DIY Glow In The Dark Resin Table

Okay, I know what you’re thinking… “not another resin river table“! But, hear me out! This one is pretty epic… this one is different than my last river coffee table, because this one GLOWS IN THE DARK. Pretty cool, huh? I’ve been wanting to make a glow in the dark resin table ever since stumbling upon one on Instructables and I am SO excited that I finally got to make it happen! Ready to see how?

How To Make A Glow In The Dark Resin Table

This project is sponsored by The Home Depot and is part of the ProSpective program. It contains affiliate links. For my full disclosure & sponsorship policy, click here.

Want to see this project in action? Check it out on YouTube!

I have been heart-eye emoji’ing this one particular piece of lumber in my workshop from Jeff Mack Supply for a while now just waiting for the perfect project for it.. and this was my moment. We have had a temporary coffee table in our apartment since we moved in, and I wanted to replace it with something “lit” (see what I did there?).

Obviously I thought it would be awesome to make a glow in the dark table, because our old table was not lighting up my life (somebody stop me).

Here’s how I made it happen!

What I Used:

Tools
Circular Saw & Track *
Drill & Driver
Surface Planer *
Dremel Cordless Rotary Tool Kit
Dremel Versa Scrubbing Kit
(w/ Scrubbing Detail Brush & Kitchen Scour Pads)
Sander
Drill Bits
Propane Torch

Materials
Live Edge Slab
MAS Deep Pour Epoxy
MAS Table Top Epoxy
(use code “DIYHUNTRESS” for 20% off MAS Epoxies + free shipping)
Glow In The Dark Pigment Powder
Silicone
Reusable Resin Mold *
Epoxy Resin Mixing Materials
Osmo Natural Wood Finish
Hairpin Legs

* These are tools that are optional for this build. If you do not have these tools available to you, please check out my DIY Resin River Table project, which specializes in building a river table in a small space with limited tools.

The Steps:

1. First step in this process was to prep my slab for the resin pour. To do this, it was super important to clean up the live edges of any debris or dirt that could float or break away during the pour. Because my slab was so delicate, I opted to use a Dremel Versa Power Scrubber with a scrubbing brush to clean the edges of the slab. This is a tool that is usually used for household cleaning, but it was perfect for this project! It allowed me to gently remove any dirt and debris using soft bristle brushes and scrubbing pads without taking away the character of the wood.

I also made sure to use a Dremel Cordless Rotary Tool Kit with different sanding and buffing attachments to get into smaller spaces on the slab. Luckily, my kit came with 30 different accessories, so it was easy to find the right one. The speed adjustment also helped prevent me from being too aggressive on the delicate parts of the slab.

2. Next, I cut my slab down the middle using my circular saw and a track. This will allow me to flip each side of the slab to create my river.

3. Once the slab was ready, it was time to prep my resin mold.I recently got my hands on a reusable resin mold from Maker’s Re-Usable Mold and I am obsessed. The mold comes pre-made and is completely reusable! The only thing I had to do was silicone the edges to prevent resin from leaking out.

I was even able to customize the size of my mold with removable dividers. So easy!

I am so excited to have this mold in my shop, but if you are looking to make your own resin mold for your river table, make sure to check out my resin mold tutorial here.

4. Once the mold was prepped, dry, and level (this mold has a built in level and leveling feet), I added some silicone to the bottom of my slabs to prevent them from floating when I pour my resin. I then placed them into the mold. I made sure to clean up any silicone that got on the live edge with my Dremel rotary tool and wire brush attachment and then vacuumed the entire mold to prep for the pour.

5. Next, I mixed up some MAS table top epoxy and sealed all of the live edges to prevent bubbles from forming later.

6. After allowing the epoxy to set for a bit, I used a MAS deep pour epoxy resin and added glow pigment. I wanted the resin to be transluscent, so I made sure not to add too much. I then poured the resin in and popped any bubbles with a propane torch.

7. After letting the slab cure for a few days, I removed it from the mold and ran it through my planer. If you don’t have a surface planer in your shop, check out my other DIY resin river table project for alternate ways to clean up a resin pour.

8. Next, I filled in any remaining voids with resin and also made sure to paint a thin layer of pigmented resin along the bottom of the table to help it glow even more!

9. At this point it was time to sand! I started at 120 grit and then worked my way to 320 grit. I also used the kitchen scrubbing pads for my Dremel Versa to help buff any scratches out of the resin.

10. I then sealed my table using wood finish.

11. Once the table was dry, I added hairpin legs.

My living room just experienced a major glow up (literally and figuratively).

I am so impressed by how bright this thing shines at night when it gets ample sunlight during the day! Not to mention, it looks pretty amazing with the lights on as well (if I must say so myself).