After making furniture from epoxy resin gained popularity in the field of residential decoration, the trend has not stopped developing. Recently, very interesting ideas have been appearing that can be considered unique. We are talking about illuminating the tabletop as a way of additional decoration.
The idea itself is not new, because pieces of furniture have long been illuminated with LED strips or LED lamps. However, backlighting epoxy resin introduced completely new trends in the development of design.
What is special about the design of a table with an infinity effect?
The originality of the design of such a table lies in the use of two mirrors and LED lighting placed in the tabletop. This table is most appropriate in a recreation area, that is, in the living room. It will fit into such interior design styles as modern, high-tech, minimalism. By attaching wheels to the legs of the table, you can easily move it around the house.
Such tables look good in various interior styles. Using a mirror as a tabletop allows, on the one hand, to prevent scratches, and on the other hand, makes the structure fragile and susceptible to strong mechanical influences.
Mirror surfaces are afraid of high temperatures, high humidity and direct sunlight.
A mirror surface is used as a tabletop for this table.
Installation of fluorescent lamps
So, the table box is ready. Now you can begin installing electrical equipment. The size of the glass, which in the future will serve as a tabletop, must clearly correspond to the parameters of the already manufactured box. When installing fluorescent lamps, sufficient space must be left. It is desirable that the distance from the glass to the lamps corresponds to three quarters of the width of the box board, as in the figure.
This space is needed to prevent the glass from heating up. And also for better air circulation in a wooden box.
The lamps need to be laid in pairs in two rows, as in the photo, and secured to the walls of the box. This position of the lamps will ensure uniform dispersion as the light spreads.
How the infinity illusion works
The illusion of an endless tunnel is created by reflecting a light source in two mirror surfaces at the same time.
Due to the fact that light has the property of scattering, the effect of its gradual attenuation is created somewhere in the depths.
Due to the peculiar reflection of light, such tables create the illusion of an endless tunnel. An important condition for creating such an illusion is selecting the correct distance between the mirrors. Experts recommend installing mirrors at a distance of approximately 8 cm from each other.
Air circulation
In this model, the role of circulation is played by holes. Therefore, it is necessary to choose an ornament with a large number of parts of different sizes. And if the table is without a pattern, then, as mentioned above, you need to drill as many holes as possible using a drill.
To make the design of such furniture look nice, it is advisable to make them of different diameters, creating at least the simplest pattern. Of course, this option will greatly lose out in decor, but the necessary air circulation will not be disrupted.
Is it possible to make a table with an infinity effect with your own hands?
A similar model can be ordered on the Internet, but it is quite expensive, so it is better to try to make it yourself. Making a table with an infinity effect with your own hands is not difficult, but it will require you to have minimal skills in working with wood and glass, and some skills in working with tools. It is also necessary to understand the principle and diagram of connecting LED strips.
It is quite possible to make such an original table at home with your own hands.
Features of assembling a countertop made of pine boards
If you have difficulty purchasing a cypress board, we replace it with pine lumber. In order to create recesses on the surface of the pine tabletop, we use a gas burner.
We use a torch to burn clearings of the desired shape on the boards. The configuration of the cavities depends on the imagination of the master. We create cuttings on the surface of the wood in the form of stars and various geometric shapes. The burnt wood surface effectively emphasizes the relief of the wood structure, which gives the tabletop additional attractiveness.
What tools and materials will be needed
You can make an infinity table from mirrors and lighting from any regular table you have at home, removing the standard tabletop.
The first step is to remove the old countertop from the table. If you want to create a table from scratch, then you will need:
- material (chipboard, MDF, plywood or wood);
- self-tapping screws;
- mirror;
- translucent mirror or glass with a mirror film attached;
- sandpaper (or sanding machine);
- Super glue;
- LED strip with programmer, microcontroller, wires and power supply.
As an alternative to the LED strip, you can use a regular New Year's garland, then accordingly there will be no need for other lighting equipment.
If desired, the LED strip can be replaced with a regular New Year's garland. Wood as a table material will look richer, but will also cost more. It is also more durable than chipboard or MDF and is not subject to rotting. It is worth noting the high environmental friendliness of wood. It is best to choose red LEDs, since their light scatters the least and, accordingly, the depth of the tunnel will be greater.
Additional patterns
When using different table design styles, sometimes it would be nice to have the opportunity to resort to a certain design option, for example, “Baroque” or “Gothic”. We will add beautiful stenciled patterns symmetrically from the infinity tunnel, which we will highlight in any color of the client’s choice.
