Hi Everyone! In this video I show you how you can make a wooden table top look like Carbonfiber. It is a real carbon fiber that is being applied by "skinning" it on top of a wooden tabletop using Easy Composites "Glass Cast" epoxy resin.

I first started with some leftovers of a woodworking friend who had some wooden circles from a project he did. I just had to touch it up a bit at some places by applying some polyester bondo or filler. After that I've rounded the edges with a router for a better pour. By this I mean that it will flow more evenly over the edge and the Carbon Fiber and Texalium will be easier to apply over that rounded edge. Once the wooden base was sanded I've applied some black and white acrylic paint to seal the wood. Just a quick rub with sanding paper then to remove any high spots out of the paint and I was ready for the first pour of the glass cast. I've mixed 600 grams of Glass Cast epoxy resin with a ratio of 2 to 1. Meaning 400 grams of part A and 200 grams of part B (by weight) I mixed everything thoroughly in the first cup, then applied the Two Cup system; meaning after a first mix I take another cup to pour it over and mix it again. That way you ensure that there is no, or at least not much unmixed resin in your cup that would result in a bad casting with patches not curing. After mixing I've poured the resin on top of the table tops and waited for it to cure. The only problem I had or would have done differently is waiting a bit less long to have the resin in a tacky state. That way I would be able to stick the carbon fiber better on the table top before going over it with a new layer of epoxy resin with a regular brush. The problem here was resin pooling up under the cloth making it harder to get it flat. I've then waited for that layer to go tacky to apply another layer on top and let it fully cure for over 48 hours. Once cured I started sanding the top of the furniture with a disk sander and a 240 grid sanding paper. first dry sanding followed by some wet hand sanding to make sure I don't burn through the carbon fiber and aluminium fiber to avoid a bad finish. It's always a good ding to trim of the edges before sanding with a sharp razor blade or stanley knive. The Carbon Fiber is harder to cut. Therefore I've used an angular grinder with a flapdisk or sanding pad. After sanding the entire part and edges I've started cleaning the piece with some soapy water and made sure no dust or dirt was trapped on the part. After cleaning it with water I've moved the two tabletops in my office, where it is dustfree to apply the final coat. I've repeated the two cup mixing technique and poured the Glass Cast Epoxy resin from easy composites on top of the part and spread it out nice and evenly over the entire part using a spreader with teeth. You will notice that the further you get in layers the easier it will get to get a nice clear and glossy finish. I make sure i rub the edges with resin so that it will all flow out nicely without having surface tension. Then it's just a matter of waiting for it to fully cure (+/- 48 hours ideally) and admire you'r work! This is definitely a project that still needs to be finish. I'll maybe finish it with a soft sand and layer of clear coat to protect the part even more and get an even better finish. Next on the to-do list is make table legs that would nicely fit under it.

for more information for specific products check:
http://www.easycomposites.co.uk

Make sure to follow me on:
Facebook:   / mat2composites  
Instagram: matthieu.libeert
twitter: @matthieutje65
web: https://www.mat2composites.com