GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 1
RIVER TABLE
HOW TO MAKE A
FORGED CARBON
THE COMPLETE GUIDE
Contents
Introduction 3
Before You Begin 4
What You Will Need - Materials and Tools 4
Choosing & Preparing Your Wood 5
Safety Information and Working Environment 6
Epoxy Resin for your project 6
Step-by-Step Guide 7
1. Setting up the Barriers 7
2. Resin and Chopped Tow Calculation 8
3. The Surface Pour 9
4. The Main Pour & Cure 11
5. Removing the Barriers 12
6. Fixing Pinholes and Voids 13
7. Flatting and Polishing 14
8. Alternative Hi-Gloss Finish 15
9. After Care 18
10. Alternative Projects 19
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 2
How to make a Forged
Carbon River Table
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 3
Introduction
The aim of this guide
There is no denying that resin river tables have
been one of the hottest topics when it comes
to epoxy resin over the last few years. Another
popular look making waves in the composites
world which caught our eye is 'Forged Carbon',
these two inuences led to this project which
sees us fuse together the classic resin river
table, with it's live-edge natural beauty and the
hi-tec forged carbon bre.
This perfect combination gave birth to this
project; the unimaginably cool Forged Carbon
Fibre Resin River Table.
If you're already making resin river tables this would give a great variation and if you're new to resin
river tables but love the forged carbon look, it's equally achievable for you, even with limited experi-
ence.
Our professional quality epoxy GlassCast 50 Resin is available on the GlassCast Resin website along
with the chopped tow carbon bre needed to create the stunning forged carbon eect. You can also
nd all the ancillary items needed for this project along with the GlassCast 3 for the alternative nish.
The aim of this guide is to provide professional furniture makers, artisan joiners and keen DIY'ers
with a detailed guide that can be followed step-by-step with all the information on how to make a
stunning table like this.
Of course the techniques shared in this guide can be adapted to make a range of furniture pieces
which combine wood, resin and carbon bre chopped tow to create stunning eects, including tables
of any shape or size, serving boards, chairs and more.
This eBook also includes all the expert advice you will need to avoid common mistakes and make a
success of your forged carbon river table project.
So if you're serious about making a piece of furniture like this stunning forged carbon river table it's
suggested that you read this guide in full before you start, watch the accompanying tutorial and read
the technical and safety datasheets on the product pages before getting started.
If you need any advice or help get in touch with our friendly team at GlassCast who will be happy to
help, advise and assist with everything you'll need to produce a stunning piece like this!
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Before You Begin
What You Will Need
Resin, Chopped Tow, Wood & Other Materials
Materials
• GlassCast® 50 clear epoxy casting resin (including
hardener)
• Carbon Fibre Chopped Tow
• Your Choice of Wood
• GlassCast® 3 clear epoxy coating resin (including hardener) for a glossy top coat*
Ancillaries
• Polypropylene Sheet to act as the base board
• Bristled Roller
• Disposable Paint Brush
• Resin Barrier Tape
• Abrasive Paper
• Reusable Resin Mixing Stick
• Calibrated Mixing Cups and Large Buckets
• Wooden battens and blocks and clamps or weights
• Resin spreader*
• Nitrile gloves, glasses/goggles and a respirator mask
(in case of insucient ventilation)
Finishing & Polishing
• Tools including DA Sander with a range of abrasive papers and a Power Planer
• Cleaning Equipment
• Table Legs and Danish Oil
*GlassCast 3 Coating resin and the resin spreader is only required if you would like a full gloss sur-
face along with a resin spreader. You will also need digital scales if using GlassCast 3.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Choosing Your Wood
The rst task is wood selection. There are a few things to consider when choosing the wood for the
project and the aesthetics of the slab is very important. In the project, we selected a beautiful piece of
sycamore with it's naturally pale appearance and ne grain detail which contrasts so beautifully with
the dark, complex forged carbon bre.
