How to make an Epoxy Resin River Table with Wood [Tutorial]

The first step is the thorough removal of any remaining bark, e.g. with a chisel. Although the bark looks very nice, it does not form an ideal bonding surface for the epoxy resin. Once the bark has been removed you should work the edges again by hand with sandpaper, so that wood and resin can later combine optimally.

Next, sand the large surfaces of the wood smoothly. An electric sander is particularly suitable for this. You should start with 80 grit and then work your way up to 220 grit. After each grit size, the dust should be removed from the boards before continuing. The sides are best finished by hand with some sandpaper.

Finally, the wood must be cleaned extremely thoroughly, there should be literally no dust residue present. A vacuum cleaner is an excellent tool for this, but to be sure wipe the surface again with a microfiber cloth to get rid of the last fine sanding dust.

Now all visible unevenness, cracks, and porous surfaces on the wood must be leveled. These are easily filled with crystal clear, unpigmented epoxy resin. If you want to correct any unevenness in unfavorably located areas on the edges, you can seal the edges in advance with very strong adhesive tape. This will prevent the resin from running over the edges of the wood afterward.

After the filled-in areas have dried and the whole surface is sealed, use a crystal-clear resin as you would for filling the cracks. You should apply this very generously over the entire wood surface. This sealing prevents possible outgassing from the resin layer, it is better to invest a little more money in a good brush that does not have weak bristles. Because once bristles have been stuck in the resin, it is very difficult to remove them from the resin again. The sealant must then dry very well. You should allow 5 hours for this regardless of the type of resin you’re using. The ideal temperature for drying is 18° to 24° C.

After curing you should slightly roughen the inner edges that will later come into contact with the cast resin by hand with some sandpaper. This will create the perfect base for the resin to bond with the edges.

Next, a mold must be built in the desired length and size of the table. Simple MDF boards can be used for this. The whole thing sounds more complicated than it actually is, however, it has to be measured and worked out very precisely and carefully. MDF boards with a thickness of 16 mm, for both the underside and the sides, have proven to be very suitable for the production of the mold.

The side panels should protrude the actual tabletop by approx. 15 mm. There are two options for joining the underside with the side panels: either the individual parts can be screwed together or joined together with hot glue.

To seal the edges afterward, it is best to use clear sanitary silicone. Here, working very carefully is essential to ensure that the mold is 100 % tight at the end. Otherwise, liquid epoxy resin will leak out.

Now a release agent is applied to the finished mold. This is a very important step, as the resin could otherwise adhere to the MDF boards after drying. In this case, it would be almost impossible to release the tabletop from the mold without damaging it. It would be possible to use adhesive tape to cover the entire mold or, alternatively, liquid release wax. Spraying with Teflon spray or silicone spray (this should be applied in up to three layers until the surface is smooth) is also suitable for this purpose.

Make sure that the work surface on which the mold rests is really 100% balanced. If not, the resin will become skewed after filling (and possibly leak). Once this has been ensured, the wood can then be placed into the mold. To do this, the wood is pushed into the position that it should have when the table is finished and then fixed with several parallel clamps. If you are planning a slightly smaller model, the wood can alternatively be fixed with heavy objects such as stones. However, you should always bear in mind that any object used to fix the wood might come into contact with the resin.

In order to prevent the resin from later spilling over onto the entire table and not just in the gutter provided for it, it is advisable to draw a kind of barrier of sanitary silicone along the inner edges at a distance of 1 to 2 cm.

In the next step, you will mix the epoxy resin. Important: When working with resin please always wear safety glasses, breathing protection, and nitrile gloves!

Next, you need a sufficiently large bucket. It would be ideal if this bucket holds the entire volume of resin or the first layer of resin. Please choose a sufficiently large bucket so that nothing goes wrong (accidents happen and resin is hard to clean up). Also, the bucket should preferably be wider than it is high so that not too much heat is generated.

This perfectly illustrates just how sensitive resin is as a material. From a certain amount and height, it starts to get extremely hot and in extreme cases boils and thus becomes either cloudy or directly unusable. Therefore, it may be necessary to cast the resin in several layers. The product used is the most important factor here. How many layers are required, or the maximum layer height and the maximum amount to be mixed ultimately depends on the thickness of your tabletop. If in doubt, observe the maximum layer of thickness specified by the manufacturer or decide directly for a special epoxy resin as described above, which can be cast directly in one layer.

It is also particularly important that the mixing ratio recommended by the manufacturer is observed and that the individual components are then thoroughly mixed. A drill with a mixer attachment has proven to be the best solution for this.

After mixing, air bubbles that have formed in the resin can be easily removed with a blow torch or heat gun. The rule here is as much as necessary, as little as possible. If the resin is heated too much, it will be damaged.

Especially when casting a water effect, it quickly becomes clear why the use of a special epoxy resin is recommended. This quality resin can be cast very easily in one step, giving you an instant payoff.

