You don't really want to "squish" it lol, think of it more as... spreading butter on bread? Basically you don't want to apply a lot of pressure, you're just lightly spreading the color in for the effect you want. But as far as smoothing it out, it is self leveling, so you don't need to do anything to it! What you saw is all I did. After about 30 minutes it's smooth as glass.
Just wanted to let you know, that you are my special bank account savior! I needed to do new kitchen counters I had no other choice, but my bank account wasn’t to fond of the high prices that I was going to possibly take out lol. Anyways you saved my 26 year old newly married bride, by giving me such an on point detail and tips and explanations and ideas and most importantly such an easy to follow tutorial on epoxy kitchen countertops. That is going to save me so much money. I’ll let you know how things go. Thanks again
I'm so glad I found your video! My husband and I have been considering using the Leggari products on our upcoming kitchen remodel. We've been watching all of their videos trying to learn how to do it. It was wonderful to watch an actual customer doing an install! You also used the exact colors we are considering for our counters! All of your counters turned out great! Thank you so much for making this video!
Thank you so much Janet! I'm glad the video helped. I learn so much on UA-cam as well. Ours turned out pretty dark, so just look at how much accent color I applied and adjust to what you want. Good luck with the kitchen remodel!
turned out beautiful, my countertop also needs to be replaced and you have given me an idea. new counter tops are rather expensive and this is a good solution. thank you for the video
Good choice on the top coat. Epoxy looks gorgeous by itself but scratches easily and also yellows over time if theres lots of sunlight hitting it. The new urethanes they have now are bullet proof when applied thin. Ive had to try and sand them before doing decorative concrete floors and that stuff is damn near impossible to sand. Even 40 grit just slides over it like ice. So that shows me that its an amazing protective coating. Another reason you dont want to apply the urethane on thick is because it will foam up. I learned that the hard way trying to coat and old door to make a desk with. I ended up having to peel all of it back off, which was an absolute nightmare. Turned out amazing. Looks just like this quartz countertop we just installed in a bathroom remodel but thousands of dollars cheaper
Awesome ! Colors is what i call classic traditional - it never gets out of style, it is easy to pair with other materials and colors. Absolutely great result ! And the bonus, if you get tired of -its another epoxy color kit -not 50 bucks a sq ft as a marble. Thank you for very detailed video .
Imperfections should have been filled or sanded before priming. Even so, that epoxy will fill all low spots. Its self leveling, so glass smooth after it dries. The urethane protective top coat gave the surface a textured look
Man o man nice job 👍...the way you build it and prepare surface of counter top out of MDF...l believe l can put it in a kitchen counter top ..but you think is resistance to the daily basis you know what l mean right?
Thank you! He makes an appearance in my videos every now and then haha. And we didn't either until researching for counters. We really like them, many friends have been amazing when I tell them it's epoxy!
Looks fabulous, but I would be really concerned with the MDF swelling and warping your countertops, maybe I missed it but you didn't seal it before applying the primer. MDF is very pores, It will look great for a year or two but I'd be concerned about how it will hold up in the future. Does the product recommend using MDF or did you just use it because of the cost?
Yea I sealed it with the 2 coats of primer on all sides before doing the epoxy. MDF is what most of the companies use from what I saw. I used it due it being very flat and uniform. It's held up great so far, no swelling issues. I saw a video from stone coat countertops where they did shower panels with mdf! I personally wouldn't use mdf in an environment like that with constant water and steam...
Bro, awesome job. Been toying with remodeling the kitchen here pretty soon and one of the major decisions is what to use for countertops since we can't really afford granite/marble. Torn between concrete and epoxy. Great job as always man, keep up the vids. You're doing everything I have on my todo list! haha
Thanks man! I gotta say, the epoxy was super easy. Especially if you have existing counters to poor over, it'd be a 1-2 day job. I thought about concrete as well but am happy so far with these. We'll see how they hold up. We did these to save money now and possibly upgrade down the road. Good luck with your projects! Let me know if you have any questions about anything
@@LifeofBliss I know this was 3 years ago, but if you don't mind a question, do you know if that epoxy can be used over an existing granite countertop? I remodeled my house and now my granite countertops do not match the rest of my house. I'm planning on buying a small kit to practice with on some plywood first
You wanna cover granite with epoxy?! 😅 I believe you can, but I would take an orbital sander with some 80 or 120 grit paper and rough up the stone a little to make sure you get good adhesion. May not be necessary, but better safe than sorry
@@LifeofBliss The granite really doesn't look good. It has been the only thing in the house that we never really liked. The people who built this house definitely liked nice things, but maybe tried to save some money by getting the ugliest granite countertops available. Lol. When we moved in, we had to decorate around the kitchen specifically to try and make the countertops look better. Now that I've basically remodel the entire house, they just look so out of place and there's no way I can afford new granite
excellent video, one question: how would I protect the surface from scratches, I would like to try to do something similar, but I am worried about the resistance
That urethane top coat put on at the end is very scratch resistant. We used the place daily and had several parties/get togethers and no scratches at all for the 2 years we were there.
