An expressive highlight of the interior will be an unusual tabletop, embodying creative design ideas. It successfully combines the natural warmth of natural wood and the glossy shine of modern polymer - epoxy resin. The original table will successfully complement the interior space. If you follow the manufacturing recommendations, a wooden tabletop made by yourself will delight the owners with its strength, aesthetics, and durability.

Realization of creative ideas

A cozy interior consists of many details. Important place among them ranks beautiful furniture. Factory attributes often do not meet the requirements for individual design. A successful alternative is to create non-standard designs that give the space special expressiveness.

An insatiable urge to surround yourself original things pushes to self-creation utilitarian items. Creative embodiment design ideas It will become original, made of wood in tandem with epoxy resin. An exclusive interior attribute will become a highlight kitchen space, dining room, living room country house, terrace or summerhouse.

Universal polymer: advantages of use

Practical calculation and artistic flair will allow you to create with your own hands unique item interior At the core pouring table The screws are epoxy resin. Available material attracts many advantages, among them:

• moisture resistance;
• retention of shape after hardening;
• profitable price;
• resistance to deformation.

In small-scale production and at home, the process of cold curing of components is used. The transparent layer obtained after curing does not change color scheme, does not chip, durable, non-toxic. Under the filling you can place all kinds of designer little things - coins, buttons, pebbles, wine corks.

Attention! Epoxy countertops should be used with caution in kitchen environments. Do not place hot objects on it. The best option- coat the wooden countertop with a protective varnish: this will protect it from a hot frying pan or pot.

Proper preparation: the key to success

When making a wooden tabletop, care must be taken. The surface on which the workpiece lies, the floor, must be covered with polyethylene: leaked resin is difficult to remove.

The next stage is preparing the wooden surface. Removing dirt, sanding uneven surfaces, priming. A non-dry surface absorbs dust. Plastic film will help protect it from the smallest lint. It is easy to string on several pegs.

Special equipment will help prevent the smallest fluff from getting onto the countertop. To work you need to prepare:

• disposable painting suit;
• latex gloves;
• protective cap.

Before mixing the components, you should carefully study the instructions: it is important to follow the proportions recommended by the manufacturer.

Density levels

Changing the combination of the main components affects the characteristics of the polymer. The following stages of resin hardening are distinguished:

• liquid;
• medium thickness;
• hard;
• rubbery.

The liquid consistency is optimal for filling any shape: the liquid mixture perfectly fills various recesses and depressions of the tabletop. The viscous consistency, approximately reminiscent of thick honey, is suitable for forming lenses and drops.

Manufacturing stages

First they measure required amount epoxy, then hardener. To obtain the desired shade, dye is added, and fluorescent pigments are added for spectacular shine. The components are thoroughly mixed: the homogeneity of the mixture contributes to better hardening. Important nuance: No moisture should get into the mixture. High humidity in the room will interfere with the manufacture of the countertop.

The critical stage is applying the mixture to the surface. Complete curing takes approximately 15 minutes. Annoying flaws that often disrupt the aesthetics of the product are air bubbles. A hair dryer will help remove them: just slightly warm the surface with it. You can get rid of a small bubble using a syringe or cocktail tube. After correcting the errors, the tabletop is left in the room for 48 hours.

The final stage is 3-fold coating polyurethane varnish. The process must be alternated with grinding.

Attention! A designer creation may change shade (turn yellow from sunlight). If you plan to place the attribute indoors on the south side, garden gazebo It is advisable to coat the surface with varnish with a UV filter.

Wood and polymer - beauty is in the details

A successful duet of natural wood with epoxy resin will become great solution for interior decoration. To realize creative ideas, boards with caverns are used. Alternative option- cutting intricate notches on the finished product wooden tabletop. Tabletops framed in polymer resin have many advantages, including:

• external aesthetics;
• unique design;
• waterproof;
• abrasion resistance.

Creative ideas, coupled with skillful hands, will turn a familiar tabletop into an unusual interior attribute, giving the space individuality, charm, and expressive color.

The furnishings in the house ensure that it is cozy and matches your tastes. However, furniture stores are not always able to offer something that suits your vision of the interior. Yes and standard solutions- is not at all what suits people who strive for individual design. It’s easier, of course, to order an exclusive and pay money for it. But it’s much more interesting to implement the idea yourself. For example, for a tabletop it makes it possible to create any creative surface, unique and inimitable. Of course, you will have to work hard. But epoxy is a fairly simple material to work with, and mastering the basics of handling it is not difficult.

