Good tip on oiling the wood. I'm working on an epoxy river table and I was taping the edges so I wouldn't get compound on the wood and noticed the edges were super clear. Now I'll seal the wood and not worry about the compound touching the wood.
Wow! What an excellent video. I have watched several videos from other channels, but they come up short, skipping steps or glossing over details. You provide concise explanations, but with much needed detail on both the procedure and the products used. This will have immediate impact and take my epoxy pours to the next level. Thank you. I'm heading out to your website to look at the products now.
Thanks for the feedback, we try and cover every process in detail and not miss anything out. We think it's important to show not just the result, but how to get there and the work involved.
This was a very good educational video. I found it very easy to follow the steps and feel comfortable and confident, that when I try it now I should be in good shape hopefully.
Good video on polishing epoxy, however the danish oil finish doesn't protect the wood from getting stained/stripped off by the polishing compound as you can easily see at 10:50, and from my experience as a woodworker who works with epoxy every day this is something I still struggle with to find a solution, would be nice if there was actually a good method in polishing the epoxy without messing up the wooden sides other than just epoxying the entire wooden surface just to be able to evenly sand/polish the river
THANK YOU...THIS IS THE $64,000 QUESTION! To complicate it even further, I don't like wood to have the unnatural glassy look of epoxy. I would much rather have a satin look on the wood. (BTW, I asked almost the same Q here 11:49 before I saw yours. I notice he answered all the questions except yours. I.have not seen ANYONE address this critical issue. I do hope he answers.
This answers my question, thank you! Incase anyone else is struggling with this same problem. I'll explain my situation... I make Chess boards. Half the squares wood, the other half epoxy. Obviously I can't sand just the epoxy squares without getting the wood. I was wondering what the point of finishing was if the buffer was going to remove material. Now I understand. I guess the only way to seal the wood properly would be to cover it in something that has the same strength at the epoxy and that brings us back to finishing the entire thing with epoxy so it can all be polished to the same level. Thanks again guys. Looks like I have a choice between leaving the wood exposed or coating it in epoxy.
Hi from New Zealand, thank you for this great tutorial. I get excited when I want to learn new projects, but then I get anxiety. But I try & push myself & after watching this video...well I'm goanna give it ago. I'm happy to to start a new project & I'm happy to be a new subscriber, thanx loads looking forward to watching more from you 🥰
I’m new to this resin thing but after making a bottle top table for my bar I’m keen to move onto bigger and better. The polishing video will help me as I move ahead, thanks.👍
If you use Glasscast50 and then put a layer of Glasscast3 on top, do you still need to polish the 50 in order to make the whole thing clear all the way through?
Hi Oliver, You would apply the GlassCast 3 at the 'B' stage or key up the surface of the 50. Either way, you don't need to polish the surface first and any scratches from the keying process will be filled with new layer of resin.
hi, thanks so much for the video - so detailed and helpful! however, no matter what i do, i am getting the swirly pigtail marks from the sander. i am trying to follow the instructions in this video exactly, and the sanding pads do not look clogged, but i cannot get rid of them. any advice is appreciated!!!
Make extra sure both the surface and the pad are clean. If you pick up even the smallest bit of coarser grit or debris, it will scratch the surface leaving those pigtail marks.
Great video, very well executed! One thing I didn't see addressed - should this be done on both sides of the piece? I imagine yes as if the bottom is not as clear as the top you'll see that as you look through it. I've made several river tables, though all with a dark epoxy - not see through, so I sand the bottom up to 180, while the top is sanded to 800 (on the epoxy part).
Thanks for the feedback. Correct If you wanted to be able to see through the entire piece with clarity then you would also need to polish up the underside of the 'river'. If, as in your case the bottom side is hidden then you can do as much or as little finishing as you please.
I attempted my first project with resin. It is a coffee table. The first time I put it on and made a nice pattern with grey and black lines on what was supposed to be concentrated white colour, it was only semi opaque, I used a whole small bottle of white. I finally got it looking good, but there are patches of the top that it keeps separating, I rubbed it over those bits with my finger then when it did it again, I used the blow torch s little to move it around. It got too set to work so I had to leave it like that. Do I need to sand it even to put another coat of resin on, or just sand lightly and pour??
Thank you wish to start making knife scales using wood and epoxy this tutorial has taught me so much and saved me money as in sanding discs i now know the correct ones to purchase thanks again
Thank you so much for your nice video, I have a question please help me how can I use epoxy resin on basin and old basin and how to make perfect and glass glossy smooth finishing
If I want my past resin to be satin instead of gloss, do I still sand to 1200 and still polish on NW1? Do I achieve the satin by not polishing the NW1 quite as much?
Hi, thank you for this great tutorial 👍 I will do same steps but ı have question mark. You apply that polish also to wood. Are those polish can apply also for woods? Should ı apply only resin part or both of them? I wish that; ı explained my self clear 😊
Its only really for polishing the resin itself and would be best to avoid getting it onto the wood as if it gets into the grain, it might alter the appearance of the wood itself.
Gonna be rewatching this because seeing multiple passes is new to me! Can this be applied to a resin table top that has a few flowers sticking out so it can be a flat shiny surface?
The flowers should really be fully encapsulated in the resin which will prevent them from absorbing moisture and decaying any further. If they are protruding from the surface then you should cut the flowers back flush and sand out a small amount of resin around the flowers, you can fill with a small quantity of resin to seal them in place. This can then be sanded flat and polished as demonstrated in the video. Alternatively you could cut the flowers back to the surface and apply a 2mm coating of GlassCast 3. GlassCast 3 cures with a flat glossy finish so you shouldn't then need to do any more finishing work.
your videos very detailed..thank you for sharing this video sir i learn a lot with this...🎉🎉🎉🎉 please make more tutorial video like this. God bless you always❤
Great video! Sets the standard for this topic. Only 1 question. What kind of marker pen are you using: permanent, non-permanent, sharpie, or something else?
Thanks for your comment, any kind of marker is fine. It's just to indicate where you've sanded and areas that you haven't, I think we used a sharpie as that was what we had to hand.
