Epoxy and Ash River Table
Custom Woodwork
Epoxy and Ash
A local woodworker contacted us about building a table top for their client from some locally harvested ash hardwood and epoxy. The logs they had were too short for the table length of 10 feet so we needed to join the boards before we started to put this thing together.
Epoxy and Ash
Joinery
In order to achieve our 10' length, we needed to cut and join our 6' and 4' sections together. Much attention was taken to ensure that even though there would be a seam, the grain would look somewhat continuous between the two sections.
Once we were satisfied with our joint, we used 4 tenons to align and secure the two pieces together. We also added a 9" plate to ensure that this joint would be strong and long lasting.
Epoxy and Ash
Custom Inlay Fill
Our initial plan was to fill the knots with the same epoxy that we were going to use for the river aspect of the table top but one large knot was soft and there was fear that it would never look right if we simply filled it. We decided to inlay a patch in a similar shape as the knot.
Epoxy and Ash
Epoxy River
In order to pour the epoxy river in the center of the table we needed to make a waterproof form that the epoxy would not stick to. We created our form out of melamine and coated it with a layer of tyvek tape which we then waxed to prevent adhesion. We fastened the two sides to the melamine and built up sides and ends to the form to prevent leaking. We then filled the river with tinted epoxy. It took over 12 gallons of epoxy for this river.
Epoxy and Ash
Surfacing
Once the epoxy had dried, the table top needed to be surfaced one more time to create a perfectly flat and parallel table top. The table then went back to the client for sanding and finishing.