Introduction
Craving a unique addition to your homemade furniture? Look no further! Join us on this journey as we use epoxy to create an eye-catching piece of work. Our expert team, D's Epoxy Creates, has the pleasure of helping one Maker customize their handmade farm table with spruce corral boards that have been shaped by his horses' hooves! Let’s get crafting and show off our creative creation for all eyes to see.
I. Overview of D’s Epoxy Creates
D's Epoxy Creates is a leading epoxy-based company that provides professional craftsmanship, top-of-the-line products, and expert support. We specialize in creating custom projects with epoxy to help customers achieve the highest quality results.
II. The Project: Adding Epoxy to a Custom Table
For this project, D’s Epoxy Creates was commissioned to help a Home-owner (the Maker) add epoxy to their handmade farm table. The table was constructed using old spruce corral boards that were weathered and "contoured" by his horses. These boards were laid out side by side, framed with 45-degree corners, then glued and screwed to a plywood board. The Maker then belt-sanded the top of the table for a smooth finish.
III. Preparation Before Applying the Epoxy
A. Safety First
Before starting any project involving epoxy, make sure you practice proper safety protocols. Wear protective gear such as eye protection, long sleeves and pants, and nitrile gloves to protect yourself from any potential spills or splashes. Use a respirator to limit your exposure to the fumes that are released when epoxy is mixed and epoxy dust when sanding. Lastly, make sure you're working in a well-ventilated room.
B. Cleaning the Surface
To begin the process of adding epoxy to the custom table, it is important to make sure that the surface of the table is clean. This can be done by wiping down the surface with a damp cloth and then vacuuming all cracks, holes, and seams to remove any dust or debris.
C. Prepping for the Pour
Make sure to tape over all seams and holes (and in this case screw heads) on the bottom of the table. This will prevent any leaks.
WARNING: Epoxy will find the smallest of cracks and pinholes to leak through.
IV. Step-by-Step Guide on Filling in Voids with Epoxy
A. Mixing the Epoxy
Once all dust and debris have been removed, you can start mixing the epoxy according to the product's instructions. In general, this involves combining equal parts of a resin mixture with a hardener solution in order to create a solid bond that will fill in any gaps or voids between pieces of wood. We used ICE EPOXY'S ICE Thin, made for pours up to 1" deep.
B. Applying the Mixture
Once the epoxy is mixed, you can use a fine-tip applicator or syringe to get into the narrowest cracks and larger voids can be filled by pouring from the mixing cup. Overfill just a little to account for any shrinkage that may occur when the mixture cures. In the video below you can see us on our second day of pouring.
C. Sanding
When the epoxy has cured (24 - 36 hours), you can start sanding the surface. Start with a 40-grit paper and work your way up to a 320-grit paper for a smooth finish. The spruce wood was a mixture of soft wood and hard knots making sanding somewhat tricky. When planning a project like this consider alternating the soft unblemished boards with the hard knotty boards.
D. Final Touches
To complete the project, we used Walrus Cutting Board Oil to treat the wood and polished it up with Walrus Wood Wax to make it look new again!
V. Project Challenges
The main challenge when working with epoxy and filling voids in a bespoke table is that the wood used here was spruce, which is a softwood. This meant extra care had to be taken when sanding the filled areas, as any over-sanding could damage the softer parts of the wood. Additionally, the boards used for the table were not flat on both sides, which meant that more epoxy was necessary in order to fill any voids as much of the epoxy disappeared between the board and plywood. It took 3 days and 182oz of epoxy to bring the epoxy level to the top of the boards.
VI. Conclusion
By following the steps outlined in this guide, anyone can successfully fill voids in a bespoke table with epoxy. The process is not as intimidating as it may seem and with the right tools and knowledge, great results can be achieved! D’s Epoxy Creates provides quality products and expert support to guarantee that your project will turn out exactly as you envisioned. Contact us today to get started on your dream project!