The WoW Style

You must have often dreamt of the corner of your house where you can sit and relax with a luxurious and aesthetic coffee table to cater to your needs. This often remains a dream due to the expenses that one has to incur while buying a river table. But this does not mean that you have to let go of your priceless home aesthetic. You can always make yourself one with some interesting inputs from the Internet and of course, a lot of patience.

The first step is always the most difficult one. So, grab a piece of paper and a pen and sketch a simple design for your coffee table. Do not go overboard with it as this can create a lot of problems if it’s not your cup of tea. But if you have practice at making furniture at home, then go ahead with your design intuitively.

We have the rest of the plan laid out for you, which would make this exciting task a cakewalk.

Materials Required:

The right material is the key to the best product. That is why we have prepared a list of supplies that can help you check the raw supplies available at your home or nearby. Don’t forget to check all the supply stores in your area so that the quality is ensured. Make sure that you have seen and analyzed all the options before choosing.

The first material that you need to find is wood. There are various varieties with different strengths, prices, and resistant qualities.

The most commonly available kinds are hardwoods, oak, and mahogany. Choose according to the qualities that you desire by analyzing the environmental conditions your place has. The touch of the wood and quality can make a huge difference to your table.

The next most important thing to choose is the kind of resin which will work with the wood that you choose. For example, penetrating resin is the best for oily-surfaced hardwoods like oak.

Other properties of the particular brand that you choose can be tested, like the consistency of the resin and the surface hardness of the wood. This will lead you to the right selection. After you have the appropriate choice of wood and resin, make yourself a supply list. We are giving you a headstart on the same but add things according to your design and requirement.

The basic materials that will be required to complete your epoxy river table are:

• Wood piece (which is cut to the size of the tabletop)
• 2 gallons of the selected resin
• Masking Tape
• Clamps
• Long gloves
• Sandpaper
• Legs for the table
• Acrylic pièces
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Fluid Acrylic for coloring
• Orbital Sander
• Polyacrylic
• Wood conditioner
• Wood Stain
• Wood screws
• Handheld Blowtorch
• Respirator
• Disposable cups
• Degreaser
• Primer spray-paints

The legs of the table are dependent on your design. It is recommended that if you do not want to see the legs through the resin, you should go for a three-legged table or try some other options for a chic variation. Buy the legs of the table accordingly.

Preparing the Physical Blueprint

Once you find the perfect color, create the desired shape with the acrylic pieces according to your plan that would complement your finished product. Remove all kinds of remains that stick to the acrylic pieces and let the pieces be kept in a five-sided box with the help of clamps.

Few things to keep in mind while doing so are to make sure the Acrylic is smooth, steady, and level. Once the optimal shape is achieved, cut the piece of wood to be fitted within the boundaries, but this should be done following the design. So your resin can be either in the middle or on both sides or on one side of the wood.

Bringing the pieces together

The next processes bring various parts of the coffee table together:

Pouring and Curing

To prepare the right mixture, you need to first choose the color of your choice for the coffee table. This would aid you in preparing an acrylic mixture. Before deciding, try these colors with the wood to make your choice clearer.

Once you are done choosing the best color for your epoxy river table, mix the resin and the color in the ratio of one drop of Acrylic for 4 ounces of resins. If you require more changes in the color, feel free to add more drops of color or more quantity of resin accordingly.

Measure the resin and mix it as thoroughly as possible so that the layers cure properly. This is very important for preparing the epoxy table. Once the resin is prepped, the color can be added. This process has to be conducted cautiously. If too much color is added, the resin will become opaque, and the desired result will not be achieved.

Now line the acrylic pieces with tape so that the epoxy is secured, and it does not stick with them. Then pour the epoxy resin on the structure and continue this process by creating ⅛ layers for better consistency. After each layer is poured, let it sit for 48 hours and strengthen itself with the surrounding materials.

Every time you pour, heat the areas with the handheld blow torch by reaching out to the layer. Beware of air bubbles and use the blow torch to get rid of them. Heat in one area for too long can lead to burning as well.

For the last pour, you can choose to keep the resin clear, as this will retain the color and style of the wood. Once the final layer is cured, let go off the acrylic mold using a hammer and a chisel.

Sanding

Before you start this process, run your hands on the resin and find any soft or sticky spot, tape it off after pouring some resin into it. If you sand these spots, you will have to manually heat and chisel the resin out of the layer, which can be a tedious job to do. Acétone can remove any residue left to make sure the foundation for sanding is solid.

This process becomes a lot simpler with an orbital sander, for example from Bob Smith Tools. Do not skip this process even if you have a smooth and perfect pour without any obstructions at the surface of the table. Get yourself various options in sandpaper grit sizes like- 60, 100, 120, 150, and 220. The sizes can be used for different parts like the one with the smallest grit can be used for the top of the table.

The more perfect you desire the table to be, the more hardcore the sander has to be, but an orbital sander can create a beautiful surface if the table is for your personal use. While sanding the coffee table, do not forget to wear safety goggles and respirator masks at all times as you are likely to be covered with infinite particles of dust. But don’t worry, the cleaning process is relatively simple
if you wear long gloves.

This process can test your patience but do not give up and stay determined. This will blend all the materials into one. This process is very intuitive as it has to be done by analyzing where a lighter touch is required. The problematic areas can be cured with some resin.

The Final Touch to the River Table

Give your table the final touch by cleaning its surface with a vacuum and a cloth and then apply a wood conditioner with care followed by the stainer to give the epoxy table the desired finish. Wait for it to dry up and then follow it with a polyacrylic base. To give a more balanced look, you can opt for a spray finish.

Clean the leg pieces of the coffee table and screw them carefully to the structure. Voila! Your table is ready.

Conclusion

Making a table requires a lot of patience, but it is not as difficult as it might seem if the right precautions are taken. The problem areas are the usage of wood and resin. Therefore, practice with little material before moving towards your goal so that you do it right.

While making the table, read the entire set of instructions for the process at once and then continue so that you are aware of the steps and the mistakes that can take place. You can also choose to go for other forms of equipment like plantar sander depending on your ease of arrangement and conduction of the process.