It all comes down to personal preference, but whichever wood you choose - make sure that it is well
seasoned and has a low moisture count. Wood is aected by environmental factors and is prone to
expanding and contracting in varying levels of humidity. It's important to start o with a well seasoned
piece of timber which will minimise the amount of shrinkage and distortion in the nished piece and
will reduce issues you may experience along the way.
Making sure that your slab is as at as possible will help in the long term and mean that you will have
less work to do - such as excessive machining later on in the process.
We are lucky enough to have a saw room at GlassCast HQ and have access to the tools needed on
site, if you don't have access to this machinery it is possible that the timber merchant you sourced
your wood from could do the following for you:
You will need to cut your wood straight down the mid-
dle, then ip the planks so that the two live-edges face
each other creating the river channel.
If the wood is a little twisted, it will benet from a few
passes though a thicknesser. Although it's not abso-
lutely essential at this point, it will reduce the amount
of atting and nishing to be done later in the process.
When creating a traditional river table, you would need
to pre-seal the live-edge to prevent any air being drawn out and being visible in the resin. However as
we are going to be putting a lot of carbon bre in to the river, these bubbles won't be visible, so we
can skip that stage.
What we do need to do is to remove any loose material along the live-edge, like bark, then give the
edge a good 'key' with coarse abrasive paper so that
the resin will bond strongly to the wooden edges.
Once the live-edges are all cleaned up and the
preparation to the wood is complete you are now
ready to move on to setting up the barriers around
the slabs and xing them in place ready for the rst
pour.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Safety Information, Environment & Epoxy Resin
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
GlassCast 50 Resin is a chemical product. Before storage or use you must download and read
the accompanying safety datasheet, available on the GlassCast 50 product page.
A Summary of the most important information is as follows:
•Always wear nitrile gloves when handling the resin or hardener
•Never touch uncured or partially cured resin with your bare skin
•Wear suitable eye protection when handling the resin or hardener
Although GlassCast 50 Resin is solvent free and has almost no odour you should still work in a
well ventilated area or wear a vapour respirator mask.
Ambient Temperature, Pot-Life and Cure Time
Epoxy resins are highly sensitive to ambient temperature and moisture.
To achieve the best results, we recommend working in a room temperature of 20°C. GlassCast 50
can be used in temperatures from 15 to 25°C but higher temperatures will reduce the pot-life of the
resin signicantly; at 20°C the pot-life is between 30 and 45 minute and the curing time is 48 hours.
Epoxy resins are very susceptible to moisture and humidity so it's important to make sure the envi-
ronment is dry and heated.
Airborne Dust and Contamination
Whilst the resin is still in the early stages of its cure, it is important to keep airborne dust and con-
tamination to a minimum. Before you begin you should ensure that the area you’re working in is as
free as possible from dust and dirt.
Although you need good ventilation whilst working on the project, in order to minimise airborne
dust and contamination, it’s best minimise air movement or disturbance in the room as soon as you
have nished working.
Epoxy Resin For Your Project
The resin used in this tutorial is GlassCast 50 casting resin which is specially developed for use
alongside natural wood to create professional quality projects. To ensure the best possible appear-
ance for projects like forged carbon bre river tables this resin is highly UV resistant, designed to
degas itself during cure and can be cast in thick section in a single pour. We recommend limiting
pour depth to 25mm when poured into or alongside wood, it can be layered to achieve a greater
depth if your river channel is deeper.
When it comes to nishing your project, GlassCast® 50 is highly polishable and can easily be bued
to a glass-like nish with it’s tough formulation making it hard wearing and less prone to scratches.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Epoxy Resin for your River Table Project
Epoxy is epoxy, right?
The resin used in this tutorial is GlassCast® 50 from Easy Composites
which is a resin specially developed for use alongside natural wood
materials to create professional quality resin furniture pieces.
To ensure the best possible appearance for projects like river tables
this resin is incredibly clear, highly UV resistant and is designed to
degas itself during cure.
