Metal Spatula

[tomsutton529]

At work we use wooden spatula's for mixing small quantities of ink when pad printing.. we get through a few hundred very quickly, we think there could be a good cost saving if we used stainless steel ones that can get chucked in the parts washer when we clean up.

the wooden ones are the tongue depressing ones the Dr uses, does anyone know where I can get stainless steel ones or how much it would cost to have 32 made to the same size of the wooden ones..

 

[rtbcomp]

Google turns up a lot, but most are from China. Look for medical and dental suppliers.

A few more turn up here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Medical-Lab-Equipment-/11815/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=spatula

Scroll down for stainless ones.

 

[Hitch]

Can you just not use some strips of stainless sheared from a sheet and deburred?

 

[tomsutton529]

Cheers for the link, defo some options there.

Cutting it from sheet would be my preferred option as we can get exactly what we want but getting something fabricated by our fitters is almost impossible, Not because the are not capable but there is always a tap that needs fixing or something else mundane. They would rather get an outside firm to do the jobs and pay through the nose for it.

 

[bigegg]

I used to work making litho ink, and we used plastic knives - no idea what sort of plastic tho, I'm afraid.
I know screen printing tends to use more volatile solvents than litho, which may cause a problem, but I would guess a phone call to one of the big ink manufacturers - I know Coates, Sun and BASF are not a huge distance from you - would give you an idea.