NDR: Table pour

[Chuck J]

Anyone done a pour over table top? I have seen plenty of videos of the thick slabs with the cracks and voids filled in, but I am not thinking anything that thick. I have an idea for a hexagonal table, with the center made into a Catan game board base, being an island, making the game hexagonal piece holders from various woods, maybe 1/4-3/8" thick, the surround with sand or small gravel to look like a beach, and then water for the rest, either colored epoxy or painted underneath.

A typical game board:



My thoughts on a table



Any concerns or hints?

This will be exposed to some UV (screened porch) and changes in humidity and temperature.

I have also heard of using clear acrylic. I am not afraid of epoxy but also not afraid to try something new if it is potentially better.

Thanks for any input
Chuck

 

[Richard Lathrop]

I have done smaller epoxy pours . CNC cut a design then epoxy color fill, sand flush then epoxy over the top. Concern with a larger pour would be the mixing and the heat build up.

Total Boat seems to be the go to for table epoxy.

Rick

 

[jode hillman]

I've done a few. The biggest concerns are making sure you contain your epoxy and I do mean contain. It will seep out the smallest crack.

Also give any raw wood edges a pre-coat first. This helps eliminate air bubbles which are always a pain. Use a heat gun (best) or torch to level and remove air bubbles. Don't try to do the thick pour in one shot, build it up in two or three pours. They have special epoxy to do this so you don't overheat it and get a soft cure

 

[Chuck J]

Richard and Jode

Thanks for the input. I am thinking 3 pours about an eighth of an inch thick would be a safer approach. Really just gathering information at this point, with all the irons in the fire right now I think the earliest I would get going would be December. Would be nice to get it done before spring, honestly we use the porch 12 months a year so no point putting it off once I have a window of time to work on it.

Best
Chuck

 

[D. Hinton]

Chuck J that’s awesome. My old roommate got me started in Cataan and I love that game.
Been awhile since I’ve played though. Just haven’t had time. Please post pics as you go along

 

[Richard Lathrop]

Chuck,

Here is photo of epoxy pour I did. Unfortunately the CNC router acted odd at end of cutting and some of the pockets were off. Filled with tinted epoxy then epoxy top coat.

Rick

 

[Chuck J]

Time is such a limitation...finally getting an opportunity to work on this project this summer...

Milled down some construction grade Doug-fir to the dimensions I wanted for the frame:



Cut the tabletop base from 3/4 particle board, glued and pocket screwed the edges with the desired lip to hold the resin at bay. Will be presealing this with epoxy and making sure the joints are fully sealed for leak through before any actual pours take place per Jode's warning:



Rick, I see I did not comment on your seaturtle, that is pretty cool. If only I had a CNC router it would make short work of cutting and sizing little wood hexagons...got a few to go still. Cutting on bandsaw and checking and rechecking dimensions as I hone them down on the disc sander. Trying for 'woods with a story here'...


So far, Redwood (scrap leftover from making Adirondack chairs 30 years ago), Red Cedar (from a cant I bought from a local, old-school lumber yard before they were yet another victim to urban sprawl and big box saturation), cherry (I believe, from clearing my father-in-law's garage, he had it squirreled away, likely for a 'special project'...this seems like a good use) and some from a scrap of Duck Blind tan cork. Still to cut black cork (a scrap of the last of the MLB black cork out of Mark Ronger's garage), some Basswood (I got from Rick Troutman, who got it from Chuck Huff's widow) and some red oak (which I think my wife had before we married for a threshold in her house).

As for the "cherry, i believe" any thoughts here before I turn the house upside down looking for a hand lens to properly ID this wood?

It's been in my garage for almost 15 years...not sure how long the FIL had it tucked aside, basically had a rough 1x4x4' that I took the end off, resawed and planned down avoiding the checking near the end. Three hexagons in the middle above or the leftovers below. Thoughts?




Got some Total Boat table top ultra clear epoxy and some colorants to try out. Made a couple 8"x12" trial pieces out of scraps before I risk the final top.

Chuck

 

[Chuck J]

Chuck J that’s awesome. My old roommate got me started in Cataan and I love that game.
Been awhile since I’ve played though. Just haven’t had time. Please post pics as you go along

We do not play Catan (or any board games) as much as we used to, but we are a bit obsessed with odd shapes and I have always loved the hexagons of the Catan board...but what is up with hexagons showing up everywhere these days...seems every company logo is being updated to incorporate hexagons???

 

[D. Hinton]

Any updates on the table