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Manual: Casting a memory table with epoxy
Manual: Casting a memory table with epoxy
In this guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a memory table: a tabletop in which you capture cherished objects forever in clear epoxy resin. In this example, we immortalize a collection of bottle caps, but you can just as easily use photos, coins, medals, Lego, or other display items. Suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
What will you make?
You will make a memory table: an existing tabletop that you fill in two layers with clear epoxy resin. The first layer (the seal coat) fixes your objects so they don't float, the second layer (the flood coat) seals everything off crystal clear. The end result is a unique tabletop in which your collection remains visible forever.
💡 Suitable for: bottle caps, photos, coins, medals, Lego, fishing tackle, or other display items. Make sure the objects are clean and completely dry before you cast them in.
Required materials
🛒 From the webshop
🧰 Arrange yourself
- A small table with a raised edge (for example, a tray table)
- Your collection: bottle caps, photos, coins, medals, Lego, and so on
- Spirit level
- Hairdryer or heat gun (for deaerating)
- Safety glasses
Preparation
Before you begin, it is important that the objects are clean. Remove dirt, dust, and unwanted material from your items and make sure they are in top condition. Epoxy and moisture do not go well together, so dry the objects thoroughly before you cast them in.
⚠️ Safety: Always work with epoxy using gloves and safety glasses, in a well-ventilated area. Avoid skin contact with the uncured resin.
Step-by-step guide
Level the tabletop
Take the top of the table and make sure it is level in two directions. If the top is not sufficiently level, the epoxy may later cure higher on one side than on the other.
Pour the seal coat
First pour a thin first layer of epoxy: the seal coat of ± 2 mm thick. This layer ensures that your objects do not float on the epoxy later. Weigh the A-component into a mixing cup and add the B-component in the correct ratio. Mix the components well.
💡 Tip: Scrape well through the corners and over the bottom of the mixing cup with the stirring stick, so that all the material is fully mixed. Unmixed epoxy does not cure.
Spread the seal coat
Pour the mixture evenly over the bottom of the tabletop and spread it with the spatula if necessary, so that the entire bottom is covered with an even layer.
Place the objects
Now distribute your collection over the still-fresh epoxy. Lay the objects down as desired; with caps, make sure the top side faces up.
💡 Tip: Not entirely satisfied? This is the moment to adjust. Slide and turn the collection until the creation is just right. Once the flood coat goes on, everything is fixed in place.
Let the seal coat cure
Once you are satisfied and everything is in place, let the project rest for 12 hours at room temperature. This time is needed so that the epoxy cures sufficiently and the objects stay in place and do not float when the flood coat is applied.
💡 Tip: Patience pays off. Do not pour the flood coat too early; a seal coat that is still too soft will let the objects float up after all.
Pour the flood coat
After the seal coat has cured for 12 hours, pour the second layer: the flood coat. Again weigh the A-component into a mixing cup and add the correct amount of B-component. Mix to an even, fluid mixture. Pour the mixture with a thin stream into the center of the tabletop and let the epoxy flow out to the edges by itself.
Remove air bubbles
When the epoxy has flowed out, air bubbles may appear on the surface. Usually these disappear by themselves, but you can also remove them with a heat source. Hold a hairdryer or heat gun at a generous distance above the epoxy and move it evenly; the bubbles vanish like snow in the sun.
⚠️ Deaerate safely: Do not use an open flame (such as a lighter or flame) with epoxy; the vapors can ignite. Do not hold the hairdryer or heat gun too close: too close makes the epoxy spatter, and heating one spot too long disrupts the curing.
Let it cure completely
Now you must leave the epoxy alone again for 12 hours (a total of ± 48 hours since the start), so that it can cure to full strength. You can already admire the end result while the resin is still curing.
Put the top back
When the resin has fully cured, put the top back on the base. Find a nice spot where the table comes into its own. Your memory table is ready.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I pour in two layers?
The first thin seal coat fixes your objects so they don't float up. Only when that layer has cured sufficiently do you pour the thicker flood coat over it. If you were to cast everything at once, light objects (such as caps) would float up and shift.
Why must the objects be dry?
Epoxy and moisture do not go well together. Moisture can cause cloudy spots, poor adhesion, or incomplete curing. Therefore, dry your objects thoroughly before casting them in.
How do I get a crystal-clear result without air bubbles?
Pour the flood coat with a thin stream from the center and let the epoxy flow out calmly. If bubbles do appear, briefly warm the surface with a hairdryer or heat gun from a distance. Never use an open flame with epoxy.
How long does the whole project take?
Count on two curing rounds of ± 12 hours each (seal coat and flood coat), so at least ± 48 hours from start to a fully cured, load-bearing top. Patience delivers the finest result.