Bottle Cap Resin Sofa Table

A casual mirror-topped sofa table was broken last year; the table was not expensive, but very convenient because it slid neatly under the sofa.  I decided to replace the top so we could continue to use it.  I considered tiling it, but decided against this because of the potential tile and grout weight, and the fact this table is supported by only one end.

I'd seen bottle cap tables before, and liked the look and the resulting smooth surface.  So I took this opportunity to try out a new craft.

The first step was to remove the remaining portions of the broken mirror.  Doing this left a round, rigid sort of particle board that was glued to the circular metal frame.  So I removed the board, and spray painted the metal frame bronze.

Collecting the caps was easy; I had many contributors.  Some were quite bent, so I chose the ones with the least damage and most interesting designs.  I tried several different configurations; initially thought of making a sort of mosaic pattern, but in the end decided on a random look.

I then needed to make several more decisions:

1. How to attach the caps to the table board
2. How and when to attach the table board back onto the metal frame
3. How to keep the resin contained on the table

1.  Attaching the caps

I first painted the backer board black; it was slightly damaged from removing the mirror, plus I wanted a dark background for the colorful caps.  I then needed to attach the caps to the board so they would not float to the surface after pouring the resin.  After some research, I decided to use plain white glue that dries clear.  Another potential problem is getting air trapped under the caps, which will produce bubbles after the resin is poured.   I did not realize how problematic this could be until it was too late.  More on this later.

2.  Attaching the table board to the frame

Pouring resin requires 'walls' to contain the resin; the height of the caps plus the board back in the metal frame was higher than the edges of the frame.  I could have mounted the board underneath the frame to create a deeper surface, but decided against this because the board would have been 100% supported by whatever adhesive I used, as opposed to resting in the channel if placed on top (its original location).  So I glued the board back in its original position, and then glued the caps to the board.

3.  Containing the resin

Since the metal table rim was not a high enough 'wall', I built a wall using 2 layers of 1.5" painter's tape.

The next phase consisted of mixing and pouring the resin.  I chose Parks Super Glaze Ultra Gloss Epoxy, and meticulously followed the measure, mix, and pour directions on the box.  To cover all the caps completely, I ended up pouring 4 different layers, and used a hair dryer to get the bubbles to rise and dissipate.

When finished and completely set, I removed the painter's tape 'wall'.  It came off easily, but left rather sharp edges of resin which I sanded smooth.

Lessons learned:

• Resin is very messy!  And extremely sticky!  (Don't brush your hair off your face during the process.)
• Try to completely seal the caps onto the surface with glue, because the smallest gap will release air bubbles.  Plus, resin will seep under the caps, thus requiring more resin.
• Think twice about using white glue; mine did not dry completely clear (or I was impatient and did not wait long enough - see bottom photo, and the gray outline around some caps).
• Do not use the hair dryer for longer than the recommended time; I did so on one of the layers, and the resin did not set smoothly.  I was able to cover this with a subsequent layer.