Thank you, your step by step instructions were fabulous and very understanding. I've built a set of cornhole boards, and a friend poured the resin for me. I would appreciate it if I could se d a pic after I have co pleated the project.
I was so worried how i will be able to polish epoxy when its mixed with wood. Thank you for disclosing that! Do you think its a good idea to oil and also polish the wood?
Hi, it entirely depends on your personal preference when it comes to finishing. I would recommend some kind of treatment prior to polishing the resin as it will protect the wood from potential staining from the polish used on the resin.
A product such as that wouldn't improve the finish on the epoxy in any way. As an oil based product it would simply sit on the surface of the epoxy so can be wiped away once applied to the wood. If you are using a one with a stain to alter the appearance of the wood it would be a good idea to so this relatively quickly rather than letting it sit on the epoxy, especially with light coloured or clear resin.
Thank you. Quick question. I know in the video you had finished the wood. And then you continue to polish the epoxy. However, in the end it look like you took off some finish of the wood. So did you go back and finish the wood again?
It's inevitable that in polishing the resin the pad will cross over onto the wood and take off some of the coating. It's perfectly fine to go back and top this coating up once polishing is finished. It's recommended to give the wood a good clean first to remove any polishing compound which may have transferred onto the surface so as not to trap it under another layer of wood finish.
Hey there 👋. Wondering if the sanding swirl marks will be seen in my opaque black epoxy River table after I top coat with table top epoxy? Or does the top coat epoxy fill on the swirlies and make it all uniform? Thanks!
@@glasscastresin oh wow, so glad I asked. I thought because it was solid black epoxy that the clear coat would accent the scratches. Thank you so much for responding🙏.
@@glasscastresin thanks. What would you recommend for spot sanding and polishing? I did a small 17 by 17 project that came out pretty good but dripped off the edges. After it hardens I tried doing an additional epoxy repair by tripping epoxy on the places that it didn't cover. Unfortunately I ended up making it lumpy around the edges. Is it possible to sand and polish some areas but not mess with the good areas? Hope that makes some kind of sense?
@@greglegakis4177 Small areas can be polished by hand or a more precision rotary tool. Masking off the good areas will mean that they don't become scratched or scuffed by any oversanding.
Great video! After you get the glass like finish, how do you protect it? Also, I have a project where I would want to epoxy the wood part too so do I flood the whole piece first and then finish per your instructions? Thanks again...Subscribed.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Once cured and polished up the GlassCast resin is often considered to be the finished result. Some customers do apply a PU topcoat but this isn't something which we supply. If you want to coat the wood as well then there is no need to polish the resin, simply flat and key with 120 grit. You can then use GlassCast 3 to flood the surface which will cure with a flat glossy surface. We actually show the process in this tutorial th-cam.com/video/dTLLFntPD60/w-d-xo.html
Enjoyed your tutorial. Just starting to use clear resin. Up to this point my work has all been done with table top multicolor epoxy inlays. I didn't do any wet sanding or polishing, even though I have been informed it would step up my game. I am now trying to move in that direction. So a couple questions: Seems like a basic question but need to validate I have a Festool 150" ROS. Will the mirka sandpaper and wet sanding discs work with that sander? I am pretty sure the answer is yes but wanted to validate. Second question - looks like once you go to wet sanding you remove the dust collector connection so you don't suck water into the DC - is that correct? Thank you again for the tutorial - very helpful.
I'd love to know exactly which connector you found for your Dewalt sander (which I also have) so you can connect it to your shop vac. Having a hard time finding one.
Hi. Thanks for the video. I have a question regarding the speed setting of my orbital sander (from 1 to 5) for each grid and polish stage. What’s your recommendation? Thanks a lot.
Hi Eduardo, we recommend a high speed but low pressure. You need to keep checking the surface of the item to make sure that it doesn't get warm, if it does move onto another part of the item.
Used it for the first time last weekend definitely worth buying if you're a person who likes detailing your own car recommend first time to use on lowest setting 800 so you don't burn paint don't leave in one spot keep moving it over paint easy to use th-cam.com/users/postUgkxfzbDkCRyv3CFXnLZI4APZtRRuG2uRmP2 truck looks like new again used maguires black light battery life like all milwaukee products seem to hold up well 😀
Unlike woods which will absorb the oil to then be polished the oil will just sit on top of the resin and then be wiped off. Really, the only way to polish the resin is to work though the grades and then polish the surface. You can apply lacquers but these too then may need polishing themselves.
That was an awesome video. Do you typically add a finish to the entire piece after finishing or leave the glass-like epoxy untreated, and just finish the wood? If adding a finish to both wood and epoxy what do you use?
Hi David. Once polished, the resin already has its finish so there's no need to treat with any further product. Also any waxes or oils will simply sit on the surface and wipe off rather than being absorbed into the surface. The wood on the other hand can be treated and finished as per personal preference.
Super nice video! I have a artwork that I would like to polish but the resin layer is only 2mm thick. How much material is removed during this process? Thank you very much!
In reality, very little - fractions of a millimetre as you're only working down through the deepest scratches. As you progress to the next, finer level of abrasive papers, the only material you're removing is between the scratches, you're not going deeper; the idea being that your smoothing out the surface prior to polishing.
It's better to use a dry sander for the initial stages as the dust can be extracted and its easier to see the areas which need more attention. When you get down to the finer grades of abrasive then you can switch to wet sanding.
When you put your finish on the wood. Did you also do that to the epoxy? Or do you use something else or once’s it’s buffed you don’t need to put a finish on your resin?
We apply the oil after the sanding stage before using the polish on the resin area. There is no need to apply oil the epoxy as it doesn't soak into the material and will simply wipe off the surface. The glossy finish on the resin is achieved with polishing alone.