@@LifeofBliss im shoppin for new kitchen cabs now and so far as my counter top im so afraid i wil lscrew this up . i watched a couple videos about it but i dunno its way up from my experience level...
You can always grab a sample kit from Leggari for like $25 to see if you like the stuff and try it out. I did that first too. The epoxy part isn't too bad. Making the counters could be somewhat difficult depending on the layout. But if you do this stuff, just be sure to tape and cover well with plastic.
When cutting out for a sink best to use your bigger saws for as much of the cut as possible. Skill saw work great plung cut into your peice and cut as close to your corners. Going to give you a straight cut
Great DIY! 2 Quick questions. 1.Total time labor start to finish w/ waiting / in between coats 2. Fumes? How strong? Lingering? 3. Food grade finish? 4.can you place something hot on it? Like a pan of wings during a touch down run with everyone facing the tv except the little guy! Great job again!!!!
Thanks man. 1. I'm not sure, did it over a week. Few hours here and there. 15 hours work time? But you have to let things set 24 hours after pouring 2. No fumes at all. I think it was 0 voc 3. Yes 4. I think you can to an extent. Leggari has videos on this than further tests it. I personally won't down there as there is no oven/microwave, but I know it is pretty heat resistant as long as it's not like right off the stove or similar
Do you think adding some wood filler and sanding it down on those edges would help with it not being as noticeable? I’m thinking about doing this but don’t want that seam to show.
Yep, that's what I did. The edge you saw that was bad looking went up against a wall so it won't be seen. There is no seem on the better preped edges I did
Nice. I would have taped the edges equally to make a border, then when the epoxy is poured you move the table around until it all finds flat (like the ocean). Final result is a perfect untouched coat that can be poured up to 2” thick. Use a torch to pop bubbles clean.
Hi there When you start off. Do you think it’s not going to turn out the way you have it in your head. Because it looked pants when you started, but the finish, as the younger generation would say, It’s awesome 👍👍👍
Thanks Peppa 😉 I had a rough idea of how it was going to look due to watching other videos. It came out with more darker color than expected, but we really like it!
Great job! I usually treat the sides with putty and then sand, but it's a lot of work. What did you do to address the sides for a smooth look? Maybe there's a quicker simpler way?
Thanks! After I routered the edges, I went over them with 220 sandpaper by hand just to smooth any rough spots out. Then just rolled the 2 coats of primer on. They were smooth enough after that. They turned out very smooth!
Color is gorgeous! I really appreciate you taking the time to make the video, explain everything, give tips & precautions. I made a small bar under a staircase. As the bar top I decided to re-purpose a huge 2 inch thick door left in friends garage from previous owners. Didn't know it was MDF until I cut into it. Not familiar with that stuff but know its not moisture friendly. Stained and put 3 coats of oil based poly but still not assured that's going to be good enough. My son suggested epoxy. Will the epoxy work over the poly or will it need to be sanded again?
Thanks! This epoxy really sticks well to almost any surface. I would give the surface a quick sand with 220 grit paper just to promote adhesion, as well as seal any areas that might need it with a good primer. Outside if that, I don't think you'd have any issues!
How did this last?? I'm not sure whether to use epoxy on MDF or if concrete would give a longer lasting result. I'm just curious how its holding up over time? Regards
It's been perfect since the install. We use it quite a bit too, several times a week. I've set tools on it while still working on things, no scratches, no water rings from cups... we love it.
That looks beautiful. Before you took the torch to it, it didn't look great at all, just like some smears. But the finished product was definitely a "WHOA!"!
Excellent video. I have been looking at this process for a wile for my kitchen remodel. My questions were related to the woodworking prep work and type of wood to use. So your tutorial for that definitely answered my questions. Thanks so much
Glad it helped! Plywood is another option, but you'd have to be sure the sheets were flat and not warped at all. MDF is good in that aspect, very flat and uniform. Good luck with your kitchen!
So it's been 2 years, how has the counter held up? Do you think it would have fared as well in a high traffic area vs a home bar? Also - pics would be fine or a quick followup video!
We just moved recently, but the counters have been great. The urethane topcoat is super durable, I doubt any serious wear would happen in a higher traffic area unless something sharp scraped the surface. I personally would cut food on it with a knife, rather do a cutting board
Hmm... I think I would use some sort of plywood instead of mdf for that. MDF will swell and separate if it gets any moisture. Plywood not so much. Better safe than sorry, but the process should be the same for plywood
But the epoxy is tough. Definitely use the urethane top coat, not the high gloss. May possibly yellow over time being in direct sunlight all day long as well
Thank you so much for sharing this video. Looks awesome! I love a little shimmer that you can see sparkle when you are up close. What do you think about adding a little white glitter to the epoxy? Do you think it would make it look fake?
Thanks Shae! Umm I don't think it would look fake. The grit top coat really cut out some of the sparkle from the metallic. If it were the clear top coat it would be much more sparkly. So kinda depends on what top coat you want I would say. But there are quartz counters with tons of glitter, so I don't think it would be any dofferent than something like that. Go for it!
