If you are on Instagram, you might have seen some of the awesome tables and other projects where colored epoxy is used to fill gaps and crevices in the wood. And if not, a Google image search for river tables should give you a good sense of how it’s used.
Shown above is my first foray into using epoxy in a woodworking project, where I used it to inlay letters in a custom plaque.
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Epoxy can be used for decorative purposes, or it could be functional (such as patching a knot), or both.
EcoPoxy is a two-part epoxy resin that can be used to create stunning additions or enhancements to your woodworking projects.
UVPoxy is one of the products in their line, and is meant for thin coats, up to 1/4″ in thickness. It’s often used to provide a clear coat to finish pieces. UVPoxy starts to harden after 20 minutes and is fully cured in 24 hours.
EcoPoxy’s Liquid Plastic is for thicker applications, allowing you to fill a deep void between two pieces of wood. It begins to set in 1-2 hours and takes 3 days to fully cure.
The full magic of EcoPoxy is fully unleashed when it’s paired with color or metallic color pigment, allowing you to let your imagination run wild with different looks.
Price: Starting at $65.00
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Buy Now(via Ecopoxy.us)
Hands-on First Impressions
I’ve looked at epoxy-woodworking projects with much admiration, and have wanted to give it a try for a while. I was recently asked to make a plaque to celebrate a milestone, which gave me the perfect opportunity to try it out.
I purchased a liter of UVPoxy and some metallic blue pigment. Using my Shapeoko CNC router, I engraved the letters into a piece of birch plywood, with each letter measuring 3″ tall and 0.2″ deep. I measured out equal parts of the UVPoxy and mixed it for 5 minutes before adding a teaspoon of blue pigment. Then, using a squeeze bottle, I filled in the lettering. The last step is to run a heat gun or blow torch over the epoxy to burst the bubbles.
I used about 0.5 ounce of epoxy for each letter, which comes out to be about $1 a letter, which isn’t exactly cheap. However, a 3″ brass or wrought iron letter of this size is six times more expensive at Amazon, and I think the look of the epoxy is far more unique and interesting. That said, I dread to think how much the dining room table projects I have seen would cost! Some of those bigger projects must use several hundred dollars of epoxy!
Paint is always another option, but would give the lettering a flatter and matte look.
I’m thrilled with the end result and will definitely use it for some more projects. The metallic pigment in particular adds an amazing depth to the lettering.
Hilton says
May 3, 2019 at 11:51 amLooks great actually. I wonder of the colour pigment kit would work any bog standard epoxy? I would love to get some but I’m not going to ship 3lbs of epoxy across the Atlantic.
Ben V says
May 3, 2019 at 12:51 pmI think one of the selling points of this type of epoxy is how it doesn’t turn yellow over time. They make a point about this in their marketing content and I’ve definitely seen epoxy turn yellow.
Maybe mixing in the pigment would hide this, I’m not sure….
Hilton says
May 6, 2019 at 7:58 amThanks Ben.
A W says
May 3, 2019 at 12:26 pmLooks great.
Did you use a CNC to cut the shape out?
Ben V says
May 3, 2019 at 12:53 pmYes I cut them out with a Shapeoko XL, which I’m going to do a review of soon.
Admittedly this does push my cost per letter cost up a little 🙂
Tim D. says
May 3, 2019 at 12:39 pm“I used about 0.5 ounce of epoxy for each letter, which comes out to be about $1 a letter, which isn’t exactly cheap…. That said, I dread to think how much the dining room table projects I have seen would cost! Some of those bigger projects must use several hundred dollars of epoxy!”
I was curious about that. I’d love to play around with a larger pour, but my woodwork isn’t good enough to justify hundreds in epoxy costs alone.
Ben V says
May 3, 2019 at 12:53 pmAgreed! Maybe one day, when I find the perfect piece of wood, that’ll fit in the perfect kitchen!
Emma Peel says
May 3, 2019 at 1:11 pmThere has to be larger volumes available at a discount for business and industry. Probably without the pretty packaging.
Ben V says
May 3, 2019 at 1:29 pm120 liters is $2749, so it drops from $59 a liter to $23 a liter
Craig says
May 4, 2019 at 10:51 amThey also sell 4 liters (just over a gallon) for $149 or about $35/liter so it’s still quite a bit pricier than other yellowing-resistant epoxies. I wonder what if anything makes this one different from the other options on the market? Clicking their “About Us” link on their website brings up a non-existent page. The listed address is only about 20 miles from my house so maybe I’ll stop by next time I’m in their area and ask.
Craig says
May 4, 2019 at 10:52 am$37.50/liter
John says
May 3, 2019 at 7:44 pmProbably because you’re using ecopoxy instead of standard epoxy.
Standard “tabletop” 2 part crystal clear epoxy costs between $50 and $120 a gallon.
MichaelHammer says
May 3, 2019 at 10:05 pmIndeed. The brand I know not, but the product and pigments have been around for decades. They are readily and fairly inexpensively available at most paint stores.
Epoxy Worker says
May 4, 2019 at 10:33 amUSComposit sells Kleer Koat 2 part bar top Epoxy for $30 a gallon. It will yellow in UV, fine for indoors but if it gets indirect light, treat the top with a UV inhibitor Polyurethane coating it will be good. it can be purchased in quantity up to 25 gallons.
Neil says
May 4, 2019 at 3:43 pmTryed it
Very expensive hobby very hard to get right when you do bigger projects but very satisfying if you can do it
NewtonsApple says
May 3, 2019 at 1:09 pmLooks nice. I wonder if you could get a similar effect with the right paint. Did you fill to flush with clear afterward?
