The best epoxy resin for live edge wood has a significant role in ensuring you get the best results of your live edge, preserve and seal bark or increase space for use on your live edge table.
To clearly apply epoxy on a live edge wood you need the right kind of epoxy that will perfectly nail various aspects of your specific live edge project. However, the epoxy market offers many choices of epoxy resin and it can be quite confusing to pick the right one.
In today’s article, we not only give you a well-filtered and researched insight into the best epoxy for a live edge, but also carefully match out some of the common live edge wood projects including live edge tables, thick live edge slabs, and live edges with barks.
Reviews: Best Epoxy Resin For Live Edge Wood
1. TotalBoat Thickset Deep Pour Epoxy (1.3 Gallon Kit) – Best Overall Epoxy Resin for Live Edge Wood
TotalBoat Thickset ticks all the criteria for the best epoxy for live edge wood.
TotalBoat Thickset is a deep pour epoxy resin perfect for thick live-edge slab tables and pours up to 2” thick casts per layer.
Although the 3:1 ratio could be complex for beginners, it is fairly easy to understand and measure out using the right tools.
Also, the self-leveling mechanism allows the epoxy resin to fill the mask out brush marks and achieve a consistent thickness throughout the live edge wood.
TotalBoat Thickset is compatible with many stains to make your live edge wood colored including mica powder, alcohol ink, and concentrated liquid pigments all create eye-catching effects for your project.
TotalBoat Thickset is BPA-free and is safe for tables and surfaces that come into contact with food either while serving, preparing, or even storing. Therefore using TotalBoat Thickset is a great way how to preserve the bark on live edge wood
Pros
✅ Extremely durable
✅ Up to 2” thick pours
✅ BPA free epoxy resin
✅ Workable 3:1 mix ratio
✅ Pigment compatible
✅ High UV resistance
✅ Low Odor
Cons
X Highly Exothermic when dealing with thicker layers
2. QbCarrier Epoxy Resin Crystal Clear
QbCarrier Epoxy Resin is fast curing making your live edge project to be ready within 24 hours. Also, the resin offers sufficient 45 minutes of work time to enable you to cover every depression or plane in your live edge on wood.
QbCarrier Epoxy Resin has 0% VOCs and is Odor-free assuring you of improved air quality when working in your basement workshop or doing a live edge table to be used by people of all ages.
QbCarrier Epoxy Resin has a friendly 1:1 mix ratio. With this simple mix ratio, beginners, as well as pros, have an easy time mixing the epoxy resin since the volume of the hardener and epoxy resin are equal.
QbCarrier Epoxy Resin cures to a high gloss, crystal clear, and glass-like substance. This makes it easy when making a clear live edge whose main goal is to expose much of the underlying natural wood aesthetics.
QbCarrier Epoxy Resin is a wood grade durable epoxy resin forming a substance as hard as wood capable of withstanding the normal uses of your live edge wood surface without peeling or cracking.
QbCarrier Epoxy Resin is compatible with pigments and gives an easy time when mixing giving you a homogeneous mixture that becomes easy to apply on your live edge and gives stunning effects.
However, QbCarrier Epoxy Resin is only recommended for indoor use only. The key lacking feature is the declaration of UV inheritance. Therefore, if the live edge was placed outdoors it could yellow significantly in a relatively shorter time than epoxy resin with UV inhibitors.
Pros
✅ Give sufficient 45 minutes working time
✅ Fast curing making your project ready in 24 hours
✅ Non-Toxic with Zero VOCs
✅ Simple 1:1 Mix Ratio
✅ Durable Resin
✅ Color Compatible and Easy mixing
Cons
X Recommended for Indoor Use Only
3. FGCI Liquid Glass Deep Pour Epoxy Resin Kit
FGCI Liquid Glass is the best deep pour epoxy for live edge slabs.
The key advantage of working with a thick pour epoxy and that defeats competitors is the opportunity to work with thick live edge slabs with single pours rather than having to wait for a full cure to four consecutive layers.
Regardless of the thickness of your live edge table, FGCI Liquid Glass with 2-4 maximum thick pours sorts your project by giving you the minimal time to start and complete your project.
FGCI Liquid Glass has a high UV resistance which makes it easy when using and applying this epoxy in outdoor live edge projects. You, therefore, have significantly reduced yellowing which maintains the appearance and clearness of your epoxy coating or casting.
FGCI also blends excellently with metallic pigment and mica powders to bring a stunning colored live edge wood surface.
