Faux Live Edge Epoxy River Table for Under $100

I made this faux river table for the Rockler Plywood Challenge put on by the Modern Maker Podcast. I use maple plywood and rustoleum epoxy super glaze for this project. In one of their episodes one of the hosts mentioned they hated river tables so I decided that is the project I was gonna make for this challenge. It came out really well and Im using it for my bedside table. This is "Fake" live edge table because its made out of plywood.Overall, I think it came out great!

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Step 1: Tools & Materials

Table saw

Jigsaw

Drill

Epoxy Resin

Tyvek tape

Sander

Color pigment

Hot glue gun

Screws

Step 2: Cutting and Staining the Wood

I bought a sheet of Maple plywood from Lowes and had them cut it down for me so i could bring it home and cut it to the actual sizes I needed. I then stained the wood a walnut color so it would match the rest of the furniture in my room.

Step 3: Faux Live Edge Effect

I then drew some squiggles on the two boards to mimic a river flowing. I then tilted my jig saw base to 30 degress to get the live edge effect.

Step 4: Making the Mold

The mold is pretty simple to make. Measure out your overall length and width and cut the base to size. Then cut some side pieces at the appropriate height so that the epoxy wont spill out. Then you need to cover all the wood with tyvek tape to seal it so the epoxy wont stick to it. Once that is done seal all the seams with either hot glue or silicone. I did both. Then you can screw or clamp the two pieces of wood to the mold. This is so the wood wont float in the epoxy.

Step 5: Pouring the Epoxy

This part is so satisfying and easy. Just follow the instructions for the specific epoxy you use. Mine was only $30 bucks and you had to mix it for 3 mins. I added some blue and white color pigment to the epoxy to get the color I wanted. Make sure you sealed the mold well other wise you will get some leakage like I got got. I let the epoxy cure for 3 days (just to make sure it was fine) and then removed the wood from the mold. Just take your time so you don't break anything.

Step 6: Fixing Mistakes

One side didn't look very good as I spilled some of the blue epoxy on it and I decided to sand it all down with 80 grit sandpaper. I ended up sanding through the top layer of plywood which was a bummer but it didn't look too bad. I then used a small paintbrush to stain the seam by the epoxy and a bigger brush to finish it off.

Step 7: Making the Legs

Im not good at making table legs and probably would have used hairpin legs for this project if I was gonna do it again. I just measure 2" from the edge on one side and 3" on the other. I then connected this line and used the circular saw to cut this out on the four legs. Once those were cut out I realized I needed a cross brace for the legs and cut the same angle on those pieces with the circular saw. Next i glued and nailed the pieces together. I drilled some pocket holes into the cross braces and stained the legs to match the table. Once they were dry I used a spacer block and attached the legs to the table.

Step 8: Enjoy Your New Table!

I loved how this turned out! It matches my room perfectly and it showcases my favorite color. This project can be done in under $100 bucks which is super awesome. Please let me know if you have questions or if you make one in the comments.