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Carol W

15"x15" Clamshell Press: uneven pressure when locked

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I bought a 15" x 15" Clamshell Press, Model FLHP 3802, in February, 2018. I am just getting around to using it today to make a T-shirt quilt for my niece. Attempted to calibrate the pressure settings  using a piece of paper as instructed and I thought all was well until attempting to apply the interfacing to the T-shirt. However, only the bottom 1/3  to 1/2 of the interfacing would stick. After multiple attempts at increasing time/temp with the same results, decided to check the pressure in the back of the plates and sure enough, the paper slipped right out! Even with the knob turned to the highest pressure, the paper easily slips out the back. Help! No call back yet from customer support and my niece is only visiting from out of state for a couple more days! Thank you!

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Carol clam shell presses can have difficulty with even pressure if you didn't spring for one with the center point pressure. A tiny bit of searching and you would have found that point brought up many times here on the forum. Bear in mind that at some thickness it will be just right but with thin shirts it will put more pressure on the front (toward the operator) and with thick stuff like hoodies it will put more toward the back. The best way to deal with it other than just finding a better press is to purchase a heat press pillow and use it under whatever you are pressing. This will allow even pressure over the whole platen. It will also help when you have a thigh shirt collar or a kids onesie or something like that with sewn seams that cause uneven pressure. Hopefully the press will allow enough adjustment for the foam pillow. Press pillows are just a piece of 3/4" foam sewn into some teflon and is something that every shop should have anyway. I have re-stuffed mine twice over the years with foam I bought at a craft store. 

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If you have to turn and burn real quick just add an extra shirt or something under the one you are pressing until the press is even. My experience is a little too much pressure is far better than not enough. The only failures I have ever had were early on when I had a thick collar holding up one side of the press and it left an area that didn't get good pressure. Check your temperature too with an inrfared temp gun because the chinese presses are notoriously off on the heat. Like WAY off. 

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I really appreciate your suggestion! I picked up a hot press pillow and it worked great! Thank you!

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