Cheap, extremely flat and uniform. Smoother edges than when cutting plywood unless you were to buy some nicer boards that are 2-3x the cost of mdf. Once coated it's completely waterproof and hard
what kind of glue do you use for mdf? I see when you glue 2 pieces, one seem like mdf and the other is particle board? (I just want to learn, correct me if i'm wrong.. MDF is like paper type? and particle board is compressed wood with?) But yea, the wood type was there just to have something to screw from the cabinet? and the paper face is on top?
Actually both pieces were MDF. One piece was 3/4 inch and the other was 1/2 inch. I wanted to add a little thickness the the counter which was the only reason I did this. MDF is mainly just sawdust and a resin/glue that holds it all together. I use Tite Bond II for the glue. Has held great from speaker boxes to things like this. Excellent glue. I did not use any particle board for these counter
Can you explain to me how it covered the edges and fronts since on that side the MDF is very porous and absorbs everything, what method do you use to cover and that it is the same as the cover?
I sanded the edges with 220 to make them fairly smooth. After 2 heavy coats of the kilz primer, it sealed everything up pretty well. The epoxy didn't absorb into the edges at all after priming them. Watch the video where I go over the edges, I roll over them once then the epoxy just flows over and drips off. You coke back to clean up the drips a bit later. Very easy process
Great DIY video, the colors are awesome and your project came out kickass..by the way the term for the epoxy when its heating up in the cup as it cures is called exothermal heating . it can get very hot the more volume you have in the container and lets out more of the toxic fumes as all epoxies do. so good to have ventilation also . just a thought ., what was the Kit # you used..
Thanks Alfonzo. Yea I've worked with epoxy before, but not with this much volume. Was hoping the thicker plastic I used would hold up, but it did not lol. There is 0 VOC with this product as well, so no fumes coming off. There wasn't really a kit # from Leggari, just a calculation for square footage and they get you the correct amount.
I don't think I would put something that hot on it. Leggari has a bunch of videos on their products including how it reacts to heat. They light it on fire, but the heat is above the counter surface so that doesn't prove much. I'd rather be safe than sorry and ruin the counter. We put hot dishes on them, but nothing straight out of the oven or stove
Great video I'm doing a project like this because of watching your video. After routing the 1/2" MDA with the flush trim bit do you need to do anything to the seam or does the glue just fill it in?
The glue should fill it, but you can add some spackle or wood filler as needed. Just as long as it smooth after you prime it, it will look smooth for the epoxy.
Are you still happy with the epoxy since it's been 2 years? How has the epoxy held up overtime? What's the frequency of use? About to get started and your video is going to be a huge help. Thank you.
Love them. Look like the day I poured it still. We use the bar area daily for little things and have had parties with lots of food/pots/pans on it. Has held up great
I almost thought a different guy showed up halfway through, kinda funny the scruffy guy does the woodworking, then the clean cut guy shows up to do the artist work, I like it. Great job anyways : )
Thanks man. Yea I watched a ton on videos before doing mine. I knew it would look bad until it settled down. My wife was kinda freaking out when I started mixing lol!
I did do an underlay sink. Here's a video on it actually 😉 ua-cam.com/video/XfqkChlevNc/v-deo.html No issues with the MDF. I made sure everything was covered with epoxy that was going to be exposed. I rolled a bit on the underside when pouring it.
@@LifeofBliss thanks for the fast response. Is it possible to talk to you? Just wanted to pick your brain about a few things regarding your project. I can give you my phone number if that works for you. Thanks
Its pretty strong stuff as long as it doesn't get wet. Plenty strong for this application. Just have to be sure to cover every surface with a couple coats of primer to water proof. You could use plywood, MDF is just extremely flat and uniform. Plus it's cheaper. You'll spend 2-3x as much on plywood
Now that you have lived with for awhile is there anything you would do differently? Turned out beautiful , I've been considering doing mine and you have convinced me to use the Leggari product over the others. Thank you
Thank you! We like the way they turned out, especially for the cost. After looking at many other counters, we could have used a little less black/silver coloring in them to make them lighter overall, but that's more of a look/technique thing. I'd just watch as many videos as you can and pay close attention to how much color is added and how they swirl it. Good luck with your counters! ☺
Life of Bliss I do like the colors you used and those are the colors I'll be using only more silver. Like you I have watched so many videos and this is much cheaper and buying news but for me just a little pricey. Several years ago I did mine using craft paint and sealed with a product from lowes now I want to change them again!! They had held up very well and have not babied them at all, mine are very glossy do you like the stuff you put in there that turned them not so shiny?
Yea I'm glad we went with the urethane top coat. Gave it a little texture and is about 4x harder than the glossy epoxy top coat. It would hide scratches much more than glossy epoxy on its own
You may have answered this already, but when exactly did you remove the tape? What hour mark it looks like they were on there for a while after you mixed the accent colors and was still there when you poured the top flood coat?