Unlike more conventional epoxy resins, GlassCast® 50 can be cast in thicknesses up to 50mm in
a single pour adequate for just about any river table) and if more thickness is required it can be
layered on itself to produce a seamless block of resin of almost any thickness.
When it comes to nishing your project, GlassCast® 50 is highly polishable and can easily be bued
to a glass-like nish and it’s super tough formulation makes it hard wearing and less prone to scratch-
es.
How much resin will I need?
The very nature of a ‘live-edge’ on a piece of wood makes it dicult to calculate exactly how much
resin you will need for the project.
There are some practical methods that can be used to actually measure the exact volume of an
irregular shaped cavity - such as pouring rice or sand into the gap and then measuring the volume -
but in most cases it is probably more a case of estimating the volume of the gap and then allowing a
little extra.
Areas that are to be lled with resin (for example the gap between two live-edge planks on a river
table) should be measured approximately in length, width and depth to nd the cuboid volume, as
follows:
Length(in metres) x Width(in metres) x Depth(in millimetres)
The resulting number will be the volume of this shape in litres: For example:
1.5m(length) x 0.15m(width) x 30mm(depth) = 6.75litres
In simple terms, 6.75 litres of resin can be approximated as 6.75 kilograms of resin.
We would always suggest slightly overestimating the amount of resin you think you will need as it
is likely that the wood will absorb some of the resin and it’s always better to have mixed too much
rather than too little - especially when colouring the resin, to ensure a consistent colour.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Avoiding Overheating / Exotherm
The GlassCast range of resins, in common with all epoxies, generate heat as part of the curing pro-
cess. In order to ensure that the resin does not overheat during mixing and curing, it is essential to
make sure you stay within strict limits of ambient temperature, time-in-pot and pour depth, as well as
avoiding localised overheating from direct sunlight, nearby radiators or heat guns/hair dryers. Failure
to do so could result in damaged resin, or in extreme cases, resin smoking or igniting.
The recommended working temperature for GlassCast is 18-20°C. When working in higher ambient
temperatures, pay attention to the reduced pot-life and maximum pour depth, as shown below.
Ambient Temperature
15°C
(minimum)
20°C
(recommended)
25°C
(maximum)
Maximum Time in Pot (Pot-Life) 80mins 60mins 40mins
Maximum Pour Depth
Into a thin-walled mould (silicone/plastic)
50mm 40mm 30mm
Maximum Pour Depth
Into wood or an insulating mould
25mm 25mm 18mm
Initial Cure Time 96hrs 72hrs 48hrs
Ambient Temperature
Epoxy resins are highly sensitive to ambient temperature (room temperature) throughout their cure.
For best results, we recommend working in a consistent room temperature of 18-20°C. GlassCast
can be used in temperatures from 15 to 25°C but higher temperatures will reduce the pot-life and
the maximum pour-depth of the resin signicantly. Never work in ambient temperatures exceeding
25°C, or exceed the maximum pour depth for a given ambient temperature (as shown in the table
above) otherwise the resin could dangerously overheat, especially on larger pours.
Maximum Time in Pot (Pot-Life)
As soon as the resin and hardener are mixed together, the curing reaction begins. Due to the volume
of resin all in one place, mixed resin in the pot will begin to gradually warm up. The amount of time
that mixed resin can stay in the mixing pot before it overheats is known as its pot-life. Once you’ve
mixed your resin, make sure you use it within the pot-life stated for your ambient temperature (see
table above). Once you’re done, if you have more than the maximum pour depth of leftover resin in
the pot, place the pot outside - just in case it starts to overheat.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Localised Heat Sources
Whilst close attention should be paid to the ambient (room) temperature, it is also important to avoid
any localised heat sources which can also cause an exotherm. Examples of localised heat sources
include:
• A hot radiator at one end of a cooler room
If the resin project is positioned above or near the radiator it could start to exotherm, even
though the room temperature is within the recommended limits.