Bonjour, Following your video I bought the products for polishing, sanding discs and the 2 polishing creams, I ask myself 2 questions, if you sand the wood like resin, will the wood sanded so fine absorb the creams? and with creams I have to use a harder pad for the 1st and a softer pad for the 2nd (finish 2)? THANKS
can I use my Dewalt sander in 125 like yours for finishing with the 2 creams that I bought from you? I believe that the video you use a used disc?? THANKS
bonjour, I have a very important new question, I have to finish my table and I would like to know if the 2 finishing products that you use in this video and that I bought protect the surface from stains, scratches ……… I look forward to your response to finish my table, thank you very much
The polishes do not offer additional protection to the resin surface. Durability on resin surfaces is down to the properties of the cured resin itself.
If you are doing a top coat then we recommend just keying the surface with 120 grit. Because you want some texture on the surface for the resin to grip too then you aren't looking to polish the resin at this point, as long as the surface is flat.
First timer here. laser engraved a flag in some mahogany. Did seal with shellac but one area of surface bubbles started to form so I torched. Think I spent too much time in one area and got a hardened blob that I was lucky enough to be able to scrape off with a popsicle stick. Took the rest of the resin off so it’s basically just “wet” no real buildup other than in the engraved portion. When this hardens/cures I plan on sanding again and doing another flood coat. While I don’t want coating to be thick, I do want the surface to be flat and not able to feel texture of non engraved portions. Any tips/suggestions? Just using clear no color. FYI, This is my backup piece, my first attempt ended in prickly bumps that I sanded down to do something similar in the video, but got many small deep white pockets of resin dust that are not aesthetically pleasing nor easy to fix (they are probably original bubble paths).
Hi Wayne, You're probably best treating this resin layer as another sealing coat which should eliminate the bubbles, as you say it will have filled the engraving and will now give you a completely flat surface once sanded down. I would just give the surface a light flat and key with 120, leaving a slight amount of resin on the surface. You can then go ahead with the 2mm flood coating which is the thickness that the resin needs to properly self level. You might also be able to recover your first attempt by vacuuming the surface to try and pull the dust from the holes and then recoating again with resin.
@@glasscastresin I was hellbent on trying to wet and wipe it with alcohol, never even thought of vacuum! First attempt might be salvageable! Thanks. The 2nd attempt dried up pretty good over night just some barely visible lines where I scraped and didn’t see but nothing a light sanding won’t fix as you said. Only thing I’m concerned about is where I originally had the “crust” issue. It’s just a tad more textured. Hopefully with the sanding it’ll knock it all down. Thank you soooo much for the pretty quick and helpful reply!
Great video and very helpful. You used Danish oil to seal the wood before polishing with the compound. How long after sealing do you have to wait to polish. Is it possible to use like an Odies oil to seal before polishing as well?
It is not a product we have tested. However it looks to be made of oils and waxes so is likely to offer similar levels of protection. However test on a small area first to be safe.
Hi there very useful video! I personally make art clocks using acrylic paint and to finish them off i put resin top coat over it (possibly 2 thin layers) would this process work for me? Thanks in advance
Thanks a lot for sharing this video, and really nice work! The tabletop I'm working on doesn't have a 'river' of resin, instead it's scattered across the surface of the wood to fill holes, indentations, etc. What would you recommend I do when it comes to the sealing of wood and polishing of resin stage?
You could do the process in a very similar way. Applying the oil coat before you polish the resin surface will reduce the chances of the compound absorbing into the grain. For small areas you may wish to polish by hand which might reduce the spread of the compound over the wood areas.
If the resin is clear then yes you will need to polish both sides to give you the best clarity through the resin. If not, then it really depends on the finish from the mould, how likely you are to see under the table and if an unfinished surface bothers you.
Thanks for the feedback, for sanding we recommend at least a P2 grade mask. The dust is not toxic, but it is an irritant in the same way as any other fine particle dust such as that from MDF or sawdust would be.
@@glasscastresin brother how it ain't toxic? It's resin dust. Please explain. As well I'd like to ask how do i find a polishing paste in India? What do i google? Polishing paste for sanding?
@@AryaBoi Once cured the resin becomes like any other hard plastic and not classified as toxic. We can ship NW1 and Top Finnish 2 to India and you can purchase through our website. Alternatively you will want to look for a resin/composited polish.
I have a few questions about the NW1 and Topfinish 2 polishing compounds. 1) Are they sold anywhere under a smaller quantity? I don't have many resin things to use it on. 2) Can I use it with a dremel tool on small resin projects? 3) If it *can* be used with a dremel tool, what would be the recommended buffing bit?
I can answer you, or i can try at least. So, yes, you can use your dremmel toold with this paste. You can find some other polishing paste from different suplier that does the job and in small quantities ( Meguiars). And you can buff it with the wool disk.
can you comment on the speed of the polisher for the polishing compounds-starting out and progressing through the passes. Is 5000 slow enough to 10000 too fast or is this adequate? Thank you.
Sure, they provide a similar action so there shouldn't be any reason why this won't work. A polisher probably has a higher RPM so will likely take longer using a sander. Still, much faster than doing it by hand.
Any additives mixed with the resin, be this a reinforcing fibre or filler powder will inherently reduce the clarity and be seen within the resin to some extent.
So when do you seal the wood to keep it from staining and after completely finishing the polishing what do you need to do to the wood to complete the project?
Hi Joshua, your choice of wood finish is a matter of personal taste as different products will provide different levels of protection and varying finished appearances. In this case, a couple of layers of Danish Oil are used to seal the wood although other wood sealers can work too.
@@glasscastresin I get that but then after sealing you wet sand and polish. My question is do you then need to redo the Danish oil after that process or does it hold up to the abuse? I assume you couldn't do a rubio monocoat prior and then polish?
@@joshuawendt2050 Sometimes, you have to apply a little bit more finish but generally close to the area you have been polishing up but it really depends on the finish you have used. I think it would be fair to say some touching up would be likely but its unlikely you'd have to do a full recoat.
Joshua, I share the same thoughts. Once you're project is completely polished, you'll need to apply a protective finish like Rubio or osmo. How do we achieve that mirror finish with the finish applied?
The oil finish is generally applied just before the polishing stage so that the oil helps stop the polishing residue sticking to the wood. Most oil finishes are designed for occasional recoating to restore finish over time.
