Wood river tables are unique and sleek design projects on wood. Selecting the epoxy resin for your wood river table project is critical to achieving high-end results in the aesthetic and functional quality of wood river tables. In addition, how should I estimate how much epoxy resin I need for my wood river table? Kindly read the article below as we dive into the factors to consider when choosing the best epoxy resin for wood river table, the estimation of the amount of resin to use, our best picks for the best epoxy resin for wood river table, and much more.
WHAT IS WOOD RIVER TABLE?
Basically, a wood river table is 2 or more split pieces of wood separated by different material between them. There are endless design variations in which wood river tables can occur, including the different shoes and patterns of the split wood pieces, color and texture of the material between them, and scale at which the specific project demands.
OUR BEST PICKS FOR THE BEST EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
1• [♚] WiseBond DEEP Pour Epoxy for 2” Thick Single Pours to Make Epoxy River Tables, Live Edge Slabs, Lathe Turning, Object Casting, 2 Part 2:1 Ratio Kit, Pour Crystal Clear or Easily Tint – OVERALL BEST EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
This epoxy is specifically manufactured for your woodworking projects, including river tables that would require thick pours. By being specific to wood, its compatibility and ease of use are top-notch, allowing for a straightforward application.
The epoxy is capable of curing to a maximum thickness of 2” per layer, which is excellent for casting and edge slabs and your wood river table. This thicker layer gives users the chance to apply thicker epoxy without the need for extra operation steps like sanding.
The epoxy resin’s compatibility with mica powders and pigments makes it an ideal suit in filling voids, rivers, knot holes, or cracks.
Wisebond DEEP boasts of a high UV resistance, which is important but not critical in the slowing down of the process of yellowing over time. This property is very important, given the huge exposure of the epoxy surface.
The epoxy is eco-friendly with low odor, 100% solid formulations, and 0 VOC.
Wisebond Deep has a self-leveling property allowing it to be applied in corners enabling a sleek and well-crafted river for your wood river project.
2• EcoPoxy FlowCast Kit Clear Casting Epoxy Resin for Wood Working, Tables, Counters – BEST ECO-FRIENDLY EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
This epoxy is compatible with different kinds of pigments, be they metallic, color, or glitter, meaning that it is excellent for custom tints as an art resin for shades of blue in your wood river table project.
EcoPoxy Flowcast has a self-leveling property allowing easy application in surface depressions and voids between wood pieces.
The epoxy cures to a crystal clear finish described by the manufacturer as ‘liquid glass.’
Eco-Poxy Flowcast is Eco-Friendly with high biological content and extremely low odor. The resulting surface is ideal for use in the kitchen, dining, and any other space due to its environmental friendliness.
EcoPoxy Flowcast is an excellent suit where the depressions are large; deep pours would be necessary. The epoxy can cure to thick epoxy slabs up to 1.5 inches, which adequate for your DIY wood river table projects.
The epoxy forms an extremely tough and strong bond with wood, taking the durability of your wood river table to a whole new level.
3• TotalBoat Thickset Deep Pour Epoxy | Clear Gloss Pourable Casting Resin Kit | for Art, Epoxy River Tables, Live Edge Slabs, Molds, Wood Voids – BEST LONG WORKING TIME EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
The instructions for this epoxy resin advocate for 2” maximum pour when dealing with small epoxy molds and 1” when dealing with large casts, which is very adequate for the majority of wood river table projects.
The epoxy has a self-leveling capability allowing ease of use and removes the need to add extra solvents or physical flatteners to reduce waves on the surface of the epoxy resin surface.
The epoxy resin to hardener ratio is 3:1, which is easy to measure out.
Since the epoxy resin requires a long working time, the resulting surfaces are tough, durable, and waterproof, being perfect for beginners and pros alike. You need the bond between the epoxy resin and the wood pieces to be as strong as possible for the specific use of your wood river table.
The epoxy resin produces an ultra-clear gloss that can be manipulated by adding solvents to enhance appearance, for example, mica powders, alcoholic dyes, and color pigments.
