My Personal Story

Thanks for your interest in my work and my story. I served in the United States Army for almost ten years. I was medically retired from injuries sustained during combat. After exiting the service I felt many different emotions and was unsure of what my next step would be. I knew that I loved working with my hands, but just didn't know how to apply it. I began to spend a lot of time in my garage building things. I started building small items out of wood such as coasters, candle holders and wooden boxed shelves. I slowly graduated to small furniture like coat racks, shoe benches and party coolers which were a big hit. Then I discovered a YouTube video of a guy pouring epoxy into a mold creating a river table. From that moment I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I showed my wife the video and she encouraged me to go for it. Thus was the beginning of my river table journey. 

I spent countless hours watching YouTube videos and reading everything I could about river tables and working with epoxy. I was so intrigued and eager to start. I invited a friend over and he showed me what he knew. My first river table was Cobalt Blue and about 3 1/2 feet long. 

 I wanted to go all out so I attempted an epoxy finish. It didn’t turn out as expected because I only applied two coats and neglected to pour the flood coat. Upon completion, I took pictures of the table and posted it to Facebook. My neighbor noticed the post and asked to buy my first river table as a gift for his mother.  

 Feeling pretty confident and motivated I jumped into another river table build. This time I wanted to build it bigger. I wanted to ensure I didn’t make the same mistakes as I made on my first project. The second river table was twice as big and thick as the first one. This time I went with the color Deep Blue Sea. 

 With the second river table being larger then the first one it came with its own challenges and learning experiences. With courage, persistence and beginners luck I was able to successfully achieve great results. I also improved on my epoxy finishing skills which ultimately complemented the wood grain. In the end, the second river table came out beautifully at 2 inches thick and over 4 feet long. My wife loved it so much we decided to keep it, and we have it to this day  

 With two river tables built I discovered my passion for this type of work, and began my journey of river table building. I experimented with various products, learning a little more with every build. I continued to watch YouTube videos and connect with other successful woodworkers and professionals in my community. I was intent to better my understanding of epoxy river tables. I had discovered a craft that I enjoyed and that truly brought me peace and a new sense of purpose. With that being said, I didn’t become successful without the support of my community, friends and loved ones. I’m extremely grateful that I can pursue my passion in woodworking through epoxy river tables and art.