Hi, i noticed at 1200 grit you used a wet sand, the water went onto the wood section - will this not be absorbed into the wood and possibly bow the river table, if i sanded to 1200 or more with a dry sand will the polish compound still take away any small inperfectiond
Only if large amounts of water were used. The amount of time the wood is wet - and also how quickly it will dry in warm conditions - means that it is unlikely to cause any issues.
would you use the same process for smaller areas of resin-for example is its being used to fill large crack/splits in a piece of wood that will be turned?
Thank you for a great tutorial. Can you recommend a tool for smaller pieces of resin? I’m working on coasters, so an orbital sander feels excessive for the size. I use GlassCast resin and it is brilliant, never had any issues with it unlike others that I’ve tried.
The good thing about a random orbital sander like this is that it has a random path, it's not just rotational which means you get a really nice finish with minimal sanding marks. For small pieces you might find a detail sander more appropriate.
I want to cut narrow strips out of a decorative epoxy slab that I poured and then be able to polish the strips and glue them together around her rectangular stainless steel box. How do I glue the strips in the box and how do I glue epoxy to epoxy?
You can use a clear epoxy adhesive such as ET500 which will bond both the epoxy and wood to the metalwork. Just be sure to prepare the surfaces with 120 grit key to promote bonding. A degrease on the metal will also be advised. www.easycomposites.co.uk/rigid-5min-epoxy-adhesive
The sander should be set to a medium speed and care taken not to apply too much pressure to the surface, to fast and too hot can cause the resin to overheat and soften which can cause deeper marks. If you are still seeing scratches then you'll need to keep on at the next finest grade and not move onto the next step until they all disappear.
Hi there! Your video was substantially more informative than at least 100 others I have seen on TH-cam. I would like to ask, however, the f the polishing should be done both before AND after the seal coat and flood coats. I have yet to find my answer on any video with the hashtag ,"instruction; how to build river epoxy table from start to finish"
This sort of product is designed to soak into a wood so it wouldn't coat the resin at all and would wipe off the surface. It would be ideal for the wooden area of a river table but wouldn't have any effect on the resin.
I have watched a few other videos and several people seem to be over sanding, all the way down to 5-10k grit. Seems crazy. With a good compound/polish combo, 1500 seems enough? Have you ever felt the need to sand beyond 1500? Thank you
This is the first video I’ve come across that has helped me clearly understand how to sand and polish resin. Thank you 🙏🏻
Glad you found it helpful!
Was that a message disc
@@randyhakes9050huh?
Me too 👍
Ditto
After staring at my first dull Resin effort and wondering why I couldn't get it to look clear, hey presto 1 video later and I can smile again, thanks.
Finally i understand how to sand and polish my resin and can finally complete the 2 side tables i have created. Thankyou
Best of luck finishing your tables.
Good tip on oiling the wood. I'm working on an epoxy river table and I was taping the edges so I wouldn't get compound on the wood and noticed the edges were super clear. Now I'll seal the wood and not worry about the compound touching the wood.
It's still best to avoid spreading the compound onto the wood too much but treating it first certainly helps to prevent staining.
Wow! What an excellent video. I have watched several videos from other channels, but they come up short, skipping steps or glossing over details. You provide concise explanations, but with much needed detail on both the procedure and the products used. This will have immediate impact and take my epoxy pours to the next level. Thank you. I'm heading out to your website to look at the products now.
Thanks for the feedback, we try and cover every process in detail and not miss anything out. We think it's important to show not just the result, but how to get there and the work involved.
This is the best video about sanding I've ever see
Thanks - glad you found it useful 🙂
Thank you I’ve been using resin for a while and couldn’t figure out how to get it polished right. This really helped a lot. Thank you.
Glad you found the video useful, thanks for watching.
This was a very good educational video. I found it very easy to follow the steps and feel comfortable and confident, that when I try it now I should be in good shape hopefully.
Great to hear, glad you found the video useful.
Best tutorial on polishing resin I’ve ever seen. Good work guys 👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you very much for this video. Superbly explained! And many thanks for the helpful information about processing time and material.
Outstanding video, very clear and included a lot of PRO tips! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Good video on polishing epoxy, however the danish oil finish doesn't protect the wood from getting stained/stripped off by the polishing compound as you can easily see at 10:50, and from my experience as a woodworker who works with epoxy every day this is something I still struggle with to find a solution, would be nice if there was actually a good method in polishing the epoxy without messing up the wooden sides other than just epoxying the entire wooden surface just to be able to evenly sand/polish the river
THANK YOU...THIS IS THE $64,000 QUESTION! To complicate it even further, I don't like wood to have the unnatural glassy look of epoxy. I would much rather have a satin look on the wood.
(BTW, I asked almost the same Q here 11:49 before I saw yours. I notice he answered all the questions except yours. I.have not seen ANYONE address this critical issue. I do hope he answers.
This answers my question, thank you!
Incase anyone else is struggling with this same problem. I'll explain my situation...
I make Chess boards. Half the squares wood, the other half epoxy. Obviously I can't sand just the epoxy squares without getting the wood. I was wondering what the point of finishing was if the buffer was going to remove material. Now I understand. I guess the only way to seal the wood properly would be to cover it in something that has the same strength at the epoxy and that brings us back to finishing the entire thing with epoxy so it can all be polished to the same level. Thanks again guys. Looks like I have a choice between leaving the wood exposed or coating it in epoxy.
Could the wood be taped to protect it from the polish, or no?
@@mikechis051 No the tape doesn't hold up. Been there. Dealing with abrasives and high RPM polisher.
Atleast i find the perfect video for the perfect way to polishing thanks
Hi from New Zealand, thank you for this great tutorial. I get excited when I want to learn new projects, but then I get anxiety. But I try & push myself & after watching this video...well I'm goanna give it ago. I'm happy to to start a new project & I'm happy to be a new subscriber, thanx loads looking forward to watching more from you 🥰
Loved this video, learnt so much cheers Kyle the best I've seen on finishing Resin
Thank you for the advice on sealing the wood first. I hadn’t seen that before and my project turned out perfect
Great news, glad to hear it.
