Tips for finishing an poxy and wood table
FINISHING AN EPOXY AND WOOD TABLE
Question: How can I get a smooth, glossy surface on the river tables I make? These are built with multiple pieces of wood, with liquid epoxy poured into the spaces between them before hardening.
Answer: River tables are all the rage now, and it’s an approach that makes for a beautiful and unique table surface. But you’re right in aiming for a flawless finish. Even more than with all-wood table tops, river tables should be flawless.
The best approach I know of involves incrementally finer sanding, then finishing up by power buffing. Begin with a 60-grit abrasive in a belt sander to level the surface, then continue with an 80-grit, 120-grit belt, a 180-grit belt, then 220-grit in a half-sheet inline sander or palm sander.
Take your time with each grit. It should take 30 minutes of sanding with each one on a dining room-sized table.
It’s not unusual for air pockets in the epoxy to be revealed while sanding.
Fill these with a pro grade of instant glue coloured with the same dye you used to colour the epoxy. Give the table a final sanding with 220-grit when the instant glue is dry. Now it’s time for a finish.
There are different options for finishing river tables, but catalyzed oil is a great choice. Mix the oil and accelerator as needed, then spread the mixture on the entire surface before wiping off all excess with a rag. Let the oil harden completely, then repeat. Your table will be smooth now, but not shiny. This is where buffing comes in.
I use Norton abrasive pads for this kind of work, with the pad placed underneath a random orbit sander. Start with medium, then switch to fine, then super fine. As you work, the table top will get shinier and smoother. Buff more or less depending on how shiny you want the surface.