Advantages of the material

What is especially good about epoxy resin for pouring countertops is that when it dries, it retains its original volume. Varnish, for example, dries due to the evaporation of the liquid entering it. As a result, its layer shrinks, which often creates problems. Resin hardening is caused by chemical reaction. And if you require a lens by design, you will get it. Moreover, it will not be subject to chips, removal, or deformation. Yes and simply Smooth surface will remain flat without sagging as it dries.

Another advantage that epoxy resin has is price. The material is cheaper than others designed to create durable surfaces. The cost on average ranges between 200 and 280 rubles per kilogram. And if you need epoxy resin in bulk, the price will drop to 180-190, depending on the size of the batch.

Guarantee of success: preparation

To mix the material you will need a bowl (the volume depends on how much epoxy you need), a mixing stick and two measuring containers. Before mixing, you need to carefully study the instructions: the proportions of the components are different and depend on the manufacturer. They must be strictly observed, otherwise the material will not harden well.

First, the epoxy is measured, and then the resin hardener. You need to pour it into the base, and not vice versa. The combined materials are kneaded as thoroughly as possible; the quality of hardening also depends on this. Once homogeneity is achieved, you need to wait until the resin reaches the desired consistency, after which you can use it for its intended purpose.

Which stage to use for what?

Epoxy resin for countertops comes in several thicknesses, and each is suitable for different purposes.

1. Liquid stage: the composition flows freely from the stick. Ideal condition for filling molds - at this stage all corners and depressions will be filled.
2. Thickness like “liquid honey”. It flows viscously from the sampler, lingering at the tip. Exactly what you need to create drops and lenses. Also suitable for filling soft shapes, for example, for a round tabletop.
3. “Thick honey” stage. It is practically not suitable for pouring, but it is impeccable as an adhesive - previous consistencies will run off.
4. The next step, in which the resin is separated from total mass with difficulty, unsuitable for any purpose. Either they don’t bring it to this point, or they wait for it to thicken even more.
5. The rubber phase allows you to create fancy shapes, like modeling from plasticine. True, in order for the epoxy resin for the countertop to retain its shape, it will have to be fixed in the desired position, otherwise it will straighten out.

The last stage is solid. When the epoxy reaches it, your countertop is ready.

Subtleties of the process

Before you make a countertop from epoxy resin, take care not to add any further work to yourself. In particular, cover the table you are working on or the floor under the workbench with polyethylene - leaked resin can be removed with great effort.

Until the surface dries, it will collect all the dust. Consider your coverage option in advance. For example, low racks on which the film “roof” will be stretched.

No water should get into either the resin or the hardener. Including from the air, so it’s not worth working in high humidity. It also requires a certain temperature regime: if the room temperature is less than 22 Celsius, you risk getting a poorly hardened countertop. You can speed up hardening by increasing the temperature, for example, by placing the product on a radiator. You should not heat it with a hairdryer: the resin will boil and give a huge number of bubbles.

If a bubble appears near the surface when the epoxy resin for the countertop is just being poured, you can blow on it through a cocktail tube, a thin syringe, or even a body ballpoint pen. The ball will burst without spoiling the craft.

Nuances of use

A tabletop made of epoxy resin, made by hand, has its own characteristics in operation. Firstly, the material tends to turn yellow from sunlight, and sometimes from heat. If you plan to place a table in a southern room or kitchen, as well as in a poorly protected garden gazebo, buy a base with a UV filter.

Secondly, the cold sometimes causes flakes or grains to form on the countertop. You can return it to its original appearance by heating it to 40-60 degrees.

Thirdly, epoxy resin is not very suitable for countertops used in kitchen conditions, since it can emit toxins when heated. If you want to place such a table in the kitchen, cover the surface with a protective transparent varnish. Best of all - designed for yachts.

Table top mold

You will need it if you want to make it completely out of epoxy, without using anything as a supporting surface. For the form, you can take glass of the required size. It is thoroughly washed, wiped dry and degreased with acetone. Then the surface is rubbed with wax mastic, which after a third of an hour is polished with a dry rag. The edges can be made from If you want perfectly smooth edges of the tabletop, buy polished ones. The inner surface is treated with a mixture of turpentine and paraffin. They are attached to the glass with window putty.

All of these procedures are required to ensure that the epoxy resin for the countertop does not stick to the mold, and the finished product is easily removed from it. However, if you intend to insert the surface into a “frame”, you do not need to worry about the smoothness of the cuts. in this case, the sides can be assembled from any available material and sandwiched with polyethylene or rubber - epoxy will not stick to them.

Otherwise, everything is simple: prepare the solution, bring it to the desired consistency and pour it. To obtain a varied structure, you can tint the resin with water-insoluble dyes or add inclusions to it - small pebbles, fragments of colored glass, etc.

