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Epoxy Resin Ocean Table [Step-By-Step Tutorial]

In this video DIY tutorial, I show you how to make an epoxy resin ocean table.

Also, I included a discount code at the bottom of this post good for any of my downloadable DIY plans – including this one.

 

DIY Video tutorial

There are several things which are difficult to fully explain with words and images, so be sure to check out the video tutorial above/below!

 

 

Tools & Materials

Below are the tools I used for this epoxy resin ocean table.

To watch the epoxy resin ocean table video tutorial YouTube video, scroll to the end of this post.

Often times, I experiment with many different products and tools while working with epoxy resin. 

Therefore, the products I use in a certain project may not be my favorite.

For your convenience, I’ve compiled a complete list of my favorite Epoxy Resin material and tools – click HERE to see the list.

 

Epoxy Resin Ocean Table DIY Plans

Click HERE to download the DIY plans for this project.

Additionally, DIY Plans are available to download for the base cabinets for this ocean table.

Again, get the 25% discount code at the bottom of this post.

 

Introduction

First, this DIY tutorial shows you how to build the epoxy resin ocean table top.

Part 2 of this project shows you how to build the bottom storage cabinets for this ocean table.  So, be sure to visit part 2 by clicking HERE.

Ultimately, I made this epoxy resin ocean table for my wife (Stacey) to use as a craft table.

 

Epoxy Resin Ocean Table Theme

Stacey has a cricut and she is quite crafty when time permits (Time permits = our kids aren’t calling her name every 3 seconds).

Furthermore, the cricut has yet to find a permanent home despite the fact I bought her the cricut over 1 year ago.  As a result, I decided to make a table with storage as a Mother’s Day gift.

Ultimately, my goal was to incorporate things (sea shells, sand dollars, Mickey Mouse Ears, etc.) which Stacey loves into this table.

In other words, I want this table to make her smile each time she has an opportunity to sit in front of it.

This epoxy resin ocean table was inspired by our favorite place on the planet – the Destin Florida beaches.

In an effort to keep the video short for today’s ever-shrinking attention spans, I decided to make the epoxy resin ocean table bottom storage cabinets a separate project.

You can check out the storage cabinet project here.

 

Gather Materials

First, I used simple pine 2x4s to make this epoxy resin ocean table top along with the tools and materials listed in the previous section.

In total, I used 16 2x4s @ 8ft long.

Also, I highly recommend to be selective when purchasing 2x4s from your local home center (i.e. big box stores).  If I had to guess, at least 25% of the 2x4s at a big box store are severely warped and/or damaged.

Consequently, I save a lot of time during the milling process.

Ocean Table Bottom Cut List

In addition, If you want to build the bottom of this ocean table as well as the top, click here to checkout that post.

Moreover, it may be easier to buy the materials at one time rather than on separate trips.

 

Mill Lumber

Luckily, the 2x4s were relatively straight and flat.  So, I cleaned up each side on my table saw by removing just enough material for a nice, straight edge.

Also, most 2x4s have a slight rounded edge and it’s important to remove this before proceeding to the glue up.

 

Glue 2x4s

First, I separated them in 2 groups of 8 and glued them together.  Also, this is referred to as laminating 2x4s.

Next, I spread the glue across the entire surface to make certain the bond is strong.

 

 

Then, I clamped them together using my bar clamps.  Obviously, I didn’t have enough clamps so I had to use my worx multifunction table.

It’s important to keep the 2x4s as level as possible during the glue up as this saves a ton of time in later steps.  I do this by placing clamps on the bottom and top of the wood and slowly tightening each clamp.

Finally, I removed as much of the excess glue as possible with a damp rag.

 

After the glue dried, I removed the clamps and used my glue scraper to remove the excess glue.

 

Plane and Glue

Next, I ran each 12″ section through my planer to get a flat surface.

Ultimately, this step is much easier when the laminated 2x4s are as flat as possible during the previous step.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_7

 

Then, I spread glue and clamped the 2 12″ sections together.

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Install Steel Rods

First, these two pieces of the ocean table was simply too heavy to rely on glue to keep them together.  I decided to reinforce the ocean table with 3/4″ square steel rods.

