[Woodworkers] Resin Table

Thu Jul 22 09:25:19 PDT 2021

Thanks for the outstanding info..Ive got a hollow trunk of a downed oak ..
There is a small saw mill couple miles from here that will plank it..May
char the insides..The 'hollow' will be my 'river'...But after reading your
very informative post, I think my first one will be an end table rather
than coffee table.😁

On Thu, Jul 22, 2021, 11:13 AM chuck.steger--- via Woodworkers <
woodworkers at lists.sawdusters.org> wrote:

>    I just realized that I may have confused some people, especially if
> you’ve never done a resin pour. Most people who do a river table will take
> a board with natural edges on both sides and then split that board straight
> down the middle. The straight parts become the edges of the table and the
> wavy natural edges become the river (in the middle). You can then make the
> river as wide as you want.
>
>    In other cases (like mine), I wanted the resin to also be the edges. If
> you look at the before picture you will see the edges are natural and wavy.
> My resin is a translucent blue and if you look at after the pour, you can
> see the outline of the board edges. They say to make the form a little
> bigger than you want (in this case) so you can trim to the size you want.
> Once I plane down to the wood, the edges should become even clearer. At
> this point I plan on keeping the edges straight but another option would be
> to follow the curves and do some sort of edge treatment. I’m playing all of
> this by ear.
>
>    I wanted to clarify since this isn’t a true river table.
>
>    I was prepping my router for the surfacing bits. My largest router
> (DeWalt 3 ½ hp plunge) will not accommodate a 3” bit. I think 2” may fit.
> The bit will have to hang below the router base. I have to be very careful
> because a plunge router’s natural tendency (because of the springs) is to
> return up. I’ll have to hang the bit off of the wood (in my slab carrier)
> in a “free space”, slightly above the wood but away from my router base.
> Then I’ll plunge to a depth (set by my depth stop) and do a pass. Without
> raising the bit and in my free space, I’ll adjust the micro depth adjuster
> up a scootch and then plunge again. I’ll do this until I need to stop and
> check in which case I’ll return to my free space and shut off the router
> without retracting. This makes me nervous but as long as I am aware, I
> should be ok.
>
>
>
> Chuck
>
>
>
> *From:* chuck.steger at gmail.com <chuck.steger at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, July 20, 2021 3:51 PM
> *To:* woodworkers at sawdusters.org
> *Subject:* RE: [Woodworkers] Resin Table
>
>
>
>    Some “before” pictures. Hopefully the “after” pictures will be better
> 🤞
>
>    As usual, I appreciate everyone’s tips! I spent yesterday making a
> shop-made slab flattening jig. I finished the router carrier and rails but
> then realized my only planer bit is a dado clean out bit. It’s too small
> and would take forever to do a slab. I ended up ordering 2 bits: (1) A
> Whiteside surfacing bit, ½” shank, with carbide tips, 2” cutting diameter
> and (2) a Binstak surfacing bit with Helix cutters, ½” shank, 3” cutting
> diameter. The helix cutters gives me 4 edges each and I ordered extra
> cutters. It will be interesting to see which one cuts smoother.
>
>    Early into the project, I already have lessons learned:
>
>    - I made the form pretty well. Very little leakage (very little) and
>    used packing tape on the bottom and insides. The sides popped off easily
>    and the bottom came off easily after using a wide putty knife.
>    - The mix went well. I used powdered pigment instead of liquid. Some
>    people think liquid changes the chemistry of the mix. Thoughts on that?
>    I’ve used liquid in small applications like filling a knot but also realize
>    that big-box epoxy is way different than deep pour epoxy.
>    - For first timers like me: The deep pour epoxy is real thin so you
>    have plenty of time to work with it (keep this in mind when making the
>    form). Mine said a 72 hour cure. The longer the cure, the more time air
>    bubble can come to the surface. I used a heat gun to bring bubbles to the
>    surface and even after that, some still rose (not a problem as I will need
>    to surface anyway). Thoughts on heat gun vs torch?
>    - I did not flatten the wood before the pour. My thought process was
>    it was only 4/4 thick and if I flatten now and then again after the pour,
>    it would be too thin. Not sure if that is a valid way to think about it.
>    After watching more YouTube videos I think I could have saved epoxy and not
>    have near the cleanup if I had flattened first.
>    - I should have screwed the wood down from the bottom. I didn’t
>    realize it was floating until I noticed the cracks weren’t complexly
>    filling. Some YouTubers use hot melt glue. Thoughts on holding wood down?
>    One YouTuber used clamps but he had silicone pads to place the clamp head
>    on. In the photos, the brick did help but I think the buildup on the bottom
>    had already started. With 2 bricks touching wood, one came off clean and
>    one was solidly epoxied to the top. Red brick is real hard and it would
>    have taken a long time to sand off so I chiseled it off.
>    - Given the wood wasn’t flattened before and I didn’t screw down the
>    wood, I really overpoured. At the time I though that more was better and
>    that I could always clean it up. In hind sight I’m having to clean up more
>    and the underside of the top has 1/8” thick resin build. I think some would
>    have leaked on the bottom but not 1/8” thick. A lot of YouTubers will
>    either fill slightly under to plane wood first and some fill slightly over
>    but none fill like I did ☹
>    - I left the bark on. One YouTuber thought the bark could separate
>    from the wood. I think the epoxy was so thin, it permeated the bark and
>    will hold. Thoughts?
>    - I’m glad I started with a small table.
>
>
>
> Chuck
>
>
>
> *From:* Woodworkers <woodworkers-bounces at lists.sawdusters.org> *On Behalf
> Of *Gary C Williams via Woodworkers
> *Sent:* Monday, July 19, 2021 1:01 PM
> *To:* woodworkers at sawdusters.org
> *Cc:* gcw804 at aol.com
> *Subject:* Re: [Woodworkers] Resin Table
>
>
>
> Chuck,
>
>
>
> Show us some pictures when you get a chance.
>
>
>
> No matter what you use, you are either going to load up the sanding disks
> and belts, or dull your planer blades and router bits. I would probably go
> the route of using a jig and a router to level it, and then come back and
> do the final sanding with a Micro Mesh sanding pads..
>
> Router bits are relatively inexpensive.
>
>
>
> Make sure to wear a respirator.
>
>
>
> Good Luck.
>
>
>
>
>
> Gary Williams
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   Which leads me to my questions:
>
>    What do you use to level the table and sand the resin? I tried a belt
> sander but it loads up real quickly. Will the resin dull my planer knives
> if I send it through the planer? I have a drum sander but if the belt
> sander loaded up, wouldn’t the drum sander? I thought about putting it back
> in the form and use a router to level. The top wasn’t totally level but I
> could use wedges to level, then route. The underside of the top has a good
> 1/8” to 3/16” of resin and I’d like to take that down to the wood. One
> YouTube video said they liked Micro Mesh sanding pads because they are
> porous and vacuum easily but that would be a lot of sanding to remove 1/8”
> or more.
>
>    Advice? Thanks!
>
>
>
> Chuck
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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