Just huge thank you from USA!!!
You're very welcome, hope the tutorial helps.
I’m new to this resin thing but after making a bottle top table for my bar I’m keen to move onto bigger and better. The polishing video will help me as I move ahead, thanks.👍
It is our please Anthony, glad to hear it has been useful :)
Finally an alternative to extremely expensive 3M products! *Thanks*
If you use Glasscast50 and then put a layer of Glasscast3 on top, do you still need to polish the 50 in order to make the whole thing clear all the way through?
Hi Oliver,
You would apply the GlassCast 3 at the 'B' stage or key up the surface of the 50. Either way, you don't need to polish the surface first and any scratches from the keying process will be filled with new layer of resin.
hi, thanks so much for the video - so detailed and helpful! however, no matter what i do, i am getting the swirly pigtail marks from the sander. i am trying to follow the instructions in this video exactly, and the sanding pads do not look clogged, but i cannot get rid of them. any advice is appreciated!!!
Make extra sure both the surface and the pad are clean. If you pick up even the smallest bit of coarser grit or debris, it will scratch the surface leaving those pigtail marks.
I feel like a took a really great course today! I’m ready to finish up this counter top I started 4 years ago!! Thank you!👊🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼
Best of luck finishing it off
Thanks for the tutorial amazing results!
and dont forget..if you polish a table its still a table!
Thanks for watching.
Thankyou this was. really very clear and helpful tutorial. Want to buy some materials.
Great video, very well executed! One thing I didn't see addressed - should this be done on both sides of the piece? I imagine yes as if the bottom is not as clear as the top you'll see that as you look through it.
I've made several river tables, though all with a dark epoxy - not see through, so I sand the bottom up to 180, while the top is sanded to 800 (on the epoxy part).
Thanks for the feedback. Correct If you wanted to be able to see through the entire piece with clarity then you would also need to polish up the underside of the 'river'. If, as in your case the bottom side is hidden then you can do as much or as little finishing as you please.
When staining wood, I guess you wouldn’t want to sand up to 1200? Maybe stop on the wood around 320 and keep sanding the epoxy?
I agree. Having the right materials DOES make a world of difference!!
I attempted my first project with resin. It is a coffee table. The first time I put it on and made a nice pattern with grey and black lines on what was supposed to be concentrated white colour, it was only semi opaque, I used a whole small bottle of white. I finally got it looking good, but there are patches of the top that it keeps separating, I rubbed it over those bits with my finger then when it did it again, I used the blow torch s little to move it around. It got too set to work so I had to leave it like that. Do I need to sand it even to put another coat of resin on, or just sand lightly and pour??
Thank you wish to start making knife scales using wood and epoxy this tutorial has taught me so much and saved me money as in sanding discs i now know the correct ones to purchase thanks again
That answered so many questions i've had
Excellent demo on the product, will be trying this process out on some knives for my channel. Thanks again!
Thanks Sweetknives :)
Thank you so much for your nice video, I have a question please help me how can I use epoxy resin on basin and old basin and how to make perfect and glass glossy smooth finishing
The most detailed and beautifully explained I have ever heard. thanks
Love this video. Explained step by step
now i know what the diff between rotary and dual action. how and when to use it. thank u.
Glad we could help.
Thanks for this tutorial. You sounded very professional. I can't wait to try.
Thank you for commenting, glad you enjoyed the video!
If I want my past resin to be satin instead of gloss, do I still sand to 1200 and still polish on NW1? Do I achieve the satin by not polishing the NW1 quite as much?
Hi, thank you for this great tutorial 👍 I will do same steps but ı have question mark. You apply that polish also to wood. Are those polish can apply also for woods? Should ı apply only resin part or both of them?
I wish that; ı explained my self clear 😊
Its only really for polishing the resin itself and would be best to avoid getting it onto the wood as if it gets into the grain, it might alter the appearance of the wood itself.
Absolutely great video, thank you.
Gonna be rewatching this because seeing multiple passes is new to me! Can this be applied to a resin table top that has a few flowers sticking out so it can be a flat shiny surface?
The flowers should really be fully encapsulated in the resin which will prevent them from absorbing moisture and decaying any further. If they are protruding from the surface then
you should cut the flowers back flush and sand out a small amount of resin around the flowers, you can fill with a small quantity of resin to seal them in place. This can then be sanded flat and polished as demonstrated in the video. Alternatively you could cut the flowers back to the surface and apply a 2mm coating of GlassCast 3. GlassCast 3 cures with a flat glossy finish so you shouldn't then need to do any more finishing work.
What a very informative video , found it very useful , and very easy on the eye so it was easy to watch
Thanks Terry, glad you found it useful :)
your videos very detailed..thank you for sharing this video sir i learn a lot with this...🎉🎉🎉🎉 please make more tutorial video like this. God bless you always❤
Thanks for the feedback, keep an eye out for our next tutorial project.
Great video! Sets the standard for this topic. Only 1 question. What kind of marker pen are you using: permanent, non-permanent, sharpie, or something else?
Thanks for your comment, any kind of marker is fine. It's just to indicate where you've sanded and areas that you haven't, I think we used a sharpie as that was what we had to hand.
Thank you, your step by step instructions were fabulous and very understanding. I've built a set of cornhole boards, and a friend poured the resin for me. I would appreciate it if I could se d a pic after I have co pleated the project.
Hi Donald,
Sounds like a great project, sure if you want to send some photos through to help@glasscastresin.com we'd be delighted to take a look.
I was so worried how i will be able to polish epoxy when its mixed with wood. Thank you for disclosing that! Do you think its a good idea to oil and also polish the wood?
Hi, it entirely depends on your personal preference when it comes to finishing. I would recommend some kind of treatment prior to polishing the resin as it will protect the wood from potential staining from the polish used on the resin.
Thanks for the step by step video. I’m wondering if you wore a specific mask during sanding?
A good quality P2 or better quality mask is recommended for epoxy sanding dust.
Awesome! How to protect it from scratches now going forward?
The epoxy resin is generally a hard wearing surface once fully cured. Occasional light polishing will remove any build up of scratches during use.
