How to Make DIY Epoxy Tabletop for a Standing Desk Frame

If you work in an office and sit by the computer all day, after some time, it takes a toll on your body. As a result, you might develop a back problem or other issues. But if you had an option to stand or sit periodically, you would feel much better. FlexiSpot offers adjustable desks to solve this problem. This article will show you how I make a DIY Epoxy Tabletop for a Standing Desk Frame from FlexiSpot.

FlexiSpot offers many different desks sizes and colors. If you don’t have the tools or prefer not to build your own tabletop, you could purchase one at FlexiSpot. With 20 years of experience in the ergonomic industry, they offer other products like standing desk converters, desk bikes, ergonomic office chairs, and other accessories. Get $15 OFF when you purchase through my link: FlexiSpot.

For this project, I wanted to make my own tabletop from epoxy. What I like about epoxy is you get to create your own design. And if you decide a year later to change the design, you could pour another epoxy layer and change it again.

Once you’re tired of standing, you need a good comfortable office chair to sit in. You might be interested in this swivel office chair that I received from Homary.com. 

You also might be interested in other epoxy projects that I’ve done such as DIY bathroom vanity top from epoxy and DIY epoxy kitchen table.

Note: Lumber dimensions are listed as nominal size.  See lumber sizes for actual dimensions vs nominal.

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page as well as links in “tools for this project” and “material list” sections are affiliate links.

Step 1 – Assemble FlexiSpot Adjustable Frame

When making your own DIY tabletop for a FlexiSpot frame, first, you need to assemble the frame. Having the frame assembled will help you better determine the size of the tabletop. 

FlexiSpot adjustable frame comes with instructions on how to assemble the pieces. All the screws are neatly packaged and labeled. It also comes with an Allen key to tighten the screw so you do not need any additional tools to put it together. 

Once the frame is assembled, the cross beam that holds the lifting columns could be adjusted for a wider tabletop. 

I wanted my tabletop to be 6 feet wide so I adjusted the cross beam to have 55″ from left to right side bracket. 

Step 2 – Choose the Right Material for the Tabletop

The beauty of making your own tabletop is that you could make it from any material you want. You could use plywood, metal, MDF board, or simply join wood boards together.

I decided to make my tabletop using an MDF board and cover it with epoxy. MDF is very strong and has a good flat surface on top and the ends as opposed to plywood. Having flat or smooth ends makes the tabletop look much better. 

I don’t like using plywood for tabletop because you could see the wood veneer layers on the ends. Sometimes these wood layers have small gaps that need to be filled in because you want the edges to look nice. That will take too much work to make the plywood tabletop look nice. 

Step 3 – Cut MDF Board to Your Measurements

Usually, at HomeDepot or Lowes, MDF sheets are sold as 3/4″, 1/2″, and 1/4″ thickness. For this table, I was going to use only one sheet of 3/4″ MDF, but I decided to make it thicker. So I bought another sheet of 1/2″ thick MDF to glue it together for a total of 1 1/4″ thickness. If you plan to use this desk for lightweight items, then one sheet 3/4″ MDF will work just fine. 

When cutting the MDF board, you want to use a table saw or a Kreg Accu-cut track system to make the cuts straight. If you don’t have these tools, you could always ask one of the HomeDepot employees to cut it for you. They have a table saw and will cut it for you to the exact measurements. 

For this project, cut both 3/4″ and 1/2″ MDF boards to 72 1/2″ x 30 1/2″. The extra half-inch will be trimmed off with a table saw once the boards are glued together. 

Step 4 – Glue MDF Boards Together

Take 3/4″ MDF board and place it on a flat surface. Then apply wood glue throughout the surface of the board. Make sure to spread wood glue evenly, especially on the edges of the tabletop. 