This epoxy is eco-friendly and only produces low odor due to its low VOC formulation. Therefore, the epoxy resin is ideal for spaces with relatively less ventilation, for example, underground garages, shops, or any indoor use. When the surface cures, the result is a piece free from BPA (Bisphenol A) that is safe for drinks and food.
Another advantage, as with all other epoxy resins, for thick pours is the ability to pour deeply at a go allowing your wood river table project to be ready sooner. Time is money, and this statement is critical when massively producing Wood River table projects.
Depending on the size of your project, this epoxy comes in different sizes: 1.3 Gallon, 1.3 Quart, 4 Gallon, and 8 Gallon.
4• FGCI Deep Pour Epoxy Resin Kit Crystal Clear Liquid Glass – 2 to 4 Inches Plus Clear Epoxy Resin at One Time for Live Edge, River Tables, and Wood Filler- Clear Casting Pourable Epoxy Resin Kit – BEST LOW VISCOSITY EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
This product is by FGCI – a reputable epoxy resin manufacturer in the USA. The product is well known for the potential of a thick pour (a maximum of 2 to 4 inches), which is instrumental in contributing to the overall structure’s hardness.
With a hard material result, there is adequate protection from damage, high heat resistance that prevents surface warping, a perfect blend with wooden surface increasing stability, and the prevention of wobble and flexing. The above properties are adequate for your wood river table project.
Liquid Glass Deep Pour Epoxy resin practically produces a bubble-less finish. By having a thinner viscosity as a two-part resin, this epoxy resin has an excellent bubble-releasing mechanism that leaves the final product with exceptional depth and super clarity. This feature widens the range of projects within which Liquid Glass Deep Pour Epoxy resin may apply, including Wood River Tables, Void and cracks Filling, Casting Art, and Even as Small as 4ml castings, for example, Jewelry pendants.
Although most epoxy resins available in the market will yellow due to UV exposure, Liquid Glass Deep Pour Epoxy resin is different by including high-caliber additive formulations. These high-grade ingredients ensure significantly lower yellowing and more extended periods of super clear epoxy resin surface than other epoxies.
Liquid Glass Deep Pour Epoxy resin gives room for creative wooden surface designs and deco by allowing easy color integration. Liquid Glass Deep Pour Epoxy resin flawlessly blends with coloring agents such as inks, dyes, and even liquid and powder pigments. This epoxy resin perfectly distributes and suspends the coloring agent allowing for accurate patterns and smooth design implementation for your wood river table.
5• INCREDIBLE SOLUTIONS DEEP Pourable Plastic Casting Resin 2″ THICK Specially Designed For River Tables & Large Castings – BEST MINIMAL SHRINKAGE EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
DEEP Pourable Plastic is ideal for live edges and wood river tables owing to the following key factors. One, the epoxy is color compatible, allowing you to include powders into your river table design.
DEEP Pourable Plastic experiences a Low Exothermic reaction allowing hobbyists to apply consecutive layers easily and more quickly since the top of the previous layer cools to 22˚C rapidly.
DEEP Pourable Plastic is a low viscosity epoxy resin allowing you to work your wood river table project without a menace in bubbles.
The long working time of DEEP Pourable Plastic requires more patience but is instrumental in forming a strong bond between the epoxy resin and wood pieces.
By having a low shrinkage factor, DEEP Pourable Plastic allows users to avoid applying overflows as in other epoxy resins to compensate for high shrinkage factors.
The epoxy has UV resistant formulations that help to slow yellowing over time.
6• Stone Coat Countertops Super Cast – BEST UV RESISTANT EPOXY FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
This epoxy ideal for Wood River tables, kitchen tops, and household furniture. The epoxy resin can be integrated with powders and pigments or can be left clear to its glossy crystal finish. The epoxy features 0 VOC making it eco-safe for human use during application and after curing excellent for coffee wood river tables or butcher wood river tables. The resulting surface is a tough, hard, and resistant surface assuring you of top-notch durability.
