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Author Topic: DIY D-Roller  (Read 16357 times)

eyebeam

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DIY D-Roller
« on: September 22, 2007, 12:33:22 am »

I needed a d-roller and found little information on how to build one. After some experimentation, this solution seems to work very well for me.

Materials
1) 1.125-inch diameter wooden dowel, 24 inches long or greater.
2) 1 sheet of fairly stiff mylar. Dimension is 24x40 inches. (sorry, I dont know the thickness - but in general terms, the mylar seems to be about twice the thickness of Epson Premium Luster).
3) 2-inch wide Gaffer's tape (basically a high quality duct tape) 23 inches long
4) Kraft brown wrapping paper 20x30 inches.

Construction
1) Tape one of the 24-inch sides of the mylar to the dowel. Be neat so that there are no wrinkles in the tape. That's it.

Procedure
It may help to watch the review video that Michael Reichmann made for the D-roller. The procedure is pretty much the same.

1) You will need to lay the mylar and dowel on a smooth, clean, sturdy flat surface. This is important.

2) Lay the print flat on the mylar (with the curl facing down). Line up the edge of the print about 4 inches away from the dowel.

3) Place the brown wrapping paper over the print, with the edge of the wrapping paper about 1 inch from the dowel.

4)Commence rolling. Again, watch the Michael Reichmann video for proper technique, but basically roll it tight and keep it tight. Unroll it carefully, and you will have a de-curled print.

5) It may be necessary to rotate the print 180 degrees and repeat the procedure to get the curl out of the other end.

Final comments:
I have used it successfully on prints up to 16x22 on Epson Premium Luster. I have not used it on any other paper type. If you build this, then you may want to try your technique first on a non-critical print.

A word of caution
If the mylar is not stiff enough, or if the print is placed too close to the dowel, the print may end up with light creases every 3-4 inches (pi*diameter of dowel). The technique described above has worked for me without any visible blemishes.

Also, make sure the flat support surface and the mylar stays clean. Any debris in the system will indent the print.
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David White

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« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2007, 01:13:06 am »

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A word of caution
If the mylar is not stiff enough, or if the print is placed too close to the dowel, the print may end up with light creases every 3-4 inches (pi*diameter of dowel). The technique described above has worked for me without any visible blemishes.

Also, make sure the flat support surface and the mylar stays clean. Any debris in the system will indent the print.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=141145\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
That's the problem with the home made rollers.  The D-Roller has a strip of material lengthwise down each side of the mylar so that the print is not actually being wound tight around the roller.  When it is rolled up, there is a small space between the adjacent layers of mylar so that the print does not get marked by where the mylar joins to the roller and nothing gets pressed into the surface of the print.
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David White

Ernst Dinkla

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DIY D-Roller
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2007, 05:03:19 am »

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That's the problem with the home made rollers.  The D-Roller has a strip of material lengthwise down each side of the mylar so that the print is not actually being wound tight around the roller.  When it is rolled up, there is a small space between the adjacent layers of mylar so that the print does not get marked by where the mylar joins to the roller and nothing gets pressed into the surface of the print.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The parallel wound Hahnemühle 3" paper cores have a similar start for the paper roll so can be used for this purpose. I prefer a less aggressive decurling and either use 6" carton tubes right after the printer for the entire roll and let the print stay overnight to be cut next day or if it has to be faster the HM cores for single sheets. The spiral wound cores do not have the recession for the paper edge.


Ernst Dinkla

try: [a href=\"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/[/url]
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framah

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DIY D-Roller
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2007, 10:34:02 am »

I went to Home Despot and bought a pull down blind and cut the blind off its tube and then attached it to a 3" cardboard tube with tape. I trimmed the blind somewhat shorter than its original length. I have used this for quite a few pieces in my framing business. It works just as well as the over priced deroller on the market.

I also find that the blind material doesn't allow me to roll it overly tight and thus it  doesn't leave any impressions in the art.

Sometimes cheap is good!!
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millsart

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DIY D-Roller
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2007, 01:58:25 am »

I would have to imagine that theres got to be quite the number of materials one could use to produce some strips down the left/right sides of the mylar sheet to solve the creasing problems from rolling too tight.

Self adhesive backing materials or several layers of gaffers tape would do the trick I'd bet.

I'm usually all for buying the products of the guy who invented the better mousetrap so to speak, but frankly I do feel the price is just insane.

Sorry but $249 for the thing ???

It should cost $14.99 or so and still present a good markup for materials and other cost of doing business.

I'd probably buy one even at $50,  I'd know its a bit of a ripoff but hey, I've been doing photography long enough to expect that with anything photographic lol but even I have my limits.
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William Chitham

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« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2007, 07:24:22 am »

I quite agree about the price of the D roller. I have been using a home made version for  some years without any problems with creases. Mine is pretty much as described except I use 2 sheets of mylar and slip the prints in between. Also I use a 2" cardboard tube as the core, so not quite as aggressive as the smaller dowel. I have gone to the enormous expense (about £15 I should think) of making 2 of these things so that when printing a batch I can rotate them. By the way I use the plastic cable ties with a release catch to secure them for the 10 mins or so that they need to work; I find I can get the tension just right with these, secure but without pinching the roll, unlike elastic bands.
Regards,
Will.
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Craig Murphy

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DIY D-Roller
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2007, 09:24:09 am »

Great thread since I have just recently looked into that D-roller but would not buy one for spite rather than be price gouged like that.  Like already said.  Maybe at the very outside $50.  $250.  Go take a long walk off a short pier.
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CMurph

SeanPuckett

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DIY D-Roller
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2007, 09:48:37 am »

A lot of fairly simple items have a massive mark-up -- just look at roller laminators -- $3K and up for what isn't much more than a couple of rubberized rollers in a frame.  I could build one in a day with a chinese cordless drill and a box of parts from the tractor store.  The problem: the marketplace for this stuff is very small.  And, more importantly, because the target audience, at least in theory, is (or should be) too busy to innovate or fabricate for itself.  

After all, do you want to be a photographer, or a handy-man?
Some folks ain't got time or interest in being a handy-man.
And that's who is buying the D-Roller.
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photoman10

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« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2007, 10:38:23 am »

Quote
Great thread since I have just recently looked into that D-roller but would not buy one for spite rather than be price gouged like that.  Like already said.  Maybe at the very outside $50.  $250.  Go take a long walk off a short pier.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=141554\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Can I ask a stupid question? what exactly is "mylar" Is it an American thing, and living in the U.K. where can I buy it?
Thanks, Roy
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Ernst Dinkla

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« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2007, 11:24:09 am »

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Can I ask a stupid question? what exactly is "mylar" Is it an American thing, and living in the U.K. where can I buy it?
Thanks, Roy
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Mylar is the Dupont name for PET = PolyEthyleneTerefthalate what used to be called Saturated Polyester in the past. Polyester film/foil is the common name. ICI made similar foils called Melinex but that's now produced by the successor of DuPont's foil division too. Rexam is another manufacturer-distributor.


Ernst Dinkla

try: [a href=\"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/[/url]
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William Chitham

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DIY D-Roller
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2007, 11:59:41 am »

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Can I ask a stupid question? what exactly is "mylar" Is it an American thing, and living in the U.K. where can I buy it?
Thanks, Roy
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=141562\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I bought mine at Paperchase, the thicker of the 2 choices as far as I can remember.
Will.
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photoman10

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« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2007, 08:47:28 am »

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I bought mine at Paperchase, the thicker of the 2 choices as far as I can remember.
Will.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=141576\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Thanks to Ernst and William, problem solved
Roy
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