You have to be careful with color like this, you can vear towards tacky pretty quickly. Personally I only like thick epoxy finishes when really needed. On clear wood I prefer more traditional finishes with minimal build. They show the wood better in the long run.
Ben V says
May 3, 2019 at 1:31 pmNo I actually left it recessed, I thought it looked really nice. That wouldn’t work for a table or something, but it added depth to the plaque which made sense for this project.
And yes, this brings up all sorts of aesthetics discussions 🙂 I think I agree with you that I prefer a majority wood look, but I love the idea of this product for filling in the gaps!
Tim says
May 3, 2019 at 1:41 pmCould you re-CNC a different shape or an accent to add a second color? If you leave it a bit too full can you sand it smooth and give it one of the thin coats to make it smooth and shiny?
Ben V says
May 3, 2019 at 5:11 pmI think re-CNCing the accent would be one option. The other option is to create mold using a material the epoxy won’t stick to. This is what EcoPoxy says about that:
“The smooth side of packing tape, wax paper, tuck tape, and similar smooth surfaces are ideal for creating a non-stick surface. ”
You definitely can sand and cut the epoxy and then refinish it to get it shiny.
So yes, there’s definitely ways to add an accent 🙂
Todd says
May 3, 2019 at 2:10 pmEpoxy is one of those things like printer ink where the material itself isn’t that expensive and the brands packaging and selling it add an enormous markup. A while ago I was fortunate enough to find an actual manufacturer of epoxy and discovered they have a web store where they sell in bulk for cheap (like $100/gallon cheap). I would not expect (nor ask) for a bunch of handholding for fear they raise their retail prices if they have an influx of hobbyists consuming too much support time, but if you know what you are doing and need epoxy by the quart or gallon this is the place. I have no affiliation.
https://theepoxyexperts.com/
John says
May 3, 2019 at 4:07 pmEpoxy has been used for over 40 years in boatbuilding with West System and further many more excellent companies. It’s an excellent tool.
But something just irks me every time I look at epoxy river tables and signs or clocks with the glittery colored epoxy, it just looks cheap and a fad.
I go through gallons of epoxy, building a wooden skiff and fiberglassing the hull, make outdoor signs for clients, thickened epoxy is an incredible adhesive for dissimilar substrates, and opaque colored epoxy can be more durable than any paint for high use items.
But Instagram people have ruined epoxy as a medium in and of itself; just looks blah, trite. In 20 years will those river tables still look mesmerizing or become has-been furniture. Barn doors, epoxy glitter, shiplap, truly amazing how little creativity there is when these bandwagons blow through every town.
Eastbaygrease says
May 3, 2019 at 5:12 pmAmen.
Koko The Talking Ape says
May 4, 2019 at 3:16 amYes, but I could see this stuff used for the old Japanese art called “kintsugi,” where broken ceramic vessels are repaired with lacquer mixed with gold or silver dust. Somehow when the Japanese do it, it doesn’t look cheesy.
https://www.google.com/search?q=japanese+repair+gold+lacquer
Stuart says
May 5, 2019 at 8:45 amPersonally, I think epoxy can add something to a project, especially when done tactfully.
I used epoxy in research before, to create hard and rigid but easily sanded fixtures for polishing samples. I never would have considered dyed epoxy as a way to accent woodworking projects, but it seems like a great fit.
Some of the river table examples I’ve seen do over-use epoxy a tad bit, but they’re commissioned pieces that people have paid for. Different people have different tastes, and so it’s unfair to judge.
I think that Matt Cremora’s use of epoxy results in a fantastic blend of materials. https://www.mattcremona.com/woodworking-projects/waterfall-river-tables His use treats epoxy as an accent, and I think that works better than some of the examples of tables mostly built from epoxy.
But also, there’s nothing wrong with epoxy being the “star of the show” if that’s the intent. Composites and resins have distinct aesthetics. How long until C-Tek or Raffir composite materials (usually used for knife handles) make their way into woodworking projects? We already have acrylic pen-turning blanks.
Ben’s example of infilled lettering is a great example of epoxy being used in a great way. There, epoxy creates sufficient contrast to help the letters stand out. It’s a tactful accent.
Fads and trends rise in popularity for a reason – people like them. And when that happens, there are more examples to draw inspiration or information from. Personally, barn doors don’t interest me, but maybe the right implementation could change my mind. I have seen some nice implementations, and others that don’t suit my tastes, the same as epoxy used in woodworking projects. But the same can be true about woodworking projects in general. Some appeal to my tastes and preferences, others don’t.
David Zeller says
May 3, 2019 at 4:36 pmJohn, these are just examples of the unending cycle of fads. Are you old enough to remember avocado appliances or macrame? Cheap “wood” paneling or foiled wallpaper? Flat luan (spelling?) doors and homemade wooden and plastic “stained glass” chandeliers?
D.
Greg says
May 4, 2019 at 12:11 pmthere’s a company called Smooth-On, they’ve got a lot of mold making materials, as well as urethane resins, and epoxies. If you’re looking for more epoxies to experiment with in your woodworking, they might be a good source for you, Ben.
Ray CR says
May 5, 2019 at 8:47 amI have used Marine-Tex epoxy on boats for over 50 years. It is the toughest epoxy I know. People use it on cracked water channels in engine blocks. have used it for small hull pictures. It can be drilled.
I have seen it last for decades.
Ray CR says
May 8, 2019 at 11:32 pmI have used Marine-Tex epoxy on boats for over 50 years. It is the toughest epoxy I know. People use it on cracked water channels in engine blocks. have used it for small hull pictures. It can be drilled.
It is stronger than the fiberglass or replaces
I have seen it last for decades.