Welders - who uses them?

[Sticky Signs]

This is a 2 part post regarding banner heat welders. I'm really looking to buy a welder and I think I've got one picked out. Just thought I'd see what everyone else is using/doing before I make the plunge.

1 - are you using a welder?
- If so, want brand?
- Can you share your reviews of your welder and it's pros & cons?
- Why did you choose that welder?
- If you could do it again, what would you get?

2 - If you do not own a welder, how are you finishing your banners?
- Are you outsourcing? Sewing or welding?
- If so, can you give an Aprx cost per linear foot? (yeah I know, open forum - pm with that info if you'd like)
- Would you be interested in outsourcing your banner finishing to someone with welding capabilities?

Cheers!

 

[Sticky Signs]

Common now, I'm sure somebody's got something to say about this. Even if you can only answer a few questions it would greatly help.

 

[bayshorecreations]

I don't use one, I use hem tape most of the time. If I have something that needs to be sewn I will usually have Fellers do it for me since their warehouse is only 25 min away.
Sorry I cant be much help as far as welding is concerned.

 

[parrott]

We glue hem onesy/tuesy banners with h-66 from tubelite and outsource any large volume to a local awning shop ($.42 per linear foot for hem + grommets). I would outsource my banners to a welder if I could could get the same quality or better for a more competitive price.

We have been looking into purchasing a sewing machine or welder as well, but just have not taken the plunge yet. It's hard to justify something that you wouldn't use everyday, but when the large orders do come through it would be nice to keep that cash in house. Our digital side is either slow or slammed, unfortunately there is not much in between.

 

[National Sign Co. - Print]

We have a couple Leister Uniplans. They work very well and are very portable.
We do not use the welders to hem only to weld panels together. For welding panels they are very quick and with proper settings very durable welds and panels. Welding Hems however is very slow and sloppy. My finishing guys can stitch 5 times faster.

Also hot air welders are great for solvent prints however for UV cure prints they do not work so well and do not bond ink to ink so you have to have an underlap of blank material to bond to which sometimes proves to be a pain to register panels.

 

[Jet Fast Printing]

We have a Miller Weldmaster, use to hem and panel.

 

[Sticky Signs]

thanks for the input guys. Anyone else have something to say?

 

[Joe3]

We have a Fiab RF welder.
It's 7 years old and runs like a champ.
It's reliable and very easy to use and great for large banners or Mesh

 

[Slamdunkpro]

We have a Sinclair Triad wedge welder - great seams and pole pockets , but it's a little slower then sewing yet faster and cleaner than taping.

 

[Biker Scout]

We are still considering getting the Banner Cyclone, even though we have a Hot Air Welder on order. It uses banner tape, and is pretty fast and clean. But I'll reserve judgement on the banner welder until we've used it for a few months.

 

[bendeane]

I too use hem tape most of the time and have Feller's sew when appropriate...here's the kicker - as of December 31, 2010 (15 days from now), Feller's is beginning to phase out sewing in all of there warehouses, starting with the Kansas City location just down the road from me! What is a good option for hemming mesh banners if I can't have them sewn? How can I get reinforcement into a banner that isn't sewn? And, options like O-rings in the corners or tie downs seem impossible to me unless the banner is sewn with webbing.

Any insight?

 

[SeaWriter]

Like any thing else in our industry, a welder is a production tool. Just as different printers can handle different volumes, quality and at considerable various investment costs.

When used correctly a Lister welds fine just as do Triads and Millers and any RF machine. The problem is the price brackets for theses machines jump considerably and can quickly become cost prohibitive. However I think price is going to be your decision maker, so it’s a bit like asking “what printer do I buy?”

It may help to explain which particular equipment you are looking at and what will be the main purpose. i.e. hemming, pockets or to join panels.

Awning, Truck Tarp or Boat canvas shops are generally a good alternative for outsourcing, many even have some form of welding.

 

[supersignmart]

Welder

I just purchased a Miller Weldmaster T-300 and absolutely love it. Before we got our welder we sewed, the productivity is unbelievable. Also something really neat about our machine is it is pink. Miller produced this machine and donated the proceeds to the Stephanie Spielman fund for breast cancer. We have a link about it on our website if you care to read more about it.
www.supersignmart.com

 

[jiarby]

i sew banners with a juki... and weld steel with a snall lincoln wire feed mig. I would like a leister welder to fabricate a polypro washout booth. If I ver sell a banner that is big enough to need welding panels togethert then I will just job it to Mike!

 

[Sticky Signs]

Older post but I figured I clue you guys in on what I decided. After much consideration, I decided to go with the Triad. Although I'd love a Miller, I just can't justify it for my needs. The Miller require far more space plus you need to have other things like an air compressor and 220v.
After checking out the Triad at the SGIA show in Vegas, I decided that this was the right machine for my needs. I've had it for a while now and although I'm still trying to master it, I'm very happy with my purchase.

 

[JenniferSMara]

Welder

I just purchased a Miller Weldmaster T-300 and absolutely love it. Before we got our welder we sewed, the productivity is unbelievable. Also something really neat about our machine is it is pink. Miller produced this machine and donated the proceeds to the Stephanie Spielman fund for breast cancer. We have a link about it on our website if you care to read more about it.
www.supersignmart.com

I'd like to see the pink weldmaster!

Welder

I just purchased a Miller Weldmaster T-300 and absolutely love it. Before we got our welder we sewed, the productivity is unbelievable. Also something really neat about our machine is it is pink. Miller produced this machine and donated the proceeds to the Stephanie Spielman fund for breast cancer. We have a link about it on our website if you care to read more about it.
www.supersignmart.com