I had some scrap cherry wood slab cut offs sitting around and a bunch of epoxy so it was time to make a River Tabl... err... Epoxy and Wood Lunar Surface Night Light for my son's room!

To see the full build from start to finish with some extra tips, definitely take a look at the YouTube video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWZnPBeGpko&t=2s

Supplies

Scrap Wood (13″x 24″) or Circle form 3/4″ Thick (I used a table saw jig)
2:1 Epoxy Resin –
Table Top Epoxy Resin
Light Fixture
Finish

Step 1: Make a Circle!

You can buy a pre-cut circle form or very easily cut your own out of a piece of wood. I had a piece of cherry wood that was about an inch thick. You can cut out a circle using a router, jig saw or in this case, very easily with a table saw jig. The form spins on a nail and you make incremental cuts.

Step 2: Drill Out Your Craters

I pre-drilled my location for the craters with a drill bit and then came back in with various sized forstner bits to create the craters for the moon. You can also easily use a spade bit or hole saw with similar results.

Step 3: Prep for Epoxy/Resin Pour

You can hot glue your cut out to a sheet of melamine or tape the back for your epoxy/resin pour. I've used different forms of tape for various pours but I prefer foil tape used for duct work. It holds up better to the exothermic reaction of epoxy curing.

Step 4: Fill Craters With Epoxy!

Mix up a batch of 2:1 Epoxy and tint with different colors of pigment, dye or ink. Mix and match to create a fun effect. Just make sure you fill to the top. A little overflow is okay. Once the epoxy has cured 24 hours later, I sanded the excess off. You can also use a planer to remove any overflow.

Step 5: Add Depth to the Surface

I then took a router and a straight cut bit and cut an inset into the surface of the moon about 1/8"-1/4" deep. I kept an edge around the board and then left a crater face (edge) around the epoxy pours. I then used a rotary tool to sand any rough areas and remove any excess material that might have been riskier to remove with a router (i.e. edge pieces).

Step 6: Fill the Lunar Surface

I then mixed up an additional batch of 2:1 epoxy resin and added more pigments. I had one main color and two secondary colors that I swirled into the mix.

Step 7: Sand Smooth Then Apply Table Top Finish

With the epoxy cured, I then started sanding. From 120 grit all the way to 2,000 grit for a glass smooth surface. Then to seal the entire piece (the wood is still exposed) I poured a self leveling table top epoxy finish. Once the table top finish cured, I sanded away the excess drops from the bottom of the piece.

Step 8: Assemble the Stand Legs

Using scrap cut offs from the cherry wood. I cut three legs to 1.5". I then mitered two of those legs to 45 degree angles and left one straight. I then rounded over the bottom 3/4's of the legs with a round over bit on my router table. I left about 2" without a round over to sit flush within the base.

Step 9: Prep the Base

I cut a 5"x 5" base and then pre-drilled a hole for the light fixture to sit within. I then cut dados at 45 degrees for the side legs and then a straight dado for the back leg.

Step 10: Attach the Base

With the legs attached and dried using wood glue (dry fit and trim to level), I pre-drilled holes for dowel pins, then assembled with dowels and wood glue. Then I sanded smooth.

Step 11: Add Light Fixture

I then ran the light fixture through the pre-drilled hole and then hot glued it into place. I then added a Hue Smart Light Bulb that would allow me to change the color and the intensity with my smart phone.

Step 12: Flip the Switch and Enjoy

Then you can flip the switch and enjoy! I did add a coat of furniture oil and wax to the base before attaching. The way the cherry wood will match the table top coated cherry that's exposed on the lunar surface.

This turned out much cooler than I anticipated and the addition of the smart bulbs adds many layers of fun colors, adjustments and even helps with a routine for my son.

To see more projects like this head to https://lazyguydiy.com or follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/lazyguydiy