Concept build plan

How to build the Midnight Current.

Finished size: 50" × 28" × 17" with a 1½" top and a 7–9" average river. The ebonized oak is supported by two inset steel sleds joined with concealed stretchers.

Materials + cut list

  • Two kiln-dried quartersawn white-oak slabs, roughly 58" × 12–16" × 2" before milling
  • 2½–3½ gallons of deep-pour casting epoxy, transparent smoke tint, and restrained bronze mica
  • Two 20" × 15½" sled frames from 1½" × ½" steel bar with concealed cross-stretchers
  • Threaded inserts, machine bolts, adjustable feet, mold board, release tape, black reactive stain, satin topcoat, and polishing supplies

Build sequence

  1. Acclimate and moisture-check the oak, flatten both faces, and cut a balanced pair of 50-inch slabs.
  2. Clean the live edges, test the slab composition, seal porous areas, and build a rigid leak-free mold for a 7–9-inch river.
  3. Blend the smoke tint first, fold in only a small amount of bronze mica, and pour within the resin maker's approved lift schedule.
  4. After the full cure, flatten the panel to 1½ inches, shape the perimeter, and complete the wood and epoxy sanding schedules separately.
  5. Apply the ebonizing treatment to test pieces before the top, neutralize as required, then protect the wood with a durable satin furniture finish.
  6. Fabricate and blacken the sled base, connect it with concealed stretchers, and mount the top through elongated holes to allow seasonal movement.

Build guidance is concept-level. Confirm slab stability, base load capacity, finish compatibility, ventilation, PPE, cure schedule, and maximum pour depth with your material suppliers before fabrication.