Cleaning Dry Sift Screens

[EsterEssence]

I am speaking of the resin becoming sticky not the material, I only speak from my own experience.

 

[huligun]

You can put the screen in the freezer to clean it and then drink some alcohol

 

[EsterEssence]

Where i was at the time we did not have a freezer big enough, but that might work. I don't let my screens get gummed up after that first mistake years ago. It was very difficult to get a replacement screen...

 

[Perpetual Nooch]

I've used 99% isopropyl to clean my keif box screen many times. Use the alcohol and then water to rinse. Dry thoroughly before use. The screen comes out good as new.

Been doing it this way for years. If at some time in the future the mesh fails/rips/tears in some way, I'd be hard-pressed to blame the alcohol.

 

[99%]

brush both sides of the mesh screens with alcohol and a one inch wide paint brush and let the alc drip onto a catchment dish, no need to rinse with water, the dissolved resin and alcohol drips through and what is left over will dry quickly without a trace. A quick wash with water after cleaning with alcohol is not recommended for wooden screen frames.

Ester it's odd you say alc is not suitable for cleaning gunked up dry sifting screens but didn't you post later that you use alcohol to clean your 25 micron rosin pressing screens? I think the problem you had was using alcohol and not vigorously brushing the meshes on both sides with lots of alcohol, as it works best when the alc drips through and the meshes are brushed so any stuff that doesn't dissolve with also drip through the mesh.

 

[Ollie]

A strong vacuum cleaner should do the trick, if the screens have been used "properly" ie. in the right temp and humdity conditions along worthy material.

Peace

 

[99%]

a strong vac will not clean clean ruptured and smeared resin heads stuck on the mesh, but it will help suck away any dry matter that is not adhered to the smeared resin (but so can picking up the frame and thumping it down a few times on a flat surface, just make sure the flat is thumped down so all the sides hit the table at the same time, this will dislodge dust and other dry stuff from the mesh)

and sure, a gunked up screen is something you should avoid rather than trying to fix the problem later...do this by dry sifting with dry, aged plant material in a cold, low RH room.

 

[Ollie]

Ya big up !

 

[EsterEssence]

I have found that for dry sift screens brushing is the best, however i do not let my dry sift screens get gunked up. One time years ago when i was learning and tried sifting when it was to warm i did get resin stuck to a screen, tried to clean it with alc and it made the screen sticky, it took a long time and a lot of work to clean that screen. Rosin is totally different the screen gets clogged and alc is the easiest way to clean, then rinse with water and dry, the screen is somewhat sticky but it does not matter you are not trying to separate particles...

 

[Cannabliss420]

so far iv not needed to use any alcohol. iv just used a mix of forced air and gently brushing it with a dry brush. luckily i have not ever gummed them up but i hated that i can see some heads lodged in the 200lpi screen which is why i started this thread. given that i work at a good temperature, the dry brushing seems to clean it well