Coin idea

It is not at all necessary to make a countertop only from this material. Epoxy resin for countertops makes it possible to use a variety of additional elements. For example, if you have an old but strong tabletop, you can actually make a new one out of it, and a very unusual one at that. The surface is cleaned; you can paint it in suitable color. Old coins are cleaned with a special solution. The tabletop is laid evenly, with low borders along the edges. Coins are laid out inside the “box”. There is no need to fasten them in any way. All that remains is to fill the mold with epoxy and wait for it to set. This idea is especially good for a bar counter.

Wood plus resin

Very an elegant solution there will be a combination of epoxy with natural wood. Either a regular tabletop is knocked together from boards with cavities, or they are artistically cut out on the finished one. The surface is sanded until smooth; Fluorescent dyes are added to the diluted resin. All cleaned cavities are filled with the composition. After drying, the tabletop is coated in several layers with intermediate sanding. An unusual and colorful table is ready!

List of everything you need:

• Epoxy resin, two-component
• Two syringes without a needle (sold at any pharmacy)
• Container for mixing resin and hardener (plastic cup)
• Stick for this mixing (wooden)
• Ceramic tiles or cardboard (generally any flat hard surface, preferably on a level table)
• Scotch tape (wide, single-sided)
• Accessories for jewelry (connectors, earrings, connecting rings, bases)
• Mini drill (sold in almost any construction store, take the cheapest one, I personally use DREMEL 300)
• A set of attachments for it (a small drill and an emery head for turning)
• Good mood for yourself;) Well, gloves with a respirator would be nice

Advice: Before you shop, make sure you have a suitable workspace. If you live in a one-room apartment with your grandmother and mother, you will have to wait a little while making jewelry from resin. At a minimum, you need a separate room where you can inhale harmful resin vapors (if you don’t take care of ventilation) in splendid isolation.

This work is dirty, noisy and generally not conducive to health, but a few simple manipulations will help reduce the negative influences of creativity to a minimum.

Safety precautions when working with epoxy resin:

• if you are not a substance abuser, at least open the window
• always keep a cloth at hand - believe me, it is much easier to wipe off the resin than to then chip it off the linoleum
• don't want a thrill? Then remove all carpets within sight
• Have pity on your neighbors in your living space, don’t grind your jewelry while they’re at home. Wear a respirator during this activity.

Speaking of leaves

Leaves (petals, flowers) must be well dried. This is not a quick task (4 weeks), so prepare them in advance. I put fresh petals into the folded one white paper, then into the book (this is so that the letters do not imprint on the flowers). The thicker the book, the better (old Soviet textbooks work great). Magnetic photo albums can be used to store dried leaves.

If you decide to work with buds (for pouring into balls), you will need a dark, dry space, such as a closet. Thread the thread into the needle, tighten a thicker knot at the end of the thread and pass the needle through the stems of the buds (it is for this operation that these very stems should be left). We tie the resulting garland to two hangers and hide it in the closet. Four weeks and the material is ready.

It is worth keeping in mind that many petals visually change during work, and completely cease to resemble what you picked in the garden. Some shrink to something awkward, some turn black or completely discolored. And if you don’t feel sorry for a stupid daisy at all, then ruined expensive hydrangea flowers will definitely make you sad.

Accessories

The lion's share of the pleasure of working with jewelry is the choice of accessories. It's simple: the more expensive it is, the better the quality. You can save money in the entire process of creating jewelry, but not on accessories; this is exactly the case when the stingy pays twice. Not only do fasteners made in China regularly break, but they also look downright pathetic and, most likely, you won’t be able to stick something like that on your painstakingly nurtured leaf.

Resin preparation

Well, all preparations are completed, we can begin. First, read the instructions for your resin - mixing proportions vary from brand to brand. Personally, I use Crystal resin, 4 ml of resin per 1.2 ml of diluent.

We take both the resin and the hardener with syringes without needles, naturally different ones. It’s better to throw them away after using them; they cost pennies. It is better to carefully lower the hardener along the wall of the cup so that it does not splash.

After this we begin mixing. There’s nothing phenomenal here: you can stir it with your finger for 3-4 minutes. Don't be embarrassed by the abundance of bubbles in the resin, let it sit and they will go away.

Stir the resin periodically. The ready-to-use mixture should have a consistency similar to honey. It is difficult to explain with your fingers exactly how much to mix; it naturally depends on the number of prepared petals, their size and, notably, the thickness of the resin. Fresh ones instantly spread and it turns out that you have tarred the tray itself more than the petals. So it’s important to seize the moment here.