As soon as you are done mixing colors, go back and pull the tape. You want to do it while the epoxy is still fluid. You have some time, no need to rush, but just do it after mixing colors
Nice job. Thanks for the video. It’s been a little over a year, how is everything holding up? Do you wish you would have went with a glossy urethane top coat?
Thanks Mike. Everything looks like the day it was finished. We've used it many times for get togethers with food dishes and it is regularly used for the bar purposes. Love the textured urethane top coat we went with. Just gives it a bit of texture and dulls down the reflections. Super durable, been very happy with it
What do you think of the colors we chose? Please comment with any questions you may have!
question.....after you squish it around do you just leave it alone and it smoothens out?????
You don't really want to "squish" it lol, think of it more as... spreading butter on bread? Basically you don't want to apply a lot of pressure, you're just lightly spreading the color in for the effect you want. But as far as smoothing it out, it is self leveling, so you don't need to do anything to it! What you saw is all I did. After about 30 minutes it's smooth as glass.
Ok wow....I meant squish lightlyyyy ahaaa...thanks
Looks like you went with an urban camouflage pattern whereas marble patterns are more popular.
Maybe I should start doing some gun videos, should blend in perfectly 😉 Its darker than marble for sure. It's a unique look
This was far more informative than their vids. Regular guy doing the work. Thanks for making it simple
Just wanted to let you know, that you are my special bank account savior! I needed to do new kitchen counters I had no other choice, but my bank account wasn’t to fond of the high prices that I was going to possibly take out lol. Anyways you saved my 26 year old newly married bride, by giving me such an on point detail and tips and explanations and ideas and most importantly such an easy to follow tutorial on epoxy kitchen countertops. That is going to save me so much money. I’ll let you know how things go. Thanks again
That's great! Glad it helped you guys out. Good luck with the project!
I'm so glad I found your video! My husband and I have been considering using the Leggari products on our upcoming kitchen remodel. We've been watching all of their videos trying to learn how to do it. It was wonderful to watch an actual customer doing an install! You also used the exact colors we are considering for our counters! All of your counters turned out great! Thank you so much for making this video!
Thank you so much Janet! I'm glad the video helped. I learn so much on UA-cam as well. Ours turned out pretty dark, so just look at how much accent color I applied and adjust to what you want. Good luck with the kitchen remodel!
Just an advice, there is a lot of epoxy resin, even in amazon, but i think Leggari is your best choice
turned out beautiful, my countertop also needs to be replaced and you have given me an idea.
new counter tops are rather expensive and this is a good solution. thank you for the video
*yes this video was very helpful I looked seeing normal people do things it makes me feel like I can do it as well*
That counter top looks so beautiful.
I really love your method with all the swirls beautiful work
Good choice on the top coat. Epoxy looks gorgeous by itself but scratches easily and also yellows over time if theres lots of sunlight hitting it. The new urethanes they have now are bullet proof when applied thin. Ive had to try and sand them before doing decorative concrete floors and that stuff is damn near impossible to sand. Even 40 grit just slides over it like ice. So that shows me that its an amazing protective coating. Another reason you dont want to apply the urethane on thick is because it will foam up. I learned that the hard way trying to coat and old door to make a desk with. I ended up having to peel all of it back off, which was an absolute nightmare. Turned out amazing. Looks just like this quartz countertop we just installed in a bathroom remodel but thousands of dollars cheaper
im still mindblown how well they turn out everytime i see these epoxy videos
First time using anything like it. Pretty easy stuff really as long as you prep right
Awesome ! Colors is what i call classic traditional - it never gets out of style, it is easy to pair with other materials and colors. Absolutely great result ! And the bonus, if you get tired of -its another epoxy color kit -not 50 bucks a sq ft as a marble. Thank you for very detailed video .
Sanding after priming a few layers will help keep it level and hide imperfections. Just a tip for when you redo or have another project.
Imperfections should have been filled or sanded before priming. Even so, that epoxy will fill all low spots. Its self leveling, so glass smooth after it dries. The urethane protective top coat gave the surface a textured look
Wow! You did an amazing job... Your video was very very well done as well! The end product looks great!
thank you, we really like how it has turned out ☺
Man o man nice job 👍...the way you build it and prepare surface of counter top out of MDF...l believe l can put it in a kitchen counter top ..but you think is resistance to the daily basis you know what l mean right?
We use our bar almost daily. This stuff holds up incredibly well, many people have used them for kitchens as long as you seal everything well
THESE ARE ABSOULUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! GREAT JOB!!
I’m addicted to your videos, great work.
Great job. Adorable baby. I love the satin finish. Didn't know it was possible with epoxy!
Thank you! He makes an appearance in my videos every now and then haha. And we didn't either until researching for counters. We really like them, many friends have been amazing when I tell them it's epoxy!
Looks fabulous, but I would be really concerned with the MDF swelling and warping your countertops, maybe I missed it but you didn't seal it before applying the primer. MDF is very pores, It will look great for a year or two but I'd be concerned about how it will hold up in the future. Does the product recommend using MDF or did you just use it because of the cost?
