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Building a Mold to Cast Tabletop

Host Amy Devers begins the project by building a mold to cast the accent tabletop.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-211

Construction of the accent table gets started with Amy Devers building a mold to cast the tabletop. She makes a template out of craft paper, and then starts with the MDF. She nails the MDF together, uses adhesive to apply the paper template and cuts out the shape on the band saw.

Amy finishes this phase by using melamine on the bottom.

Room: Before

Room: After

Host Amy Devers creates this modern table that would "accent" any room.

The first step in creating the table is to make a mold for the gypsum.

Materials:

cherry wood
aluminum panel clips
craft paper
metal ruler
flexible curve
black marker
tape
MDF or medium density fiberboard
yellow wood glue
spray adhesive
respirator
utility knife
80-grit sandpaper
laminate
clear packing tape
sheet of melamine
dry wall screws
modeling clay
powdered gypsum
water
modeling clay
dust mask
air hose
spray lacquer
vinyl gloves
steel rods
shellac
lint-free pad
1/2" steel rods
epoxy
5-minute quick cure epoxy
rough grit sand paper
cotton rag
soft bristle brush

Tools:

pneumatic nailer
band saw
table saw
cordless drill
flat head screwdriver
random orbital sander
cordless power drill with a special paddle attachment
band saw
hand planer

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Building a Mold to Cast the Tabletop

Measure and draw out the form for the tabletop. Start with some craft paper.
Note: Craft paper is the same type of paper that grocery bags are made of and is perfect for something like this because it is durable and inexpensive. Long rolls can be picked up at any local craft store.
To make the shape, use a metal ruler, a flexible curve and black marker. Cut the paper down to a more manageable size—and tape it to the worktable so it won't slide.
Measure out a 22" x 12" rectangle for the template.
Cut out an asymmetrical shape with a slight curve on three sides. To do this, use a flexible curve (figure A). The steel ribbon encased in the plastic allows you to create the exact contour you want.
Once the shape is drawn, you can take it to next level and start building the mold to cast the gypsum cement.
The mold is going to be made up of several different parts so that it can be taken apart once the cement is cured.
For the first couple of parts, use MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard. MDF is made out of compressed recycled wood fibers and it is super easy to work with—all at a fraction of the cost of hardwood.
Use two pieces of MDF because you want the tabletop to be thicker than 3/4". Apply yellow glue and then firmly press the pieces together like a sandwich.
Shoot in some nails with the pneumatic nailer (figure B) to hold the MDF together while the glue dries.
Use spray adhesive to mount the drawing to the MDF.
Safety Tip: Wear a respirator and work in a well ventilated area when using spray adhesive.
After you adhere the template to the MDF, trim off the excess paper with a utility knife.
Cut it out on the band saw. The band saw allows you to make the freehand curves to carve out the form (figure C)
Clean off the inside curves of the wood using 80-grit sandpaper. Sand by hand instead of using a sander because it will give you more control as you go over the curves.
You don't want the cement to stick to the mold, so tape off the edges with some clear packing tape. The slick packing tape adheres to the MDF and won't stick to the cement. It helps the piece release easily from the mold.
For the bottom part of the mold, use the sheet of melamine that you have already cut to size on the table saw.
FYI: Melamine is plastic laminate and it is a non-stick surface.
You want to be able to take the mold apart easily after the cement is dry, so attach the pieces with a cordless drill and some dry wall screws. When you want to disassemble it later, you can just unscrew the parts.
Drill in the holes and then insert the screws, which you space about 5" apart from each other.
You now have just one more side of the mold to attach. The two pieces of MDF that you have already cut to size and taped forms the backside of the mold and the smaller piece will get screwed in. It will create a space in the tabletop that slots onto the cherry post (figure D). Screw them in place.