Doming versus Top Coat or Flood Coat Terminology with Resin

Doming versus coating (top coating, flood coating), often confuses people. The terminology used is sometimes incorrect when referring to doming resin.

Doming is most often used for jewellery. It is what it’s sound like.... it is trying to create a rounded dome, on top of your piece, like you often see on jewelry pieces.

Just applying resin over top of a piece, without trying to round it (achieve a dome effect) on top, is simply called top-coating or flood coating.

While it is possible to dome resin with most epoxy resins, a thicker viscosity epoxy resin will be easiest to achieve the doming technique. The thinner viscosity epoxy resins tend to flow too easily over the sides, losing ability to achieve the rounded & domed top desired. And if not enough resin is used, it can not self level causing a dimply uneven finish.

When dome coating, (trying to achieve a slightly rounded resin topcoat), it is typically achieved easier, when there is some type of lip or side on the perimeter, (like often seen on a jewelry bezel), to hold the epoxy resin on top of the piece. If there is not lip around the perimeter, you may not achieve as much of a dome, but you can pour resin in the middle of the piece, and carefully push (manipulate) it up to the edges. A thicker viscosity resin will make this easier. Once it's settled a bit but not curing, you can then add a bit more in the centre again to help achieve more of a curve. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right.

Depending on the item being domed, if it does not have a lip on the edge, some people will add a lip using tape around the edges, then remove the tape at about the 4 hour mark, so it can not drip over the sides, but will still level & not leave a hard edge that has to be trimmed or sanded later.

The photo example shows a rounded dome look (exaggerated dome), versus a flat coat.

Cheers,

Michele

ArtWorks Resin Canada