After the glue dried, I removed the clamps and decided which side of the table would be the top.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because I flattened each side of this epoxy resin ocean table with my planer.  I oriented the epoxy resin ocean table so the bottom would be facing up.

Then, I cut the steel rods to 18″ long on my miter saw.

Next, I measured 24″ from each end and used the square steel rod to draw a straight line.  Essentially, I measured 2.5″ from each side along the line and made a mark.

In addition, These 2 marks from each end of the table marked the starting and stopping point of the channel.

 

Drill and Route Channel

First, I used my Jig It Drill Guide (Link in Tools List) with a 1″ forstner bit to drill the starting and ending point of each channel.

Furthermore, the hole needed to be 1″ wide x 1″ deep and the drill guide helped me drill a perfect vertical hole and control the depth.

Once the 2 holes were drilled to the proper depth, I used my trim router with a 3/4″ straight bit to route the rest of the channel.  Next, I clamped down the steel rod to serve as a guide for my trim router.

Then, I removed 1/4″ of material per pass until I reached the desired depth.  Additionally, I had to widen the hole by 1/4″ to 1″ because the straight bit was only 3/4″ wide.

 

Afterwards, I scraped each steel rod with a wire brush to make the surface more bond-friendly.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_161

 

Apply Bondo

Next, I laid the steel rods in the channel and mixed Bondo in small batches to secure the rod.

 

Finally, I let this dry overnight although it doesn’t need that much time to dry.

 

Create Beach Slope

To create the beach slope, I used the crease between the 2 pieces as a marker to start the downward slope.  Additionally, I used my grinder along with a Kutzall extreme disc to carve a sloping ocean floor.

I carried the table outside and placed it on 2 saw horses because I knew the next step would be very messy.

The kutzall extreme disc makes quick work of carving the wood.

First, I ran the kutzall disc across the middle seam of the table and worked my way down, carving deeper into the wood as I went.  The Kutzall disc also made it easy to make a wavy pattern, which mimics sand on the ocean floor.

 

After about 20 minutes of carving, the table started to resemble an ocean floor.

Then, it started raining.

So, I brought the table back inside and used my electric handheld planer to remove some of the high spots.  I could have also used a belt sander to flatten the high spots and it would have worked just as well.

The kutzall extreme disc is a fantastic tool to carve wood with a grinder; however, it leaves uneven spots when used for an application such as this epoxy resin ocean table.

 

Trim Table to Final Size

First, I prepared the surface for the resin pour by trimming the back of the ocean table with my festool track saw.

In addition, I trimmed each side of the ocean table as well.  Next, I flipped the table over and used my circular saw to trim the first front 12″ by 1.5″.

Then, I used my hand saw to cut this piece off.  I carved more of the beach to ensure the resin could fully enclose the sloping ocean table floor.

 

Prepare Surface for Resin Pour

First, I’ve used just about every resin mold option I can think of.  And, this list includes an enclosed melamine box, a melamine board with a damn at each end, and MDF with masking tape.

In my opinion, the most efficient method is using MDF or old wood covered with masking tape and furniture wax.  So, this is what I did for this epoxy resin ocean table project.

Additionally, I had an old piece of MDF I used as the bottom of the resin mold.

First, I laid the ocean table on top of the MDF, centered it (side to side, front to back), and made sure I had 3 inches of excess on the 2 sides and 2 ends.

Next, I covered the table with masking tape 6 inches from all 4 ends and covered it with furniture wax.  Furniture wax is a great release agent for epoxy resin.

 

Then, I centered the ocean table in the same place as it was when I centered it previously.

Finally, I put silicone caulk around the perimeter of the ocean table and the MDF bottom.

In order to form a tub for the epoxy resin, I used strips of MDF covered with packaging tape on the front, back, and 2 sides.

 

Create Sandy Beach

Please note, this step is not necessary and I’m not sure why I decided to do it.  Instead of skipping the step altogether, I’m writing about it to be transparent as possible about the process of building this ocean table.

First, I mixed Zinnser texture additive to antique white chalk paint and painted the surface of the table with a chalk paint brush to create a rough texture and mimic sand on a beach.

Then, I simply mixed until I achieved the texture I wanted.