If you want to achieve the popular water look after mixing the two resin and hardener, the appropriate color pigments must now be added to the epoxy resin. To do this, divide the resin into two containers (the ratio of 1:1.5 would be preferable, for example). To achieve the water effect, color the larger part of the resin with a metallic pigment in turquoise and the smaller part with a matt blue pigment. This mixture only achieves the typical water look, and generally speaking, there are no limits to the choice of color.

When filling in the epoxy resin there are (again) two possibilities. You can either pour the resin from the two containers into the mold or simultaneously from one side each. Slight circular movements, especially with the metallic epoxy resin, make the final result look lively. Remember that you are responsible for the “flow’ in the resin’s appearance.

The resulting pattern can be changed with a wooden stick or similar object.

Afterward, the epoxy resin has to be allowed to cure completely (follow the manufacturer’s instructions).

In addition to the typical water look, there is an infinite number of different designs that are capable of turning your DIY table into a real work of art. An aesthetic that is Just as nice to look at is a River Table with crystal clear resin and embedded objects. For this, the first layer of crystal-clear resin is poured between the two wooden boards. This process should be done very quickly, but still with relative caution.

Afterward, a quick walk over the epoxy resin with a hot air dryer is done. Extreme caution is required here. If the resin is exposed to the extreme heat of the hairdryer at the same spot for longer than 3 seconds, this can cause, among other things, a burning of the material. The final result is an unsightly yellow epoxy.

Now follows the so-called “B Stage”, the second layer. When this layer is poured, the first layer should not yet be completely hardened and still slightly sticky on the surface. You must not miss this interval, as the next layer can only bond optimally with the first one if the substrate is slightly sticky. If the first layer is already completely dry, wait until the resin is completely cured. Then sand the surface with a 220 grain, clean it thoroughly and then pour the second layer.

If you want to embed decorative elements such as crystals or pebbles in the epoxy resin, then these should be added to the second layer. This has the advantage that they can no longer sink to the bottom.

Now the resin layer can be filled in to just above the edge and then allowed to dry completely again. The manufacturer’s instructions should again be observed closely.

Next, the cast tabletop is released from the mold. To do this, remove all screws and parallel clamps and carefully loosen the tabletop from the mold using a chisel and a plastic hammer. Afterward, the tabletop can be sanded. This work can be done by hand. However, an orbital sander makes the task much easier. Start with an 80 grit and work your way up to 400 grit and in the end, there should be no more resin on the wood.

For perfectly smooth edges, these can be additionally processed with a router before sanding or, if necessary, cleanly re-cut or plane again with a circular saw. However, these steps are not absolutely necessary. As a small tip: The higher the grain of the sanding paper, the lighter the surface of the Epoxy River Table will be at the end.

Now for the finish in order to protect the wood optimally. On the one hand, you have the possibility to achieve a natural, matt look. To achieve this, the finished tabletop – and especially the resin river – should be thoroughly polished with a polishing machine and polishing paste. This procedure ensures that all traces of sanding are removed, and a silky surface is achieved.

For a matt appearance, oil is then applied evenly over the entire tabletop, e.g., with a soft cloth. This method is extremely simple and seals the wood perfectly. Additionally, only a single application is required here.

For the epoxy resin polishing process, we have prepared a separate tutorial for you to enjoy.

If you prefer a glossy look, you could alternatively coat the surface of the tabletop with crystal-clear resin. To do this, start with the underside of the tabletop and first apply a sturdy adhesive tape around the top, which should protrude 1 to 2 cm. This prevents the resin from dripping down the sides.

The resin is then poured over the surface and evenly distributed over the entire surface. A plastic spatula, for example, is suitable for this. Briefly go over the resin with a heat gun to avoid bubbles. Afterward, the whole surface must be allowed to completely harden once more.

Since the first layer is only the base, you should always pour the second layer of resin. Here too, the first layer should be sanded briefly to ensure a successful bond between the two layers.

After curing, you can now remove the adhesive tape on the sides. Now the edge of the painted underside is taped (at least 5 cm wide).

Next, you should turn the tabletop over and put something suitable underneath it, such as leftover pieces of wood. To avoid damage to the lacquered side, you could also place a fleece underneath for added cushioning.

The tabletop must be 100% level so that the resin can now be poured over the top of the table. After the subsequent distribution with a spatula and the drying time elapses, the remaining adhesive tape can now be removed, and all sharp edges can be sanded with fine sandpaper.

For a perfect, mirror-smooth surface, a professional must be commissioned. After all, a polyurethane coating is particularly critical to this exercise. This kind of coating can only be done with special equipment, a paint booth, and a lot of know-how. Furthermore, this technique is very costly, but the advantage of a polyurethane coating is that you will have very high durability, e.g. to scratch marks. However, with a high-quality workpiece like the self-built Epoxy River Table, the investment in such a coating is worth considering for most crafters. After all, this is a labor of love.

• In order to finally finish the miracle resin table, you can screw on legs of your choice. With classic wooden legs, the table looks rustic, but at the same time, slightly noble. Stylish metal table legs turn the table into a modern piece of furniture.