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Making Gypsum Tabletop

Amy Devers continues the accent table project filling the tabletop mold with gypsum.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-211

The accent tabletop mold is filled with gypsum. First host Amy Devers mixes the gypsum powder and water carefully and then mixes it with a cordless power drill. She pours the mixture into the mold and lets it dry on a flat surface.

Room: Before

Room: After

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

In this phase of constructing the accent table, Amy Devers makes the gypsum tabletop.

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

Making Gypsum Table Top

You do not want to get glue down in to where the pieces meet. So, you need to seal it up with modeling clay. Allow it to dry and harden for an hour.
When you work it in and around the edges with your fingers, you can clean off the excess with a flat head screwdriver (figure A) for an even tighter seal.
Now the mold is ready to be filled with gypsum to make the tabletop. You will use powdered gypsum and mix it with water. Mix it by weight—not volume. You need 10 pounds of gypsum powder and 3.8 pounds of water. Wear a dust mask when you mix it up.
Carefully sift the powder into the water. It is never a good idea to just pour all the cement directly into the water. The process has to be a gradual one otherwise lumps will form.
Allow the power to settle and soak in the water for a few minutes. This lets the gypsum get saturated until it appears pasty.
To do the mixing, use a cordless power drill with a special paddle attachment connected to it (figure B). The grooves on the paddle helps blend the cement and the water to a smooth consistency free of lumps.
When mixed and ready to be put in the mold. Tilt the container over and pour it in nice and slow.
Pour in one spot in the back corner of the mold (figure C). This is to control the flow across the piece and it also minimized any pour marks that you may get on the bottom. Stop for a second and swish it around to make sure everything settle evenly.
Periodically tap the sides to make sure you get out all the air bubbles because any air pockets that stay on the cement when it dries can weaken the tabletop and it could crack.
It is important to let it set up on a nice level, flat surface. That way the slab will be a uniform thickness. It needs to set up and cure for four hours.