 

Next, I fogged beige spray paint on the surface to create an irregular pattern and darken the white paint.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_darken sand

 

Paint Ocean Bottom

Originally, I planned to make the ocean the same color as the beach (light beige) since the real ocean has the same sand as the beach on the ocean floor.

Ultimately, I changed my mind because I thought it would be difficult to create a blue ocean if the bottom were beige.

After all, it probably would have been easier to tint the resin with transparent dye and create a blue ocean but I just didn’t have much confidence.

So, I decided to paint the ocean floor the color I wanted the resin.

 

Ocean Bottom Colors

Also, I’ve seen many projects when tint was used in resin to achieve a desired effect.

However, the bottom color of the resin was stronger than the color used to tint the resin.  Additionally, transparent dye works very well when there is no bottom.

The beach in Destin, Florida has different shades of blue with a hint of green, which is why people refer to it as the ‘Emerald Coast’.

However, I didn’t have any green paint so I painted the entire epoxy resin ocean table floor with light blue.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_33

 

Next, I used dark blue and put it on top of the light blue.  Furthermore, I made it darker as the epoxy resin ocean table floor got deeper.

 

Then, I used a tiny bit of white chalk paint mixed with pearl white pigment powder to make the crest of waves near the beach.

Afterwards, I used a popsicle stick to mix the material and spread it out on the table.

Later, I realized it was better to apply this with my finger and an old rag while wearing a pair of gloves.

 

Pro Marine Table Top Epoxy

Before I begin explaining the epoxy resin pours, this is an appropriate time to answer a common question I get from people because I don’t always take pictures of the products I use.

To answer a common question, I used Pro Marine Epoxy Resin for this project.

In my opinion, this is the best epoxy resin on the market at the best price.

Futhermore, here is a link to purchase some of your own from Amazon.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_72

 

Make Resin Seashells & Mickey Ears

Since this table was for my wife, I wanted to incorporate as many of the things she loves into the table.

Furthermore, she loves collecting seashells and anything Disney.

In turn, I purchased a silicone mold of seashells and a few sea critters to put on the bottom of the ocean table.

 

Make Resin Mold

First, I mixed 16 total ounces of resin.

Next, I separated the resin in 4 different cups and mixed 1 ounce of orange, white, green, and blue glow powder.

Then, I poured the resin into the seashell silicone mold.  Also, I had a silicone mold of Mickey Mouse Ears from a previous project so I used that as well to make a few Mickey Ears.

 

Finally, I allowed it to cure overnight before removing them from the silicone mold.

 

Glowing Ocean Table Floor

First, I mixed 12 ounces of resin with 1/2 ounce of white glow powder and pearl white pigment powder.  Ultimately, this creates a slight glow on the wave crests and beach.

Also, I didn’t put a lot of glow powder because I wanted the glow to be subtle.

 

Next, I used a chip brush and applied it on the wave crests and beach.  

Obviously, I wanted the waves and parts of the beach to have a slight white glow.

 

Then, I sprinkled more pearl white pigment powder on the beach and brushed it in after I covered the beach in resin.

 

Lastly, I used the same technique to cover the light blue and dark blue parts of the table.  In addition, this will help the sea creatures, seashells, and sand dollars stick to the bottom.

 

Place Sea Shells on Ocean Table Bottom

Next, I placed the seashells, sea creatures, and sand dollars in various spots on the epoxy resin ocean table bottom while the resin from the previous step was still wet.

 

Lastly, I let the resin harden for about 3 hours before proceeding to the first resin pour.

 

First Resin Pour

First, I mixed 12 ounces of resin for the first seal coat.  Next, I poured the epoxy resin in front of the beach entry and let it run down.

 

Then, I used my torch to remove the bubbles and let this cure for 12 hours.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_54

 

Second Resin Pour

The second resin pour was the same process as the first seal coat.

First, I mixed 12 ounces of resin.

Next, I poured the epoxy resin close to the beach entry.

Then, I removed air pockets with my torch.  Finally, I allowed the resin to cure overnight.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_53

 

Test Resin Glow Powder

While the second seal coat was curing, I decided to test the glow powder using a black light.  Furthermore, I did this before I proceeded to the seal coats as it’s not too late at this stage in the process to make a few changes.

