Are Denim Tables the New River Table?… Probably Not, But They’re Cool
So I decided to experiment…
What do these plywood chunks have to do with building table tops out of denim and epoxy?
Well, when I built my very first denim table, it was just a solid block of denim and epoxy. While I thought it was pretty cool, I also felt there was room for improvement.
Several months ago, when I created the Damascus Denim Table, I used plywood chunks similar to these. I arranged them in a “more-or-less” random pattern, then secured the setup with a vacuum bag and surfaced it with a planer. What resulted was an interesting pattern on most of the table.
You can check out that video here: Damascus Denim Table
However, there were some parts where I didn’t like the way the plywood affected the denim pattern. I was surprised by how the layered materials looked in certain areas.
Now, I’m using essentially the same method with the plywood, except this time I’m experimenting with as many patterns as I can imagine, hoping to create a design, and a denim table top that I absolutely love.
With a variety of patterns laid out, it’s time laminate…
Scott (my video guy) and I, developed a simple system for laminating the denim and epoxy.
We have a range of denim colors and use a regular paint roller to apply the epoxy.
The goal is to avoid applying too much epoxy since there will inevitably be some squeeze-out.
On top of everything, we place a peel ply, which will hopefully make it easier to remove excess epoxy later.
The fabric positioned above that is breather mesh.
And the main component, an oversized, vinyl-like sleeping bag — a vacuum bag, allows me to encapsulate multiple table tops (I can fit about four in one bag at a time) and keeps everything clean and organized.
After about three or four days in the vacuum bag, the denim pieces felt pretty firm. It’s worth noting that the pieces were only under vacuum pressure for the first 24 hours though.
However, I knew the epoxy wasn’t fully cured yet — at least not cured enough to run them through a planer.
It would take another few days for them to completely cure.
I did need the vacuum bag for more table top designs, though, so I decided to peel the pieces out early.
If it’s not obvious, I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to working with vacuum bags.
At this stage, the denim tops looked pretty weird and warty — nothing like a polished piece of furniture.
But don’t worry, I promise this will all make sense after a trip to Creative Woodworking, an industrial shop equipped with a large planer and wide belt sander.
When feeding the denim panels through the planer, I have to be careful not to go too deep and expose the plywood underneath. Done correctly, all that remains is the denim, revealing the cool patterns created during the layering process.
Although I always have an idea in my head of how the finished product will look, the results often surprise me — and not always in a good way. Sometimes a design doesn’t turn out as cool as I’d hoped, which definitely gives me a bit of anxiety.
With the planing complete, it’s now back to the shop to cut out the table tops.
This jig might be my favorite one in the shop, even though it’s the least used.
It’s my circle-cutting jig for the band saw. It’s super simple to use and easy to make. This isn’t a design I came up with, but it works perfectly for this project.
All you need to do is measure half the diameter of your circle, set a pin, drill a hole in your plywood (or epoxy piece), and slide it forward. That little plywood piece on the bottom-right is just to prevent the whole sled from tipping over.
Cutting out the shapes was exciting because I could finally see the denim table tops start to take shape. Even though this wasn’t the final stage, I thought they were already starting to look pretty cool.
After using the band saw, I moved to the router table. I experimented with giving each piece a unique edge profile, using this step to explore how different round-overs and profiles affected the appearance of the denim edges.
The sanding process was pretty much unbearable; I spent most of the day just sanding.
For the finish, I’m using a regular satin topcoat similar to a Rubio Monocoat. The brand is Vesting, and I think it looks fantastic on the denim tops.
Finally, I applied a coat of N3 Nano for additional protection, which adds a micron-thin layer, enhancing the sheen and contrast of each piece.
And with the finishing fully cured and complete… DONE!
Here’s a recap of the denim table tops I built, and leave a comment to let me know which design and color are your favorites!
