DIY Screen Print Rack

First, I apologize about the awful audio. My stand-alone audio recorder was just placed in my pocket and I didn't realize it would pick up so much awful noise from rustling around in there. :-/

I've been doing some screen printing and I was getting frustrated with trying to keep the screens oriented correctly when drying the emulsion plus drying after reclaiming them. I could have bought a commercial rack but 1) I don't have a lot of room so I didn't want a big one and 2) I wanted it right now. I used 3/4" PVC pipe and fittings and made this rack for about $30 including having fittings and tubing left over to make it bigger or make another one (except the feet).

The little pieces between the T fittings are 1.75 inches long, the cross tubes for the long axis are 24.5 inches, and the cross tubes for the short axis are 17.75 inches. I kind of wish I had cut those about 17.25 and I could shorten them but I'm not that worried about it. The shorter distance side to side would allow the screens to sit on the T fitting stubs with a little more wiggle room to not have to be perfectly centered, side to side.

This rack allows the screens to dry horizontally, print-side down, when the emulsion is drying and can be laid on its side to allow water to drip and run off when drying after reclaiming.

I used a miter saw on a bench to cut the PVC to length because it's faster than a hack saw and gave me square cuts unlike I often get with the ratcheting blade cutters. But be aware that using a miter saw can be dangerous and can snag the pieces and chip the PVC and/or throw them and the chips.

This has worked very well and can be made in several sizes for different screen sizes. Currently I only use 20 x 24 inch screens so this is the only one I am going to be making. It's small, lightweight, and a lot cheaper than buying a commercial unit.

Lastly, I did not glue any of the fittings together; I just knocked them together with a hammer.

Hope you find this helpful.