Instructions on Using MDS
Cartridges
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully follow these
brief instructions and you will be rewarded with trouble-free quality domed
emblems at a price that's hard to beat.
PREPARING FOR DOMING
Ensure that working and
curing areas are clean, dry, warm and dust free. A constant temperature of
between 72ºF
(22ºC)
and 80ºF (26ºC)
and a relative humidity of 35% is ideal, and should be maintained for the full
curing time of the material. IMPORTANT
Polyurethane reacts with moisture, therefore it is essential to control the
humidity of the doming area.
About half an hour before
you intend doming, estimate the number of cartridges you will need for work in
hand and stand them upright (Photo 1) so that any nitrogen bubbles rise to the
mixer cap.
 
Photo 1
Photo 2
Place the emblems to be domed on
sheets of metal, plywood or toughened glass. Corner spacers fitted to the sheets
will enable them to be stacked while the emblems are curing (Photo 2). It is
important that emblems are laid flat, to ensure that the coating will cure to
give the same thickness over the whole emblem.
GUN ASSEMBLY
Before inserting the resin
cartridges into the dispenser gun, check to ensure that small deposits of
hardened polyurethane resin have not built up around the sealing rings in the
necks of the cartridge tubes.
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
If small deposits of hardened resin are present, these should be
carefully removed with a craft knife, small screwdriver or other suitable
pointed object.
Assemble the gun as shown in the photographs. Unclip the cartridge retaining
hinged bracket and insert the plunger into the gun handle (Photo 3), then insert
a dual-barrel cartridge into the retaining bracket (Photo 4) ensuring that
you hold the
gun with the mixer cap pointing upwards to prevent nitrogen bubbles returning to
the fluid.
If you are
doming a small quantity of emblems and will not use a complete cartridge, you
should first mark the cap and cartridge body before removing the cap, so that it
can be replaced in the same position (Photo 5). This will avoid the risk of
cross contamination of polyurethane and hardener fluids.
Remove the
cap, ensure the cartridge is tilted upwards, and holding a plastic cup or other
receptacle underneath, slowly squeeze the handle so that fluid rises to the top
of both tubes comprising the dual cartridge, expelling any nitrogen bubbles and
ensuring that the polyurethane and hardener fluids will be balanced. It is
important to make sure fluid shows at both apertures before proceeding. (Photo
6). Then attach the mixing tube and, still keeping the cartridge pointing up,
slowly squeeze the mixture along the tube and turn from side to side to dispel
air and any remaining nitrogen bubbles, and to ensure that the fluids are
thoroughly mixed together (See drawing below)
Photo 6
USING THE DOMING GUN
Hold the gun with the nozzle about 1
inch above the emblem (Photo 7) and gently squeeze the handle. The amount of
resin necessary to dome an emblem will be found by trial and error. You may find
you need less than you think. Aim to cover approximately two-thirds of the area
to be domed. Extra resin can always be applied some minutes after the first
application, depending on room temperature.
 
Photo 7
Photo 8
After
applying the resin, wait a few minutes and then carefully examine the emblem/s.
If you detect small bubbles it is important to remove these by applying heat
from the flame gun supplied. Hold the gun nozzle about an inch from the emblem
and fire a very short burst of no more than a second or so (Photo 8). The heat
will cause bubbles trapped under the surface to expand and break through the
resin surface.
While round, oval and other simple shapes practically dome
themselves, you may find it necessary with more complex shapes to work resin
into the edges or corners of emblems using a cocktail stick, match end or
knitting needle. If the polyurethane spills over the badge or decal, you can
scoop up the excess with a blunt craft knife then quickly run the point of the
knife around the profile of the decal to prevent any further overspill. MDS
3D Polyurethane is at its most workable state 10-20 minutes after application,
depending on temperature.
Doming Guidelines
You can use your MDS 3D
Polyurethane Doming Kit on virtually any non-porous substrate. It is possible to
dome labels 1/4in round or square up to large decals and cut out vinyl letters.
You can dome ID cards, medals, coins, trophy centres, key fobs, promotional
items, etc. The height of the dome will normally be between 0.070in - 0.090in,
depending on the size of the emblem and the amount of resin applied.
Your MDS 3D
Starter Kit comprises the following items and is sufficient to dome 500 square
inches:
·
1 application
gun
·
1 bubble
remover gun
·
12 polyurethane
50 gram cartridges
·
12 mixing
tubes;
·
3 pairs of
disposable gloves
·
Instruction
manual.
PRINTING FOR DOMING
When
printing sheets of labels and decals for doming it is recommended that a
polyester liner is specified. Polyester will lay flat and not tend to curl
throughout the curing process, which Kraft liners are prone to do. Make sure the
sheets of labels have been stored at room temperature prior to doming, as any
moisture on the surface of the labels will cause the resin to react with the
moisture and cause bubbles to appear on the surface of the dome.
We also
recommend that you leave at least a 10mm (1/4in) gap between images, in case
polyurethane overspills from a label and spreads into adjacent labels.
IMPORTANT!
Safety Precautions
Make sure that you take adequate
health and safety precautions.
Do not use your MDS 3D kit in
confined spaces and make sure that there is a constant supply of fresh air.
Always use protective gloves and safety glasses. Avoid touching your face while
doming, particularly around your eyes. Do not consume food or drink whilst using
polyurethane. Dispose of used containers in a safe manner.
CURING TIMES FOR
DOMED EMBLEMS
The emblems
will set sufficiently to be moved after 20 - 30 minutes, but full cure usually
takes between eight and 24 hours, depending on room temperature. Domed emblems
must be fully cured before being packed or stacked.
IMPORTANT When
using the doming kit to coat large decals or vinyl lettering, allow the coated
product to cure for at least two to three days on the release paper before
applying to a rigid surface. This is because the polyurethane resin shrinks
slightly during the cure cycle. If the domed vinyl is applied prematurely to a
rigid surface it may cause surface wrinkles.
CLEANING
When you have
finished doming, clean the application gun thoroughly to avoid build-up of resin
residue on the pistons and ratchet. Acetone is suitable for this purpose.
Acetone is very flammable. Do not use where open flames exist. Dispose of all
unwanted materials, mixer tubes, spent cartridges and dispensed resin in
accordance with local waste removal regulations.
Important! Always use vinyl gloves and safety glasses when cleaning the
equipment.
| 
Dome flat labels to bring them to
life!
