Bottle Cap Table with Poured Resin Surface

We've been collecting bottle caps for what seems like forever anticipating this table. After moving our collection with us to 4 different homes in 3 different states, we now have enough caps for this table plus a few matching stools. What makes this project different than a simple mosaic project is that we covered the table with a thick resin, creating a look quite similar to the tables at your favorite pub.

Step 1 Collect bottle caps.

Tips:

-Become friends with bartenders.

-Cheap date night: Visit alleys behind local bars.

-Buy microbrews based on how cool the caps are, not how good the beer is.

-Get your friends to help you collect.

-When traveling overseas, buy beer instead of souvenirs.

Comments

[StanleyHudson]

Hypothetically speaking... if this table was for sale on craigslist what would you pay for it?

[timweaver17]

dude, that is awesome!

[depotdevoid]

Hi, I just wanted to say thanks, when I went to build my Starry Night mosaic table, I thought of your project.  We used resin to cast the top, and it turned out great!

[hswartzloff]

Any ideas where I can find the Resin? I live in a small town and wal-mart doesn't have it. I might need to make a trip to the city.....

[aspradlin]

You would have to visit your local home improvement store or art supply store. My guess is that the resin will be cheaper purchased from a Home Depot type store.

[dfpowell]

In Cincinnati, OH - I have found the envirotex lite at both Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

[tmisner]

I'm building my own table and was thinking about putting a wooden border on the side instead of using the aluminum foil (seems like it gets too messy) how high would you recommend pouring the resin? Its going to be a 8x2 table and I was thinking 1/4 in of resin would suffice.

[kma akrim]

oh now i know the name of this thing. a few years back, i saw a decorating program on television and was very amused with the designer's project for the house. he put a few small toy cars on a bar table and pour something to cover the cars. when it was set, it became just like your table! i've been wondering all this time of what is that liquid and where to find it. now i know, but still i don't where to get it. stuff like this is hard to find here in my country.
anyhow thank you so much for the tutorial. i will sure make a lot of tables like this once i get my hands on the resin. : )

[abitdifferent]

Does anyone know where I can get this resin? I'm in the UK and I use epoxy resins for roofing but its a matt finish, somebody must know of somewhere i can get a clear glossy finish resin cheers

[pyromonkey]

This is so awesome! I have the perfect table to do it to as well :D
Now I just need to collect bottle caps. OOOO Maybe Guitar picks would be a good substitute.

[skowatch]

Alright I just finished mine, it turned out great.

My biggest tips:
*use clear super glue only..anything else (gorilla glue, etc.) WILL expand and show.
*keep a pair of pliers handy in case you need to slightly bend the caps to fit the table towards the end when space is limited.
*Work from the outside in...otherwise you will run out of table space.
*When pouring the resin, use NON-STICK foil (higher quality the better..I used cheap stuff and that resulted in LOTS of left over foil scraps when it came time to peel away the barrier).
*Hold you hair back when you pour the resin/blow the air bubbles...I got some in my hair and it would not come out. 
*read the instructions on the resin label multiple times

Cheers!

[skowatch]

not sure if the images worked...

[skowatch]

I followed this step exactly however found that the foil stuck to my resin all around after peeling it away. Using a craft knife to chip at it was slow, tedious and messy. Any other advice?

[tobster9103]

You could try the non stick kind.

[FuzzyBearGeek]

"When traveling overseas, buy beer instead of souvenirs."

Witty AND informative :)

[bruiz826]

I need help with this instructable please.

I used this guide and the table came out looking great; all except the edges. The foil is stuck along the rim (since the table doesn't have its own rims, I had to do the pour with the suggested foil barrier). Also, the top most edge of the resin pour extended a bit more then the base of the resin. Because of that, the top edge is a bit sharp. I obviously need to sand down the whole edge, but are there any suggestions or specifications I should be aiming for. like grit? I want to keep the edges clear, but I want to get the foil off and smooth the edges.

Any suggestions are welcome!

[americangypsy]

Congrats on a finished project! I had a similar result in that the resin sort of curved up slightly at the edge. To be honest, I used a razor knife/box knife to trim the top edges where they were sharp and to peel off leftover foil (be very careful and use even pressure to avoid the knife slicing through suddenly). But there's a tiny strip or two of foil embedded in the edge of my table forever.

