I know, I’m late to the “party” with all this epoxy resin stuff. But is it really a party though?
I’ve seen some really cool projects that incorporate epoxy resin. I’ve also seen projects that look like a clown show (because they’re way overdone with epoxy). Where does one draw the line? Well, the answer it seems is “it depends”.
What is epoxy and why am I talking about it? Epoxy resin (without a full chemistry lesson) is a two part liquid that is mixed together, poured into a form OR onto a project and bonds over several hours, days or weeks to form an ultra hard type of plastic. It’s been used for a variety of things when traditional fasteners OR joinery isn’t always applicable. In recent years though it’s been made big on social media with projects surrounding “river tables”.
A river table is essentially two slabs of wood with an epoxy “river” poured in the middle, all done via a mold. At times this can be a great way to utilize two pieces of wood that are otherwise too small for the build OR may require too much milling for their intended purpose. Some makers create the epoxy river table as the project itself (and not as an afterthought). 
So what’s the dilemma or debate then? Many woodworkers have mixed feelings about epoxy. On one hand if it’s tastefully done it can create a unique, clean and desired piece of furniture. On the other hand it can be overdone, have outlandish colors or be so hyped up it ruins a piece and the natural beauty the wood grain offers. Within epoxy you can place nearly any item you’d like as well (coins, trinkets, rocks etc). — the possibilities are nearly endless.
What’s my take? What are my thoughts and feedback on the world of epoxy? My initial response is “that looks neat”. I think it opens a number of possibilities up for extended creativity, wood salvage/reclaiming, artistic expression and new ideas. Like many things in life though I agree with some of what others have said in that it can be overdone, over hyped or flat out gaudy. Naturally the next step for me would be to explore it on my own.
Having no epoxy experience I opted for a small silicone mold (approximately 9″ by 6″) and plan to try my hand with making mini epoxy charcuterie boards. I’ll be using a Superclear Table Top Epoxy Resin with mica metal flakes for coloring. Everything is food safe and I’ll be doing my tests on a small cut of red oak wood and another on walnut/cherry. The intended finish seal is either Rubio Monocoat or Pure Tung Oil.
I’ll post a progress entry once I’ve poured and then of course a finished results with afterthoughts writeup as well.