[simon masters]

Hi,I have a lovely oak tree root that I have had planed on the top to make a table. Within the top there is a large hole (parts of which go all the way through) I have filled with glass. Mt intention is to fill the hole level with polyester resin and the across the entire table. Then I will give the underside a coat too. The underside has not been planed and has four steel legs attached lifting the root structure off the ground. When I attempted to fill the glass void, although i had taped off the underside as best I could, the entire pour sealed out past the tape. I have since bought a hot glue cleaned out the hole and attempted to try and seal the void but am not convinced it will work. I would be grateful for any tips or advice you could give.
The largest hole within the cavity is approx 10mm in size

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Simon, I think the polyester resin will work once you get the wood sealed. Unfortunately, I’m not a woodworker, so I don’t have a good idea here. I’ll ask one of my woodworking friends for a suggestion.

[simon masters]

Thanks Katherine

[Katherine Swift]

This is from my woodworking friend:

It sounds a little tricky because of the size, but I think the best way to do this would be to turn the table upside down to fill the hole. I’m not sure now practical this would be as a root large enough to be a table top and have steel legs is likely to be a bit unwieldy but it seems like the best way in my head.

Just taking a guess here, since I can’t see the piece, I would use a piece of HDPE scrap (piece of a cheap white cutting board would work fine) or something similar and non-stick to cover the hole from the top. The hot glue should give a good seal to the table top.

After the glue cools, turn the table over and pour the resin from the bottom. Once that is cured, stand the table back up and remove the HDPE and glue. The resin may stand a bit proud of the table top, in which case you would sand it down. If parts of it are lower than the level of the table (PR can shrink) you should still be able to pour a bit more resin from the top. Or that could be part of the next step, pouring a layer on the table top. I’ve used duct tape on the edges to create a ‘dam’ for the resin, but it does depend on the brand and the type of adhesive they use. I’d test that first, so you don’t have the same problem you experienced before.

One other thought .. because resins and woods react differently to changes in temp and humidity, you can get some shifting as the seasons change. To make sure nothing pops out of place, I might drill laterally into the sides of the hole with a small diameter bit. When you pour the resin, the holes fill with resin and anchor the casting as it cures. 10mm isn’t very big so I don’t think it would be an issue, just something to keep in mind for other projects.

[simon masters]

I had considered flipping the table and filling from the bottom but not thought of sealing it. Although I really like the idea, I am concerned that I would have no control should things go wrong again. A big worry is that the glass itself may end up proud of the finished level, which will then need grinding down too!. Compounding the problem further there are two small holes, out to the side, which also require damming.
At the moment I am veering toward several small pours, adding glass as I go, with resin that is starting to cure in the hope that the sealing work I have already done will be enough. I will definitely be adding the lateral anchor points.
Many Thanks

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