HI FRIENDS, I AM TONY, THE CO-FOUNDER OF POURLA EPOXY. IN THIS BLOG, I WILL SHARE THE WHOLE PROCESS OF TURNING A TRASH PINE 4x8 LUMBER I GOT FROM A FRIEND’S DEMOLITION SITE INTO A STUNNING DINING TABLE.
STEP 1: Cut the Woods
Start by cutting the lumber into 60-inch pieces. Since this piece is long and heavy, I used a jigsaw to make a rough cut. When working with large, heavy wood slabs, it's often easier to bring the tool to the wood rather than struggling to move the wood to the tool. This approach saves time and effort while ensuring more control over your cuts.
After cutting the 20-foot construction lumber into rough lengths, the pieces now look like this.
Next, I used a planer to smooth the surface and ensure the lumber is square on all sides. This step helps create an even, uniform look. Here’s how the wood looks after being cleaned up.
At this stage, all the pieces are ready to be glued together to form a large dining table top.
STEP 2: Now it’s the fun part, burning the wood!
Start by cutting the lumber into 60-inch pieces. Since this piece is long and heavy, I used a jigsaw to make a rough cut. When working with large, heavy wood slabs, it's often easier to bring the tool to the wood rather than struggling to move the wood to the tool. This approach saves time and effort while ensuring more control over your cuts.
After the first round of burning, this is how the tabletop looks. You could stop here, but I wanted a deep, completely black finish, so I continued with a second burn.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to burn the underside of the tabletop as well! This helps remove moisture from both sides, preventing warping, bowing, or twisting over time.
After four hours of burning, the wood now has a charred, coal-like texture, almost resembling a unique type of rock—exactly the look I was going for.
I used a small propane torch for this process, but if you want to speed things up, a large weed burner will achieve the same result much faster!
STEP 3: Pour Epoxy Resin
Now it's time to mix and apply POURLA Art Epoxy Resin. Use a spreader, which comes included in our POURLA Art Epoxy Resin Kit, to evenly coat the surface.
Since burnt wood is highly porous, you may need to repeat this step multiple times to achieve a smooth finish. After each application, be sure to use a torch to remove air bubbles for a flawless result.
After 24 hours, the POURLA Art Epoxy Resin will be fully cured, leaving you with a durable, glossy surface.
STEP 4: Sanding
Sanding is one of the most tedious but essential steps in any epoxy resin project, especially if you want a high-gloss finish. I started with 80-grit sandpaper and worked my way up to 600-grit for a smooth, polished surface.
Since sanding epoxy resin creates fine dust that can be harmful, I highly recommend wearing a respirator for safety.
Typically, coating a tabletop with epoxy resin is done on a pre-leveled, smooth, and flat surface, so sanding is minimal or sometimes unnecessary. However, since I applied epoxy resin over a highly uneven and extremely rough surface, I had to spend a significant amount of time sanding to achieve a smooth, polished finish.
STEP 5: Finishing
After three hours of sanding, the epoxy resin tabletop is finally level and smooth. Now, it's time to apply hard wax oil to enhance the glossy finish and provide long-lasting protection.
FINALLY
My team and I are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about this project or our epoxy resin. Feel free to reach out to us anytime at [email protected]—we're here to help!