All About Backlit Resin Tables

Resin river tables can be more than just surfaces – they can be works of art, too! You may already know about the vibrant colours you can add to the epoxy resin “river” that gives the table its name, but backlighting the epoxy can make it even more unique! 

Adding LED lighting gives a river resin table a new dimension. The soft light fills a room with an elegant glow, and combining the right epoxy with good lighting can add depth and character to the table. Here’s how you can add lights to your Rustix

How Do Backlit Resin Tables Work?

The backlit resin table begins like our other resin projects. We prepare the wood by cutting straight edges out of the plank, removing the bark from the live edge (which, in this case, will be on the inside of the table), and smooth out the surface. Once we fit the wood and have it in the box, we can pour the resin between the live edges and let it harden.

When the table is backlit, it’s important to mix the resin so that the lights can shine through. The lighting can be embedded in the river resin or mounted below it – either way, it cannot come into direct contact with the resin. Pourable epoxy resin produces heat when it cures, and this can damage the lights. When the lights that are implanted in the resin become damaged, they are almost impossible to repair. For customers who want the string of LED lights inside the epoxy (keeping the switch outside), the lighting runs through small tunnels in the polyurethane.

We can also mount the LEDs below the epoxy; this lets the lighting shine through with a diffused character, but also allow some ambient light to shine through the resin when the lights aren’t on. To achieve this, we can glue the LED strips facing inwards to a platform made of plexiglass and set it an inch or two below the table.  

What Kind Of Epoxy Do We Use For Backlit Resin Tables?

The resin you’d use for an ordinary river table is perfect for a backlit resin table, too! Most epoxy resins dry with a lot of transparency, allowing the light from the LED to come through and diffuse around the world with a beautiful glow. 

We can also add a pigment to the resin so that it gives off your favourite colour, or materials like glitter, glow powder, and other elements that make the resin sparkle and shine.

Where Can I Use Backlit Resin Tables?

Anywhere you’d put in a resin river table is an appropriate spot for a backlit resin table, too! The lighting is not a prohibitively large piece, as all the components sit below the surface. Backlighting can add some ambiance to your bedroom, give your living room a warm glow for winding down an evening, or add some light to your deck to help you ease into a morning with the sunrise.

River resin backlighting can add extra character to your custom-built table. Rustix can make a resin table that meets your aesthetic needs, whatever (or wherever) you want the delicate glow of a backlit resin table combined with the modern rustic chic of live edge wood!