• Direct sunlight from a window
Sun shining through a window onto your resin project or surrounding area can cause
signicant hot-spots which can easily cause the resin to exotherm, even in a relatively cool
room.
• Heat-guns or hair dryers
If using a heat-gun or hair-dryer as part of your resin project, do so sparingly to avoid
warming up the resin signicantly. Excessive use of a heat-gun or hair dryer can easily
accelerate the cure and cause the resin to exotherm.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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Step-by-Step Guide
1. Setting up the Barriers
Having carried out all the preparation needed on the wooden planks we can now move on to building
the barriers. Lay out the sycamore planks and decide how wide you would like the river channel to be
then you will be ready to build your frame. This will act as the mould box for the table top.
Building up from a rm, at work surface we used a polypropylene sheet to create a super smooth,
clean surface that the resin won't stick to.
Stick the polypropylene sheet down with double
sided tape and check that the surface is perfect-
ly level before continuing.
It's worth noting that the place you set up the
project needs to be a suitable place for the pour
and where it can be left to cure, where it won't
be disturbed and can easily be covered.
To create the barriers around the perimeter of
the slabs of sycamore, use some wooden
battens and resin release tape.
Resin release tape is great for this application
as the resin doesn't stick to it - you may be able
to use standard parcel tape as an alternative,
however we would recommend conducting
a test if using other materials in case it won't
easily come o the cured resin.
When applying the tape to the batten leave an
overhang, fold it back on itself to create a crease
and use this to stick it to the base sheet.
To seal the corners, simply cut the tape and
crease at a 45° angle to t it perfectly into the
corner to complete the seal all the way around
the frame, we show how to do this in the tuto-
rial.
Once the barriers are all in position, set up
some bridging timbers and blocks to use with
clamps to hold the slabs down to prevent them oating in the resin. For ease in the demoulding
process, cover the bases of the small blocks of wood with release tape and use below the bridging
timbers, and clamp into position. This process will also help to take out some of the gentle curvature
in the planks if present, and save on work later in the project.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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2. Resin and Chopped Tow Calculation
To work out how much resin and carbon bre chopped tow you will need you will rst need to
calculate the area of the river section between the two planks.
The example used in the tutorial is based on a 133cm length plank, but because the river is against
the live-edge of the wood the best way to calculate this area is by taking an estimate of the average
width using a measuring tape along the channel - this project measures an average of 16cm.
This equals a total of 5.33 litres, we can roughly think of a litre as being a kilogram of resin which
means that we would need 5.33kg's of GlassCast 50.
We also know that we want to add the chopped tow carbon bre to the resin and having conduct-
ed lots of tests we have found that adding approximately 20% carbon bre seems to give the best
results. This percentage level is also the optimum amount to give that real 'solid' forged carbon
bre look without the mix becoming too thick and hard to work with.
Having already worked out how much resin will be needed for the project, adding 20% of the
chopped tow carbon bre will bulk up the mixture substantially. We could adjust the resin accord-
ingly to account for this, but in this case we rounded the resin down to 5kg as the calculation was
5.33kg's. We can simply calculate 20% of 5kg as 1kg and use 1kg of chopped tow carbon bre.
It is also worth noting that to achieve the best results you need to concentrate on the rst layer/or
pour which will become the visible surface of the table.
To work out the area we will convert the
measurements from centimetres to metres:
1.33 metres X 0.16 metres
= 0.213 square metres
X 25mm = 5.33kg's
The depth of our river channel is 25mm so a
simple way to work out the volume is to just
multiply the 0.213 sqm by the 25mm.
To achieve the best forged carbon bre eect
on this type of project we have found that the
best method is to work upside-down. This
means that the bottom of the wood and the
bottom part of the river (against the polypropyl-
ene sheet) will become the surface of the table
so do make sure that you place your favourite
side of the planks face down in the mould
frame.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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3. The Surface Pour
The rst pour will be the surface layer and as mentioned previously needs to be excecuted correctly
to ensure the best results on the table. For the rst pour you need to mix up a fth of the overall
quantity. In the tutorial the project uses a total of 5KG of GlassCast 50 and 1KG of chopped tow. So,
this rst mix will need 1kg of GlassCast 50 and 200g chopped carbon tow.