While the resin is settling, prepare workplace. Clear the table, take out the tray and flowers. It is advisable to do wet cleaning, because there is nothing more offensive than potentially beautiful decoration, covered in dust.

Preparing the tray

You need a flat table that you don’t mind getting dirty, and a tray. The key point here is the choice of coating, which should have a number of properties, such as:

• cheap
• affordable
• should not stick to the resin
• should be glossy (a matte surface makes the cured resin matte)

The store one immediately comes to mind. plastic bag, but unfortunately it does not satisfy point 3 and sticks tightly. At one time I used food bags for baking, but they also periodically failed and ruined entire trays of decorations.

Advice: Cover the tray with tape and forget about the problem of decorations sticking forever.

Fill

So, the resin has thickened, the petals are laid out on a surface covered with tape, and we begin to create. We take our fighting stick, dip the tip in resin and apply a drop to the petal.

In principle, you can smear it over it, holding the leaf with your finger (with latex gloves so that there are no greasy marks left), but it spreads quite well on its own. Here you will check how level your table is. Having covered all the prepared petals with the first layer of resin, cover our miracle tray with a lid and leave it all for 24 hours. Then we apply another layer of resin (for now both layers are on the front part).

After a day, turn the petals over and apply last layer, but already on the back sides of our products.

Turning

Now these shapeless epoxy blots with petals inside need to be processed.

It's time to uncover our mini drill. Attach an emery attachment to it and sharpen the jewelry (with a shudder I remember how I sharpened them by hand with a nail file). Keep the edge of the product perpendicular to the drill. After turning, you can coat the edges of the products with varnish or do another fill.

If you are satisfied with the resulting decoration, make holes for attaching rings. We make holes with the same drill, but with a drill (diameter 0.5 mm).

In general, we have done the most difficult work, now all that remains is to attach the fittings. We thread a ring into the drilled hole and a wire into it. Our earrings made from real flower petals are ready!

Rules for storing and caring for flower decorations

1. Products coated with jewelry resin should not be wiped with alcohol or any other solvent, as this may damage the glossy surface. Epoxy is generally not friendly with chemistry, so keep it away from detergents, air fresheners, etc.
2. Wear jewelry after applying decorative cosmetics, perfumes, and deodorants. Do not expose the glossy surface to acetone. It is better to wash off nail polish without rings, since acetone is a volatile substance, and it is not so far from the nail to the ring with a leaf.
3. Don't wear jewelry while playing sports or go to bed with it on.
4. Pin brooches to your clothing before putting it on (this will ensure that the pin is securely fastened).
5. Cured epoxy resin itself is very strong, but with the right amount of diligence, anything can be broken, and in this case it is no exception; store products in boxes.
6. You should not leave them in the open sun for a long time.

Transparent epoxy resin - universal material, allowing you to do original table, jewelry, 3D floors. See how to create it yourself.

Transparent resin: types and their characteristics

For home crafts, epoxy is most often used. But in addition to making jewelry and souvenirs from it, this material is used to create polymer floors with a fashionable 3D effect. Thanks to this, the lower part of the room resembles the ocean with its underwater inhabitants, flowering fields and everything you could wish for.

The self-leveling floor is multi-level, one of the layers is a special canvas on which a drawing is applied using the color printing technique. Whatever story is captured there will be the same on self-leveling floors. Their surface consists of transparent resin, so the image on the canvas is clearly visible.

Products made from epoxy resin are durable, resistant to water and sun. One of the most popular epoxy resins is Magic Crystal-3D. It is used to create costume jewelry, decorative items, for 3D filling and glossy coatings.

Epoxy CR 100 epoxy resin is also used to create polymer floors, which is characterized by antistatic properties, wear resistance, and good chemical resistance.

Epoxy resin is sold together with a solvent. Typically these two substances are mixed in a 2:1 ratio immediately before use.

The second type of resin is acrylic. It is also used to create self-leveling floors and souvenirs. Acrylic resin used to make baths, waterfalls and artificial reservoirs, molds for casting products. This material is used to make fake diamond, including artificial marble.

Perhaps you have heard about transparent designer sinks and bathtubs. This type of resin is used for them.

Transparent polyester resin is also used to create sanitary products. But this type of polymer is most often used in industrial production, and not at home. Transparent polymer resin is used in the automotive industry, shipbuilding industry, and auto tuning. Fiberglass, known to almost everyone, is made from polymer resins.

The most popular for home crafts is epoxy resin, as it costs less than acrylic. But for production small items For costume jewelry, it is better to take acrylic jewelry, which does not absorb air bubbles like epoxy. However, there are subtleties that will help prevent this trouble when working with cheaper material. You will soon learn about them.