Essentially, glow powder can be quickly charged with a black light.  Moreover, this technique is much quicker than waiting for natural light to charge the glow powder.

First, I turned off the lights in my shop and covered my one window to block as much light as possible.

 

Next, I shined the black light on the ocean table to test the brightness of the glow.

 

Ultimately, I was happy with the glow so I proceeded to the epoxy resin fill coats.

 

Third Resin Pour

First, I mixed 2 24 ounces of epoxy resin (48 ounces total).

Also, I find it easier to mix the resin in smaller batches.

Moreover, Smaller batches help reduce bubbles and promote proper mixing techniques.

Next, I poured the resin in the front trough.  Unlike the seal coats, I want the resin to fill the table from the front up towards the beach.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_2nd resin pour

 

I removed the bubbles and immediately proceeded to the next step.

 

Fourth Resin Pour

Immediately after the first fill coat, I realized I needed the blue water over the seashells, sea creatures, and sand dollars to make the table look as real as possible.

First, I mixed 32 ounces of epoxy resin, separated the mixture into 2 containers (16 ounces per container), and then put one drop of blue transparent dye in each container.

 

Transparent Dye

During the mixing process, I was very careful to not use a lot of transparent blue dye in the epoxy resin for 2 reasons:

  1. Since this epoxy resin ocean table would need numerous fill coats, I knew the epoxy resin would get darker with each new layer.
  2. The ocean table bottom is already blue.

 

Next, I poured the resin as I did in the previous step.

 

Then, I removed the bubbles with my blow torch.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_67

 

Finally, I let this cure overnight.

 

Fifth Resin Pour

The resin was finally beginning to climb up the ocean floor.

First, I mixed the same amount of resin the exact same way as the previous step.  I used 32 ounces of resin split into 2 containers with 1 drop of transparent dye.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_64

 

Instead of using my torch, I decided to use my heat gun to remove the bubbles and move the resin around better. 

Also, the blow torch does a great job at removing bubbles, but the heat gun removes bubbles and moves the resin.

So, why do I not use the heat gun all the time? 

As hard as I try to keep my shop clean, it is always dusty.

Ultimately, the heat gun blows air and increases the likelihood unwanted contaminants will litter my epoxy resin.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_71

 

Sixth Resin Pour

The epoxy resin ocean table was finally beginning to look like an ocean.

First, I used 96 ounces of resin. 

Also, the 96 ounces of resin was split into 2 containers with 48 ounces and 1 drop of transparent blue dye in each.

 

Furthermore, I increased the amount because I got more comfortable with the amount transparent blue dye I needed.

In essence, I needed to lighten the amount of transparent dye I’m using to prevent the ocean from getting too dark.

Since I am only using 1 drop of transparent dye, the only way for me to lighten the amount of blue was to increase the amount of epoxy resin.

Next, I poured the resin on the table making sure it blended together since I was using 2 containers.

 

Then, I used my torch to remove the bubbles and then my heat gun to move the resin around a bit.

 

Finally, I allowed this to dry overnight.

 

Quick Tip for Mixing Epoxy Resin

First, epoxy resin can be difficult to stir in large batches; however, this is the most important part of any epoxy resin project.

Also, I find it easier to scrape the bottom of the container and turn the material on top of itself about 25 times before mixing in a circular pattern.

 

Seventh Resin Pour

First, I used 48 ounces of epoxy resin.

Next, I poured 4 ounces into a separate plastic container and mixed 1/2 ounce of pearl white pigment powder and 1/2 ounce of white glow powder.

 

Also, I didn’t add any transparent dye to this batch because the table had the exact shade of blue I hoped for. 

By adding another fill coat with transparent dye, the table would have darkened a bit which I did not want.

Then, I poured the 44 ounces on the epoxy resin ocean table and watched as it leveled off even with the beach.

 

Afterwards, I took the small cup of resin and created white lines near the beach to look like waves breaking near the beach. 

Ultimately, the painted wave crests looked ok, but I thought they could look better.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_88

 

Then, I used my torch to quickly remove the bubbles.  Additionally, I used my heat gun to blend the white wave crests for a more natural look.