Below you can choose a ready-made table with standard sizes. But if you need a table with non-standard parameters: round, oval or other irregular shape, lighting according to your own design, etc. - please contact us and we will be happy to fulfill your order as soon as possible.
Step-by-step manufacturing instructions
Prepare all tools and materials for work in advance. Find a drawing on the Internet on special forums with the indicated dimensions of all parts. And then we will look in detail at how to make a table with an infinity effect with your own hands.
Create a box
The bottom of the tabletop box will be a sheet of plywood or chipboard. It is necessary to screw 4 boards to it along the outer perimeter, and at a distance of 5 centimeters from the edge there are four more boards. Thus, the boards should form 2 rectangles, one placed inside the other. There should be a small gap between them, sufficient for laying the wires.
When making a box, do not forget to first clean the boards with sandpaper or treat them with a sanding machine.
All parts of the table and its frame must be smoothly sanded. After the box is ready, coat it with varnish and leave to dry.
Selection of mirrors and their installation
Glue the mirror face up to the bottom of the box you assembled. Please note that it must completely match the dimensions of the inner rectangle of the box. Installation of the upper translucent mirror is carried out after placing the LEDs.
The mirror cover is mounted on the table only after all the LEDs have already been placed.
Installing the backlight
Glue the LED strip to the inside of the small rectangle of the box. Lay the wires coming from the LED strip into the gap left between the rectangles. The wires from the lighting can be routed inside one of the legs for a more aesthetic appearance of the entire structure.
The LED strip is glued to the inside of a small rectangle of the box.
Glass fastening
Glue an overlay wooden frame with wide edges. Its external dimensions must exceed the external dimensions of the table box, and its internal dimensions must be smaller than the dimensions of the rectangle on which the LED strip is attached. After making the frame, grooves must be made along its inner edge, the height matching the thickness of the translucent mirror. Place a translucent mirror in the resulting grooves, reflective side down.
The translucent mirror is attached with the reflective side down. You can secure it with glue. Screw the overlay frame with the installed mirror to the table frame using fasteners with decorative heads. That's all, the coffee table with the infinity effect is made by hand.
Rules for assembling the structure
All wooden parts of the table must be smoothly sanded and free from any irregularities in the form of chips or burrs.
Remove the protective film from mirrors and glass only after completing all work. To avoid short circuits, follow all safety rules when working with electricity. Carefully study the diagram for connecting the LED strip to the power supply.
The wood glue you will use to make the table should be waterproof.
When assembling the table, use only waterproof wood glue.
Dimensions
There are no specific standards for what size a children's sand painting table should be. Here it is worth starting from personal wishes and the characteristics of the room . If the size of the children's room allows, you can make a fairly spacious and large table. It can be installed in the corner of the playing area. If the room is small, then it is worth saving free space and making a mini table for sand painting.
In any case, the child will be interested in creating his favorite cartoon characters, dogs, cats, both on a large table and on a small one.
Interesting options for tables with lighting
Instead of LED strips, you can use other light sources. For example, LED lamps are more suitable for large tables. And if you use neon lamps in the design, the light from them will be soft and unusual. The backlight can be either single color or combined. You can install a controller that allows you to select a constant or flashing operating mode.
In addition to monochromatic lighting, you can use combined lighting for tables with an infinity effect. In addition to using LEDs around the perimeter of the table, you can place LEDs on other shapes. For example, if you place several round figures with LED backlighting in the center of the table, then when the backlight is turned on, the visual effect of columns will appear, continuing endlessly. In addition to using this effect on a coffee table, you can also use it on a kitchen or work table.
How to do it?
Before we start making the table, we carefully check the drawing again, measure the length and width of the drawer, and check the dimensions of the acrylic.
The workflow itself consists of the following stages:
The manufacture of the table begins with
the assembly of a plywood box . If possible, it is better to purchase it ready-made at a hardware store. The box should have high sides. The depth of the finished product should be about 7 cm.
Backlight
Most people use a night light or LED lamp as lighting.
Interactive table
Here you will learn how to make a beautiful interactive coffee table that will amaze you, amaze you, and maybe just make your head spin a little! The sides are painted, clear coated and engraved. The table contains more than 960 LEDs, each of which is controlled by 24-bit color. The LEDs make up a total of forty infinity mirrors, culminating in one stunning composition. The design features 4 hidden USB ports, each capable of charging up to 2A. In addition, the table is equipped with an inductive charging pad, which is clearly laser engraved.
