From Forgotten Wood to Functional Art: A Custom Resin Side Table Made in Malta

Some pieces begin as projects. Others begin as memories.

This custom resin side table started years ago in a local Maltese field, long before resin was ever part of the idea. The wood had originally been cut down by the client and his father together, with a slice later kept and stored away. Over time, like many meaningful things, it slowly disappeared into the background of everyday life. Left in storage. Out of sight. Untouched for years.

Until one particular day, it was found again.

The client already knew he wanted to do something special with it. He had the vision in mind from the beginning — dark resin tones, depth, movement, reflections, something almost galaxy-like. What he did not have was the time, equipment, or technical process needed to bring the idea to life properly.

That is when he contacted us at Elto Bert.

After meeting and understanding the story behind the wood, we immediately knew this was not simply about creating another resin table. The goal was to preserve something personal while transforming it into a functional piece made to live inside a traditional Maltese home once again.

What was once forgotten is now part of the home again.

Preserving the Character of the Wood

The wood itself had already been cut and roughly prepared years ago, but nature had done its part over time. Cracks, uneven edges, voids, and imperfections had formed throughout the slab. For us, these details are not flaws to remove completely.

They are part of the story.

Before any resin work could begin, we first decided which side would become the top surface and how the natural flow of the wood should sit visually. The edges were cleaned carefully while preserving the organic shape and character that gave the piece its identity.

The underside and exposed areas were then fully taped and sealed to prepare for the resin work ahead.

In deep pour epoxy work, preparation is everything.

Why We Seal Wood Before Resin Pouring

One of the most important stages in custom resin furniture is sealing the raw wood properly before any large pour takes place.

For this project, we used DIPON LuminaCast 1 Fast Set Primer. A small batch was carefully mixed and brushed deep into the natural crevices, cracks, and exposed grain of the slab.

This stage serves multiple purposes.

First, sealing helps prevent resin leaks during the main pour. Natural wood contains tiny openings and hidden air pockets that can easily allow resin to escape once pressure and heat begin building during curing.

Second, sealing significantly reduces trapped air and unwanted bubble formation during the deep pour process.

In epoxy resin work, especially with thicker pours, controlling bubbles and stabilising the wood is critical to achieving a clean final result.

This part is rarely seen once the table is complete, but it is one of the stages that makes the difference between a piece that simply looks good and one that is built correctly.

Building Depth Through Layers

The vision for this table was never meant to be bright or transparent.

The client wanted something darker. Moodier. A resin finish with depth and movement rather than a crystal-clear river effect.

The slab itself measured approximately 8 cm thick, which is substantial in the world of deep pour epoxy resin. While there are systems capable of pouring deeper in a single layer, we intentionally approached this project slowly and strategically to create the visual depth we were after.

For the first deep pour layer, we used a dark near-black resin tone. Not fully opaque black, but dark enough to create mystery while still allowing a controlled amount of light to pass through the resin body. This subtle translucency helps create the illusion of depth once light interacts with the table naturally.

After curing, the second layer introduced grey mica powder into the mix. Under direct light, the metallic particles begin to shift softly beneath the surface, creating movement and shimmer without overpowering the natural wood.

The result started developing an effect almost similar to a dark galaxy suspended inside the slab.

Finally, transparent resin layers were introduced strategically to enhance the illusion of depth even further. Rather than having the darker tones begin immediately at the surface, the clear resin allows the eye to travel downward through the table before reaching the darker suspended layers beneath.

This layering technique creates dimension that changes depending on lighting conditions and viewing angles.

In natural daylight, subtle reflections and mica movement become visible. In lower lighting, the table becomes deeper and more dramatic.

Why Resin Is Poured Slightly Higher Than Needed

One thing many people do not realise about epoxy resin is that finishing begins long before sanding ever starts.

During curing, epoxy naturally generates heat through an exothermic reaction. As the resin settles and cures fully, slight shrinkage can occur depending on the system used and the depth of the pour.

Because of this, we intentionally pour slightly above the final desired height.

This gives us enough material to fully flatten and level the piece later without risking low spots or uneven surfaces. Especially in custom work like this, precision during the finishing stages is essential.

Using high-quality deep pour systems helps minimise shrinkage and maintain clarity, which is one of the reasons we work with premium epoxy systems from DIPON.

Flattening, Filling, and Finishing

Once curing was complete, the table moved into one of the most time-consuming stages of the entire process.

Flattening.

The slab was processed through a drum sanding machine to achieve a completely level and uniform surface across both wood and resin.

But this stage also reveals something else.

Tiny pinholes.

Even with careful sealing and preparation, microscopic air pockets can still appear after flattening. These small imperfections are common in natural wood and resin work, especially in pieces designed to preserve raw organic texture rather than fully covering the surface in thick glossy coatings.

Each pinhole was individually inspected and filled by hand using direct lighting to reveal even the smallest imperfections.

This process is slow, repetitive, and detailed — but necessary.

For this project, the client specifically did not want an overly thick glossy resin coating across the entire top. Instead, the goal was to preserve the tactile and natural feel of the wood while allowing the resin sections to remain polished and reflective.

Personally, we believe this decision suited the piece perfectly.

The table retained warmth and authenticity rather than feeling over-processed.

Sanding and Polishing the Final Surface

After all corrections were completed, the final finishing process began.

The piece was sanded progressively from 120 grit all the way through to fine wet sanding stages up to 3000 grit.

This gradual refinement is what allows resin to achieve its glass-like clarity during polishing while keeping transitions smooth between the wood and epoxy sections.

The resin areas were then polished carefully to restore full depth and reflection.

To finish the wood naturally, oil was applied to enrich the grain and bring warmth back into the slab without overpowering its age and texture.

At this stage, the transformation was complete.

What was once an old forgotten slice of wood sitting in storage became a functional handmade resin side table designed to live inside the home once again.

More Than Just a Resin Table

At Elto Bert, projects like this are never only about resin.

They are about preserving stories, materials, and memories in a form that can continue being used every day.

This piece now exists somewhere completely different from where it started. No longer hidden away in storage, but part of the home again. Seen. Used. Remembered.

And in many ways, that is exactly what handmade work should do.

Not simply decorate a space.

But carry something meaningful forward with it.