Epoxy resin for table top. How to make a table top with your own hands

The furnishings in the house provide comfort and satisfaction to your tastes. However, not always furniture stores can offer something suitable for your vision of the interior. Yes, and standard solutions - not at all what suits people who are striving for the individuality of design. It's easier, of course, to order an exclusive and pay for it. But it's much more interesting to implement the idea yourself. For example, epoxy resin for countertops makes it possible to create any creative surface, and unique and unique. Of course, I'll have to work hard. But epoxy is a fairly simple material in the work, and the basics of dealing with it will not be difficult to master.

Advantages of the material

What is particularly good is the epoxy resin for pouring the countertop, so it's because it retains the original volume when it dries. The varnish, for example, dries by evaporation of the liquid entering into it. As a result, its layer shrinks, which often creates problems. Hardening of the resin is caused by a chemical reaction. And if you need a lens for design, you will get it. And it will not be prone to fractures, deletions or deformations. And just a flat surface will remain flat, not sagging as it dries.

Another advantage of epoxy is price. The material is cheaper than others, designed to create strong surfaces. The average cost varies between 200 and 280 rubles per kilogram. And if you need a wholesale epoxy resin, the price will drop to 180-190, depending on the globality of the lot.

Guarantee of success: preparation

To mix the material you need a bowl (the volume depends on how much you need epoxy), a stirring stick and two measuring containers. Before mixing, you need to carefully study the instruction: the proportions of the components are different and depend on the manufacturer. They need to be strictly observed, otherwise the material will be hard to freeze.

First, an epoxy is measured, and then a hardener for resin. It is necessary to pour it into the basis, and not vice versa. The combined materials are mixed as thoroughly as possible, the quality of congealing also depends on this. Once homogeneity is achieved, wait until the resin reaches the desired consistency, after which it can be used for its intended purpose.

What stage should I use for

Epoxy resin for the countertop has several degrees of density, and each of them is suitable for different purposes.

1. Liquid phase: the composition flows freely from the stick. The ideal condition for filling molds - at this stage all corners and hollows will be filled.
2. Density of the type "liquid honey". Leaks from the probe viscous, lingering on the tip. That's what you need to create drops and lenses. Suitable for filling soft forms, for example, for a round table top.
3. The stage of "thick honey". For pouring is almost not suitable, but impeccable as an adhesive - the previous consistencies will drain.
4. The next stage, in which resin is separated from the total mass with difficulty, is not suitable for any purpose. Prior to it, either not brought, or waiting for even more thickening.
5. The rubber phase allows you to create fancy shapes, like molding from plasticine. However, to keep the epoxy resin for the countertop shape, it will have to be fixed in the desired position, otherwise it will straighten.

The last stage is firm. When the epoxy reaches it, your countertop can be considered ready.

The subtleties of the process

Before you make a table top made of epoxy, take care not to add to your labors later on. In particular, lay the table on which you work, or the floor under the bench with polyethylene - the leaked resin is removed with great effort.

As long as the surface does not dry, she will collect all the dust. Provide a coverage option in advance. For example, low racks, which will stretch the film "roof".

Neither water nor resin should penetrate into the resin or hardener. Including from the air, so that at high humidity it is not worth working. It also requires a certain temperature regime: if the room is less than 22 Celsius, you risk getting a poorly frozen table-top. To accelerate the hardening can be increased temperature, for example, put the product on the radiator. To heat a hair drier is not necessary: the resin will boil and give a huge number of bubbles.

If a bubble near the surface has appeared, when the epoxy resin for the countertop is only poured, it can be blown through a cocktail tube, a thin syringe or even a ball-point pen. The ball will burst, not spoiling the handmade.

Nuances of use

The table top made of epoxy resin, made by hand, has its own peculiarities in operation. First, the material is used to turn yellow from sunlight, and sometimes from heat. If you plan to put a table in a southern room or in the kitchen, as well as in an unprotected garden arbor - buy a base with a UV filter.

Secondly, from the cold in the countertop sometimes flakes or grains are formed. Return it to its original form can be warmed up to 40-60 degrees.

Thirdly, the epoxy resin for the countertop used in the kitchen is not at all very suitable, since it can emit toxins from heating. Want to put such a table in the kitchen - cover the surface with a protective clear varnish. Best of all - designed for yachts.

Form for countertops

It will be necessary, if you want to completely fulfill it from an epoxy, without using anything as a supporting surface. For the shape, you can take the glass of the right size. It is thoroughly washed, wiped dry and degreased with acetone. Then the surface is rubbed with wax mastic, which after a third of an hour is polished with a dry rag. The sides can be made of aluminum corners; If you want perfectly flat edges of the countertop, buy polished. The inner surface is treated with a mixture of turpentine and paraffin. To the glass they are fastened with window putty.

All these procedures are required to ensure that the epoxy resin for the countertop does not stick to the mold, and the finished product is easily removed from it. However, if you intend to insert a surface in the "frame", you do not need to take care of the smoothness of the slices. In this case, you can assemble the sides of any handy material and sand it with polyethylene or rubber - the epoxy does not stick to them.

The rest is simple: the solution is prepared, brought to the desired consistency and poured. To obtain a diverse structure, it is possible to tint the resin with water-insoluble dyes or add inclusions to it-small pebbles, fragments of colored glass, etc.

Coin idea

Doing a countertop only from this material is not necessary. Epoxy resin for countertops makes it possible to use a wide variety of additional elements. For example, having an old but sturdy worktop, you can make it virtually new, and very unusual. The surface is cleaned; You can paint it in the right color. Old coins are cleaned with a special solution. The table top is laid flat, low borders are packed around the edges. Inside the "box" coins are displayed. You do not need to fix them. It will remain pour the form of epoxy and wait for its grasp. This idea is especially good for a bar counter.

Wood plus resin

A very elegant solution is the combination of epoxy with natural wood. Or the usual table top is made of boards with caverns, or they are cut out artistically. The surface is ground to smoothness; Fluorescent dyes are added to the diluted resin. All cleaned caverns are filled with the composition. After drying, the table top is covered with polyurethane varnish in several layers with intermediate grinding. An unusual and colorful table is ready!