Are you a fan of KISS, beer, and beautiful furniture?!? Then this is the table for you! This instructable will show you how to build your own resin bottle cap end table. Of course, the caps may be arranged according to your own preference and inventory, but I just happen to be a huge KISS fan and had the right amount of certain caps for the design. So, I guess it's cold gin time again....

By the way, this table is 17.5" x 23" x 26.75"

Step 1: Tools and Supplies

Supplies:

Wood (I used pine)
Wood stain
Varnish or Polyurethane (gloss or satin)
Wood glue
Wood filler
Wood screws
Sandpaper (100, 150, 220 grits)
Epoxy Resin - Rust-Oleum Parks Gloss Super Glaze Finish and Preservative - Home Depot
Painter's tape
Bottle Caps (I used 13 x 18 = 234 caps, so the number will vary based on the size of your table)

Tools:

Electric power drill
Electric saw
Wood clamps

Step 2: Construct the Table Top

Begin constructing the table top. Basically, the top is composed of two types of wood. The "center" is 3/4" thick pine boards surrounded by a "border" which is pieces of wood that are 1.25" x 1.5".

Use a power saw (miter or table saw) to cut a 45 degree angle on both ends of the "border" wood you are using. Measure the border wood so that it fits nicely around the center wood boards.

After you cut your wood and it is fitting together nicely, you can glue the pieces together. However, before gluing, adjust the height of your center piece of wood. I used pieces of 8.5" x 11" paper to keep the center piece of wood at a certain height so that it did not just sit at the bottle of border wood (Refer to the diagram above). You don't have to do this, but this helps with reducing the amount of resin used, the weight of the finished table, and gives a better view of caps since they will not be sitting so deep.

After the glue has dried, use wood screws to securely attach the center piece to the border wood. Slightly sink the top of the wood screws into the border wood and fill in the recessed area with wood filler.

Step 3: Add the Legs and Center Brace

For the legs and center brace, I used the same wood as the border wood used for the table top. I had to cut the pieces for the legs since 30.25" would have been a little high for an end table in my opinion. Add a piece between two of the legs and then one piece that is horizontal to these two pieces to act as a brace. Later on after I finished the table, I cut a piece of wood to lay across this brace to act as an extra shelf.

Step 4: Sand, Stain, and Coat

Sand your unfinished table using up to about a 220 grit paper. After, wipe it clean with a tack or wet cloth and apply some wood stain. I used Minwax Golden Pecan (#245) oil-based interior stain and then applied a few coats of ACE gloss varnish.

Step 5: Place Your Caps

Place your caps on your table top and arrange them to your desire. Try to create a cool design or logo. Looking at the images above, you can see that I originally did not intend to do the kiss logo. I actually waited to finish this table because I was not too keen on the design I had. Just play around until you find something that you like.

Step 6: Pour the Epoxy Resin

Before pouring any resin, cover the edge of the top of the table with painter's tape and make sure your table is on a level surface. Mix a volume of resin that is about just the height of the bottle caps to slightly less their height and pour this onto the top of your table. Then, quickly place the caps into the freshly poured resin.

However, you may glue the caps to the table before pouring any resin. I tried to do this with another project, and some of the caps dislodged after the resin had been poured causing them to rise and protrude from the cured resin. Also, placing the caps into resin rather than pouring resin onto the caps eliminates the air that would be trapped underneath the bottle caps. During the curing process, this trapped air tends to escape as air bubbles which may not pop before the resin cures.

After this first pour, I apply about two more coats of resin so that some of the resin just overflows over the table edge. After the last coat of resin has been poured and dried, you may remove the painters tape to remove any resin that spilled over the edge of the table.

If any resin happened to cure onto any other part of the table, use a putty knife to scrape it off. You may have to sand, stain, and coat any parts of the table after scraping the resin off, but this should not be too noticeable.

Step 7: Enjoy Your New Table

Once your table is finished, enjoy it! Hope you enjoyed viewing this instructable. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. For those about to rock, I salute you!