Epoxy Table Resin Calculator
Epoxy Calculator
0.00 Litres
When building Epoxy River Tables, we all have to estimate how much epoxy will be required. This is why an epoxy resin calculator is an integral tool in the success of any epoxy resin project; from filling large voids to creating massive epoxy rivers. All you need to do is measure your average width, length and thickness of the area you need to fill and plug them into the above calculator. I personally mix about 20-30% more than the result I get from the calculator to ensure I have more than enough epoxy to complete the project. Sometimes the epoxy may leak or find its way into small cracks and voids in the wood which will make the epoxy sink. This can be more problematic with live edge wood. This is why its better to have more epoxy than not enough!
Let’s do an example; if you have a live edge table top of 60-inch in length, and your river will be approximately 6 inches in width, and 2 inches in thickness, you will require 11.80 Liters of epoxy. If you’re cautions like me add another 20% incase of leaks or epoxy sinking (approximately 14 liters).
We always recommend, when filling large voids or epoxy rivers to first seal the edges with a 24 hour or deep pour epoxy before placing the wood in the form and filling with epoxy. This will prevent two of the major issues that can occur when pouring large volumes of epoxy. 1) You won’t have bark pieces and other crud floating in your epoxy as it will all be stuck to the live edge and 2) The live edge will be prevented from releasing small microbubbles as its already sealed with epoxy.
Another step that we recommend if you’re pouring a very large amount of epoxy would be to have a box fan gently moving the air around your epoxy as not to have a temperate spike. A large temperature spike may prematurely solidify the epoxy and make it crack and warp.
So, by utilizing the above calculator you can easily find the volume of epoxy you will need to create beautiful epoxy river tables and other live edge furniture projects. When incorporating objects like rocks or wood pieces into the epoxy, please remember, the required amount of epoxy may decrease due to the displacement of volume caused by the embedded objects. We recommend bearing this factor in mind when assessing the results provided by the deep-pour epoxy calculator.
Deep Pour Epoxy versus Bar Top and Void Fill Epoxy
The epoxy resin calculator will help you determine how much epoxy you need to mix, but what kind of epoxy should you use? There are 4 main epoxy types that you will most likely encounter when woodworking.
Deep Cast Epoxy: This type of epoxy is predominantly used for very large pours. You would use this epoxy when pouring large river tables or filling large voids in your tabletops. The set time from most of these epoxies are 2-5 days. It is important to use this type of epoxy when doing large pours as the exothermic reaction is controlled. If you use a faster setting epoxy the epoxy may heat up too much and start smoking/burning.
Crack Fill Epoxy: This type of epoxy is great when filling smaller voids or cracks as it had a decent work time but can be sanded in as little as 12 hours. It’s a great choice for cracks and small voids as it provides enough working time for air bubbles to rise to get a clear finish but doesn’t take forever to set like deep cast epoxy.
5 – 15 Minute epoxy: I don’t use this epoxy personally as it sets too quick. When filling small cracks, you will need to dye this epoxy black otherwise you will get a milky result. The milky look to the epoxy is the result of air being trapped when mixing. Even dyed the epoxy still doesn’t look as good as the crack fill epoxy (12-24 hour set time)
Tabletop/Bartop Epoxy: This type of epoxy is primarily used for bar tops and tabletops which are high traffic and often exposed to spills. Bar top epoxies provide great durability again spills but oftentimes will develop visible scratches. Even though this type of epoxy is very hard and durable it finishes very glossy which amplifies any scratches or scuffs on the finish.
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Feel free to call or text Mike at (416) 618-0081