Wisdom of buying HGP hot press

[Vienna Frames]

Hello all,

I would much appreciate any input on the following:

I am based in Vienna and looking to dry mount art onto MDF. I have found a second-hand Drytac HGP360 vacuum press, which the owner estimates to be around 15 years old. Having contacted Drytac, I was informed that these may have been discontinued (problems with the glass?). Does anyone have any idea about the lifespan of the Drytac presses? Is it possible to buy spares for the machine? And in general, is this method preferable to cold mounting?

Thanks in advance!

[Justintime]

You may be looking at an older design of the model but as far as I am aware these machines are still in production in Bristol UK at the Drytac/Hotpress UK HQ. I have never heard of issues with the glass. The most important check to undertake when looking at a machine is to turn it on and check that it heats up to around 90oC which usually takes about 5 minutes. Then turn on the pump/timer to check that it comes up to a vacuum pressure of about 25 (9 o'clock on the dial). The pressure can be adjusted using the dial next to the pressure gauge. If it is not coming up to pressure, there are a number of possible issues. Are all of the air pipes fitted correctly and without cracks? Is the pump working correctly? The glass lid hinges may have been knocked out of alignment and require adjustment to create a tight seal. Has the rubber bed inside been punctured? Is the air suction point inside back right covered with something? Once checked and all working then you have no problem. Parts are replaceable and available from Drytac in Bristol. Bare in mind that a new pump will cost around £500. I took mine there after I bought it for a service and timer replacement and came out with a bill for £500.
I don't know what service options are available to you in Austria but they would be able to tell you, they're an international company.
If you need more advice, I would suggest ringing Steve Goodall at Wessex Pictures at their Oldham Branch (+44 1616812959). He is the trainer for Hotpress Vacuum Presses and Drytac Laminators in the UK.
Vacuum press and lamination are only slightly different processes, but basically do the same thing. The Hotpress 360 will require a considerable amount of storage space whereas a Laminator will require more working space. The Hotpress is "limited" by the size of the deck, the laminator only by the width of the rollers.
Hope that helps.

[Justintime]

Oh and your question about which is preferable? It will depend on what medium you are intending to mount. Steve will be able to better explain the differences. But for example, you can't mount a dye sublimated print (which uses heat to print) in a Vacuum press using heat because it blurs the dyes.

[Vienna Frames]

Brilliant! Thank you for such an informative response - I will give Steve Goodall a ring to get a few more details.

[Richard Photofusion]

If the art is highly textured and or porous, then the HGP is great. If it is not porous then the process on to MDF will at best be very slow; if it is smooth and not porous you'll be better served with a roller laminator. I had both, but kept the roller laminator.

Talk to Steve, he's extremely knowledgable for a City fan.