To top it all off, there are 2 AC outlets for those who would like to plug in a laptop or charger. The final feature is a hidden LCD touchscreen display that allows you to fully control the desk's functions. Of course, this project is not for beginners. You must have good woodworking, electrical skills and the ability to adapt to any challenges during assembly. This is a complex design, but for those who want to try to make such a backlit table with their own hands, the result will be amazing. So, if you take on this project, you will have to invest a lot of time and effort. If you want to challenge yourself, this is definitely for you.
The basic instructions in this tutorial rely heavily on the use of CAD drawings. The drawings show individual parts and components and you should be able to interpret them to assemble the table.
Skills
- Must be able to read and create CAD models and drawings.
- Be able to design your own parts if you want to make changes.
- Good understanding of wiring and programming.
- Be able to open CAD models in case the drawings are difficult to interpret
If you decide to take a risk, read the large and very detailed instructions on the website, link below under the gallery. Everything is there, a list of materials, tools, wood specifications and separate instructions on how to work with CAD drawings. Everything else depends only on your perseverance.
Photo source: www.instructables.com/id/Beyond-Infinity-Table-the-Interactive-Coffee-Table/
Preparation
In our case, the preparation process consisted of cleaning the natural resin chambers of the cypress tree from the remains of dried resin. For this we used a regular screwdriver and blower. But if you use a ready-made tabletop, you will have to cut the chambers yourself using a semicircular chisel. We would recommend cutting depth from one to one and a half centimeters. In this case, the resulting hollows will contain more luminescent composition, and, consequently, the glow will be brighter and longer.
Cypress has fairly deep chambers, which in some places form through holes in the 25 mm boards we took.
Of course, the surface must be sanded, and then acrylic plates must be secured to the ends so that the applied luminescent composition does not leak out. The edges of the tabletop can also be covered with masking tape.
To prepare a luminescent composition, you need to mix the components of the epoxy resin in a disposable container. It is most convenient to use 200-gram paper cups, but you can also use half-liter ones. We poured half a glass of resin and separately half a glass of hardener. Powder was added to each of them and stirred.
After combining the two resin components in one glass, you have approximately 5-7 minutes to fill the hollows made and processed on the countertop with the resulting composition. For our tabletop measuring 100 by 50 cm with deep hollows (which you can see above in the photo) it took two liters of epoxy resin and 100 grams of fluorescent powder. It’s better not to skimp on it and add more to make the glow brighter.
Now everything is ready to apply the luminescent composition.
Characteristics of epoxy resin
The peculiarity of epoxy resin is that it is not used in its pure form. To obtain a solid fragment, it is polymerized using a hardener. The mechanical and physical properties of the material may vary depending on the proportions of the components.
Epoxy composition and hardener
The main qualities of epoxy include:
- resistance to chemicals, high strength;
- no need for special care (we’ll talk about this in more detail a little later);
- no unpleasant odor;
- resistance to abrasion and mechanical damage;
- polymerization temperature (hardening can occur in conditions from -15°C to +80°C);
- low moisture permeability;
- structural stability and low shrinkage.
Epoxy resin is highly durable
Damage to epoxy resin
Thanks to the colloidal structure, interesting layered colors can be achieved by mixing several shades
The resin also has disadvantages - for example, it can release harmful substances at high temperatures. To work with resin, you need to strictly follow the technology and have certain skills. Finally, the cost of this material cannot be called low.
Plasticity, resin fluidity, self-leveling ability
LED strips
When making the table, an LED strip is used, which creates the effect of infinity. The most convenient are self-adhesive tapes.
Operating principle
The LED strip consists of two diodes - a single-chip one, which has one color spectrum, and a three-chip one, consisting of three color spectrums (green, blue, red).
The emanations of the crystals are mixed, forming a wide range of colors.
Specifications
- The type of LED is the main difference between all LED strips. The most common LEDs are SMD 3028 and SMD 5050. The abbreviation stands for “surface-mounted device”, and the numbers indicate the dimensions of the LED lamps: 3.0 x 2.8 mm and 5.0 x 5.0 mm.
- Density. The more LEDs there are per linear meter, the brighter the glow from the tape.
- The color of the LEDs can be any. The most popular colors are white, yellow, cold and warm tones.
- Moisture protection. IP 20 - open, IP 65 - moisture resistant, IP 68 - the highest degree of moisture protection.
Advantages
- High light output;
- High strength and vibration resistance of the tapes;
- Long service life (about 100 thousand hours);
- Various tones and shades of lamp glow;
- The inertia of the tapes is low, which allows you to use the highest brightness from the very moment you turn it on;
- The number of on/off cycles does not affect the service life of LED strips;
- Environmental friendliness;
- Safety;
- Budget cost;
- Not susceptible to breakdowns due to low temperatures.
How to illuminate a computer desk using an LED strip, watch the video:
