Amateur DIY Resin Pour Coffee Table

[D3K]

There aren't any at the moment but as it cures I noticed it creates bubbles, too so will keep popping back.

I spoke to Epodex about the resin and they said put the containers in a bath of hot water and it'll work... will see. It's not stored in a cold place. It's stored in the right temps, so sent them a video of it to see if they still think the hot bath will work. If so, I'll be running them a bath. Last thing I want is to waste so much bloody resin

Every content creator that I've seen use resin put it in a vacuum chamber before pouring.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Every content creator that I've seen use resin put it in a vacuum chamber before pouring.

That's not to make it runny though, it's to remove air bubbles surely?

 

[D3K]

That's not to make it runny though, it's to remove air bubbles surely?

Yes, the message was in reference to his first sentence. Not all the bubbles are gonna rise to the surface to be heatgunned away

 

[LuckyBenski]

Yes, the message was in reference to his first sentence. Not all the bubbles are gonna rise to the surface to be heatgunned away

Ah of course, skim read the quote

 

[randomshenans]

It's out the mold, and brought it up to the ground floor to get properly cured. It's hard, but will leave it until the week after Christmas to see if I get the mill to level it all out on the top.

Then I can sand it, seal it, polish it and stain the wood, as well as finishing up the edges properly, too. Then, just drill in the threaded inserts on the bottom for the legs, attach them and we're done.

So yea, loads more work but you can at least start to see where it's going!

Looking forward to it now. I can sling the ****** one I have, and hate, to the tip soon and will free me up to learn to weld my TV unit and then will eventually next year start on the big ass dining room table, too. Slowly, slowly.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Looking good

 

[IvanDobskey]

Really like that, nice job

 

[ANDARIAL]

Looking Good
Is the idea of this to have 2 sides with `wood`and an insert of resin?
Also hope your planer/milling place will level the top for you,i imagine that resin will be a bugger on a large planer

 

[randomshenans]

Is the idea of this to have 2 sides with `wood`and an insert of resin?

Yes, but all even. So it's one piece once it's been planed level. I planed some of the resin on the top for the cracks and it's really not so bad. Especially compared to the oak which is super hard.

And thanks guys. Lets see how the rest of the process comes out now! Will drop into the mill place on 27-28th if they're open

 

[randomshenans]

So I called up the saw mill yesterday and they said they don't have anything that could level this in the way I want... so I'll have to make my own router sled, as this is a better way to level than trying to electric plane a surface like that.

I have ordered a new flat router bit and will pop to the shop today to see if I can grab some wood to help knock one up. I'd love it done and finished now, so will crack on properly.

I have ordered a 2 part oil that will hopefully bring the grain out but also add a bit of depth and colour - would like it a bit darker than a clear coat.


On the flipside, I attempted to setup my welder yesterday and did some... kinda welding? I mean, good job I have a grinding wheel on the grinder that's all I can say! But **** is stuck together. That's for my TV Unit build, which is cracking on now. BUT! Did you know you can give yourself sun burn from a welder?! I have a properly sunburnt arm right now because I was doing it for about 4hrs in a tshirt... ffffffssss!

That is my update.

 

[randomshenans]

Some pics for context - sure I'm mixing two projects, what else do you expect?!

Don't zoom in on my welds... They are the worst ever. I get it. I'll grind them smooth I have never touched a welder in my life and still trying to get the hang of the setup on this thing vs. what's online!

You can see the **** IKEA I ******* hate on the right.

Hate this thing...

This is going in here. I'll get myself some ply today to sit in the gaps as shelves.

I'm also printing some end caps for the end pieces in black. It'll be easier than me trying to delicately weld squares on there and I get to use my 3d printer to try and be better at that too ha!

And it's going here. At least I can get rid of some of the wires and tidy it up now as well.

And here is my frigging welding burns!

 

[randomshenans]

Burn just keeps getting more and more red... which is nice. I've used a whole bottle of aftersun so far. Christ.

Cracked on with some parts I could still do without the need to weld, so did the front doors and frames.

ground them all down, drilled holes for the hinges and added some hammerite black to them. All ready for the second coat tomorrow and then putting together.

Trimmed and painted my extruded metal for the top shelf bottom parts

Got a bit of ply, cut it and stained it ready to go in. It just needs the brackets welding underneath for it.

3D printed some end caps, still going on the rest of them now. I will need about 8. I'm 4 down so far! Love being able to do that though.

AND for the table leveling I got some wooden lengths to act as a guide on the saw horse. I can make the sled from old kitchen units go between these and when the router bit arrives, crack on with the leveling.

They did fit in. They always do. That car is weird. Everything fits. Always.

Will try and crack on in some way or another tomorrow depending on how goosed my arm is at that point!

 

[aVdub]

Some pics for context - sure I'm mixing two projects, what else do you expect?!



Don't zoom in on my welds... They are the worst ever. I get it. I'll grind them smooth I have never touched a welder in my life and still trying to get the hang of the setup on this thing vs. what's online!

You can see the **** IKEA I ******* hate on the right.



Hate this thing...



This is going in here. I'll get myself some ply today to sit in the gaps as shelves.

I'm also printing some end caps for the end pieces in black. It'll be easier than me trying to delicately weld squares on there and I get to use my 3d printer to try and be better at that too ha!

And it's going here. At least I can get rid of some of the wires and tidy it up now as well.

Been many a moon since I welded and fabricated as a career, but the advice I can offer you now is:

Relax when you are welding. Get yourself really comfortable and in a position where flowing feels easy when you go along the weld.
Watch the weld, watch it burn into the steel and start to flow and then draw in back across to the other side to be joined. Filet the two sides first to allow for a good flow, which is what you want to see.
If it blows through too much, turn the amps down (cannot remember if you are stick or mig) and stagger the weld...Blitz-stop-blitz-stop, but keep the flow going - You joining the pieces together, not adding glue between
Spray some anti spatter spray around to stop the spatters from sticking around the welds.
Keep spatter away from glass...I've had to replace a screen on a Toyota Hilux due to peppering the screen with spatter

Cover all body parts when you weld...That burn is not good and can lead to some nasties...Avoid welding galvanised metal - it'll make you feel like you've got a **** flu if inhaled.

Again...Relaxed, practice, run through first and then relax and weld.

 

[randomshenans]

@aVdub thanks man, really do appreciate that! Will let this go down properly before I go at it again but will take all your advice! I've been applying much after sun and think it's starting to go down a bit. I had no idea it could be like that at all!

As I haven't been able to finish the welding, and I haven't got my router bit through yet to crack on with the table finish, I thought I'd finish off a couple of the bits on the unit I could.

I gave the front door frames another lick of paint this morning and now they're dry I added the wood and hinges all in place, so they're all but finished now.

Just because I have issues and dropped the kids off, I'm going to go trim some of the mesh and cut some tabs to hold the top shelves on and get them into place for the sunday evening lols

 

[Maccapacca]

Good for you Looks great. I keep telling myself I’ll get back to fabrication one day, when I have time/room/another excuse.

The Table Maker: A Carpenter's Guide to Life https://amzn.eu/d/bdCL3Mz

This book is great, although all carpentry it details out the pure time needed in an entertaining read.

 

[randomshenans]

This book is great, although all carpentry it details out the pure time needed in an entertaining read.

Wicked man, I'll get it and have a read. I would love to be able to bet to the point I can knock them out, the tables that is, without the same level of overhead. Would love to just do them in my spare time if I can make it look wicked. This TV Unit I have no idea, but it has to be better than this ******* IKEA thing I hate!

 

[randomshenans]

So today I had a masssssive list of things to do, but need to get this **** out the way as well or it'll just linger around, so I added right angled metal tabs to the top frame for the extruded metal shelves and the middle shelf.

Also cut out the bottom shelf as seen in the pic above in the middle, between the two doors. That'll be ready for later. Same as the marked out one of the side shelves, which will sit behind the champagne doors and help me hide my router and google home.

Printed some more end bits, need 10 in total so knocking them out now and also need 4 of those clips, so will keep printing them out ready.

I hope to find an hour tomorrow to be able to weld the last bits. I have to say the whole burn thing has made me more cautious, it was really not nice and still is red... must have a lot lot lot more care going forwards.

Also, on the table:

Will be using the saw horses as my jig and will knock up a sled using melamine (old kitchen cabinets) which will help it slide. Shouldn't take long to knock up, just need to make sure my cheap ass router will do what I need, or I'll have to get a new one. Then it's slab leveling and much, much, much sanding.

I watched a few videos on finishing slabs and they're like 120, 180, 240, 400, 800, 1200 - so looking forward to that level of sanding but it'll really start to come together then.

On we go.

 

[randomshenans]

Can I get this unit finished this week? That's the main question...

So I had an hour and was like **** it, let's knock out some welding and you know what? Sometimes it comes out and I look after and I'm like, I'll take that ****!!

It won't win any awards, and ignore the splattering, too but still... then the next one is a bag of aids, so you know... grinding disk is my friend.

Anyway, I got welding all together the last frame piece at the bottom. I brought it all upstairs and pieced it together to see how it was coming together and I'm super pleased.

Here's the drawing vs. where it is now to show how it's coming on:

And here is a pic of how it looks.

Only had an hour, so could do what I could do.

On my list now:

- Grind down welds, make prettier
- Weld all 3 frame pieces together
- Grind those then down
- Weld on 4 legs to sides, with mesh behind
- Grind those welds down
- Paint Hammerite Black smooth
- epoxy in all 3d printed caps
- install bottom shelves
- Attach hardware (hinge/ fitting) for doors
- Attach top to base

I think I should be able to have all this done by the weekend. That's the idea anyway. I always aim to get too much done, but without the kids here, I think I can work some in the evenings as well to knock bits out.
I got notification that my router bit will be some time, which is annoying, so either way, will be good to get this off the books.

 

[Lopéz]

For dressing your welds, the best recommendation I was ever given by a bloke who was a proper craftsman was to use flap discs - give them a try, they give great results on welds.
https://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/65793 - discusses them in this thread

 

[randomshenans]

Sweet, thanks! Will order some today!

EDIT: Ordered