How To Make An Epoxy Resin River Table - Lancaster Live Edge

Making a river table can seem tricky, but once you know each step, you’ll see it’s doable. The secret to a clear, beautiful do-it-yourself (DIY) epoxy river table lies in proper surface preparation, dry wood and a good mold.

What Is A River Table?

A river table has two live-edge wood slabs with clear or colored epoxy poured between them. When the epoxy hardens, it forms a solid surface with the wood and looks like a river is flowing through the table. Each table is unique due to the natural shape of the wood edges, which provides inspiration for color and layout in your river table ideas.

To get the best results, the wood needs to be dry, flat and free from loose bark. Dry wood helps prevent bubbles and soft spots during the curing process. Black walnut and maple are popular species because they look great and work nicely with resin, but you can also use ash, sycamore or white oak.

You can keep the river clear with a light blue tint for a natural look, or add metallic pigments for eye-catching colors. If you really want to get creative with your DIY epoxy river table, consider adding stones, shells, dried flowers or other items.

How To Make a River Table – Step By Step

Time needed: 3 days

Below is the step by step process for making an epoxy river table!

1. Choose Your Wood Slab

   Start with hardwood slabs that are kiln-dried, with a moisture content of 6% to 10%. If the wood is kiln-dried and air-dried, the moisture percentage is around 6% to 8%. Before you start making a river table, use a moisture meter to check the wood in several spots. Avoid using wood with a moisture content of 12% or higher, and look for slabs that have neat live edges with no signs of soft rot and no large end cracks.

2. Cut and Shape the Wood

   Cut the slabs in half along the centerline using a track saw to create clean, straight edges. Then square the ends for a neat, rectangular shape. If you want a wider river, add spacers between the halves and adjust the distance until you’re satisfied with the appearance of the gap.After cutting, smooth all rough edges with sandpaper, then seal the end grain with a thin layer of epoxy. This step prevents air from escaping during the main epoxy pour and helps prevent unwanted bubbles in your finished piece.

3. Flatten the Slab

   Use a slab flattener or a router sled to carefully remove the high spots on the slab, making shallow passes 2 to 3 millimeters deep. Check the flatness with a long straight edge diagonally and across the main grain. Sand the top to 120 grit, which will give the epoxy a rough surface to grip.Wipe clean with isopropyl alcohol, as water can raise the wood grain.

4. Prepare the Slabs

   Remove all the bark carefully with a chisel or brass brush and then sand the surface of the table with coarse-grit sandpaper so the epoxy will bond easily. Vacuum the dust off the wood and apply painters’ tape to cover and protect any surfaces you’re working on.Prepare a small amount of clear resin in a cup and drip a thin layer into any small cracks and knots on the wood.

5. Build the Mold

   Consider using a full high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet for the mold floor, as epoxy won’t stick to it. Build a simple wood frame around the slabs using two-by-fours for the ends and one-by-fours along the sides to form a rectangle around the wood. Line the inside faces of the boards with sheathing tape to prevent the epoxy from sticking to it. Run a thin bead of caulk along the ends of the mold and along the bottom of each slab. Clamp the slabs into place and use small blocks and long two-by-six boards to press the slabs down flat against the HDPE sheet. This creates a small dam that keeps epoxy from leaking. Keep the slabs fairly close together, as a wider river will require more epoxy.

6. Mix and Tint Your Resin

   Measure your resin and hardener carefully, as the incorrect ratio can result in a soft or bubbly resin. To calculate the right amount, multiply the river’s length by its width and depth. For example, if the river is 48 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch deep, that equals 96 cubic inches. Then divide 96 cubic inches by 231 to convert the figure to gallons. You may want to add around 10% extra to account for loss and overflow.Warm the resin to room temperature — around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit — then stir slowly for five minutes while scraping the sides and bottom. Add mica or liquid dye within the recommended limits so the resin can cure properly.

7. Deep Pour Your River

   Use a deep-pour epoxy so it can cure in a thick layer without excess heat or cracking. Pour the resin slowly down the center of the river and let it move under the edges on its own. Run a heat gun over the surface every 10 to 15 minutes during the first hour to release bubbles.Keep the gun moving to prevent scorching the resin and then cover the mold with a light plastic sheet or thin plastic wrap to keep dust out while it cures overnight.

8. Remove the Mold

   Remove the clamps and screws, slice through the silicone seal, then gently wedge the slab off the base with wooden shims. If you see a waxy film on the surface, known as an “amine blush,” wash it off with warm soapy water and dry the table.

9. Trim, Sand and Finish

   Flatten the slab first to remove any low spots and then sand the top on a wide belt sander up to 220 grit. Switch to an orbital sander and work your way up to 320 grit, followed by 400 grit, until the scratch pattern is uniform. There should be no visible lines. Cut the table to its final size, leaving about 1 millimeter for cleanup and round the edges with a small router bit and hand-sand the rounded over with 320 grit so it feels smooth.Finish the top with either a clear epoxy resin finish, oil or polyurethane. Remove any small drips on the underside by sanding them smooth, then touch up if needed. Install the legs or base using bolts across the width of the table to keep it flat. You can also add felt pads to prevent the table’s feet from scratching the floor.

Common FAQs About Building River Tables

How much does a river table cost?

A river table’s cost will vary based on the wood type you use and amount of epoxy you need. For a dining room table, you’ll typically spend $400-$1200 on the live edge slab, and up to $1200 on the epoxy, as it costs about $80 per gallon.The average river table we build costs around $2000 before labor.

What’s the best type of epoxy resin to use?

This answer will vary based on who you ask. There are many brands and suppliers of epoxy that will work for your project, just be sure to follow the instructions provided for that specific brand, as they do vary.At Lancaster Live Edge, we typically use Woodright epoxy for our river table projects.

Can I do the epoxy resin on the outside of the live edge slab?

Yes, the process for this is very similar. When the slab is in the middle and the epoxy is on the outside, it’s known as a “reverse river table”.

Can I cut my own slab?

You can if you have the right equipment. Cutting live edge slabs is a labor and time-intensive process. If you’re interested in cutting your own slabs, click here to read our guide.

I don’t have a wide belt sander or flattener, what should I do?

Often live edge slab dealers will offer this as a service for a fee. We offer this as an option for every slab we sell.

How long does it take to make a river table?

Making a river table will likely take you at least 6 hours. This doesn’t include the time for the epoxy to dry. When we build river tables, it typically takes a few days since we pour the epoxy in multiple layers and also have hours in the flattening, sanding, and finishing processes.

Source Unique River Table Wood From Lancaster Live Edge 

The most important part of creating a river table is finding the perfect wood that complements your vision. At Lancaster Live Edge, we carry a wide variety of live edge slabs and species perfect for river tables, like black walnut, maple, ash and white oak. We’re committed to providing ethically sourced hardwood varieties, and we air- and kiln-dry all our wood to ensure it meets furniture-grade quality.

If you’d rather purchase a professionally built river table, we also offer custom epoxy tables in a variety of colors. For more information about our products or to request a quote, please contact our team.

Lancaster Live Edge

Have questions about building river tables? Drop us a comment below and we’ll respond as quickly as we can if we have any insights to share.

Lancaster Live Edge