Can you add a finish like Osmos to both the wood and the epoxy? Great video thanks.....
A product such as that wouldn't improve the finish on the epoxy in any way. As an oil based product it would simply sit on the surface of the epoxy so can be wiped away once applied to the wood. If you are using a one with a stain to alter the appearance of the wood it would be a good idea to so this relatively quickly rather than letting it sit on the epoxy, especially with light coloured or clear resin.
Thank you. Quick question. I know in the video you had finished the wood. And then you continue to polish the epoxy. However, in the end it look like you took off some finish of the wood. So did you go back and finish the wood again?
It's inevitable that in polishing the resin the pad will cross over onto the wood and take off some of the coating. It's perfectly fine to go back and top this coating up once polishing is finished. It's recommended to give the wood a good clean first to remove any polishing compound which may have transferred onto the surface so as not to trap it under another layer of wood finish.
Hey there 👋.
Wondering if the sanding swirl marks will be seen in my opaque black epoxy River table after I top coat with table top epoxy? Or does the top coat epoxy fill on the swirlies and make it all uniform? Thanks!
A flood coating will completely fill any scratches on the surface. In fact, you will want to key the surface with 120 grit abrasive.
@@glasscastresin oh wow, so glad I asked. I thought because it was solid black epoxy that the clear coat would accent the scratches. Thank you so much for responding🙏.
What would you say was the total time it took you from beginning to end to finish the polishing process?
You could estimate between 1-2 hours for a piece this size.
@@glasscastresin thanks.
What would you recommend for spot sanding and polishing? I did a small 17 by 17 project that came out pretty good but dripped off the edges. After it hardens I tried doing an additional epoxy repair by tripping epoxy on the places that it didn't cover. Unfortunately I ended up making it lumpy around the edges. Is it possible to sand and polish some areas but not mess with the good areas? Hope that makes some kind of sense?
@@greglegakis4177 Small areas can be polished by hand or a more precision rotary tool. Masking off the good areas will mean that they don't become scratched or scuffed by any oversanding.
Great video! After you get the glass like finish, how do you protect it? Also, I have a project where I would want to epoxy the wood part too so do I flood the whole piece first and then finish per your instructions? Thanks again...Subscribed.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Once cured and polished up the GlassCast resin is often considered to be the finished result. Some customers do apply a PU topcoat but this isn't something which we supply. If you want to coat the wood as well then there is no need to polish the resin, simply flat and key with 120 grit. You can then use GlassCast 3 to flood the surface which will cure with a flat glossy surface. We actually show the process in this tutorial th-cam.com/video/dTLLFntPD60/w-d-xo.html
Enjoyed your tutorial. Just starting to use clear resin. Up to this point my work has all been done with table top multicolor epoxy inlays. I didn't do any wet sanding or polishing, even though I have been informed it would step up my game. I am now trying to move in that direction. So a couple questions: Seems like a basic question but need to validate I have a Festool 150" ROS. Will the mirka sandpaper and wet sanding discs work with that sander? I am pretty sure the answer is yes but wanted to validate. Second question - looks like once you go to wet sanding you remove the dust collector connection so you don't suck water into the DC - is that correct? Thank you again for the tutorial - very helpful.
For an 150mm disc they should fit no problem. Yes you don't want water in the vacuum cleaner/extraction system.
Awesome video, thanks so much! I am exploring setting in stones with my epoxy, any suggestions on sanding process for this?
If the stones are covered completely then the process is the same. If trying to sand around stones sticking out, that would be much more fiddly.
I'd love to know exactly which connector you found for your Dewalt sander (which I also have) so you can connect it to your shop vac. Having a hard time finding one.
We fabricated an adaptor using some carbon fibre tube.
Thanks. This was clear and very thorough. Just what I needed. 👍😁
Ahora si entendí cómo lijar y pulir el epoxy. Gracias..!
WOW! Very nice. Nice presentation. I'll be using these tips in my current project. Thanks
Thank Roy, I'm glad it has proved useful to you - let us know how you get on with your project! :)
Hi. Thanks for the video. I have a question regarding the speed setting of my orbital sander (from 1 to 5) for each grid and polish stage. What’s your recommendation? Thanks a lot.
Hi Eduardo, we recommend a high speed but low pressure. You need to keep checking the surface of the item to make sure that it doesn't get warm, if it does move onto another part of the item.
Thank you very much for your prompt response.
Used it for the first time last weekend definitely worth buying if you're a person who likes detailing your own car recommend first time to use on lowest setting 800 so you don't burn paint don't leave in one spot keep moving it over paint easy to use th-cam.com/users/postUgkxfzbDkCRyv3CFXnLZI4APZtRRuG2uRmP2 truck looks like new again used maguires black light battery life like all milwaukee products seem to hold up well 😀
Good video! Is it posible to sand it to 400 grid and then buf with oil, and if oil is dry wed sand it to grid 4000 and then polish?
Unlike woods which will absorb the oil to then be polished the oil will just sit on top of the resin and then be wiped off. Really, the only way to polish the resin is to work though the grades and then polish the surface. You can apply lacquers but these too then may need polishing themselves.
Thank you for this. How much product and materials would I need for a bar top that measures 22ft x 2.5ft?
Assuming you mean how much resin would be required. You'd need a 15kg kit for our GlassCast3 to cover a countertop of this size.
Brilliant. Can you use the sander instead of the polisher?
If you have an appropriate polishing head for your sander then absolutely.
That was an awesome video. Do you typically add a finish to the entire piece after finishing or leave the glass-like epoxy untreated, and just finish the wood? If adding a finish to both wood and epoxy what do you use?
Hi David. Once polished, the resin already has its finish so there's no need to treat with any further product. Also any waxes or oils will simply sit on the surface and wipe off rather than being absorbed into the surface. The wood on the other hand can be treated and finished as per personal preference.
@@glasscastresin ah finally I understand
Thanks so much for this tutorial, it worked wonders 🎉
Perfect. Thank you for being so detailed.
Thanks Jerry, glad you enjoyed the video!