Pros
✅ Anti Bubble Features for easy working
✅ 2” – 4” Deep Pour epoxy
✅ High UV resistance
✅ Color compatible
✅ Works fast with live edge slabs
Cons
X Takes longer to fully cure at about 36 – 72 hours
X A little complex mix ratio
See Also: Best Epoxy Resin for Thick Pours
4. ProGlas 1000 Crystal Clear Table Top Epoxy Resin Coating For Wood Tabletop
ProGlas 1000 is the best UV-resistant epoxy resin for live edges.
ProGlas 1000 has special formulations which include UV inhibitors that make a perfect mix to apply epoxy outdoors in live edge bench tops, garden seats, backyard table tops, and more.
The 1:1 mix ratio coupled with the self-leveling feature makes it easy to use since you do not have to accurately measure out the hardener and your bush marks are effectively masked out.
ProGlas 1000 is an extremely durable epoxy resin not only resisting UV but also scratches and water to ensure your live edge is not distorted and remains sturdy for a long time. Even when used outdoors, ProGlas 1000 can be counted on to resist the effects of weather and season changes.
Pros
✅ Excellent UV inhibition
✅ Simple 1:1 mixing ratio
✅ Water-resistant
✅ UV resistant
✅ Eco-friendly and non-toxic
✅ Extended working time of 50 minutes
Cons
X Produces many bubbles to your live edge wood project
5. Puduo Epoxy-Resin-Crystal-Clear-Art 1 Gallon Kit
Puduo Epoxy is an excellent choice to finish your live edge wood or make the live edge casting. Although it does not give a thick pour like that of FGCI Liquid Glass it offers broader color compatibility with Micah’s, alcohol inks, epoxy paste, glitters, and glow-in-the-dark pigments.
Puduo Epoxy is also fast curing and fast setting your project within 8 hours and fully curing within 24 hours. You can therefore make your live edge project now and have it ready in a day’s time.
Puduo Epoxy is an easy-to-use epoxy resin with a simple 1:1 mix ratio and with a 45 minute work time. These features make it easier for beginners as well as pros to complete their creative work hassle-free.
Pros
✅ Fast-setting at 8h
✅ Fast curing at 24h
✅ Compatible with a wide range of stains
✅ Simple 1:1 mix ratio
✅ Sufficient 45 min work time
Cons
X Cannot be used for thick live edge slabs
6. Magic Resin | 3 Gallon (11.4 L) | 4” DEEP POUR, CASTING & ART Epoxy Resin Kit – Best Epoxy for Live Edge River Table
Magic Resin is deep pour epoxy resin with a maximum pour depth of 4” per pour. This depth unlike many other epoxy resins is that it fits well with live edge slabs giving you value for your time and money for your project.
Magic Resin is safe to use epoxy resin since it is odor and toxin-free while receiving approvals from the FDA and USDA. Magic Resin, therefore, qualifies to be used for live-edge tables that are used for food preparation or service.
Magic Resin is easy to use owing to its low viscosity which makes it easy to mix with stains and other coloring agents to give you homogenous mixtures.
Magic Resin is a super durable resin showing great resistance against scratches, water, and humidity. You, therefore, feel confident when cleansing with water, using it in the kitchen, or hot drinks on it.
Pros
✅ 4” Thick Pour Epoxy
✅ 100% toxin-free
✅ FDA and USDA approved
✅ Color compatible
✅ Extra durable and resistant to water, humidity, and scratches
Cons
X Requires accurate measuring to achieve the 2:1 mixing ratio
See Also: Best Epoxy Resin for Wood River Table
7. ProMarine Supplies Art Resin
ProMarine Art Resin is another great choice when you want to get artistic with your live edge wood.
The key advantage here is the intense shine and gloss that the resin offers to give your live age that premium brand new shiny appearance that is capable of rehabilitating worn-out edges or making live edges interesting to look at.
ProMarine Art Resin is highly Uv resistant making it ideal for use both indoors and outdoors and thus does not yellow significantly over time. You can therefore be confident that the live edge will maintain its shiny and clear appearance for a long time. ProMarine Art Resin features a simple mix ratio and a self-leveling capability that are beginner-friendly features.
In the end, you will achieve an artistic live edge wood surface with a proper shine and may contain any stain color that you wish to add to the resin
Pros
✅ Intense artistic shine with a super glossy appearance
✅ High UV resistance
✅ Simple 1:1 mix ratio
✅ Color Compatible
✅ Safe Epoxy
Cons
X Longer curing time than competing brands
8. EcoPoxy FlowCast 3L Kit – Best Eco-Friendly Epoxy Resin for Live Edge Wood
Eco Poxy FlowCast is an eco-friendly epoxy resin that perfectly fits the purpose of live edge wood. The epoxy is composed of high bio-content with 0% BPA and 0%toxins to give you the best odor-free and high air quality when applying the epoxy and also when using the live edge wood surface.
