How much does an epoxy river table weigh?
People are often surprised when two movers struggle with a “just a table.” The reason is simple: cured casting epoxy is far denser than nearly any domestic hardwood. Here’s how to estimate a river table’s weight using published numbers, so you can plan the base, the delivery and the floor it sits on.
- A typical cured deep-pour epoxy is about 1.11 g/cm³, roughly 69 lb per cubic foot.
- Black walnut at 12% moisture is about 38.5 lb per cubic foot, so epoxy weighs almost twice as much as the same volume of walnut.
- A 72 x 40 x 2 in. walnut top with about one-quarter epoxy works out to roughly 150 lb before the base.
Step 1: the density numbers
The USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282) lists the specific gravity of each species at 12% moisture content in Table 5-3 (based on ovendry weight and volume at 12%). Chapter 4 gives the density formula: density = water density x specific gravity x (1 + moisture content/100). Water is 62.43 lb per cubic foot. That gives:
| Material | Specific gravity (12% MC) | Approx. lb per cubic foot | Approx. lb per board foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow-poplar | 0.42 | 29.4 | 2.5 |
| Black cherry | 0.50 | 35.0 | 2.9 |
| Black walnut | 0.55 | 38.5 | 3.2 |
| White ash | 0.60 | 42.0 | 3.5 |
| Sugar maple | 0.63 | 44.1 | 3.7 |
| White oak | 0.68 | 47.5 | 4.0 |
| Cured deep-pour epoxy | 1.11 (cured density, g/cm³) | 69.3 | 5.8 |
The epoxy figure comes from the TotalBoat Fathom Deep Pour Epoxy instruction sheet and TDS, which lists a cured density of 1.11 g/cm³. Other deep-pour systems are in the same range; check your own resin’s data sheet. Wood values are averages, and any single board can be lighter or heavier.
Step 2: a worked example
Take a 72 x 40 in. dining top, 2 in. thick. Volume = 72 x 40 x 2 = 5,760 cubic inches, or 3.33 cubic feet.
- All walnut: 3.33 x 38.5 = about 128 lb.
- 75% walnut, 25% epoxy river: (2.5 x 38.5) + (0.83 x 69.3) = 96 + 58 = about 154 lb.
- 50/50: (1.67 x 38.5) + (1.67 x 69.3) = 64 + 115 = about 180 lb.
So a wider river adds weight fast. Each extra cubic foot of resin in place of walnut adds roughly 31 lb.
What that means for your table
- Base and hardware: add the base’s own weight, and pick a base rated well above the top’s weight. Heavier species need stronger mounting, too (see lightest to heaviest hardwoods).
- Moving and delivery: plan on at least two people for anything over about 100 lb, and carry tops on edge with padding.
- Size choices: if weight matters, a narrower river, a thinner top or a lighter species makes the biggest difference (see the epoxy dining table size guide).
Planning a custom piece? See how to order a custom epoxy table and what affects epoxy table price.