Thread: WIP Bottlecap Table

Yeah, the fridge is about 500mm wide * 550mm.breadth. I won't have a backing 'board' behind the fridge, and there will be around a metre gap between the two large legs and the start of thenext little section. (it'll make sense when I upload a graphic, gimme a few hours (after the barcelona/arsenal match ))

Edit: And I'd like to say, that was a quick edit from the management here! Thanks!

Edit2: Oh, and yes, there is no (not to the eye if there is) backing unit on the fridge, it is white all around.

Here is my first design. Kinda. Whilst sketchuping it, I changed it. The tabletop in this sketch is only half-breadth. I thought there would be little point making it full-breadth if it is partly covered by the shelf. So I thought I'd make the door my main bottlecap design, making a shape/word/whatever and putting thought into it, and just using any caps to fill the top.

Yes, I know the paintjob looks like bubblewrap, but IT REPRESENTS BOTTLECAPS

Thoughts? Areas of concern? (The fridge will be in the gap)

Originally Posted by Powerb

7 litres per 5mm... This is garn be expensive!

But if you are mostly just filling around the caps not inside them you won't need nearly as much as that.

I don't see myself filling the bottlecaps prior to epoxying, its just another cost, and I want to reduce these (as this project is coming out of my pocket, not school/parents) where possible.

Plus, I'm up for the challenge of sitting still and popping bubbles for hours on end! :P From what I've read though, after the first layer or two, bubbles are more rare.

Any comments on the design itself? It just doesnt sit right with me... It seems to businessy...

To reduce bubble formation, i.e. pop them before the resin hardens, GENTLY blow compressed air across the surface. Creates a low pressure region above, and in effect vacuum pops them. Same principle as aircraft wing. Your lungs may not be sufficient for the effort. Exhaust from a vacuum cleaner should work. A hair dryer might be too warm as it would accelerate curing.

Also useful technique for brushed-on varnish.

For final polishing, I've used Brasso on resin. EEE Ultrashine might also be considered.

Preliminary testing recommended.

Cheers,
Joe

Can't you put a hairdryer onto a cooler cycle though? Or is that just the fancy hairdressers ones? But so just some sort of direct air flow should reduce/remove the bubbles? Awesome. Beats using a non-existant blowtorch!

Brasso, oh the good old days of year 9 and acryllic.

Any comments on the design itself guys? I'm after suggestions as to how to make it seem less official and a bit more, well, teenager (it will be used as a mix between a bar table and just a bench for making breakfast and whatnot.)

EDIT: The design is on the 3rd post on page 2 of the thread

buuump.

Here's my thoughts and great idea btw.

I'd use a routed or decorative edge piece and frame the table top (much like if you'd set a gap to lay a pane of glass into the table top) of some sort to set your depth on the resin pour. Another idea would be to rout out the table top to the depth of your bottle tops pour that flush.

i really like the idea of using silicone to fill the tops, not only would it prevent the tops having air bubbles and raising them it would be an invisible securing to the top of the table and remove those voids on their underside to fill up with expensive resin. silicone = cheaper. You'd have to watch your ammount though as too much will force it out from under the bottletop and be unsightly after the resin pour.

As for the overall, i think to be less office like and more studious? perhaps consider making the underside shelf unit more of a cabinet on rollers perhaps (with a matching bottletop top), and do away with the top shelves but make more shelf space in the underside cabinet. Office stuff seems more pidgeon holes and permanent. Student stuff is generally more of a take apart / multi use different dorm / room arangement / moveable. That way down the track you'd have a high hall / entry table and like a bedside table, as other possible uses.

Originally Posted by thompy

i really like the idea of using silicone to fill the tops, not only would it prevent the tops having air bubbles and raising them it would be an invisible securing to the top of the table and remove those voids on their underside to fill up with expensive resin. silicone = cheaper. You'd have to watch your ammount though as too much will force it out from under the bottletop and be unsightly after the resin pour.

I would be extremely wary of using any silicone anywhere near a woodwork job that is going to be glued/finished in any way. Once the silicone has cured it tends to repel any finishes ie in the trade I believe it is called "fish eyes". This would make it extremely difficult and possibly ruin your job.

Just a thought.

Your right bob, i was overthinking it perhaps, i didnt consider the silicone leeching into the base timber when gluing them down with it.

Perhaps another idea would be to turn the bottlecaps upside down and fill each one with resin instead of silicone to remove the air pocket on the underside of the cap then when those are cured you'd only have to use a small dab of adhesive to secure it in place right side up for positioning and pouring.

Haha, my schooling is OVER!! So no need for pigeonholes and all that jazz. I like my design, it's just that I feel it looks like it belongs in an office, not a teenagers room. It may need to accommodate a microwave in the future, which I'd prefer to be hidden (behind the door).

I'd be happy for anyone to share thoughts on small or major aspects. However nothing that requires lots of tools, as I don't have any and will be borrowing the basics/essentials!!

this sounds awesome, just a question from left field though, why don't you take a different approach?
Secure the bottle caps with a small amount of liquid nails or similar but only low. once all caps are in, fill the gaps with a fine sand then place a pane of glass over the top.

Eliminates a lot of issues with resin?

That was the original idea, months ago. Its not completely out of the question, and infact might end up being the case anyway. I'm not focusing on the secure/display method at the moment though, I want to nail a design for the project.