Yea I sealed it with the 2 coats of primer on all sides before doing the epoxy. MDF is what most of the companies use from what I saw. I used it due it being very flat and uniform. It's held up great so far, no swelling issues. I saw a video from stone coat countertops where they did shower panels with mdf! I personally wouldn't use mdf in an environment like that with constant water and steam...
Bro, awesome job. Been toying with remodeling the kitchen here pretty soon and one of the major decisions is what to use for countertops since we can't really afford granite/marble. Torn between concrete and epoxy. Great job as always man, keep up the vids. You're doing everything I have on my todo list! haha
Thanks man! I gotta say, the epoxy was super easy. Especially if you have existing counters to poor over, it'd be a 1-2 day job. I thought about concrete as well but am happy so far with these. We'll see how they hold up. We did these to save money now and possibly upgrade down the road. Good luck with your projects! Let me know if you have any questions about anything
@@LifeofBliss I know this was 3 years ago, but if you don't mind a question, do you know if that epoxy can be used over an existing granite countertop? I remodeled my house and now my granite countertops do not match the rest of my house. I'm planning on buying a small kit to practice with on some plywood first
You wanna cover granite with epoxy?! 😅 I believe you can, but I would take an orbital sander with some 80 or 120 grit paper and rough up the stone a little to make sure you get good adhesion. May not be necessary, but better safe than sorry
@@LifeofBliss The granite really doesn't look good. It has been the only thing in the house that we never really liked. The people who built this house definitely liked nice things, but maybe tried to save some money by getting the ugliest granite countertops available. Lol. When we moved in, we had to decorate around the kitchen specifically to try and make the countertops look better. Now that I've basically remodel the entire house, they just look so out of place and there's no way I can afford new granite
Charming baby.God bless him or her. SHALL we see epoxy done by the baby soon.He looks genius.
It came out awesome I would of went glossy and some dispersant effects but you nailed it
excellent video, one question: how would I protect the surface from scratches, I would like to try to do something similar, but I am worried about the resistance
That urethane top coat put on at the end is very scratch resistant. We used the place daily and had several parties/get togethers and no scratches at all for the 2 years we were there.
With this finish does this still have the look and feel of natural stone ? It is beautiful!
Thanks Pat! I wouldn't say it feels like stone... definitely has a texture to it, kind of an orange peel feel. We really like it though
After 2 years, how are the countertops holding up? Any major scratches or defects? Delamination?
Look like new. We just sold the place but no scratches or defects at all
@@LifeofBliss
Glad to hear it.
DUDE THE CHICKS FACEIN THE EPOXY LOOKS AWESOME!!!!!!!
16:56 - 16:59 or so near center screen.... did anyone else notice that... so cool
Lol 1 other person has mentioned it. I never saw it until then. Now I can't not see it!
@@LifeofBliss say its mother mary and sell that thing for $200000 those religious ppl will eat that crap up... ill take 10 percent for the idea:) hehe
😂
@@LifeofBliss im shoppin for new kitchen cabs now and so far as my counter top im so afraid i wil lscrew this up . i watched a couple videos about it but i dunno its way up from my experience level...
You can always grab a sample kit from Leggari for like $25 to see if you like the stuff and try it out. I did that first too. The epoxy part isn't too bad. Making the counters could be somewhat difficult depending on the layout. But if you do this stuff, just be sure to tape and cover well with plastic.
You did a better job than what they do in their official tutorial. After 1 year of use, how is your countertop holding up?
Thanks man. They are doing great, looks like the day they went in. No scratches, easy to clean... we've been super happy with them
Amazing. What kind of wood is better. I dont want the top wooden to bend in the future
I used MDF as its very flat. Would use it again
When cutting out for a sink best to use your bigger saws for as much of the cut as possible. Skill saw work great plung cut into your peice and cut as close to your corners. Going to give you a straight cut
Now that's some beautiful work. Love the colors!
Thank you Frances!
GREAT VIDEO BLISS ! THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I LOVE THE COLOR COMBINATION AND PATTERN !
Thanks for the response
Doing a kitchen counter
Was gonna go over existing but think I’ll do the MDF
Great job , great father . Question what did you do with the plastic containers that you said heats up ?
threw them outside while they cured. Didn't actually go through the plastic, but wouldn't matter if they did in the grass lol.
Great DIY! 2 Quick questions. 1.Total time labor start to finish w/ waiting / in between coats
2. Fumes? How strong? Lingering?
3. Food grade finish?
4.can you place something hot on it? Like a pan of wings during a touch down run with everyone facing the tv except the little guy!
Great job again!!!!
Thanks man.
1. I'm not sure, did it over a week. Few hours here and there. 15 hours work time? But you have to let things set 24 hours after pouring
2. No fumes at all. I think it was 0 voc
3. Yes
4. I think you can to an extent. Leggari has videos on this than further tests it. I personally won't down there as there is no oven/microwave, but I know it is pretty heat resistant as long as it's not like right off the stove or similar
Do you think adding some wood filler and sanding it down on those edges would help with it not being as noticeable? I’m thinking about doing this but don’t want that seam to show.
