<p>About a year ago, I created a epoxy resin based river table for my dining room involving a couple of live-edged oak panels joined by a river made from several hundred dollars worth of metallic blue colored epoxy resin.  My first attempt failed miserably for a variety of reasons.</p>
<ul>
<li>I didn't adequately dry the fresh cut oak which meant that water lurked just under the wooden side of the epoxy/wood joint.  I also didn't seal the wood adequately before applying the resin so after the pour, the heat from the resin's hardening drew the water out of the wood and into the resin, making the resin cloudy and ugly.</li>
<li>I also poured too much resin in each layer and poured it on a early winter night when the temperature in my workshop suddenly dropped twenty degrees.  The sum of these temperature related missteps was that the resin cracked in several places, leaving jagged lightning-bolts throughout the &quot;river&quot; portion of the table.  Ultimately it shattered completely as it cooled.</li>
</ul>
<p>My second attempt was significantly more successful, though I never did get around to putting legs on it.  With the oak properly dried and prepared and with much more patience during the resin pouring, I managed to produce a 3' x 8', mostly flat surface with a beautifully un-shattered river center stage.</p>
<p>This is where I finally get around to answering your question, &quot;how does resin compare to glass?&quot;.   The answer is, it depends.   For the vast majority of the pour, I used a comparatively cheap resin, one stage up from what is normally used to make fiberglass.  It's greatest attribute was that it was supposed to be foolproof.  My first attempt definitely proved that wrong but after I got the hang of it, it was pretty easy.  I left the project alone to cure for about a month and when I returned I found the surface hard but not as hard as glass.  I could definitely &quot;dent&quot; it by dropping metal objects on it and I left a few fingernail gouges in it as well.  It was about as hard as drywall and had a slightly oily feel, even after a month of curing in a cold garage.</p>
<p>So I called the shop where I had bought the original resin and described the state of things.  They happily sold me several gallons of another (more expensive) resin which they called a &quot;hard coat&quot;.  Sorry, I don't have any real product names.   I sanded the table everywhere to help with adhesion, then poured this new resin over both the previous resin and the oak, allowing it to pool over the entire surface which I had surrounded with a masking tape fence.  The new resin was clear but it made the wood look amazing.  It also brought the dull sanded surface of the old resin back to transparency with a gorgeous glossiness.  This surface cured clear, flat and hard.   Metal coins bounce off without leaving a mark.  Cat claws and fingernails fail miserably in any attempt to scratch it.  The edge is sharp and would be straight if I had thought to use something stronger than masking tape for the wall around the final pour.</p>
<p>That table top now holds a proud place in my gallery of unfinished craft projects.</p>
<p>I don't have any scientific instrumentation to measure the difference between this final surface and glass, but the &quot;hard coat&quot; resin will definitely stand up to years of normal indoor usage.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-05T05:12:16.907Z
Congrats for your your project. And thanks for sharing the info. I did not know that there are different epoxy recipes for different purposes. Maybe you will take the time and install some legs on that table, and afterwards tell us how it holds? :) +1
virolino
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-04T16:43:01.033Z
2020-10-04T16:49:24.333Z
2020-10-04T16:49:24.333Z
Henry Taylor
<p>I wonder how does epoxy resin compare to glass. I have in mind at least:</p>
<ul>
<li>mechanical strength;</li>
<li>elasticity / bending;</li>
<li>&quot;break-ability&quot;</li>
<li>others.</li>
</ul>
<p>The source for this &quot;curiosity&quot; is the countless videos on the net where people create things (especially table tops) - but never show the strength of the said things.</p>
<p>Should I trust such table to support a computer or monitor or some other expensive(-ish) thing? Is it safe to use such table top for the kitchen table? Food might be hot, and if it spills on whoever, then &quot;whoever&quot; will be not happy at all.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-29T20:58:37.123Z
Often what is called epoxy in the consumer market is actually polyester. More importantly most polyester/epoxy contains fiberglass or other fill which strengthens and lowers cost. You would need to define any fill to  get close to a strength estimate.
blacksmith37
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-02T04:38:03.477Z
Epoxy for table tops typically involves using it for a coating, fill with another material like wood, or as a way to embed stuff, usually on a backing.  Glass is typically a sheet. The fact that epoxy is regularly used for table tops implies that it's suitable (hard enough, won't melt, etc.).  It's possible that the required thickness for strength might be different.  Someone could do a side-by-side comparison of the material characteristics for a resin and a glass commonly used for table tops.  If the purpose is just assurance that a table won't break, they don't if they're properly designed.
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-02T05:07:04.890Z
@fixer1234: that is exactly where I wanted to get! :) What does it mean to "properly design"? I was hoping that when I start working, I will NOT need to learn everything only by experimenting and mistaking.
virolino
<glass><epoxy-resin>
Comparison: epoxy resin vs. glass
virolino
# Comparison: epoxy resin vs. glass

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-29)

I wonder how does epoxy resin compare to glass. I have in mind at least:

* mechanical strength;
* elasticity / bending;
* "break-ability"
* others.

