Multicolor river, walnut banks

Two tables, two approaches

This 11-inch tabletop was completed alongside the gold-and-spalted-maple version. The basic scale links the pair, but the walnut, multicolor resin, and surface treatment give this piece a very different character.

Rather than let the resin color do all the work, I experimented with how the final surface could change the appearance of the entire top.

The finish experiment: super glue

The finish is super glue. Applying it, sanding it, and polishing it took about 18 hours just for the finishing process. It was a difficult, time-consuming route to the result, not a quick coating.

The payoff was the clarity and gloss. It is hands down the clearest, glossiest finish I have personally seen. The finish became as memorable a part of the piece as the colored river running through the walnut.

The tradeoff stays in the story

The result came with a clear tradeoff: a spectacular surface, but a great deal of hands-on work. Those 18 hours went into the finish alone, not the whole table. I would not describe it as an easy route to a glossy top, but this experiment produced a surface that still stands out to me.