Help: Live Edge Slab Gaps Filled With Epoxy Resin, Now How to Finish?

Hey Everyone

Firstly just want to say a massive thanks to all you legends who are so willing to share from your experience and help out amateurs like me:)

Making for my wife’s birthday a 1000mm by 400mm live edge Coffee Table in Norfolk Pine. Very happy with the grains and the natural imperfections which I have just filled with Epoxy Resin (Liquid Gloss is the brand). I have poured the Resin in, waited 24 hours and then poured again and repeated till all the cracks/knots and natural gaps were filled. I have over filled them slightly so the Resin sits a good 3-4mm or so above the slab. I want the table to have a very natural and oiled finish not a glossy poly finish. Obviously the resin will be glossy and i want it to be crystal clear to see all the details through the imperfections and knots but the rest of the top I just want the natural grains to pop and I want an overall Matte or oil finish.

I now at the stage of bringing the Resin back to the level of the slab.

How do I do this in terms of sanding? I have a belt sander and finishing sander. Should it all be done by hand? What grade sand paper should I use? I’m mindful of not wanting to eat into the surrounding timber so it creates divets or lows spots around the Resin. Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated:)

thanks!

Soften with a heat gun and use a sharp chisel to remove most of the excess before sanding (I believe). There are some good youtube vids on finishing live edge/resin

The trick to sanding epoxy is to minimise heat, if it gets too warm it will go sticky and your sandpaper will clog up very quickly. For removing bulk material with a belt sander you want to get super coarse paper, about 60 grit is good, to help prevent it clogging. If your sander has variable speed, slow it down; again prevents clogging. Once you're close to level you can go back to sanding as you normally would.

Be careful using heat and a chisel; it does work but the resin will become a bit elastic and stretch out as you're cutting, so you might end up under the surface when it springs back. Done that one before :doh:

UPDATE: thanks for all your help everyone. For my first go, i was very happy with the results. Thoughts I’d show you all the finished product:) The Epoxy looked crystal clear and really help accentuate those natural knot and grain imperfections!Attachment 452060Attachment 452061Attachment 452063Attachment 452064Attachment 452066

Looks great.
What finish did you end up using on the wood?

sort of off topic but, years ago I did a redgum coffee table with live edges all around.
There were a couple of big voids and one being on the edge. I blacked off one side pored the resin in and while setting threw a plastic frog in. Wow talk about animal cruelty abuse etc. One dipstick friend(?) of wifey came around, saw the frog, left and notified police and RSPCA.

one of those time you wish video was going. but sorry pictures have disappeared

I ended using:

30% Mineral Turpentine
30% Tung Oil
40% Clear Polyurethane

Wow! That’s a great story, I will have to confess that that Dipstick friend wouldn’t have been my favourite person:)

wifes friend not mine. and didnt surprise us either. authorities had a good laugh and took a few pics...for those funny time the RSPCA guy said.

Great thread. I was going to use Norglass Liquid Glass on mine. Any good guys?