I like your coasters and method. You need to anchor that router table though. Thank you for figuring the epoxy costs for the coaster as I was thinking the stuff is too pricey but its now clear that a lot can be done with one half gallon kit !
Cool project, Only thing I'd have done differently was to forego the stripes and instead rout a circle in the middle of the coasters to fill with epoxy. That way, whatever glass/cup you're using would sit and sweat on the epoxy instead of the wood. Come to think of it, if I went that route I'd probably opt to make the coasters themselves round too.
Thank you for showing us the epoxy coaster idea. Just a tech question. Usually when I groove a piece of wood, it tends to turn the opposite direction. Now, did you face the same, or the epoxy fill done the job well and replaced the grooved volume? Thanks
With the groove being less than half the thickness of the wood, warping or cupping wasn't really an issue and the epoxy does replace the grooved out volume. You could leave your stock slightly thicker and then flatten it afterwards to negate any issues as well.
The mixing ratio for epoxy will be printed on the containers and in the instructions. Part A is the resin and Part B is the hardener. The two parts will remain in a liquid form until mixed together in the specified ratio. When the two parts are mixed a chemical reaction occurs and the mixture will then cure and harden.
About 1/8" will be lost to most saw kerfs. Thanks for reminding other viewers of that fact! Start with a longer workpiece if you need to obtain four 4" coasters from a 16"-long workpiece to account for material lost to these saw kerfs.
Let’s talk about router table safety. (you’d think someone from Rockler would already know this) When cutting a ‘groove’ (dado) with a router table, move the fence AWAY from the bit as you cut the dado. He talked about a climb cut that he induced because he moved the fence toward the bit. That type of cut can be dangerous as it can pull the board at a high rate of speed and possibly pull your hand into the bit. (even with a fancy gripper) Save your fingers, move the fence away from the bit for cuts wider than your bit.
You are right about the climb cut however, he mentioned that it was being done to help avoid chipping. Climb cuts can be done if you only take small/shallow cuts like he did in the video. Also, he knew what could happen and was using a gripper instead of just his hands. On some woods, like the wenge he used on the table saw, chip out can be a real problem so a climb cut might be the solution.
@@blakedozier1131 That was not a shallow cut though, and I am honestly baffled why they would suggest doing it this way. Do a couple of safe router passes and then if you must, a final climb cut to clean up any ragged edges. I have never had any kickback problems on my table saw, but my router table easily ripped the work out of my hands when I did an accidental climb cut (widening a groove just like the Rockler guy here is doing). Fortunately no fingers were lost, but it was a very violent affair that can easily be avoided.
Hi Danny, we aren't sure exactly how much pigment we used. If we had to guess, we would say it was approximately 4-5 drops of ocean blue and 2-3 drops of silver.
Didn’t account for blade thickness in dimensions. Each coaster ends up being 4”x 3 15/16’s or even 4” x 3 7/8’s. Start with board of 4” x 16 3/8” and then the 3 cuts to dimension will yield perfect 4”x4” coasters. Picky? Sure but, we’re woodworkers, are we not?
Great video and cool project. I may make some too. I just used MAS Table Top Epoxy for the first time yesterday on a bathroom stool and cutting board I’m making. I think I may have over-torched a few areas as it started smoking and I ended up with a couple low, rough spots where maybe a bit of epoxy boiled away? Also, does the surface need to be sitting perfectly level for the pour to be even? My garage slopes. I also didn’t realize you should sand table top epoxy after its cured. Maybe that’ll help fix my rough spots. If you keep sanding finer and finer, will it become clear again? Do you have to switch to hand-sanding? I have orbital discs that are 400 and 1000 grit.
You only should need to make a couple light passes with the torch. Yes, your form must be level. The epoxy, similar to any other liquid, will find level. So if one side of the form is lower, then the epoxy will not be flush and level with the edges of the form. You can sand down to get rid of low spots, but you will need to start with a rough grit and sand up through all of the grits up to at least 400. It will look cloudy until you apply the finish. If you want it to be truly clear like glass, you will need to also polish it with polishing compound. You don’t have to switch to hand sanding if you have sanding discs that are very fine (400+ grit) and a buffing wheel for super fine polishing.
In order for epoxy to cure properly, it's really critical that the resin and hardener are thoroughly blended. Any patches of unblended resin or epoxy in the mixing container or on the stir stick can impact how well the epoxy is able to cure. So, it's a good precaution to pour the blended mixture into a clean container before adding tint. If you need a stir stick to help empty the epoxy from the container during the final pour, use a new one without resin or hardener on it instead of re-using the original stick.
Making 100cc when you need 65cc just so you can use the cup is extremely wasteful material wise......maybe for the first time, but a different scaled cup needs to be found.
I appreciate all the math that was looked into. Especially in regards to cost. Good for small shop DIYers.
Best online guide by far on the epoxy mixing process, God-sent!
great example on using epoxy as a starter project.
This is a great tutorial on the basics of using epoxy! Thanks! Straight forward and explained in simple language I can understand lol
Definitely going to try this. I’ve never worked with epoxy. You make it seem so easy. Thanks.
I like your coasters and method. You need to anchor that router table though. Thank you for figuring the epoxy costs for the coaster as I was thinking the stuff is too pricey but its now clear that a lot can be done with one half gallon kit !
I learned about the volume math. Thank you so much.
Very nice video , thanks for the information also.
Cool project, Only thing I'd have done differently was to forego the stripes and instead rout a circle in the middle of the coasters to fill with epoxy. That way, whatever glass/cup you're using would sit and sweat on the epoxy instead of the wood. Come to think of it, if I went that route I'd probably opt to make the coasters themselves round too.
Excellent instructions very easy to follow along and great work as well!
very nice
Thank you for showing the conversations for calculating the volume.