The recommended mix ratio for GlassCast 50
Resin is by volume where the resin to hardener
ratio is 2:1, this means 2 parts resin (part A) to 1
part hardener (part B).
Calibrated mixing cups are really useful for
measuring by volume as they already have the
2:1 scale printed on them. Fill the resin to line A
and the hardener to line B.
Then combine the resin by mixing slowly and
steadily to minimise bubbles for 3 minutes,
ensuring that you scrape the sides and bottom
of the cup.
Next pour the mixture into a 2nd clean cup and
repeat the mixing process for a further 3 min-
utes. This process is called double-potting and
is to ensure that any unmixed resin from the
bottom or sides of the pot do not make it on to
the project. If this process is missed it can cause
problems to the curing process and the nish.
TIP: a useful way of knowing when your resin is
fully mixed is that it will return to it's perfectly
clear state, any cloudiness or oily eect indi
cates that it is not thoroughly mixed.
You are now ready to pour the resin into the riv-
er! Pour the mixed resin into the river channel,
then allow it to stand for a short while to release
any bubbles that may be present in the pour
from mixing, check the edges to make sure no
bubbles are clinging to the sides.
While waiting for the bubbles to dissapear
weigh out the carbon bre - when handling the
chopped tow it is very important to wear the
correct PPE including gloves, eye protection and
a respirator.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 13
Adding the chopped tow using this method is a much more gentle way of working with the carbon
bre and helps to keep the individual tows separate, which is key to achieving that perfect forged
carbon bre look.
If you identify any areas that require more carbon bre, just add the extra in and repeat the wetting
out process with either a brush or roller and make sure that you check that all the bres are
consolidated down, paying close attention to the edges of the river against the side barriers and
where the resin meets the wooden river edges.
As this layer will become the cosmetic face of the table, take the time to make sure that any trapped
air is forced out through the carbon bres. Allow the project to sit for a while before revisiting it with
the roller to push out any more bubbles that may have appeared.
Our recommendation is that when you think this layer is complete, give it another roll over with the
bristled roller just to be sure.
At the end of this stage, the critical surface layer of the table is completed and wetted out suciently,
it's now time to move on to the main pour of the project.
Spread/sprinkle the carbon bre evenly along
the resin river - with the aim of blocking out the
surface below with a dense consistent layer.
Once all the carbon bre is distributed, use a
combination of a brush and a bristled roller to
wet out the bres and consolidate them.
By adding the carbon bres in this way it helps
to ensure that the cosmetic side of the table is
void free and has little to no air entrapment.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
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4. The Main Pour and Cure
The mixing process for the main pour is done in the same way as the surface pour. Measure out
the remaining resin and hardener into a large bucket. If you are using the remainder of a 5kg kit as
done in the tutorial you can safely pour out all of the remaining resin and hardener into the bucket,
ensuring to drain the containers properly. If you are not using a full kit make sure that you accurately
measure out the parts again using the calibrated mixing cup at the 2:1 ratio.
Mix the 2 parts together slowly and steadily and use the double-potting method, then set aside the
the mixture to allow the bubbles to rise and pop out of the mixture.
indent but no residue will stick to the glove. GlassCast 50 will reach this stage between 8-12 hours, if
this stage is missed you need to key the surface with abrasive paper to achieve a strong bond.
Pour the clear resin on top of the previous layer,
lling up to approximately 5mm below the top
of the planks. Saving a small amount of the
mixed resin in the bucket for top up's.
Now add the majority of the remaining 800g of
the carbon bre chopped tow, again keeping a
small amount in reserve for top ups.
Next use a combination of brush and roller to
mix the tow into the resin.
