How to Make a Floating Hexagon Table with Epoxy Resin Part 1

In this 2 part video series we are going to show you how we made a floating hexagon desktop by casting clear epoxy resin, this is similar to a river table build.
The process is pretty straightforward, first we milled the hexagon shapes into our table top stock, which was birch butcher block countertop. We did not mill all the way through the table but left about 1/16 (1.5mm) of wood at the bottom of the cut, and we did not cut all the way to the edge. At the edges we left about 1/4" (6mm) of wood. This created a cavity that we could pour the epoxy into.
Our feeds and speeds for the cutting were: 3/8" compression bit, 15,000 rpm, 300 ipm, 1/2" depth of cut for each pass.
Before pouring the epoxy we taped up any knot holes or voids on the bottom to prevent epoxy from leaking out and leveled out the table top. Then we mixed up epoxy in batches of 2-3 liters at a time and poured it into the slots. After we had it filled up we used a heat gun to quickly release any bubbles that came to the surface.
We used the Resin Research 2000 CE resin on this because it has a blue tint in it that I thought would come out really cool, it wasn't as cool though or as clear as I would have liked, still looks good, but I would consider using our Contemporary Composite Technologies resin next time, it is absolutely clear.
Materials and tools used:
Birch Butcher Block Counter Top
3/8" compression cut router bit
3 gallons of Resin Research 2000CE (consider using CCTI resin for an absolute clear resin)
Paint Sticks
3M 233+ Masking Tape
Mixing Buckets
Heat Gun

[@ericmatthews3780]

Could the cupping you experienced actually be due to not carving all the way through and therefore the resin only curing and contracting on the top?

[@nikoscarpentry]

How did you make the Hex pattern file for the CNC?

[@blackhat840]

We are wanting to build a top a lot like this, I'm planning on ordering our resin from your website directly. Do you have the CNC template you used for these tops, would you mind sharing it if so?

[@FiberglassSupply]

contact me at [e-mail] about that.

[@spencerevans6455]

how do i find someone to mill out the board for me

[@FiberglassSupply]

Look for a local shop that does contract CNC work, a lot of high schools and colleges also have CNC routers and may be willing to help you out, you can also check out 100Kgarages.com or you can make a router sled to do it manually. If you are in NW Washington we do offer contract CNC services and can do it for you (or if your project is small enough to ship).

[@typer139]

Amazing.. and how can I get one?

[@FiberglassSupply]

I sent you an e-mail. Thanks