How to make a countertop from epoxy resin?

If you need to update the old one, then take it into service interesting idea. To implement it you will need:

• coins;
• epoxy resin with thickener;
• pliers;
• mites;
• varnish on water based;
• autogen;
• wooden slats;
• glue.

If you are decorating wooden surface, wash it, let it dry, prime it and paint it. If you have an old coated countertop, you will need to remove it, then paint it.

The most difficult thing is to bend the coins and cut them. Pincers and pliers, as well as male power, will help you. But if any of this is missing, do not make side ends on the tabletop, place the coins only at the top, it will still turn out beautiful.

The coins will need to be washed. There are several ways to do this:

1. Pour Cola drink into the pan, put in the coins, and put on fire. The solution will boil and cleanse your money. You can simply pour this drink over the coins, do not heat them, but leave them overnight. By morning they will be clean.
2. Place the pan with coins and water on the fire. When the liquid boils, add a little vinegar and soda. The solution will foam, so add enough water to fill the pan no more than halfway.
3. Use a special cleanser called Tarn-X. It is diluted in water according to the instructions, not in food utensils, put coins there. The container must be carefully rotated over the sink to evenly moisten the money and thus wash it.

After using any of these methods, you must rinse the coins thoroughly in running water and put them to dry on towels. But you can also buy new coins from a bank.

1. Here's how to make the tabletop itself. Place coins on its surface, after which you need to fill them with a mixture of epoxy resin and thickener. But before that you need to make preparations.
2. If you don’t want to fuss for a long time, lay cellophane under the surface to be treated, and you can pour the resin. But after mixing with the thickener, you need to leave the mass for a while so that it hardens a little and is not too liquid.
3. In any case, it will flow down a little, so in order to save the solution, you need to periodically collect these drops with a spatula and apply them where there is little resin. But even if this is not done, the wiped resin will be on the cellophane, which should simply be thrown away when the work is completed.
4. You can first make from wooden slats or edging bars for the tabletop, then place coins and fill with epoxy resin.
5. Don't be disappointed if you see air bubbles on the surface you create. We drive them out with autogen flame.
6. Now you need to let the product dry completely, this will take a couple of days. At this time, the main thing is that no one touches the surface, that dust and animal hair do not settle.
7. After completely dry After using the resin, coat the surface with water-based varnish; after it dries, the new product is ready for use.

If you are interested in this process and have a whole piggy bank of coins, or maybe some metal money of the old denomination remains, then make a self-leveling floor, for example, in the bathroom or kitchen.

Epoxy resin jewelry: bracelet and brooch

See how to make a stylish bracelet from this material.

For him take:

• a set consisting of epoxy resin with a thickener;
• silicone mold for a bracelet;
• plastic cup;
• toothpick;
• a stick (you can use an ice cream stick);
• scissors;
• dried flowers;
• disposable syringes.

Pour 2 parts resin and one thickener into a glass.

To measure exact amount thickener and epoxy resin, use disposable syringes. To create as few air bubbles as possible, mix these mixtures slowly.

If air bubbles still remain, let the mixture sit for a while until they disappear. But don’t let it get too thick.

Pour the stringy mixture into the bracelet mold. Place dried flowers cut with scissors there, helping yourself with a toothpick. You can also use them to pierce air bubbles so that it comes out.

Leave the bracelet to harden for a day, then carefully remove it from the mold and try on your new fashion accessory.

Instead of dried flowers, you can decorate the bracelet with beautifully colored buttons.

If you want to make a brooch in the shape of a butterfly, then watch the next master class.

For it you will need:

• dry butterfly bought in a store;
• scissors;
• epoxy resin with solvent;
• two toothpicks;
• gloves;
• aqua varnish;
• brooch mechanism.

Manufacturing instructions:

1. Cut the butterfly into 5 parts: separating the wings and bodies. Coat these parts with aqua varnish first on the reverse side.
2. Place the blanks on a surface covered with film. Suitable for this tile, on which the package is put on and secured.
3. Apply varnish and front side butterflies. While it is drying, dilute the epoxy resin with the solvent, stirring slowly.
4. Place the container in a warm place so that the solution thickens a little and does not drip off the workpieces when pouring. Cover them with a small layer and spread it over the surface with a toothpick.
5. We wait until the parts dry, then we cover them with epoxy mixture on the back side. We also wait for this layer to dry, after which we dilute a third portion of the solution, set it aside so that it thickens well, but is plastic. This will make it easy to glue the wings to the body, which is what you will do. At the same time, give the wings the desired position.
6. Using the remaining solution, attach the metal mechanism to the back of the brooch. Remove the decoration, covering it from dust so that the solution is completely dry.

