New site for notes that I’ve been making while learning about epoxy/resin wood tables and creating my own desk. Some of this info has been collected from websites, YouTube, and the Epoxy Resin Advices and Tips Facebook page. I’ve quoted people where I had the quotes that I got them from, sorry if I missed one but send me a correction and I’ll get it fixed!
More Learning Resources
I’m sure there are a ton of YouTube videos, most I found skimmed over some parts, and deeper in others, so you might have to watch a lot, and also why I started taking these notes
Picking Out The Wood
- Make sure the moisture content is below 12%.
- I’ve also read this can highly depend on your meter too, some read high and some read low, so the general consensus seems to be 5-10% is better.
Picking Out The Epoxy
Minor scratches and cracks
- Gorilla Clear Epoxy
Tabletop
- Stone Coat Countertop
- TotalBoat
- Rusty Design - Canada
- Epodex
- Ultra Clear Epoxy
Deep Pour
- Liquid Glass
- TotalBoat
- Epodex
- Solid Solutions - Australia
- Ultra CLear Epoxy
Picking Out Epoxy Coloring
Pigments
- Alumilite
- Beaver Dust
- Eye Candy
- Black Diamond Pigments
- Pigmently - Liquid Pigment
- Pigmently - Powder Pigment
Dyes
Mica Powder
Other ideas for coloring
- “Alcohol ink, liquid resin dye, acrylic paint. I’ve even added glitter glue to resin which made it so the glitter didn’t sink down” Mladen Sakotic
Some of these tools are optional depending on the project, but I’ll list some known good tools I have used or others have reviewed.
Router
- Harbor Freight - Hercules
- I only used this once so far, replacing a really old Black and Decker, so far so good!
Router Bit(s)
- Surfacing Router Bit
- This is not the exact one I use, similar, and I only used this one because I already had it, maybe there’s a better one?
Router Sled
- DIY
- Stone Coat
- Crafted Elements
- Stuff 2 Make Stuff
- Woodpeckers Flatting Mill
Router Bowtie template
- Rockler Bow Tie Kit
Circular Saw Track Guide
If Removing Bark
- Hammer & Chisel
- Wire brush
If there’s a heavy amount:
- Draw Knife
- Drill with Cup Wire Brush
Orbital Sander (with dust collector)
Epoxy Spreader
- Amazon - Dynatron
Epoxy Mixing Container
There are a lot of variations of these, I think it really just depends on how much you are pouring at one time. One trick I saw someone use
was to put rice into the spots to fill, then pull the rice out and measure how much. I haven’t tried it yet, but looked promising!
- Plastic Graduated Mixing Cups - Amazon
- Silicone Graduated Mixing Cups, 3 sizes - Amazon
- 5 Gallon Plastic Bucket - Zoro
There’s a ton of different ones like this, not sure if there’s good/bad ones to look for, I tried these and worked good so far.
- Silicone Mixing Paddles - Amazon
Silicon Molds
- Crafted Elements
- I haven’t ordered from this place, yet, because of the projects I’ve done but heard great things about them, they have a great story and made in the USA!
-
Rusty Design-Canada
- Amazon-Kalinta
Pressure Pot (to be used while the epoxy cures)
- Vevor
Vacuum Pot (to be used to get the bubbles out of the resin before you pour)
- Harbor Fright Vacuum Pump - You still need a pot with this
- Bacoeng 3 Gallon w/Pump
Heat Gun / Propane Torch
- Harbor Freight Heat Gun
- So I haven’t used this with epoxy yet, but I have had one for years and it’s a basic heat gun, does the job.
- Home Depot Propane Torch
- Your basic torch you’ll find about anywhere, though I do usually prefer the nicer torch if I’m using it a lot:
- Updated Torch
Preparing the Wood
Removing any bark
- Unless you are going to 100% seal the bark, you’ll want to remove it before starting the pour.
- Another option I have heard works is to carefully take the bark off, and use some wood glue to put it back on and clamp it tight.