 

Finally, I didn’t allow this to dry before proceeding to the next step.

 

Eighth Resin Pour

Please note, this epoxy resin pour can be classified as flood coat.  Also, it is meant to cover the rough/sandy beach portion of the table only.

In total, I used 12 ounces of resin during this step.

First, I spread it around with a rubber spreader.  Then, I let it blend in with the final fill coat from the last step.

 

Remove Resin Mold from Table

After the table cured for 48 hours, I proceeded to remove the table from the resin mold.

First, I removed the MDF form using my rubber mallet and some elbow grease.

Furthermore, packaging tape coated with furniture wax works extremely well and makes it super simple to remove the mold.

 

Also, silicone caulk prevents the resin from leaking under the table.  More importantly, my daughter finds it satisfying to peel the silicone caulk off the table.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_97

 

Sand Table

First, I used my random orbital sander attached to my vacuum with 220 grit sandpaper.

Ultimately, Sanding what appears to be a finished table scared me during my first epoxy resin table project.  I thought I ruined the table because it turns very cloudy.

 

Next, I wiped it down with acetone to remove the cloudiness from sanding the table.

Additionally, this not only removes the dullness, but it also removes loose residue from the table.

Ninth Resin Pour

Since I just finished building a epoxy resin table for my sister’s birthday a few weeks ago, I had leftover Stonecoat Countertop Epoxy and decided to use it as the final flood coat on my epoxy resin ocean table.

Please note, Pro Marine Epoxy would work just fine.

Essentially, I simply wanted to use the rest of this material rather than watch it sit on my shelf for the next few months.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_103

 

Ultimately, Stonecoat Countertop Epoxy is different than most epoxy products as it is very durable.  Also, it requires a different mixing and application process.

Moreover, it can be mixed with a drill and mixing paddle.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_104

 

Next, the material has to be spread on the table with a rubber squeegee.

Then, I used a 1/8″ trowel to spread the material across the table and allowed a little bit to drip over the sides.  I came back over the table with my hand to ensure the material was spread evenly on the sides of the table.

Refer to my video for additional details or my previous project where I cover this process in greater detail.

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_108

 

Finally, I put 2 coats of this product on top of the table – repeating the aforementioned process.  I let it completely cure for 48 hours before moving it in the house.

 

Make Table Bottom

Due to the size of this project, I separated them into different projects.

The DIY base cabinets with drawers can be found here.  I also have digital plans for this project – click here to download yours today!

epoxy-resin-ocean-table_111

 

Move Ocean Table to Final Location

Thankfully, my son helped me haul the epoxy resin ocean table out of my shop, into our house, up the stairs, and into our loft.

Next, I placed the epoxy resin table on the table bottom storage cabinets and secured them with pocket holes I pre-drilled in a previous step.

 

Then, I secured the table and let it charge in the natural light and waited until night to see if it would glow.

It was awesome – the picture below does the epoxy resin ocean table glowing features very little justice as I have yet to figure out how to take a quality photo in the dark.

Also, please message me if anyone has tips on how to take quality photos in the dark.

 

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed this Epoxy Resin Ocean Table that Glows in the Dark tutorial and it brought you some form of value.

 

Free DIY Tips and 25% Off

Click HERE to get 25% off a set of DIY plans or anything else in my online store.

 

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Karin

Sunday 11th of November 2018

Best brother ever!

Dalton

Sunday 7th of October 2018

One question I have is the thickness of the pours. It appears the marine epoxy you use works best with up 1/8" thickness at a time. I am wanting to make an epoxy L shaped desk. I'm not sure if the nominal thickness i should go for, but if i wanted it to be 1/2" thick, i would need to do this in 4 pours, do I have this correct? I do not want a base material. I'm wanting it to be pure epoxy. With black dye and red Pearl's mixed in.

Kimberly Matic

Monday 24th of September 2018

Thank you for your detailed instructions. I want to refinish my countertops and make a river table top for my tiny home using live edge wood.

When it's time for me to buy supplies I will purchase through your links!

Great job!

eric smart

Friday 7th of September 2018

thank you for the cool idea

Comments are closed.