Are you looking to pour bar top epoxy resin onto your bar, but have no idea where to start with this project? These tips will help guide your throughout the process while removing that intimating and overwhelming feeling.
Epoxy can bubble easily, but if you follow these steps you will be left with a smooth finish!
Things to Avoid When Pouring Bar Top Epoxy Resin
Two-parts epoxy resin is a common application on bar tops and table tops to give it shine and protection.
For my bar top, I bought a gallon two-parts epoxy to make sure I had enough to cover the surface.
The gallon covers more than enough surface area if poured and spread correctly.
I strongly recommend you read the instructions carefully and thoroughly before starting.
Do not try to save money by using less epoxy because I did that with my first bar build and I had a ton of bubbles!
If you don’t mix the epoxy resin enough, it may not harden and/or could create “ripples”.
I also, strongly recommend that you have two people to pour epoxy resin on a bar top or table top.
Epoxy resin sets very quickly, so you will need an additional person to help mix and pour the liquid.
After the first person pours the epoxy resin onto the bar top, the second person will spread the liquid across the surface.
Items Required:
- Epoxy
- 2 Large Buckets
- Stirring Sticks
- Plastic Putty Knife
- Heat Gun
- Drop Cloths
- Mask
- Gloves
- Safety Glasses
How to Epoxy a Bar Top
Before pouring epoxy resin make sure the surface is completely clean and dry before mixing.
The buckets for the liquid should also be dust free as any debris will set onto your bar top.
If you’re pouring epoxy onto a bar top that doesn’t have a barrier all around, it will most definitely drip onto whatever’s below it.
Alternate between two people when stirring the epoxy resin because your arm will probably get tired.
Also, make sure to work in a well ventilated area and wear personal protective equipment as this product may have a strong odor.
How to Mix Epoxy Resin
To mix epoxy we used two large buckets that were large enough to hold at least a gallon.
We poured the entire container of part A into the first bucket.
Then we poured the entire container of part B into the first bucket as well.
Since both containers have been mixed into one large bucket, the mixture begins a chemical reaction.
We used paint mixing sticks to manually stir the two liquids together, for at least six minutes.
After stirring in a steady, constant motion, we poured all of the epoxy into the second bucket.
Be sure to scrape as much as you can out of the first bucket.
Occasionally scrape the sides and the bottom of the bucket to make sure the liquid is completely mixed.
Once in the liquid has been transferred to the second bucket, set a timer for another six minutes and continued stirring.
After the timer was up on the second bucket, it was time to pour epoxy onto the bar top.
How to Pour Epoxy Resin on Bar Top
You have about ten to fifteen minutes to pour epoxy before it starts to harden.
So, pouring the liquid onto the bar top is now a race against the clock.
To apply the epoxy, one person should pour the liquid on the bar top, while the other person spreads it with a plastic putty knife.
When pouring epoxy onto the bar top, you should start at one end of the bar and evenly pour it out until reaching the other side of the bar.
After all of the liquid was applied to the bar top, both of us began spreading it to ensure it was evenly distributed.
Keep in mind that the epoxy is self-leveling, so it might start to flow away some areas of the bar top, if it’s not level.
How to Remove Bubbles from Epoxy
After the epoxy resin is spread as evenly as possible, we needed to remove bubbles before it dried.
To remove bubbles from epoxy, we used a heat gun just above the surface.
We held the heat gun about six inches from the bar top and moved around in a smooth sweeping motion.
It’s good to give your bar a once over, regardless of whether or not you notice any bubbles.
I’ve also heard of people using a hair dryer on the low setting to get them out, but I’ve yet to try that.
Bar Top Epoxy Resin Dry Time
After about ten minutes, you will notice the epoxy resin is already starting to thicken.
Now that it is starting to harden you have to stop whatever you’re doing to it, or it could cause rippling, pitting, or gaps.
It is recommended that you wait 72 hours before touching it so that it can completely harden.
Even if the epoxy resin feels dry to the touch do not rest anything on the bar top until it is completely cured.
Also make sure to avoid getting any dust or dirt on the surface area during those first 72 hours.
We hope you found this post helpful for your bar top epoxy project. If you are building a basement bar we have more epoxy bar top ideas here!
Your epoxy resin bar top should be bubble free and smooth. if you carefully followed the instructions we provided in this post.
For additional epoxy tips, you might find this post helpful!
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