Thx, enjoyed the whole project. Can one router edges where the epoxy is or must we use the sander only ?
Thank you for showing us the epoxy coaster idea. Just a tech question. Usually when I groove a piece of wood, it tends to turn the opposite direction. Now, did you face the same, or the epoxy fill done the job well and replaced the grooved volume? Thanks
With the groove being less than half the thickness of the wood, warping or cupping wasn't really an issue and the epoxy does replace the grooved out volume. You could leave your stock slightly thicker and then flatten it afterwards to negate any issues as well.
Excellent, I learned a lot in this video. Thank you !👍
Any reason why you didn't use a router table to make the chamfer? Great video by the way.
Do you have a video of how epoxy should be mixed? Meaning what’s A and B? I have NO clue how this all works. Thank you. Great informative video 😊
The mixing ratio for epoxy will be printed on the containers and in the instructions. Part A is the resin and Part B is the hardener. The two parts will remain in a liquid form until mixed together in the specified ratio. When the two parts are mixed a chemical reaction occurs and the mixture will then cure and harden.
I have some epoxi coasters, can I seal them with cutting board conditioning oil?
Yes, that will work fine.
So if your board is 16" long, when you cut it on the chop saw how do you get 4" pieces when you loose 1/8" each cut?
About 1/8" will be lost to most saw kerfs. Thanks for reminding other viewers of that fact! Start with a longer workpiece if you need to obtain four 4" coasters from a 16"-long workpiece to account for material lost to these saw kerfs.
Let’s talk about router table safety. (you’d think someone from Rockler would already know this)
When cutting a ‘groove’ (dado) with a router table, move the fence AWAY from the bit as you cut the dado.
He talked about a climb cut that he induced because he moved the fence toward the bit.
That type of cut can be dangerous as it can pull the board at a high rate of speed and possibly pull your hand into the bit. (even with a fancy gripper)
Save your fingers, move the fence away from the bit for cuts wider than your bit.
You are right about the climb cut however, he mentioned that it was being done to help avoid chipping. Climb cuts can be done if you only take small/shallow cuts like he did in the video. Also, he knew what could happen and was using a gripper instead of just his hands. On some woods, like the wenge he used on the table saw, chip out can be a real problem so a climb cut might be the solution.
@@blakedozier1131 That was not a shallow cut though, and I am honestly baffled why they would suggest doing it this way. Do a couple of safe router passes and then if you must, a final climb cut to clean up any ragged edges. I have never had any kickback problems on my table saw, but my router table easily ripped the work out of my hands when I did an accidental climb cut (widening a groove just like the Rockler guy here is doing). Fortunately no fingers were lost, but it was a very violent affair that can easily be avoided.
How much of the coloring did you add? I tried 2 blue and 2 copper, the blue is dull and the copper is just specs.
Hi Danny, we aren't sure exactly how much pigment we used. If we had to guess, we would say it was approximately 4-5 drops of ocean blue and 2-3 drops of silver.
Really enjoyed the video I subscribed also I'm new to this and want to get started where do I get the epoxy that you used
Hi there, the epoxy used in this video is MAS Table Top Pro Epoxy. You can find it on our website at www.rockler.com/mas-table-top-pro-epoxy
@@rockler thank you looking forward to more videos
What wipe on finish do you recommend for your coasters?
We used Danish Oil on those coasters.
What was the wipe on finish you used?
We used General Finishes Arm-R-Seal.
Didn’t account for blade thickness in dimensions. Each coaster ends up being 4”x 3 15/16’s or even 4” x 3 7/8’s.
Start with board of 4” x 16 3/8” and then the 3 cuts to dimension will yield perfect 4”x4” coasters.
Picky? Sure but, we’re woodworkers, are we not?
Karen
Great video and cool project. I may make some too. I just used MAS Table Top Epoxy for the first time yesterday on a bathroom stool and cutting board I’m making. I think I may have over-torched a few areas as it started smoking and I ended up with a couple low, rough spots where maybe a bit of epoxy boiled away? Also, does the surface need to be sitting perfectly level for the pour to be even? My garage slopes. I also didn’t realize you should sand table top epoxy after its cured. Maybe that’ll help fix my rough spots. If you keep sanding finer and finer, will it become clear again? Do you have to switch to hand-sanding? I have orbital discs that are 400 and 1000 grit.
You only should need to make a couple light passes with the torch. Yes, your form must be level. The epoxy, similar to any other liquid, will find level. So if one side of the form is lower, then the epoxy will not be flush and level with the edges of the form. You can sand down to get rid of low spots, but you will need to start with a rough grit and sand up through all of the grits up to at least 400. It will look cloudy until you apply the finish. If you want it to be truly clear like glass, you will need to also polish it with polishing compound. You don’t have to switch to hand sanding if you have sanding discs that are very fine (400+ grit) and a buffing wheel for super fine polishing.
Why do you pour the epoxy into a different cup before adding the tint?
In order for epoxy to cure properly, it's really critical that the resin and hardener are thoroughly blended. Any patches of unblended resin or epoxy in the mixing container or on the stir stick can impact how well the epoxy is able to cure. So, it's a good precaution to pour the blended mixture into a clean container before adding tint. If you need a stir stick to help empty the epoxy from the container during the final pour, use a new one without resin or hardener on it instead of re-using the original stick.
@@rockler Thank you!
@@rockler I've wondered about that as I've seen it in every epoxy video I've watched. Thank you. Now add a link to the bench cookies. ;-)
I learned math in this video
Math.....boo
Very shakey hands. Hope everything is okay with him.
Making 100cc when you need 65cc just so you can use the cup is extremely wasteful material wise......maybe for the first time, but a different scaled cup needs to be found.