Next, place the 1/2″ MDF board over the wood glue. Since the wood glue is still wet, the boards will want to slide from side to side. To prevent that from happening, take 3/4″ wood screws and drive four screws into the 1/2″ MDF board. This will keep the two boards from sliding away until the wood glue dries. Next, place heavy objects all over the board and let it sit overnight for the glue to dry. 

Once the glue dries, scrape off the dry glue from the edges.

Step 5 – Cut Corners and Chamfer the Edges

If the two boards are glued perfectly flush on all four sides, you will not need to trim the edges. However, you might need to use a random orbital sander to go through the edges lightly. 

In my case, the 1/2″ MDF was slightly larger, so I had to trim all sides. To get the sides perfectly straight, I used an Accu-cut track system.

Once the edges are trimmed flush, take a small paint container or a cap from a can and place it on the corner of the table. Then draw the arch of the can on the MDF board. Then using a jig saw cut the corner arch. It’s tough to make a perfect corner cut with a jig saw, so use a random orbital sander to make it smooth. 

Next, take a wood router with a radius rounding over bit. Then practice on the scrap wood to raise the router bit to the desired curve. Finally, go around the MDF board to make a slight curve on the edges of the tabletop, don’t do the bottom edges.

Step 6 – Prepare the Area and Level the Tabletop

Preparing and leveling the tabletop is very important when using epoxy. If the top is slightly sloping in one direction, the epoxy mixture will flow down the slope, and you will have an uneven top surface. 

You also want to cover the work area with plastic sheeting or cardboard. Since epoxy is in liquid form, it will flow down over the sides of the tabletop on the floor. You don’t want to make a big mess. 

Even though epoxy does not have a strong smell, you want to ensure the work area is properly ventilated. Sometimes it’s easier to work outside, but you need to watch out for bugs or mosquitoes. Epoxy is sticky, if a bug sits on the wet table, it will not get out.  

Step 7 – Apply Primer on MDF

Next, apply a coat of primer on the top and the sides with a small paint roller. Primer helps epoxy bind to the MDF better. Let the primer dry completely before pouring epoxy.

Step 8 – Mix Epoxy Resin

Epoxy comes in two containers, part A – hardener and part B – epoxy. The two need to be mixed together in a 1:1 ratio. That means part A and part B should have the same amount. 

To cover the 72×30 surface, you would need 1/4 of a gallon of part A and 1/4 of a gallon of part B mixed together. You could buy epoxy in 1/4 gallon containers on Amazon. 

Then take an empty container larger than 1/2 a gallon and pour both part A and part B into it. Using a helix paint mixer, mix epoxy for about 5 minutes. You want to make sure it is mixed very well. 

Once you mix the epoxy, then you can add the color. I added some black liquid dye paint and metallic black glitter. I didn’t want to add any other colors because I wanted it to look plain. But there are a lot of YouTube videos showing how to mix epoxy colors to make very cool designs. 

Step 9 – Apply Epoxy Over MDF

Now pour the epoxy over the MDF and spread it with a putty knife or a nylon brush. It’s easier to use a nylon brush for applying epoxy on the sides. 

Once the epoxy is evenly spread out you will need to get rid of bubbles that form during the mixing. To eliminate bubbles, you will need to use a torch to heat the epoxy. Be careful not to overdo it and burn the mixture. You want to keep the flame about 8 to 10 inches away from epoxy and quickly run through the tabletop. If you stay in one spot for too long with a torch, the epoxy will burn and turn yellow. 

It will take about 24 hours for the epoxy to cure and become hard. But you will need to wait about 30 days for it to cure completely. 

Step 10 – Attach the Tabletop to the Frame

Before attaching the Tabletop to the frame, use a random orbital sander and sand the bottom of the tabletop to get rid of epoxy drips.

Now position the tabletop in the center of the FlexiSpot desk frame and attach it with screws. Follow the FlexiSpot instructions to finish mounting the control box and the hand switch. Finally, connect the wiring, and you are done with a DIY Epoxy Tabletop for a Standing Desk Frame.