pressure to use to not go through both layers. It takes a gentle even touch with small, petite hands. LOL

Good luck with your future endeavors.

It's not always her being gone doing outside sales. She picks up material when we need it ASAP, or meets with customers for estimates on like building graphics, large vehicle graphics, etc. That kind of thing. There's been a couple of occasions where she had to leave due to family issues. There's been a couple times where I've been here alone all day. I'm good at multi-tasking, but I can only handle so much by myself. So yeah, if I wasn't moving out of state for another opportunity, I would definitely ask for a raise for being three people at once.

Thanks for the tip, and I'll definitely have to try that technique out the next time I use the laminator. Which will probably be Monday. Haha

 

[ams]

I don't set it up differently. It's just a pain in the butt for me. I'm very petite and have short arms, so loading a 54 or 60 inch roll can be challenging..

1. Pull the laminate towards you.
2. Tuck the laminate under the roller.
3. Run your hands under the roller to ensure it's even.
4. Press against the roller firmly while your lower the roller, once it's firm, you can let go.
5. Tighten as much as you can.
6. Run it on a slow speed and hold the dispensing roller with a hand to stop it from turning.
7. The laminate will tighten up really strong. It is now ready.

I hope this helps.

 

[clarizeyale]

What's the issue? Not sure what laminator you use... But on our seal...

Grab on the right side, and on the left side... Stretch it out and affix it to the output edge of the laminator .Press down all along the edge. (you lose about 6 inches of material this way... )

It may look like it's not perfectly even tensioned... But it is. Load your material to be laminated if you have 2-3" of white space... Drop the roller, and your good to go . We load 2-3 times per day, and it tracks 150' without seeing more than a quarter inch in either direction Doing it this way.

Cast is thin, but for laminating I find most problems is from lack of experience - watch some YouTube videos and learn the tricks .It'll make your life a whole lot easier!

We do this so I second this! I press down along the center edge and make my way outwards. cast looks like glass when its loaded

 

[clarizeyale]

LOL reading your other posts, your boss almost sounds like my boss. Luckily, we've grown since I've started but sometimes I still feel the same way T_T.

oh welp. good luck with the new job!

 

[Breezy85]

LOL reading your other posts, your boss almost sounds like my boss. Luckily, we've grown since I've started but sometimes I still feel the same way T_T.

oh welp. good luck with the new job!

Haha thanks!