Yep, that's what I did. The edge you saw that was bad looking went up against a wall so it won't be seen. There is no seem on the better preped edges I did
Great job! Did you drill them in from the bottom up or top down and filled the holes with some sort of puddy?
Thanks man. Screwed them in from the bottom in several places. That way they can be replaced down the road fairly easy if need be
Nice. I would have taped the edges equally to make a border, then when the epoxy is poured you move the table around until it all finds flat (like the ocean). Final result is a perfect untouched coat that can be poured up to 2” thick. Use a torch to pop bubbles clean.
Hi there
When you start off. Do you think it’s not going to turn out the way you have it in your head.
Because it looked pants when you started, but the finish, as the younger generation would say, It’s awesome 👍👍👍
Thanks Peppa 😉 I had a rough idea of how it was going to look due to watching other videos. It came out with more darker color than expected, but we really like it!
Wow. That looks great.
Hi and thanx, kindly let me know how much epoxy per square meter of board
Great job, that's art 🎨👏👏👏👏✨✨✨✨✨ excellent 👉👍
Great job! I usually treat the sides with putty and then sand, but it's a lot of work. What did you do to address the sides for a smooth look? Maybe there's a quicker simpler way?
Thanks! After I routered the edges, I went over them with 220 sandpaper by hand just to smooth any rough spots out. Then just rolled the 2 coats of primer on. They were smooth enough after that. They turned out very smooth!
Hi awesome job! Just had a question, what did you use to screw the countertop to the cabinets?
Just some 1.5" wood screws. Just made sure they weren't too long to go through the top
Color is gorgeous! I really appreciate you taking the time to make the video, explain everything, give tips & precautions. I made a small bar under a staircase. As the bar top I decided to re-purpose a huge 2 inch thick door left in friends garage from previous owners. Didn't know it was MDF until I cut into it. Not familiar with that stuff but know its not moisture friendly. Stained and put 3 coats of oil based poly but still not assured that's going to be good enough. My son suggested epoxy. Will the epoxy work over the poly or will it need to be sanded again?
Thanks! This epoxy really sticks well to almost any surface. I would give the surface a quick sand with 220 grit paper just to promote adhesion, as well as seal any areas that might need it with a good primer. Outside if that, I don't think you'd have any issues!
How did this last??
I'm not sure whether to use epoxy on MDF or if concrete would give a longer lasting result. I'm just curious how its holding up over time? Regards
It's been perfect since the install. We use it quite a bit too, several times a week. I've set tools on it while still working on things, no scratches, no water rings from cups... we love it.
Good job and ur baby is so cute
OMG AWESOME JOB I LOVE THE COLORS
That looks beautiful. Before you took the torch to it, it didn't look great at all, just like some smears. But the finished product was definitely a "WHOA!"!
Yea it definitely smooths out and looks better after about 45 minutes. Thanks man
Excellent video. I have been looking at this process for a wile for my kitchen remodel. My questions were related to the woodworking prep work and type of wood to use. So your tutorial for that definitely answered my questions. Thanks so much
Glad it helped! Plywood is another option, but you'd have to be sure the sheets were flat and not warped at all. MDF is good in that aspect, very flat and uniform. Good luck with your kitchen!
So it's been 2 years, how has the counter held up? Do you think it would have fared as well in a high traffic area vs a home bar? Also - pics would be fine or a quick followup video!
We just moved recently, but the counters have been great. The urethane topcoat is super durable, I doubt any serious wear would happen in a higher traffic area unless something sharp scraped the surface. I personally would cut food on it with a knife, rather do a cutting board
Looks amazing. Question, since it's primed and then sealed ... Would this be outdoor proof? For like a outdoor kitchen?. Hmmm
Hmm... I think I would use some sort of plywood instead of mdf for that. MDF will swell and separate if it gets any moisture. Plywood not so much. Better safe than sorry, but the process should be the same for plywood
But the epoxy is tough. Definitely use the urethane top coat, not the high gloss. May possibly yellow over time being in direct sunlight all day long as well
A epoxy countertop with looks of Italian Marble with the strength of G5👍
are the paints oil based or water based ? Can you use either of them ?
Your process was very easy to follow, thanks Johnny T.
Spetacular job, Congrats from Greece
Thank you so much for sharing this video. Looks awesome! I love a little shimmer that you can see sparkle when you are up close. What do you think about adding a little white glitter to the epoxy? Do you think it would make it look fake?
Thanks Shae! Umm I don't think it would look fake. The grit top coat really cut out some of the sparkle from the metallic. If it were the clear top coat it would be much more sparkly. So kinda depends on what top coat you want I would say. But there are quartz counters with tons of glitter, so I don't think it would be any dofferent than something like that. Go for it!
Great job. Interesting to know why mdf?