That's how you got a beautiful new brooch.

How to make a pendant: 2 master classes

See what other wonderful resin jewelry you can make with your own hands.

You will need:

• epoxy resin with hardener;
• metal mold;
• disposable cups and spoons;
• small scissors;
• mandarin;
• stained glass paint;
• Fimo Vernis brillante fixing varnish;
• stained glass paint;
• sandpaper;
• brooch holder;
• Alcor silicone compound.

Peel the tangerine. Take the most beautiful slice, carefully, using scissors to catch the skin, remove it from one side. On the other side, a pin will subsequently be attached, not to the slice, but to a blank made from it.

Form 2 slices in this way and place them in the mold. Knead the silicone compound and pour it into the prepared container. Let the silicone harden.

Now you can remove the slices from the container, throw them away, and rinse the form itself in cold water. If the edges of the indentations are uneven, trim them with scissors.

After a day, the silicone will completely harden, then you can pour the prepared epoxy solution into the mold. When the workpiece is dry, sand it a little with fine sandpaper or an engraver. Attach to back side Prepare a brooch clasp and paint the tangerine with orange stained glass paint. Apply 1 layer first, then the second. After drying, brush the surface with varnish.

You can make such wonderful decorations from epoxy resin in the shape of a tangerine if you are diligent.

If you want to know how to make a pendant round shape, then check out another master class. For it you will need:

• dried flowers;
• molds for filling round shapes;
• epoxy resin;
• thickener;
• disposable plastic cups;
• tweezers;
• scissors;
• sandpaper;
• polishing paste;
• felt nozzle;
• accessories for a pendant.

If you don't have round molds, then take a plastic ball. It needs to be sawed in half, greased inside with Vaseline. After pouring the resin, seal the cut with plasticine so that it does not leak out.

In the absence of purchased dried flowers, make them yourself from a given bouquet. Dry voluminous flowers, such as roses, by tying them to the stems and lowering the buds down. If you want to dry individual petals, then place them between the pages old book. Fragile voluminous flowers are dried in a container into which semolina is poured.

It is important to dry these blanks well, since if the process is not performed well, the flower or part of it will rot over time while in the pendant. To ensure that the plant retains its color for as long as possible, use epoxy resin that protects against ultraviolet radiation.

Assemble a mini-bouquet by gluing flowers, petals, and leaves using epoxy resin mixed with a thickener.

When it hardens, carefully place this small bouquet in a round mold or half a plastic ball. A freshly prepared epoxy mixture solution should be left for 2-3 minutes so that the air comes out and the bubbles do not spoil it appearance products. Now you can pour the resin into the mold and wait until it thickens.

While you get a ball like this, it will not be completely even in shape. To fix this, first go over the surface with a coarse-grain sandpaper, then with a fine-grain sandpaper. It is better to do this in water so that there is no dust and the process goes faster.

The next stage is polishing. A polish for plastic or for headlights, purchased at a car dealership, works well for this. Apply it to a felt nozzle, go over the workpiece from all sides.

Here's how to make the pendant next. To attach the chain to the ball, take a cap and a pin.

Place a pin on the cap and use pliers to fold it into a loop. Glue this blank to the pendant with epoxy resin.

All you have to do is attach the chain and enjoy wearing such an unusual pendant.

And now we invite you to sit comfortably in a chair and watch an educational story about how to make a ring from wood and epoxy resin.

These two materials are also the main characters of the next video. From it you will learn how to make a table using a similar technique.

Available for sale different variants kitchen tables - classic and original, made of wood, MDF, glass and other materials. You can make such furniture with your own hands. A table made of epoxy resin looks incredibly beautiful, because this material allows you to create unique designs, real objects of art.

Features of the material

Epoxy resin is often used in workshops on making jewelry, crafts, sculptures and interior items. Particularly popular is transparent epoxy, which has enormous scope for imagination. The composition of epoxy for pouring includes synthetic oligomer compounds, alcohols, and a number of other components. To obtain the desired properties, it is necessary to pour a hardener into the product - only after this can the resin harden.

Depending on the amount of hardener and the introduction of other substances, the resin for products may acquire different characteristics. It has the ability to harden or turn into glue, be super strong or rubber-like. For the bay dining tables It is necessary to use hard resins, both for creating new furniture and restoring old ones. It is this coating that will be abrasion resistant and durable.

