How much epoxy resin do I need for a River Table?

How much epoxy resin do I need for a river table? To cover a table-top efficiently, you’ll need the necessary tools and equipment as well as using the right quality products that ensure your work of art comes out perfect.

Maybe you don’t know the amount of epoxy resin to use or the necessary steps on how to start your coating process; perhaps you want to know how much epoxy resin you need for a river table, then I guess you’re at the right place!

To coat a river table, you’ll need between 1-4 gallons, depending on your table gap size. Getting to know your measurements is essential to be able to get the precise amount of epoxy needed. This might be your first time coating a table-top, and I’m sure you need all the guidelines you can get.

What is an Epoxy River Table?

An epoxy river table is a hybrid furniture made out of wooden planks and reins in between. The planks have natural edges with the containing resin epoxy in between, looking like a flowing river.

How can you build an epoxy resin table yourself?

There are various methods and techniques on the internet. It might have got you wondering if you could make your river table with exceptional designs yet looking extremely beautiful and perfect. You can make your resin-covered river table by following the steps and methods, getting the right pieces of equipment, materials, and you’re good to go making your design.

Materials needed for a resin River table

Epoxy resin is an extremely versatile material in such a way that once cured stays durable, making it a sensitive material during the curing process. That is why you must use quality products, starting with getting a good quality resin that guarantees a perfect finish immediately after the wax has cured.
You will need two resin types during making your lovely table, which is casting and laminating resin. The casting resin is used when you want to create the river table, while the laminating resin provides the final coat over your tabletop.

I have a written a complete guide about choosing the best epoxy for river tables here.

Epoxy resin for casting tabletop

You need to get the best epoxy resin for the casting table, which is a resin with low viscosity, which means the resin to be used must not be fluid enough so that it can be poured into the mold with ease. Using a casting resin makes your work easier and straightforward as it ensures that all small gaps, tiny holes, and hard to reach areas are covered. When you want to get your casting resin, make sure you get one with excellent quality, less viscosity that appears as a clear liquid, and remember to add your color pigment to create the river table effect.

Epoxy resin for coating

Also, you’ll need to get an epoxy resin for coating and sealing the tabletop. Once your table has cured after being cast, it depends on you if you want to apply a final transparent coating to your tabletop. Still, it’s advisable to do so as this will work as a protective layer and seal the epoxy and increase its durability. It’s important to note before getting a coating resin to get a product that is UV- resistant topcoat to prevent the clear later from yellowing over time.

Materials required for a resin river table

Few necessary materials are listed below that will make your table an easy go;

1. The well dried natural wood of your choice
2. Foldable carpenter’s ruler
3. Screws
4. F- Clamps
5. Soft mallet
6. Wood oil
7. Silicone spray
8. Liquid color pigment transparent for crystal clear river tables
9. Respirator mask
10. Eye protection
11. Nitrile gloves
12. Duck tape
13. Caulking gun
14. Sandpaper
15. Large mixing cups
16. Wood chisel
17. Polishing paste for glossy surfaces.

Equipment you’ll need to make an epoxy covered table-top are:

1. Jigsaw
2. Planer
3. Plunge router
4. Orbital sander
5. Orbital polisher
6. Hot melt glue gun
7. Cordless drill with a paint mixer
8. Heat gun
9. Butane torch
10. Have a circular saw.

Before you can start anything, the wood must be cut to the right length and angle and divided in the middle. It must be planed to an even thickness using a hand circular saw and a planing machine, but if you can’t get the device because it’s expensive or as a result of your wooden panel having large dimensions, you can have your wood sawed and planed to the desired size, shape and thickness by a carpenter.

Read Also: How much epoxy do I need for a Table Top?

How to calculate the amount of epoxy required for your river table

Width measurement

The very first thing you need to do is to take the width measurements down the whole length of your river table every 6 inches, but if you’re using a much smaller piece, then you can measure your width every 4 inches.

You can use something to help you record down the measurements to about mix up. As you work down, you’d slabs, follow the twists and turns taking your measurements.

In case you’re working with a very sloped slab, I suggest you take your measurements from the top and bottom; even though it might look a bit weird and seems like you’re doing it wrongly, keep on taking your measurements. After getting all your measurements, add it all together.

For example if your first five marks are 9″,12″,29″,5″,15″; We add it up altogether and divide it by the total number of measurements to find the average width;
4 + 12 + 3+ 9+5 =33
33/ 5 = 6.6

Now that we’ve gotten the average width, we need to find the total length. At times, it’s as simple as the length of the table. To do this on your own, you have to measure around the river’s twists and turns. Let’s assume the total length of the river with all the twists and turns was 180,” which means we have our width as well as our length. Let’s use the formula learned back in school, which is; Volume = L×W×H. That means one of our parameters remains height. Let’s take 2.55 to be our height.

Convert inches to liters
Liter= L × W × H
L = 100 × 6.6 × 2.55= 1673 liters

You are calculating for the miscellaneous inches underneath the slabs. If they are a little rough, you can go for 1/8,” but they are perfectly flat, you can go for 1/16″

Pro-tips

1. Before anything, make sure you get the measurement of your material
2. When getting products like the resin coating, get the right quality products, and follow the producers’ instructions.
3. Always get a wood that is natural as possible
4. Make sure your wood is well seasoned and dry
5. Make sure your working environment is well ventilated.
6. Always use your nitrile gloves and eye protection.

A simple method on how to coat your river table with resin

• Mix the resin as instructed by the manufacturer, coloring as desired unless indicated otherwise. Pour a layer only a few inches thick. If it eventually gets too thick, it’ll not dry naturally.

• After pouring the first layer to dry, use the heat gun on a low to skim over the top and pop the top layer air bubbles enabling a clearer view.

• Suppose you want extra clarity to repeat the gun step five minutes apart until bubbles stop rising to the surface. Let the layer sit overnight, then after it cures, repeat this topic until you fill your river to the top.

• You’ll need a resting of low viscosity to seal the table-top.

• Build a mold and fill the space between with the mixed resin.

• Remove the mold after it must’ve cured the table-top.

• Sand and polish the surface and place the table legs, then it’s a go for your epoxy coated river table.

Conclusion

You’ll need close to 1-4 gallons of epoxy to cover a river table, depending on the space in between the table. For coating, two resin types are used to cover the table-top, which are the coating and casting resins.

Apart from knowing the amount of material used, it’s necessary to get the right quality products and at the same time, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

As explained in this article, it is necessary to take few precautions while working, like putting on the nitrile gloves and safety eye goggles and getting durable products with low viscosity, which prevents the table’s yellowing even after being exposed to the sun.