How to Make a Round Epoxy Table Mold
How to Make a Round Epoxy Table Form
Cut a circle from 3/4” melamine 1/4” larger than your wood.
Run a bead of caulk around the edge of the the circle.
Use a flexible composite landscape boarder and screw it the the outside of the melamine.
Add another bead of caulk around the inside of the mold.
Let caulk cure and add two coats of mold release spray.
Pour your epoxy!
How to cut a circle
There are a few ways you can cut a perfect circle. I prefer to use the jig I made for my bandsaw whenever possible. It is the fastest and easiest way, it also requires the least amount of setup. I didn’t invent this jig, but it was super cheap and easy to make. Check out this video for a quick and easy rundown on how to make your own.
I cut my circle just larger than the wood I will be using. My last table was starting out at 32”, so I cut my melamine circle 32.25.”
There are a ton of other ways to cut circles in your shop. I have a jig by Woodhaven that works well. It just takes a little more time to setup and makes a little more mess. You could also mimic the Woodhaven jig and build your own out of plywood like April Wilkerson did in this great video. I have even seen people that have turned their table saws into perfect circle cutters.
Seal with Caulk, attach your side
I use fast dry caulk for all my epoxy table molds. It seals water tight, but easily comes apart when you’re done. Unlike a silicone or construction adhesive, which can make getting your mold apart next to impossible. Just run a decent bead of caulk around the perimeter of your circle for now.
Next, get your landscape boarder and attach it to the side of your circle by countersinking in #6 wood screws. I found the composite landscape boarder to be the perfect profile edge to a round table mold. It bends evenly and easily, but most importantly, it is incredibly non-stick. I still add mold release, but it probably isn’t even needed for the edge.
Add one more bead of caulk around the inside of your mold. Making sure to caulk up the gap where the landscape boarder overlaps. Let the whole thing dry overnight. Even though it says 20 minute dry time, I have had leaks when pouring prematurely. So don’t make my mistake, let it cure overnight.
Add mold release spray to your form
I use an aerosol mold release spray. It works very well with any epoxy, the only downside is that it remains VERY airborne after spraying. Which means a couple things. One, wear a mask. And two, cover your wood. In addition to anything else within 20 feet you don’t want to become extremely slippery. The mold release isn’t very time sensitive. So you can spray a day, or probably even a week before your pour without an issue. I spray a thorough first coat, let it dry for 10 min, then wipe it in with a paper towel. Sometimes I’ll do a light second coat the same way, but it really isn’t necessary most of the time.