Advantages and disadvantages of epoxy countertops

A huge advantage of the products is their unique design. The tabletop can have any appearance that the user desires. For decorating chairs, coffee tables, kitchen and even desks They use different materials - pieces of wood and glass, stump cuts, stones, foil and glitter, sawdust and sand. Shells are also used marble chips, pebbles, souvenirs and money, dried flowers and leaves. The resin can be painted in any color, up to the most saturated tone, to achieve the effect of a landscape, sea, river, etc.

Other advantages of the products are:

• completely waterproof, washable;
• tolerance of many household products;
• no shrinkage during operation, preservation of shape and original color;
• absence of deformation and reaction to moderate mechanical stress.

When choosing this technology, you need to take into account its disadvantages. The cost of a table for the kitchen, living room, countertops for the bathroom will be high. The consumption per 1 m2 of epoxy is high; it can take 10-20 liters of resin or more. If the sequence of actions is violated, at the slightest mistake air bubbles will appear inside, which are difficult to get rid of.

Types and design features of tables

Typically, countertops are made using epoxy. It is better to make table legs from a different material, although they can also be cast. There are different table options:

• transparent without base;
• with a base of saw cuts, boards, and other parts of wood;
• combined;
• with different fillings.

Structures without a supporting surface

If we are making a massive or miniature transparent tabletop without support, we need to make a mold for it. Its appearance can be anything, even bizarre. It is in such tables that it is often used LED lights, glowing neon elements, “lightning”. The pouring table with the addition of water looks original - you get real space objects on the surface. The disadvantage of baseless tables is the need for careful operation.

Wood and epoxy resin countertops

The combination of oak, elm (elm), pine and other wood with epoxy is very popular. The resin can be used clear or colored as desired. Matte bases look worse because the wooden inserts are poorly visible. You can paint a piece of wood to make it brighter or more luminous.

Another option for making a table is to pour wooden base resin, boxes and old boards will do. For the base for the table you can take a painted plywood surface or marbled chipboard. You can even base it on a painting, still life, or drawing.

Wooden tables with epoxy coating

Such products imply the production of full-fledged wooden table- round, square, original. Decor is scattered on it (colored pebbles, shells, plants, cones, painted bolts and nuts, coffee beans, buttons). Cut hemp with moss and bleached pieces of logs look beautiful. Next, the table is filled with a thick layer of epoxy mixture, adding edges along the edges.

Slab and epoxy tables

A slab (blind) is a solid solid slab of wood or stone. Filled with epoxy resin stone table It will turn out to be too heavy, but the product made from a wooden slab will be successful. It is required to prepare a slab with the following characteristics:

• wood thickness - 5-15 cm;
• cut - longitudinal, without processed edge;
• the array is solid, there are no gluing points;
• the pattern is beautiful, rich, with knots and interesting texture.

Ready-made slab can be purchased or ordered from a woodworking company. How much it will cost depends on the size, type of wood, and quality of the material.

Table in the form of a river

River on the table - interesting option decor, it is often adjacent to volcanic lava. In the center of the tabletop there is an insert reminiscent of a river flowing through a mountain gorge. The insert has a blue, blue-green color, the base is usually made of solid wood. At the bottom of the “reservoir” you can put pebbles and shells. The table can be made in any shape - rectangular, oval, round or square.

Choosing a resin for making a table

Which resin to choose for creativity? There are various brands of epoxy, the best one is the one that has a long period before hardening and is absolutely transparent. If the properties of the material are different, the time for layer-by-layer pouring will increase, the resin itself may boil - overheat and deteriorate. Base resins such as ED-20 are not suitable due to their thickness. After curing, there will be air bubbles on the table. The transparency of cheap base resins leaves much to be desired, and their strength is not always the best.

What resin would be better suited for the table? A number of products are suitable for furniture production:

1. Art-Array. Low-viscosity composition based on modified epoxy resin. Allows you to pour a layer 60 mm thick.
2. "Epoxy Master". This resin easily hardens in a 5 cm layer and perfectly fills hard-to-reach areas. The reactivity of the product is average, so you can work with it on large products.
3. "Art-Eco" from Ekovanna. This material is poured only in thin layers, but it is resistant to the formation of cracks and allows the use of acrylic colors.
4. Epoxacast 690. Transparent jewelry resin, great for filling small elements on a table.
5. PEO 610KE. Russian resin does not turn yellow, does not become cloudy, and has no darkening from ultraviolet radiation.

Counting the amount of epoxy resin

To avoid mistakes, you need to carefully calculate the volume of resin consumed. Each manufacturer indicates the exact material consumption, but the differences between brands are small. On square meter surface, 1-1.1 kg of mass is consumed per layer 1 mm thick. You need to multiply this amount by the estimated thickness in millimeters and quadrature, adding a little material for the error.