The Stone Coat Countertop Epoxy contains ultimate UV inhibitors. The formulation therein consists of top tier HALS ingredients (Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers) for maximum UV Resistance. You can be assured of significantly reduced yellowing over time whether your wood river table project is for indoor or outdoor use.
The Stone Coat Countertop Epoxy is easy to use and requires a simple Base: Hardener ratio of 2:1.
WOOD RIVER TABLE GLOSSARY
1• WOOD
Wood is the design surface where the ‘river’ material attaches to complete the wood river table project. The wood involved could be a single wood piece cut into several pieces as per the demand of the wood river table project.
The wood could also be symmetrically matched twin pieces where the river acts as the line of symmetry, or the pieces could be different and are important in expressing contrast in the wood river table project.
Wood can be manipulated into many different shapes through the use of the saw. Therefore, wood river tables can come in many different shapes.
2• RIVER
The river is the material between pieces of wood. Epoxy resin is a popular selection among river table DIY enthusiasts. The epoxy resin is poured between the two pieces forming a slab that bonds the wood pieces together.
When the epoxy resin is used as the river material, there is the option of adding different color pigments offering up to 16,000,000 possible color combinations. In addition, enthusiasts can add decorative items in the epoxy resin to improve the detail and aesthetic quality of the wood river table project.
From the looks of a natural river, the curvature of the wood river table is important, and thus it is critical to perfectly fit the epoxy resin in the curves, meanders, and undulations of the corresponding piece of wood.
3• TABLE
Tables come in different designs too. Their designs could be due to their specific function. Understanding the specific function of the table is important in deciding the design elements to include in your wood river table. Also, learning about the aesthetic environment within which the wood river table will blend allows you to choose colors and other details wisely.
WHY USE EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE
1• ABILITY TO ADD COLOUR
With epoxy resin, it is possible to add pigments with which you can achieve any shade of blue color to represent water. This way, your wood river table is lively simulates the naturalness of the real river.
2• DURABILITY
Since river tables mainly involve thick pours, it is possible to find epoxy resin that cures well with a relatively high pot life, and the resulting surface is tough, hard, and impact and solvent resistant.
3• REMOVES THE NEED FOR CUT AND MATCH
Since epoxy resin is liquid, it takes the shape of a container. This property is advantageous in making wood river tables since you do not have to measure the exact dimensions of the void to fill it, but instead, simple calculations can help you estimate how much epoxy resin you need.
SELECTING THE BEST EPOXY RESIN FOR WOOD RIVER TABLE – Buying Guide
1• MAXIMUM POUR THICKNESS PER LAYER
If you are in search of the best epoxy resin for WOOD RIVER TABLE, then you are probably looking at epoxy resin with over 1” in the maximum thickness per layer. You could be looking for this property to ensure you fill your deep river as quickly as possible without having to pour many layers.
You do not have to pour 1/8 inch of epoxy and wait for 24 hours to apply a consecutive layer. This process could take you close to 8 days. Working with an epoxy resin with the potential of a thick pour allows your wood river table project to be ready much sooner.
2• WORKING TIME
With a long working time, a user is assured of complete cures that allow functional use. The result surfaces are tough and durable without the loss of bond integrity at layer boundaries. Any compromise in the strength of the bond between epoxy and the wood pieces ruins the build quality of the table.
However, slow setting epoxy resins are also ideal but require patience due to the many consecutive layers applied and might require simulations to assess the quality of curing.
3• PIGMENT COMPATIBILITY
Having the ability to add pigments to epoxy allows users to explore resin art by making patterns that make the limitless list of possible wood river table projects. Especially for the blue color, which excellently depicts the color of the river, it is possible to achieve many shades of blue to make your design stunning and unique.
CONCLUSION
Wood river tables are excellent design projects in woodworking. Using epoxy resin in your wood has the advantage of the ability to add color, removes the need for cut and match, and durability. When selecting the best epoxy resin for Wood River table, it is important to watch out for maximum pour thickness per layer, working time, and pigment compatibility.
All the best in your wood river table project!