Eco Poxy FlowCast is compatible with a wide range of stains which include color, metallic, and glitter pigments that enable custom tinting. Also, the blending with these pigments is easy making the overall live edge project essay to perform.
Eco Poxy FlowCast is also self-leveling making it easy to achieve uniform thickness without lumps.
In addition, Eco Poxy FlowCast is a thick pour epoxy resin allowing 05” -1.5” making it possible to work with live edge slabs. Although this pour depth of between 05” and 1.5” is adequate for most projects, other competitors in this thick pour space offer significantly higher maximum pour depths of up to 4.0”.
Pros
✅ Eco-Friendly Resin
✅ Self-leveling capability
✅ 0.5” – 1.5” Thick pour depth
✅ Color Compatible
Cons
X Thick pour range is lower than that of competition that stands at up to 4”
9. Pourable Plastic Deep Pour Resin
Using Pourable Plastic is another great way on how to seal bark on live edge wood.
The key advantage of using Pourable Plastic compared to its competitors is for the following reasons:
Pourable Plastic is made in the USA making its manufacturing process highly approved
Pourable Plastic has minimal shrinkage meaning you do not have to overfill your live edge wood just to cater for shrinkage. Also, your end product surface will jot have depressions that arise from shrinkage.
Low exothermic reaction – Pourable Plastic produces low heat even when pouring deeply up to 2” making it easy to use.
Pros
✅ Deep pour up to 2”
✅ Minimal shrinkage
✅ Made in the USA
✅ Color Compatible
✅ Long Working Times
✅ Zero Toxins
✅ Easy to Clean cured epoxy surface
Cons
X Take long to completely set, cure, and ready for use
10. Art N’ Glow Clear Casting and Coating Epoxy Resin
Art N’ Glow Clear Resin is an excellent choice when you want to take the aesthetics of your liver edge to the next level.
Instead of mixing epoxy resin to pigments, Art N’ Glow Clear glows right off the bat. The advantage here from the rest of the competition is that your live edge project stands out in the dark or in low light situations whether indoor or outdoor. This way you can epoxy outdoor party tables, take your live edge table for a backyard dinner or decorate your bedroom live edge wood surface to glow during low light situations.
Art N’ Glow Clear is a clear and high gloss epoxy resin that maintains the aesthetics of your live edge as top-notch without yellowing over time.
Pros
✅ Glow in the dark capability
✅ Simple 1:1 Mixing Ratio
✅ High UV resistance to Resist yellowing
✅ Non-toxic, BPA and VOC free
✅ High gloss and Crystal clear appearance
✅ Self-leveling capability
Cons
X Not for thick live edge slabs
What Kind of Epoxy to Use for Live Edge Wood? – Buying Guide
1. Durable Epoxy Resin
Select epoxy resin with high resistance to UV, scratches, yellowing, abrasion, pressure, and impact to get a live edge wood that will last a long time.
Also, the water-resistant epoxy resin acts as a great barrier to common solvents in the kitchen or home to preserve the appearance of your live edge table.
2. Thick Pour Epoxy Resin
Thick pour epoxy resins are perfect for thick live edge slabs. Instead of pouring 1/8 “ layers, some thick pour epoxy resins allow you to pour up to 4” layers which significantly saves time.
3. Eco-Friendly Epoxy
To maintain safety when working with epoxy resin and high air quality, then one should go for BPA-free, 0% Toxins, High BioContent, and a low odor that ensure safety measures before and after epoxy application.
4. Easy to use Epoxy Resin
A beginner-friendly epoxy resin should have a straightforward mix ratio preferably 1:1, easy to clean maintenance steps and low exothermic reactions.
5. Color Compatible Epoxy Resin
If you want to stain your live edge wood then you should go for epoxy with color compatibility. Some of the common pigments compatible with epoxy include metallic, mica powder, and alcohol dyes.
Conclusion
Finally, we have given you a detailed guide into the best epoxy resin for live edge wood. We believe that from the above well-curated list of epoxy resin that you will find one or two choices for your specific live edge project. As a summary from our buying guide, look for durability, thick pour, color compatibility, ease of use, and eco-friendliness.
Happy Shopping!