The source for this "curiosity" is the countless videos on the net where people create things (especially table tops) - but never show the strength of the said things.

Should I trust such table to support a computer or monitor or some other expensive(-ish) thing? Is it safe to use such table top for the kitchen table? Food might be hot, and if it spills on whoever, then "whoever" will be not happy at all.

**Tags:** glass, epoxy-resin

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Often what is called epoxy in the consumer market is actually polyester. More importantly most polyester/epoxy contains fiberglass or other fill which strengthens and lowers cost. You would need to define any fill to  get close to a strength estimate.  
> **username_2**: Epoxy for table tops typically involves using it for a coating, fill with another material like wood, or as a way to embed stuff, usually on a backing.  Glass is typically a sheet. The fact that epoxy is regularly used for table tops implies that it's suitable (hard enough, won't melt, etc.).  It's possible that the required thickness for strength might be different.  Someone could do a side-by-side comparison of the material characteristics for a resin and a glass commonly used for table tops.  If the purpose is just assurance that a table won't break, they don't if they're properly designed.  
> **username_0**: @username_2: that is exactly where I wanted to get! :) What does it mean to "properly design"? I was hoping that when I start working, I will NOT need to learn everything only by experimenting and mistaking.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-10-04. Score: 4

About a year ago, I created a epoxy resin based river table for my dining room involving a couple of live-edged oak panels joined by a river made from several hundred dollars worth of metallic blue colored epoxy resin. My first attempt failed miserably for a variety of reasons.

* I didn't adequately dry the fresh cut oak which meant that water lurked just under the wooden side of the epoxy/wood joint. I also didn't seal the wood adequately before applying the resin so after the pour, the heat from the resin's hardening drew the water out of the wood and into the resin, making the resin cloudy and ugly.
* I also poured too much resin in each layer and poured it on a early winter night when the temperature in my workshop suddenly dropped twenty degrees. The sum of these temperature related missteps was that the resin cracked in several places, leaving jagged lightning-bolts throughout the "river" portion of the table. Ultimately it shattered completely as it cooled.

My second attempt was significantly more successful, though I never did get around to putting legs on it. With the oak properly dried and prepared and with much more patience during the resin pouring, I managed to produce a 3' x 8', mostly flat surface with a beautifully un-shattered river center stage.

This is where I finally get around to answering your question, "how does resin compare to glass?". The answer is, it depends. For the vast majority of the pour, I used a comparatively cheap resin, one stage up from what is normally used to make fiberglass. It's greatest attribute was that it was supposed to be foolproof. My first attempt definitely proved that wrong but after I got the hang of it, it was pretty easy. I left the project alone to cure for about a month and when I returned I found the surface hard but not as hard as glass. I could definitely "dent" it by dropping metal objects on it and I left a few fingernail gouges in it as well. It was about as hard as drywall and had a slightly oily feel, even after a month of curing in a cold garage.

So I called the shop where I had bought the original resin and described the state of things. They happily sold me several gallons of another (more expensive) resin which they called a "hard coat". Sorry, I don't have any real product names. I sanded the table everywhere to help with adhesion, then poured this new resin over both the previous resin and the oak, allowing it to pool over the entire surface which I had surrounded with a masking tape fence. The new resin was clear but it made the wood look amazing. It also brought the dull sanded surface of the old resin back to transparency with a gorgeous glossiness. This surface cured clear, flat and hard. Metal coins bounce off without leaving a mark. Cat claws and fingernails fail miserably in any attempt to scratch it. The edge is sharp and would be straight if I had thought to use something stronger than masking tape for the wall around the final pour.

That table top now holds a proud place in my gallery of unfinished craft projects.

I don't have any scientific instrumentation to measure the difference between this final surface and glass, but the "hard coat" resin will definitely stand up to years of normal indoor usage.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Congrats for your your project. And thanks for sharing the info. I did not know that there are different epoxy recipes for different purposes. Maybe you will take the time and install some legs on that table, and afterwards tell us how it holds? :) +1  

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