Awesome tutorial, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Super nice video!
I have a artwork that I would like to polish but the resin layer is only 2mm thick.
How much material is removed during this process?
Thank you very much!
In reality, very little - fractions of a millimetre as you're only working down through the deepest scratches. As you progress to the next, finer level of abrasive papers, the only material you're removing is between the scratches, you're not going deeper; the idea being that your smoothing out the surface prior to polishing.
Do you always use the abrasive discs dry? Can I use the wet? Maybe last longer?
It's better to use a dry sander for the initial stages as the dust can be extracted and its easier to see the areas which need more attention. When you get down to the finer grades of abrasive then you can switch to wet sanding.
When you put your finish on the wood. Did you also do that to the epoxy? Or do you use something else or once’s it’s buffed you don’t need to put a finish on your resin?
We apply the oil after the sanding stage before using the polish on the resin area. There is no need to apply oil the epoxy as it doesn't soak into the material and will simply wipe off the surface. The glossy finish on the resin is achieved with polishing alone.
Bonjour, Following your video I bought the products for polishing, sanding discs and the 2 polishing creams, I ask myself 2 questions, if you sand the wood like resin, will the wood sanded so fine absorb the creams? and with creams I have to use a harder pad for the 1st and a softer pad for the 2nd (finish 2)? THANKS
The polish may soak in the surface and discolour the wood. Hence why we recommend treating the wood before you polish to prevent that happening.
@@glasscastresin ok merci
can I use my Dewalt sander in 125 like yours for finishing with the 2 creams that I bought from you? I believe that the video you use a used disc?? THANKS
bonjour, I have a very important new question, I have to finish my table and I would like to know if the 2 finishing products that you use in this video and that I bought protect the surface from stains, scratches ……… I look forward to your response to finish my table, thank you very much
The polishes do not offer additional protection to the resin surface. Durability on resin surfaces is down to the properties of the cured resin itself.
@@glasscastresin ok so for everyday use of the table, aperitif, dinner, it is better to have a product like Rubio monocoat 2c?
Do you have to make sure the scratches are sanded out from the previous grit if you're doing a top coat instead of polishing?
If you are doing a top coat then we recommend just keying the surface with 120 grit. Because you want some texture on the surface for the resin to grip too then you aren't looking to polish the resin at this point, as long as the surface is flat.
First timer here. laser engraved a flag in some mahogany. Did seal with shellac but one area of surface bubbles started to form so I torched. Think I spent too much time in one area and got a hardened blob that I was lucky enough to be able to scrape off with a popsicle stick. Took the rest of the resin off so it’s basically just “wet” no real buildup other than in the engraved portion. When this hardens/cures I plan on sanding again and doing another flood coat. While I don’t want coating to be thick, I do want the surface to be flat and not able to feel texture of non engraved portions. Any tips/suggestions? Just using clear no color.
FYI, This is my backup piece, my first attempt ended in prickly bumps that I sanded down to do something similar in the video, but got many small deep white pockets of resin dust that are not aesthetically pleasing nor easy to fix (they are probably original bubble paths).
Hi Wayne,
You're probably best treating this resin layer as another sealing coat which should eliminate the bubbles, as you say it will have filled the engraving and will now give you a completely flat surface once sanded down. I would just give the surface a light flat and key with 120, leaving a slight amount of resin on the surface. You can then go ahead with the 2mm flood coating which is the thickness that the resin needs to properly self level.
You might also be able to recover your first attempt by vacuuming the surface to try and pull the dust from the holes and then recoating again with resin.
@@glasscastresin I was hellbent on trying to wet and wipe it with alcohol, never even thought of vacuum! First attempt might be salvageable! Thanks. The 2nd attempt dried up pretty good over night just some barely visible lines where I scraped and didn’t see but nothing a light sanding won’t fix as you said. Only thing I’m concerned about is where I originally had the “crust” issue. It’s just a tad more textured. Hopefully with the sanding it’ll knock it all down. Thank you soooo much for the pretty quick and helpful reply!
Thank u for this very informative video...can u help me where to get the different grit papers n the polishing compound
Glad you found it useful. You can find the abrasive papers and the polish from our website. www.glasscastresin.com/
Great video and very helpful. You used Danish oil to seal the wood before polishing with the compound. How long after sealing do you have to wait to polish. Is it possible to use like an Odies oil to seal before polishing as well?
It is not a product we have tested. However it looks to be made of oils and waxes so is likely to offer similar levels of protection. However test on a small area first to be safe.
Hi there very useful video! I personally make art clocks using acrylic paint and to finish them off i put resin top coat over it (possibly 2 thin layers) would this process work for me? Thanks in advance
Hi Ben,
Yes the resin polishing process will still be the same. As long as you don't sand too much and break through the resin into the paint.
Thanks a lot for sharing this video, and really nice work! The tabletop I'm working on doesn't have a 'river' of resin, instead it's scattered across the surface of the wood to fill holes, indentations, etc. What would you recommend I do when it comes to the sealing of wood and polishing of resin stage?
You could do the process in a very similar way. Applying the oil coat before you polish the resin surface will reduce the chances of the compound absorbing into the grain. For small areas you may wish to polish by hand which might reduce the spread of the compound over the wood areas.
Do you have to polish both sides of the project? Great tutorial 😁
If the resin is clear then yes you will need to polish both sides to give you the best clarity through the resin. If not, then it really depends on the finish from the mould, how likely you are to see under the table and if an unfinished surface bothers you.
How often would you recommend swapping out the polishing pads?
When they get dirty or damaged. They can be washed in warm soapy water to extend their life.
Thank you! Also, what speed are you using on the dewalt sander?
@@gustavspringfeldt3487 We went for a medium speed and made sure that the sander was constantly moving.
Hey brother, great video. Is dry sanding harmful? How do you protect yourself from it?
Thanks for the feedback, for sanding we recommend at least a P2 grade mask. The dust is not toxic, but it is an irritant in the same way as any other fine particle dust such as that from MDF or sawdust would be.
