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doming tips
Hi all, been doing some doming recently and it’s going ok! the biggest problem i find is holding the vinyl flat once it’s been weeded. At the moment the best I can come with is taping the sheet to a board with the cut out vinyl still attached to the release paper. The problem is that the paper wants to expand in the slighest of damp conditions and thus doesn’t lie flat. Obviously this causes the dome to be irregular in thickness and I have to produce more to get the number ordered allowing for scrappers. Any better ways anyone?
Cheers, Mark.
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10 Replies
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One word. Spraymount.
Or is that two words? I dunno.
Spray a very light coat onto the board, not the back of the graphic. That way, you will minimise the amount that remains on the back of the backing. Use a felt squeeqee or a roller to stick the sheet of vinyl down.
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Oh yeah, I forgot, doming should really be done in a dry room. A dehumidifier will solve this, if you want to spend any money. Depends how much of it you do, I suppose.
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Great idea Andy, one word, brilliant
Mark. 😀
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By the way that looks a very nice pint of bitter?
Mark. 😀
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Very nice.
I did a LOT of doming a couple of years ago, and this was the best method I found. Occasionally, a bubble might appear under the sheet, but keep your squeegee handy before you pour the resin and you’ll have no worries. What do you use as a board? Glass is good, but dibond is perfect as it is very stable and doesn’t warp. As I said earlier, keeping the room dry makes a lot of difference.
Strangely enough, I was considering getting a doming starter kit today. I always enjoyed making domed lettering.
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Hi Andy, I use bits of di bond, stack them atop each other with perspex off cuts and let them stand overnight. I am going to build a drier cabinet with a green house heater to warm them up. Will also help with keeping dust off – recommended.
mark 😀
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You can get self adhesive rubber feet from RS Components or probably Maplins, which makes things a little easier. Have you ever domed versacam prints unlaminated? If so, can I assume the resin doesn’t affect the print?
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We use pritt paper glue , stuff you find in stationery stores that kids use for scrapbooks etc. Be careful of solvent based sprays , we had a problem using a tack type spray some while ago in that it still had traces of solvent evaporating while the domes dried and we had what was called aline migration , initially the dome was clear , after standing a week it started getting milky patches on the surface and it took us a long time to trace it to the mounting adhesive.
We do 1000’s and 1000’s of domed labels , dont worry to go for fancy stuff for drying racks , get a bookshelf , screw lights at reasonable intervals under the shelves – use 60w incandescent bulbs and use a sheet of builders clear plastic as a curtain. allow each shelves lights to be switched off independantly of other shelves , level it all up and hey presto , a cheap drying rack. I use urethanes that take 1/2 an hour to cure and gel etc – but you need a dispenser and static mixer to use these as they have a very short pot life (how long they are pourable etc after mixing) -
Thats a great idea with the shelves rodney, top tip!
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Hi all, good ideas and advise here. I use versacamm prints unlaminated Andy. So far with no bad results, just let the ink fix overnight if possible. I get the idea of the shelves Rodney, just that after 20 years in the joinery trade I can knock up a cupboard fast enough anyway. Also can make it more compact to fit in the small unit I have. Good idea though, shelves.
Cheers, Mark.
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