DIY table - technology

To make a table, you need to read the instructions and follow all the steps step by step. It is important to remember that epoxy hardens quickly at room temperature, so you should work with it quickly. Some people wonder whether and why it is possible to heat resin with a burner? It is forbidden to heat the fill from above; it will immediately become deformed. Other rules for working with epoxy:

• do not forget about safety measures, use a respirator, gloves, goggles, so as not to harm your health;
• work only in a well-ventilated area;
• Avoid exposure to sunlight until the resin hardens; it may turn yellow;
• do not make sweeping movements when mixing two components (resin and hardener), otherwise the appearance of air bubbles will not be avoided;
• Do not freeze the tabletop until it is completely ready - the material will delaminate;
• do not forget about polishing and coating with protective varnish.

The composition hardens poorly when high humidity, therefore it must be adjusted in the workroom. To increase the speed of curing of the solution, increase the temperature in the room, but without directly heating the product.

Necessary materials

Depending on the selected model, different accessories may be required for operation:

• resin in the required quantity;
• acrylic paints, interior;
• masking tape;
• wooden sticks for dividing the tabletop into sectors;
• jars (containers) for mixing resins of different colors;
• spatula for spreading resin over the countertop;
• fine sandpaper for sanding or a sander;
• construction level, laser;
• desired decor;
• boards;
• self-tapping screws, wood screws;
• stain;
• plywood for the form;
• individual protection means;
• wood hacksaw;
• cellophane for covering the filled product.

Sketching

To complete a sketch, it is better to contact someone who has experience in modeling if you decide to prepare a complex product. Beginners should start making tables with simple designs. You need to calculate the size, all sides of the product, draw them on paper, not forgetting to mark the location of the decor.

Fabrication of the supporting structure

Step-by-step instructions for building a table begin with creating a support. When technology does not provide support, this item miss. Usually the frame is made of plywood, wood, or less often metal. In the latter case you will need welding machine, therefore this technique is used infrequently. The shape and size of the structure are chosen taking into account the dimensions of the future table.

Preparation of formwork and filling

The tabletop can be whole or consist of individual parts. Depending on the needs, formwork is prepared, the edges of which should be as smooth as possible. All joints are sealed with silicone to prevent resin from leaking through the holes. The formwork is installed on the base and placed inside decorative elements. Next, they are carefully glued individually to the base, not allowing the glue to protrude, otherwise it will be visible in the transparent resin.

Before pouring the countertop, the mold must be degreased. How to coat the support to prevent the resin from sticking? For this purpose, special primers or wax compositions are sold. Also inner surface can be covered with a transparent polyethylene film.

Preparation of epoxy

Epoxy resin is mixed strictly according to the attached instructions. Any composition is two-component. Colors are added only to the resin before adding the hardener and mix well. The paint should first be heated to +30-35 degrees so that it can better integrate into the composition. You can’t heat it up too much - it can ruin the resin!

Next, a hardener is added to the main component. Typically the ratio is 10:3.5, but may vary depending on the brand of resin. The mass is thoroughly kneaded, but without sudden movements, so that bubbles do not appear. If they are present, carefully blow on the epoxy. warm air from a hair dryer while stirring. The composition should be poured within 5-7 hours; it has a limited shelf life, so mixing the mixture into several layers at once will not work.

• liquid texture - used to fill multiple depressions and corners, such a mass easily flows off the stick;
• “liquid honey” is a more viscous epoxy, allows you to create drops, lenses, small decorations, and is also used for filling round tabletops;
• “thick honey” - better suited as glue, not suitable for pouring;
• “rubber” resin is already a half-hardened material, but you can sculpt products from it, like plasticine.

Epoxy up to 5-6 cm thick is poured into one layer. Otherwise, you will have to do the work in several passes, but only after the first layer has completely cured. Pour the resin in a thin stream from the center, for which a wooden stick is dipped into the solution. Then they force the mass to flow down it. The solution is leveled on top with a spatula.

Sanding and varnishing

Some resins do not require sanding, others require sanding. finishing. For polishing, only the finest sandpaper is useful; coarse material should not be used. Work is carried out at a slow pace so that the surface does not overheat. It is better to add water little by little to remove heat in a timely manner. To complete the work, the base is coated with a protective varnish.

Tabletop care

You cannot place hot pots or dishes on the countertop - they will melt. For care use only soft cloth- wool, flannel. Use a damp cloth to remove heavy dirt, then wipe dry. Do not use abrasives, aggressive agents, acetone, or alcohol. Heavy objects are also harmful to the tabletop - if dropped, the product may be damaged. If you follow these tips, the table will serve for a long time without any complaints!