@@glasscastresin brother how it ain't toxic? It's resin dust. Please explain. As well I'd like to ask how do i find a polishing paste in India? What do i google? Polishing paste for sanding?
@@AryaBoi Once cured the resin becomes like any other hard plastic and not classified as toxic. We can ship NW1 and Top Finnish 2 to India and you can purchase through our website. Alternatively you will want to look for a resin/composited polish.
I have a few questions about the NW1 and Topfinish 2 polishing compounds.
1) Are they sold anywhere under a smaller quantity? I don't have many resin things to use it on.
2) Can I use it with a dremel tool on small resin projects?
3) If it *can* be used with a dremel tool, what would be the recommended buffing bit?
I can answer you, or i can try at least. So, yes, you can use your dremmel toold with this paste. You can find some other polishing paste from different suplier that does the job and in small quantities ( Meguiars). And you can buff it with the wool disk.
can you comment on the speed of the polisher for the polishing compounds-starting out and progressing through the passes. Is 5000 slow enough to 10000 too fast or is this adequate? Thank you.
We would typically aim for around 800-1500 RPM. If the surface starts to heat up then reduce the speed and or pressure and wait for it to cool.
Great video! Super helpful
Is it okay to use orbital sander for buffing? I have buffing pads for sander. 😊
Sure, they provide a similar action so there shouldn't be any reason why this won't work. A polisher probably has a higher RPM so will likely take longer using a sander. Still, much faster than doing it by hand.
@glasscastresin Thank you so much!
For epoxy strengthened with fiber glass what do you suggest for the 'glass' look ?
Any additives mixed with the resin, be this a reinforcing fibre or filler powder will inherently reduce the clarity and be seen within the resin to some extent.
very helpful video
love u & ❤❤I like this job very much, I will start very soon InshAllah
Amazing video
So when do you seal the wood to keep it from staining and after completely finishing the polishing what do you need to do to the wood to complete the project?
Hi Joshua, your choice of wood finish is a matter of personal taste as different products will provide different levels of protection and varying finished
appearances. In this case, a couple of layers of Danish Oil are used to seal the wood although other wood sealers can work too.
@@glasscastresin I get that but then after sealing you wet sand and polish. My question is do you then need to redo the Danish oil after that process or does it hold up to the abuse? I assume you couldn't do a rubio monocoat prior and then polish?
@@joshuawendt2050 You shouldn't need to redo the wood with Danish oil after polishing, although you could if you wished.
@@joshuawendt2050 Sometimes, you have to apply a little bit more finish but generally close to the area you have been polishing up but it really depends on the finish you have used. I think it would be fair to say some touching up would be likely but its unlikely you'd have to do a full recoat.
Joshua, I share the same thoughts. Once you're project is completely polished, you'll need to apply a protective finish like Rubio or osmo. How do we achieve that mirror finish with the finish applied?
Do you reapply any oil finish after your done? I would imagine the wet sanding and polishing affects the wood itchy next to the epoxy.
The oil finish is generally applied just before the polishing stage so that the oil helps stop the polishing residue sticking to the wood. Most oil finishes are designed for occasional recoating to restore finish over time.
Hi, i noticed at 1200 grit you used a wet sand, the water went onto the wood section - will this not be absorbed into the wood and possibly bow the river table, if i sanded to 1200 or more with a dry sand will the polish compound still take away any small inperfectiond
Only if large amounts of water were used. The amount of time the wood is wet - and also how quickly it will dry in warm conditions - means that it is unlikely to cause any issues.
would you use the same process for smaller areas of resin-for example is its being used to fill large crack/splits in a piece of wood that will be turned?
Yes, the same process would be used for any size of resin.
Thank you for a great tutorial. Can you recommend a tool for smaller pieces of resin? I’m working on coasters, so an orbital sander feels excessive for the size.
I use GlassCast resin and it is brilliant, never had any issues with it unlike others that I’ve tried.
The good thing about a random orbital sander like this is that it has a random path, it's not just rotational which means you get a really nice finish with minimal sanding marks. For small pieces you might find a detail sander more appropriate.
I want to cut narrow strips out of a decorative epoxy slab that I poured and then be able to polish the strips and glue them together around her rectangular stainless steel box. How do I glue the strips in the box and how do I glue epoxy to epoxy?
You can use a clear epoxy adhesive such as ET500 which will bond both the epoxy and wood to the metalwork. Just be sure to prepare the surfaces with 120 grit key to promote bonding. A degrease on the metal will also be advised. www.easycomposites.co.uk/rigid-5min-epoxy-adhesive
Hi,
I've been struggling with these sandpaper marks for 2 weeks. How should the machine speed be? Are all grit numbers sanded at the same speed?
The sander should be set to a medium speed and care taken not to apply too much pressure to the surface, to fast and too hot can cause the resin to overheat and soften which can cause deeper marks. If you are still seeing scratches then you'll need to keep on at the next finest grade and not move onto the next step until they all disappear.
Hi there! Your video was substantially more informative than at least 100 others I have seen on TH-cam. I would like to ask, however, the f the polishing should be done both before AND after the seal coat and flood coats. I have yet to find my answer on any video with the hashtag ,"instruction; how to build river epoxy table from start to finish"
You only generally polish as a final stage to finish off the project.
Very well explained! Thank You a lot!
Can you put an oil based poly over the epoxy after following all these steps?
This sort of product is designed to soak into a wood so it wouldn't coat the resin at all and would wipe off the surface. It would be ideal for the wooden area of a river table but wouldn't have any effect on the resin.
Did you need to oil the wood again after polishing? Thanks
Not in this case but, like most oil based products, semi-regular re-application can help restore the finish depending on how it wears.
bonjour, for a next polishing use, should the pads be cleaned? and if yes, how ? merci
If they have any build up, gently clean in soap and water then carefully rinse and dry before next use.
I have watched a few other videos and several people seem to be over sanding, all the way down to 5-10k grit.
Seems crazy.
With a good compound/polish combo, 1500 seems enough?
Have you ever felt the need to sand beyond 1500?
Thank you
1200-1500 is all you need depending on the polishing compound you use as shown in this video.