DIY Wood Table Collects Sunlight and Glows at Night
Woodworkers often throw out wood with pits, holes, or other imperfections because those imperfections make the material difficult to work with. Pecky cypress is an exception, and DIYer Mike Warren used the lovely pits in the unusual wood to make a table that literally glows.
Pecky cypress comes from cypress trees that have been naturally damaged by a fungal infection. The infection results in uniquely-shaped voids in the wood, making pecky cypress a sought-after material for unusual projects.
Mike Warren cleaned the rotten wood out of the voids in his pecky cypress wood and filled them with a mixture of clear resin and photoluminescent powder. The glow powder soaks up sunlight during the day, and in darkness or low light it glimmers a soft, cool blue.
The finished product is truly stunning and could be made in different sizes to suit different spaces. If you’re motivated enough to make a glowing table of your own, Warren posted very informative step-by-step instructions on Instructables.
“Photoluminescent (glow) powder mixed with clear casting resin fills the naturally formed voids in Pecky Cypress hardwood, creating a unique and stunning table. The glow powder charges up in sunlight and emits a cool blue glow when in partial or complete darkness.”
“Placing this table near a window will allow it to collect rays from the setting sun and then set off a pleasant glow from the transition from twilight to evening. Making your own is fun as you can customize it in any way you want. Instead of using hardwood you can use the technique of adding glow powder to resin to cast in all kinds of fun ways.”
About the designer:
“Hello! I’m Mike Warren, experimental fabricator and best-selling author based in San Francisco. Fluent in sawdust and CNC, I’m equally comfortable designing on the computer as I am fabricating with my hands. Since 2005 I’ve been producing digital and physical prototypes out of whatever I can get my hands on, turning crazy ideas into a tangible reality. My aim is to inspire, educate, and entertain. The results can be messy, but are always fun! Outside of building functional prototypes I produce my own show on YouTube about things Cut In Half.“