It is important in this step to evenly distribute
the tow in the resin and ensure that the tow is
completely wetted out.
NOTE: it is always worth remembering that
when working with GlassCast 50 Resin the max-
imum pour depth advised (when pouring into
wood) is 25mm at a time.
This is because the wood acts as an insulator
and if poured too deeply the resin could over-
heat and lead to problems through overheating.
To avoid the possiblilty of this happening, limit
pours to a depth of 25mm and if you require a
greater depth of pour you need to allow the rst
layer to partially cure to the B-stage. The B-stage
is where the resin has rmed up but still has a
tackiness to the surface - you can test this with a
gloved nger - you should be able to make an
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 15
use the bristle roller and brush to give it a nal roll over. At this point you should see that the ll level
is level with the top of the slabs but not over it.
If the pour has come up a little short, use the previous steps using the spare resin you set aside and
top up as necessary. Repeat the stippling until you are satised with the ll level.
It's now time to leave this to fully cure for 48 hours. Leave the fan running to push away any heat and
close the room up to avoid any dust or debris getting on to the curing surfaces.
5. Removing the Barriers
After 48 hours have passed check the cured surface, ensure that you wear nitrile gloves. The surface
should be rock solid and if you press rmly with your ngernail it shouldn't leave any impression. If
you do nd at this stage that it is a little soft, leave it for a further 24 hours to fully harden.
Once you are satised that the surface has fully
cured, you can remove the barriers.
Undo and remove the clamps, then using a mal-
let knock the barriers away from the form. The
advantage of using the tape on the barriers and
blocks is that they easily come away from the
slab. Next using a wedge and mallet, prise the
form away from the polypropylene sheet - it will
come away really easily and leave an amazing
surface straight from the mould.
Remove all the excess bridging timbers, clamps and blocks and turn the slab over on the polypropyl-
ene sheet. You will now be able to remove any tape that has pulled away with the cured piece and
inspect it more closely.
The project is at the upper limit of the 25mm
pour, so to air on the side of caution we set up a
fan at the end of the workbench to drive excess
warm air away from the project and the curing
resin and make sure that we keep the tempera-
ture of the room around 18-20°C .
Once the main pour is fully wetted out, leave it
to sit for a few minutes to allow bubbles to rise
out of the mix, then as with the surface pour
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Page 16
6. Fixing Pinholes and Voids
If you would prefer a hi-gloss nish over the entire surface of your table please see STEP 8 on page
15. Or, to produce a table with a polished forged carbon river and the natural wood slabs follow the
next step to x the surface pin holes and voids.
To at the surface of the table we used a router set up on a bridge and made multiple passes over
the whole surface area. This method does take a few passes, but it is certainly faster and more con-
sistent than sanding. This is the best way to get the job done without the need to invest in large and
often expensive tools.
To get rid of the lines in the table surface left by the router, sand using 120 grit abrasive paper to a
all-over smooth surface. If you have access to a hand-held sander this will speed up this stage of the
process. Once smooth thoroughly clean the surface and most importantly using a clean brush and a
vacuum cleaner remove all dust and debris from the pin holes, voids and surface.
In the tutorial, GlassCast 50 was used ( this requires a 48 hour curing time) if time was of the essence
the GlassCast 3 or 10 would be suitable and would be fully cured after 24 hours.
Simply measure out and mix up a small amount of resin and hardener (according to the stated ratio)
and using either a brush or a resin spreader work the resin into all of pinholes and voids. The brush
is really useful for breaking the surface tenion and work the resin into any hard to reach areas using
a stippling action. When you are satised that all areas are xed allow to cure for the time stated.
On closer inspection you may be able to see
some tiny pinholes, this is dicult to avoid due
to the nature of the chopped tow material and
can be easily rectied. The next step is optional
depending on the type of nish you wish to
achieve on your project.
The options depend upon whether you would
prefer a natural wood look with a polished
forged carbon bre river or a full hi-gloss sur-
face over the wood and forged carbon.