Cheap, extremely flat and uniform. Smoother edges than when cutting plywood unless you were to buy some nicer boards that are 2-3x the cost of mdf. Once coated it's completely waterproof and hard
Thanks for this video. One question. Did you under mount your sink to the MDF or is it a drop in? Thanks in advance!
I under mounted it to the mdf. Here's my process I used ua-cam.com/video/XfqkChlevNc/v-deo.html
what kind of glue do you use for mdf?
I see when you glue 2 pieces, one seem like mdf and the other is particle board? (I just want to learn, correct me if i'm wrong.. MDF is like paper type? and particle board is compressed wood with?) But yea, the wood type was there just to have something to screw from the cabinet? and the paper face is on top?
Actually both pieces were MDF. One piece was 3/4 inch and the other was 1/2 inch. I wanted to add a little thickness the the counter which was the only reason I did this. MDF is mainly just sawdust and a resin/glue that holds it all together. I use Tite Bond II for the glue. Has held great from speaker boxes to things like this. Excellent glue. I did not use any particle board for these counter
Awesome job! Roughly what did your particular kit cost and how many Sq ft was it? Thanks
I think it was close to 40 sq ft. Mid 30s maybe. It was around $700 I believe at the time. I had enough to do close to double what I had though
Can you explain to me how it covered the edges and fronts since on that side the MDF is very porous and absorbs everything, what method do you use to cover and that it is the same as the cover?
I sanded the edges with 220 to make them fairly smooth. After 2 heavy coats of the kilz primer, it sealed everything up pretty well. The epoxy didn't absorb into the edges at all after priming them. Watch the video where I go over the edges, I roll over them once then the epoxy just flows over and drips off. You coke back to clean up the drips a bit later. Very easy process
Great DIY video, the colors are awesome and your project came out kickass..by the way the term for the epoxy when its heating up in the cup as it cures is called exothermal heating . it can get very hot the more volume you have in the container and lets out more of the toxic fumes as all epoxies do. so good to have ventilation also . just a thought ., what was the Kit # you used..
Thanks Alfonzo. Yea I've worked with epoxy before, but not with this much volume. Was hoping the thicker plastic I used would hold up, but it did not lol. There is 0 VOC with this product as well, so no fumes coming off. There wasn't really a kit # from Leggari, just a calculation for square footage and they get you the correct amount.
Excellent job, might want to do it, but on color i would do electric blue...
how is the heat resistance on the this? like can you take a boiling pot off the heat and set it on the counter top. they look great btw.
I don't think I would put something that hot on it. Leggari has a bunch of videos on their products including how it reacts to heat. They light it on fire, but the heat is above the counter surface so that doesn't prove much. I'd rather be safe than sorry and ruin the counter. We put hot dishes on them, but nothing straight out of the oven or stove
Great video I'm doing a project like this because of watching your video. After routing the 1/2" MDA with the flush trim bit do you need to do anything to the seam or does the glue just fill it in?
The glue should fill it, but you can add some spackle or wood filler as needed. Just as long as it smooth after you prime it, it will look smooth for the epoxy.
Are you still happy with the epoxy since it's been 2 years? How has the epoxy held up overtime? What's the frequency of use?
About to get started and your video is going to be a huge help. Thank you.
Love them. Look like the day I poured it still. We use the bar area daily for little things and have had parties with lots of food/pots/pans on it. Has held up great
I almost thought a different guy showed up halfway through, kinda funny the scruffy guy does the woodworking, then the clean cut guy shows up to do the artist work, I like it. Great job anyways : )
Lol some projects take a few days to a few weeks depending on my schedule. Several costume and grooming changes may be present 😉
Nice job on the counter tops and the video, very informative!!!!!
Thanks Laura glad it helped!
Absolutely beautiful! You did a great job! Love the product!
Thanks Susan!
You're a bada$$ dude! Great job and awesome video.
Aw gee 😊 thanks lol
That looks great. Project well done. 👍
Nice job, I always have trouble with the edges because it tends to run too much and becomes streaky unlike the top of the counter
That looks awesome...at first when you were mixing in the colors I thought it was gonna look bad, but it turned out really nice. Great job.
Thanks man. Yea I watched a ton on videos before doing mine. I knew it would look bad until it settled down. My wife was kinda freaking out when I started mixing lol!
I thought the same thing when he started to blend the colors, I was like oh man that's gonna look like crap, but it turned out awesome.
Looks great 👍 did you install an underlay sink? If so have you had any issues with water on the lip of the MDF assuming it is exposed. Thanks
I did do an underlay sink. Here's a video on it actually 😉 ua-cam.com/video/XfqkChlevNc/v-deo.html
No issues with the MDF. I made sure everything was covered with epoxy that was going to be exposed. I rolled a bit on the underside when pouring it.
@@LifeofBliss thanks for the fast response. Is it possible to talk to you? Just wanted to pick your brain about a few things regarding your project. I can give you my phone number if that works for you. Thanks
Send me an email at lifeofblisskb@gmail.com that'll be a little easier for me.
You did a really nice job, looks good buddy.