Sealing the wood
- Use the same epoxy that you will be doing your pour with, just brush it on as the first coat to make sure to seal the wood and keep out the bubbles.
Prepare Your Mold
- Can be made of many materials, melamine works well if making your own, see the list above for pre-made
- Whatever type you use, make sure it’s sealed all around so as you pour it’s not seeping out. I recommend watching it carefully to make sure so you can fix if it does.
- You can also cover your mold with a Mold Release product (need a link here), which will help ensure that your project comes out of the mold easier.
Preparing the Epoxy
- Make sure you are storing your epoxy in a temperature controlled environment, and definitely don’t let it freeze
- “Add the glitter or mix ins 40 mins after pouring and you will get an even dispersion.”
- “Aim to have about 70% wood to 30% epoxy ratio when laying out your piece” - heard this from an “expert” but not sure the reasoning
How to properly mix
- If you are mixing < 1 gallon it’s recommended to stir it slowly by hand in order to not introduce bubbles
- Temperature of epoxy before/during mix needs to be no less than 65°F
- Generally, deep pour is 2:1 mix ratio, and tabletop is 1:1, but ALWAYS look at the manufacturers labels first
*NOTE: At one stage here do you put the epoxy in the pressure pot?
How much mica powder to use?
- “It depends” - most people will say to mix until you like the look, but sometimes for first-timers that’s hard to gauge so what I was told as a general starting rule, is: 1/2 teaspoon per liter for opaque looking (non-translucent), and 1/16 of a teaspoon for a translucent finish
Initial Pour
- Watch the temperatures
- Sand with 120 and clean with 90% alcohol between pours
Flood Coat
Flood coats are coats of epoxy that are about 1/8” thick and cover the entire epoxy project. Their purpose is to complete the project, adding a glossy finish
Upstart Epoxy
Sanding the Wood
- Sand Paper increments: 80, 100, 120 (wipe down with damp towel to “pop” the grain out between sanding)
* Note: If you are going to use a top coat for the wood and you’re not going epoxy coat it, refer to the manufacturers recommendation for how fine to sand it
Sanding the Epoxy
- Dry Sand increments: 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 240, 320, 400
- Wet Sand increments: 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000
- Polish (epoxy only!) with ceramic car wax
Final Coating the Wood
Always follow the manufacturers cure times for best results! Like sanding, no shortcuts here!
* NOTE: I could use some guidance on which of the Odie’s works best for a natural wood finish
* NOTE: I also like the idea of Odie’s better, just because it doesn’t contain the chemicals that Rubio or Osmo contain, personal preference
** General consensus seems to be that putting a coat of ceramic car wax over the top of your wood finish will help reduce scratches and give it a better shine
Final Coating the Epoxy
- Obviously the epoxy will need to be sanded per the above instructions.
- Polarshine 10 Polishing Compound
Adding Legs
*NOTE: Seems to be one of the top asked questions, could use some good links to places that sell legs for those that can’t build them
- Flowyline
- Carolina Leg Co
- Rusty Design-Canada
Troubleshooting
- What to do if you get micro bubbles in the top coat?
- Sand/router it down and re-pour a thin coat over the top
- What to do if you didn’t pour enough and it shrinks down?
- Pour another coat over top (should you do this as soon as possible or wait?)
- “My last flood coat and it has fully set what grade sand paper should I rough it up with first”
- “A little more than 220 I use a 280”, most comments are 220
- “I am making an epoxy river table with 2 waterfall edges, when I assemble the waterfall would it be best to use wood glue or epoxy resin?”
- “Resin on the resin, glue on the wood”
- How do you clean off epoxy when done or before another pour on top?
- Use 90% isopropyl alcohol to make sure everything else is removed
- “What would cause the clear epoxy to come out milky color?”
- “It’s either moisture in the wood, or if you did multiple coats of finish, the previous coat(s) was not fully cured before re-coating.”
- “Mixed too vigorously micro bubbles”