Shop humidity level

[CanuckSigns]

Just curious what the humidity level is in your shop? We got a new summa f1612 and have noticed the vinyl buckles when it feeds onto the table, summa has told me this is "normal" but it's causing issues when cutting. I bought a humidistat and the shop right now is around 55-60% humidity.

We have air conditioning but it's not really hot enough outside right now to run it very often unless I want to wear a winter jacket in the shop.

what is everyone else's shops at humidity wise? have you noticed any issues?

 

[White Haus]

We try to keep ours as close to 50% as possible but it's similar to yours in the summer, 55-50%.

I did finally run into the issue you mentioned the other day when running calendared vinyl w/ cast laminate. (Pic attached) Had a slight buckle on one side only when it would feed it and just like you described before, the vacuum sucks it down and locks that buckle in. Luckily we were through cutting so it didn't wreck anything (the decals along the buckle were salvageable) but definitely not ideal.

I did try adding a little tension to the roll as it was feeding and that eliminated the issue. Again, not ideal but in our case it was definitely related to the lack of tension on the material as it fed forward on the bed.

I'd like to to try and experiment with some kind of tension bar to save having to stand there and do it manually, similar to a dancer bar on a take-up reel.

 

[jfiscus]

We keep our printers and print media in their own room so we can control the humidity around them better than the entire shop. We have AC or heat running constantly and still run 3 dehumidifiers constantly year round, one of them is in the print room.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Here in America's armpit, we battle 85% humidity or more most days. I have a humidifier running 24/7 and an A/C running at least half as much just to keep it around 60%.

I thought the gulf coast has the worst humidity.... till I visited Arkansas. Your summers suck over there.

 

[Johnny Best]

I remember as a kid going to spend time in the summer with my Uncle Forest in Hot Springs. At night he would pull the large fan down from a trap door in the attic to get the air moving through the house. Humidity so thick you could cut it with a knife.

 

[d fleming]

Down here in the Burg we can breathe underwater at this point.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

humid or dry it all sucks. when I work in west texas its dry and you're not soaked to the bone, but skin cracks and i get nose bleeds.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

Down here in south Florida, it's not the heat that gets you, it's the stupidity. But I guess that is another topic

 

[Gino]

Texas is mississippi with oil money. Us normal people down here in Florida are used to the northeastern migrants rushing down, driving the prices up and then doing nothing but complain about how backwards it is compared to Jersey
Philly (and suburbs) is Jersey too Gino.

Down here in south Florida, it's not the heat that gets you, it's the stupidity. But I guess that is another topic

Okay, now I'm confused ??

 

[Johnny Best]

humid or dry it all sucks. when I work in west texas its dry and you're not soaked to the bone, but skin cracks and i get nose bleeds.

Nifty Tips book, page 134, bring Kleenex when working in West Texas.

 

[Gino]

Is that at ground level or if you're standing on a milk box ??