Before we move on to the nal sand and polish,
this is the time to x any pinholes or voids on
the surface of the river.
To prevent excess resin getting on to the wood,
position strips of the resin release tape along
the river edge as close as possible to the edge
of the wood, this will save time on the nal
atting and polishing stage. To ll the pinholes
and voids, any of the GlassCast Resins would be
suitable.
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Page 17
7. Flatting and Polishing
The resin is now fully cured and rock solid. The next step is to at the table up to a perfect nish.
Firstly remove the tape from the river edges and trim the slab using a table saw or power planer.
To at the high spots left by the resin from the last stage, sand using a coarse 120 grit paper to a
level surface then work through the grits from coarse to ne over the whole surface - ideally up to
1200 grit.
Working up through the grits properly is worth
the time it takes as it will expose the beautiful
grain in the wood and the incredible detail in
the forged carbon bre.
The nal step to achieving a beautiful nish is to
apply a couple of coats of danish oil which will
make the detail in the contrasting surfaces pop!
Finally, attach table legs of your choice to
complete the project.
In the tutorial we used some chunky box legs in
a matte charcoal grey to give the table an
industrial feel.
If you would prefer to nish your project with
the hi-gloss coating of GlassCast 3 Resin, you
can miss out this STEP (7) and follow STEP 8.
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Page 18
8. Alternative Hi-Gloss Finish
If you prefer the look of a hi-gloss surface nish all over your table top, this is easily achieved. By
following the steps in this guide up to STEP 5 (on page 12) - Removing the barriers, the process is the
same. At this point you would need to follow the steps listed in this section.
Then check the surface of the table is completely level before leaving to fully cure for 24 hours.
*GlassCast 3 Coating Resin is perfect for creating stunning glossy coatings due to it being hard wear-
ing, self-levelling, self-degassing and scratch resistant due to it's suitability for use on oors, bartops,
countertops and tables.
First, at the surface of the resin to remove any
high spots using 120 grit abrasive paper, if you
have access to a Dual Action Sander this is the
best way to achieve this.
Then thoroughly clean the surface including any
voids or pinholes this process has exposed.
The most thorough way to do this is by using a
dry brush and a vacuum cleaner to make sure
that all dust and debris is removed followed by
a wipe over with a damp cloth.
The next step is to apply a sealing coat of Glass-
Cast 3* coating resin. The GlassCast 3 mix ratio
is 2:1 by weight, so you will need to weigh out
the quantities using digital scales.
The mixing method is the same as the GlassCast
50 mixing process - mix the resin and hardener
together for 3 minutes before transferring to a
2nd clean pot and mix for a further 3 minutes.
Now brush apply the resin in a thin but even
coat and leave to fully cure for 24 hours.
Once the resin has fully cured, at the entire
surface using the 120 grit paper and clean up
ready for the main pour.
Brush towards the edges of the table to stop
resin running down the sides.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 19
Once cured, sand the surface again all over with 120 grit abrasive paper and thoroughly wipe clean.
The table in the tutorial measured 1.33m long by 0.64m wide and we need to pour a depth of 2mm
which can be calculated as:
1.33m x 0.64m x 2mm
= 1.7 (1.7kgs)
The 1.7 can roughly be equated to 1.7kg's of GlassCast 3 so for this project 2kg would be more than
enough to apply the sealing coat and cover the main pour and will use 1133g resin and 567g harden-
er. Mix in the usual way for 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot before transferring
to a 2nd bucket (double potting) and mix again, then allow to stand for a few minutes before pouring.
Then apply resin release tape around the entire
table top. This will act as a retaining tape around
the edge and prevent the GlassCast from ow-
ing o the sides.
Make sure that the tape edge stands proud of
the table top by a few millimetres, it's advisable
to pour the resin to a depth of 2mm.
The resin needs to be at least 2mm deep for its
self-degassing and levelling technology to work.
