Doming, Part Two

Last month, Jim discussed doming basics, resin types and shop-safety tips. This month, he’ll focus on shop preparations, proper doming procedures and estimating job costs.

Controlling a finished product’s quality demands controlling your work environment. Companies that specialize in domed graphics, such as Falcon Enterprises (St. Petersburg, FL) or Sunwest Screen Graphics (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), conduct their doming operations in a clean room with controlled temperature and humidity to keep their scrap rates down.

Interviews with production people at both companies produced some helpful tips. If you’re interested in doming, consider the following advice.

When you’re doming, your work surface and any drying racks must be level, or the resin will run to one side. To ensure its floors were perfectly level, Falcon Enterprises poured new floors before it moved into its new manufacturing plant. I’m not suggesting you pour new floors. However, you should put a level on a worktable and make any necessary adjustments.

Also, keep your work environment air dry and warm. As the air’s humidity increases, so do the doming liquid’s bubbles. During my first doming attempt, I primarily worried about humid conditions. Thus, I ran my air conditioner for a few days prior to using the doming resin. With dry air, I avoided bubble problems.

To control moisture, some shops use dehumidifiers. Throughout the year, Bill Barnes, VP of production for Falcon Enterprises, maintains a temperature of 70