On the second page of comments, there were some posters who gave some more technical advice. One of them wrote:
"Carefully sand it to the shape you want, leaving a little extra "meat". Then, using finer grit sandpaper, work your way up to 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper, followed by plastic polish to restore the gloss finish." I think a SUPER fine grit sandpaper would knock the edges down and leave a shine, but I've never done it, so experiment first.

Otherwise, search the web for info on how to shape the resin after it's set. Let me know what you find out!

[MaryLenehan]

 I was thinking about doing a project like this, and considering hot glue to secure the caps. Did you reject this approach for some reason? Mess?

[debbieorah]

I tried edging a mirror in bottlecaps, and when doing that i tried hot glue and superglue. THe hot glue popped right off pretty much right after adhering to the mirror for a minute. (not sure if there would be a different result if it wasn't sticking to glass). Can't wait to try this in table form and use the resin... im hoping for a funky and cool piece like that!!! A+ job americangypsi!!!!!

[DMBillies]

 Cool table.  In college I made a 5' x 7' beer pong table covered with caps.  Needless to say I was working on a much bigger surface.  Had a friend that could do the covering of the caps with fiberglass resin for free (which was great), but we used polyurethane to do the initial gluing down of the caps (aside from the sliding issue, caps will try to float... so let me reiterate what the poster said... don't skip this!).  

The benefit to polyurethane is that it's cheap, you can just spread some on in a not too thin layer with a brush and move the caps as necessary, it dries in a reasonable amount of time, and you don't have to worry as much about mess.  Polyurethane is the same thing gorilla glue is made out of, so it will definitely hold.  If you're worried about the slightly yellow color (e.g., if your background color is white or light wood), use polycrylic instead, just make sure that it is all covered and can't get any moisture on it (it discolors). 

[americangypsy]

I originally thought of grouting the table, so I bought glue with that in mind.  When I decided to use the polymer resin, I just didn't really rethink the glue.  Since I hadn't used this resin before, my main concerns were (obviously) to keep the caps in place and not have a lot of glue show around the edges of the bottle caps.

If you can keep the hot glue "strings" under control and minimize the amount of excess around the caps, I think hot glue would work just fine for this project.  Thanks for the suggestion.

[ginarina427]

what an awesome table! going to try doing this with 'built in coasters'

[LilithAvalon]

Nice. I'm thinking of doing something similar, with a collage mod podged on. How much resin did you use? Should we be looking at gallons or something smaller?

[Tim1252]

Check this out! It's not my car, I've seen it in Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim). It were plastic caps and they were glued with silicone.  How long would they have been gathering.

[Doofus89]

that is awesome!!! XD

[BarginsTech]

what the faux!!! HOLY COOL! lol love the table! deff gonna make one but oh man imagine that as my CAR! 8D

[sparkuhlism]

That car is AWESOME.
And p.s. I'd say that table was made in Colorado, am I right?!

[Wobot]

I was wondering what made you say it was made in CO, and then I saw: Left Hand beer!

But they sell it other places though. I'm in Georgia right now and the liquor store across the street sells it.

[sparkuhlism]

whoah no way! im in las vegas and I have to have it special ordered at my liquor store.

the comments say 3 different states tho.. mebbe CO was one of em, eh ;)

[elcamino1979]

I'm making a 7x3 table. How much resin do you think I'll need? And are there any suitable alternatives to Envirotex Lite?

[pgheit01]

The resin kit you buy will tell you how much surface area it will cover, and at what thickness.

[Apple_4_life]

awesome!! now make some chairs to go with it!

[Descon]

I love the ring of newcastle caps, mmm newcastle!

[allmondjoy87]

 made a beer pong table featuring our mascot using the same stuff.  (sorry no instructable just final product)


www.pix8.net/pro/pic.php


www.pix8.net/pro/pic.php

[BarginsTech]

WOAH SICKKKK!!

[Grey_Wolfe]

Nicely done.

[crossless]

How lovely table. I have too myself collected some bottle caps and I didn't know what to do with those now I think I know what to do, maybe I need little bit more caps but it's going to be quick to collect when I go out with firend to drink and stole their caps right away. One cool table you could get by saving those cocoa/juice carton packets plastic caps they are larger and cool too. :)

[darwins_fishes]

Hello out there.  Can you tell me where I can get this resin.  Also, thanks for the palm sander trick

Nov 8, 2009. 4:26 PMAudiyoda

[juliemosaic]

Nice Table! I made atable using keys but I've yet to put resin on it

Here's the link to a photo of it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43223270@N02/3991332205/

[Grey_Wolfe]

That table is trippy. Love the idea. Will be awesome when you get it poured.