Pour the mix all over the surface of the table,
then using a notched resin spreader move the
resin around the surface.
Use the spreader to push the liquid up to the
taped edge and check for bubbles.
Sometimes bubbles will try and cling on to the
tape around the edges so use a spreader or
mixing stick to dislodge them.
Do not use heat to remove bubbles around the
tape as this may shrink the tape and damage
the retaining tape and could cause leakages.
Finally leave the resin to fully cure, if possible
place a cover over the surface to keep out any
dust or debris and make sure that the environ-
ment stays at an ambient temperature of 20°C.
This will need to cure for 24 hours before mov-
ing on to the nal step.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 20
Check the surface is fully cured by testing with a gloved nger then the barrier tape can be removed.
To remove the meniscus left around the edges
and neaten the sides of the table, the table top
was trimmed on a table saw to take o a few
millimetres.
Alternatively you could use a power planer if you
have access to one and on a table of this size
the right result could be reached quite easily
and quickly.
Follow up the trimming by sanding the sides of
the table (taking care not to touch the top sur-
face of the slab), work up through the grits from
240 grit all the way up to 1200 grit.
Don't move on to the next grit until all marks are
removed from the previous grit. When sanding
it is always worth taking the time to do a thor-
ough job to achieve the best resutls.
The nal step is to ip the table over and apply
the legs, we chose these boxed industrial legs in
a matte charcoal grey to compliment the forged
carbon bre.
As always with a project like this the style of legs
and nish all comes down to personal prefer-
ence.
So, project complete and this nish is awesome!
The super hi-gloss surface really turns up the
natural denition in the grain of the sycamore
and amplies the light reections with the
forged carbon bre is incredible.
This additional layer of GlassCast 3 brings an-
other dimension and depth to the project - the
only thing for you to decide is which nish you
want on your project?!
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 21
9. After Care
Now that your GlassCast® Forged Carbon Resin River project is complete you’ll want to keep it look-
ing great for years to come.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind when looking after your epoxy resin table:
• Hot Objects - You should not place hot objects directly on to the resin (pots, pans, plates or mugs)
as this may mark the surface. Instead use coasters or heat proof mats. If you do nd that hot objects
have marked the surface it can be atted and polished again to remove any marks.
• UV Light - GlassCast® 50 and GlassCast 3 has been designed to have the best UV stability of any
epoxy resin on the market and should withstand years of indirect sunlight with very little eect. How-
ever, common with just about all materials of this nature, prolonged exposure to UV light, particularly
direct sunlight, can eventually cause some change in the appearance of the resin.
For this reason, nished GlassCast® projects are not recommended for outdoor use and should be
kept away from direct sunlight where possible.
• Scratches and Marks - GlassCast® 50 and 3 are very hard wearing plastics and will hold up to the
rigours of light daily use without marking. However, accidental damage can be caused by sharp
objects scraping over the surface of the resin or from things being dropped onto it. If this occurs,
these can be polished out using the same process that was used for the initial sanding and polishing
; i.e. abrasive paper (for coarse scratches) followed by polishing compound to restore the gloss.
GlassCast® 50 Resin Forged Carbon River Table Handbook
Page 22
10. Alternative Projects
GlassCast 50 is the ideal epoxy resin for this incredible forged carbon river table and the techniques
used to create this sleek table with it's hi-tec forged river can be used to create other furniture pieces
such as river lamps and chopping boards using the same processes.
By marrying the natural wood with the high-end carbon bre, an unimanigably cool result can be
achieved and this fusion of epoxy resin, wood and composites materials is an amazing addition to the
world of interior design.
Variations on this process could be:
• Presentation / Serving Boards or Platters
• A Wooden Lamp Base - with Forged Carbon Channel
• Coasters and Place Mats
Alternative Projects could be:
• The Classic Resin River Table
• The Neon Plank Table
• A Full Carbon Fibre Surface Table
• Embedments like Lego, Coee Pods and the use of Pigments
