White and Gold Marble Epoxy Coffee table

Here is another Resin project!. I tried epoxy for the first time to make a white and grey marble serving tray and it came out really great to my surprise. Then I made these colorful resin coasters. Now, I am making this DIY White and Gold Marble Epoxy Coffee table top with pine wood legs. This came out as a beautiful piece of furniture too. Like any other DIY project, mistakes happened here as well, and I am sharing with you all about them in this article.

For a long time now, we have been using LACK Ikea coffee table. Its one of the first furniture we bought together. Over the years, it has taken a lot of beat, scratches and discoloration. Finally, it was time for a new coffee table. One thing which we liked the most about this Lack table is that it is very lightweight. Its easy to move when vacuuming the carpet or cleaning the floor. Sometimes, I move it near window for taking product photos. Anyway, we wanted the new table to be light weight as well. Two inch thick top in MDF or plywood will be way too heavier. So, I decided to repurpose this Ikea table top for the new coffee table.

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DIY White and Gold Marble Epoxy Coffee table

The design is really simple with two inch thick marble top and ‘A’ frame legs made out of 2x2s connected by stretchers. Its not a real marble though. I have used epoxy resin to create the gold and white marble pattern.

Height of the coffee table – 17.5″ H

PART- 1 – Table Top

Step – 1: Prepping the top

This ikea table top has melamine finish. So, it is very important to prep well before pouring the epoxy. Otherwise, epoxy will not bind to the top. First, sand the whole top and sides thoroughly with 60 grit paper. It should be sanded down as much as you can to remove the melamine finish.

Caution: Its a lot of sanding! these dust are unsafe to breathe in. So, wear a mask.

Like I mentioned before, this top also had few scratches on it. Sanding will even out these scratches and makes it receivable for further finish. I wiped the dust off and moved indoors for the next step. Before the resin pour process, we need to seal these exposed porous surfaces. So, I did 2 coats of primer and one coat of white paint. On the underside, I did one coat of primer.

Step – 2 : Epoxy pour

This is the tricky part of this project. I was nervous about the pour as you get only 10 to 15 minutes work window to get the desired pattern and since it was the middle of winter, the work time could be even less. Anyway, here is all the facts you should know.

All epoxy project needs to be done in a dust free and well ventilated room. Also the room temperature should be as per the manufacturer specifications (usually around 75 to 80 deg F). I made this project during winter month. So, I turned on the room heater and let the resin sit near it. Waited for the room temperature to rise to approximately 75 deg Fahrenheit and started mixing resin. After thorough mixing for five straight minutes in a big container, I divided it and poured into separate small containers to add colors/pigments and mixed again for 3 more minutes.

I mixed approximately 3 quarts of resin in total. Split that into 1 and half quart for clear, 1 quart for plain white acrylic, and small portions for gold, silver, shimmering pearl white and glittery white with a pink undertone.

Working steps: (Epoxy pouring process is a little hard to explain. So, I suggest to watch the video for better understanding)

1. Wear mask and gloves. Keep spare gloves ready nearby.
2. Cover the work table, floor with plastic sheet to protect them from spill overs.
3. Tape the underside of the table top before the pour and remove it one hour after the pour. This technique will help to avoid having cured resin drips underneath the top.
4. Raise the top and set at uniform level.
5. Pour white & clear epoxy and spread with foam roller or hands.
6. Add accent veins. I used gold as my main accent and gave layers of silver, shimmering pearl white and glittery white with pink undertone. Watch the video for better understanding.
7. Keep working on the piece by pouring layers of accents, white, clear and spread them along the direction of the vein and until satisfied with the pattern.
8. The bubble will start to raise few minutes after the pour. So, keep a heat gun handy to pop the bubbles.
9. Also spread the epoxy on the sides and underside .
10. Once done, let it cure. It will take 1 to 3 days depending upon the epoxy resin used.

Remember that you only get about 10 to 15 min work window depending upon the resin and the room temperature. For some reason mine started to cure even more quickly and the last string of resin that I poured on one side did not merge well. Applying heat did not work either.. so, I just stopped and let it cure for two days. 

Mishap:

If you see in the video, there was a little problem during my epoxy pour. The resin started to cure little sooner than I anticipated and I realized it only when I poured some epoxy over the accent vein. The last string of epoxy that I poured did not merge well. As a result, I ended up with having bumpy veins in some areas. The marble like patterns that I created were all cured so beautifully. Layers of shimmering under shades and subtle silver glitters along the gold veins were so pretty to look at. Except those bumpy veins! But don’t worry. I corrected that with two extra steps – Thorough sanding and final clear epoxy coat. Then it will be all good as NEW!

Step – 3 : Final correction coat (optional)

This step might not have been required if the last pour was successful. I sanded those bumpy areas with 120 grit sand paper and made it level with remaining surface. Then sanded the whole top with 320 grit sand paper. As of now, the patterns will look cloudy. But once we pour a thin coat of clear epoxy over it, everything will be clear again.

Once again, clean the dust with alcohol, level the surface, mix the resin and pour. This time, I mixed 1 and half quart clear resin. Spread it evenly, pop the bubbles with heat gun and let it cure.

PART- 2 – Building the Legs

Step – 1 : Cut

Follow the below cut list diagram.

Note: The legs are sized for 36″L x 21.5″W table top.

All the pieces for this A-frame have 15 deg angle. So, set the miter gauge to 15 deg angle and cut all the pieces.

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First, cut the 1x3s to required lengths. After assembling the A-frames, place it upside down and mark the bevel angles on the stretchers. Set the table saw blade to that angle (it should be 15deg) and cut both the sides.

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Step – 2 : Assemble

Assemble the two A frame legs. Clamp down the piece together and predrill with countersink bit. Then add wood glue and connect with screws. Use wood dowels or plugs to seal the screw holes and add putty to fill all the gaps. Once dry, sand the whole piece with 220 grit sand paper. 

The stretchers are attached to the A- frames with pocket holes and 1-1/4″ pocket screws.

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Step – 3 : Finish

I rounded the sharp edges with sander and used clear wax to seal the legs.

Finally, fix the cured marble top and the leg frame with few screws and construction adhesive. Normally, just the screws will do. But this ikea top doesn’t hold screws well. That’s why you need construction adhesive.

DIY White and Gold Marble Epoxy Coffee table is finally ready to use.

The waves of shimmering gold marble pattern look amazing to see in person. Camera doesn’t seem to be doing enough justice on capturing the pattern and its shimmery undertone. With the reflection, it was hard to photograph. Here are some of my better looking shots!

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