Appreciate it ☺
Nit a sawzall / reciprocating..its a Sabre or Jigsaw..beautiful top. Good job
Excellent video....just gave me more confidence to do my counter tops!!! Thank you. 👍
Thanks Lisa! Good luck!
Has it scratched up in the list few years? Would you have to give it a top cost every few years to maintain quality?
No marks at all after a few years. Sold the house, but looked like new the day we left
I know this is an older video, but you did an awesome job! painting the cabinets white would really set things off :)
Thanks! We got the cabinets made for the bar, they are knotty beech. No painting these 😉
Very good job buddy , I like your satin finish which hides lots of imperfections and scratches in future 👍
Yea that urethane coat is super tough and has a great look. Thanks man
Excellent. Perfect and simple process. The way it should be.
Good day. Your kitchen counter went very well. What did you use the finish layer?
Thank you, it is a urethane top coat with grit texturing that Leggari supplied
great job man , looks awesome
This is really awesome. But a question, why MDF? I've heard it's not super strong but I've never worked with it. Is it better than plywood?
Its pretty strong stuff as long as it doesn't get wet. Plenty strong for this application. Just have to be sure to cover every surface with a couple coats of primer to water proof. You could use plywood, MDF is just extremely flat and uniform. Plus it's cheaper. You'll spend 2-3x as much on plywood
@@LifeofBliss Great video, thank you for posting! What did you do to the underside of the MDF? Just a couple of coats of primer?
Yep, just primered to protect from moisture
Thanks for the video. Where you buy epoxy and how much it cost?
Link is in the description for Leggari's website. It will depend on how big your counter is for price, they will let you know on their site
Now that you have lived with for awhile is there anything you would do differently? Turned out beautiful , I've been considering doing mine and you have convinced me to use the Leggari product over the others. Thank you
Thank you! We like the way they turned out, especially for the cost. After looking at many other counters, we could have used a little less black/silver coloring in them to make them lighter overall, but that's more of a look/technique thing. I'd just watch as many videos as you can and pay close attention to how much color is added and how they swirl it. Good luck with your counters! ☺
Life of Bliss I do like the colors you used and those are the colors I'll be using only more silver. Like you I have watched so many videos and this is much cheaper and buying news but for me just a little pricey. Several years ago I did mine using craft paint and sealed with a product from lowes now I want to change them again!! They had held up very well and have not babied them at all, mine are very glossy do you like the stuff you put in there that turned them not so shiny?
Yea I'm glad we went with the urethane top coat. Gave it a little texture and is about 4x harder than the glossy epoxy top coat. It would hide scratches much more than glossy epoxy on its own
Life of Bliss thank you for the tips and your baby is so adorable. God bless
it is ok to use normal wood primer and on top epoxy? I will like to have a withe base colour for a table.
I think it would probably he fine, but the kit comes with epoxy primer, might as well use it.
Fantastic tutorial. Thanks for sharing
Very helpful. Thanks! Next time use a makita jigsaw, cuts through objects like butter.
Wait... you're telling me my $10 black and decker jigsaw isn't the best out there! 😉 yea I need to get a better one lol... thanks man!
You may have answered this already, but when exactly did you remove the tape? What hour mark it looks like they were on there for a while after you mixed the accent colors and was still there when you poured the top flood coat?
As soon as you are done mixing colors, go back and pull the tape. You want to do it while the epoxy is still fluid. You have some time, no need to rush, but just do it after mixing colors
@@LifeofBliss Thank you could you repeat again what type of paint you used prior to the Leggari kit primer?
@@youloserandwannabe I believe I used Kilz primer. You could use that or BIN 123 primer
Great video, makes it look so easy
Thanks man. It's a lot of work, but really not too hard if you're familiar with a table saw and a few other tools
Im thinking of doing something like this
Will the epoxy make it waterproof?
Yes, but not the underside or any area where epoxy is not covering obviously. That's why I primed everything before hand
Nice basement I'm starting mine soon
Amazing man. Good work and very useful. Thanks a lot and God bless your kid
Thanks Fadi!
Awesome job man !
This is beautiful, I'm late to this video but nevertheless... It's beautiful!
Would you mind stating which silicon adhesive you used on the bar countertop?
Yea, it was gorilla glue clear 100% silicone.
Will this work without the primer ? The countertop I want to use is a laminate. Do I still need to prime ?
You won't need the primer like I did on the raw MDF. You will need the epoxy primer though that the kit came with
So beautiful
Great video! Thank you for making my decision about what kind of countertop I want so much easier! This really looks amazing!
Glad it helped Ashely!☺
Nice job. Thanks for the video. It’s been a little over a year, how is everything holding up? Do you wish you would have went with a glossy urethane top coat?
Thanks Mike. Everything looks like the day it was finished. We've used it many times for get togethers with food dishes and it is regularly used for the bar purposes. Love the textured urethane top coat we went with. Just gives it a bit of texture and dulls down the reflections. Super durable, been very happy with it
I think without the grit is better, well done