Concrete Fiber Optic Buffet Top

The fiber optic buffet top got installed this weekend.

The finish ended up being a coat of the semi-penetrating soy epoxy. Since it ended up being very shiny I hit everything with some steel wool and then a coat of wax.

A couple layers of felt went down to provide some support for the fiber optic cables under the concrete.

Ooooooo

Ahhhhhhh

Sealing the Concrete Buffet Top

I have been falling behind on blog posts with our house being on a homes tour, traveling, and school. Meanwhile the concrete buffet top has been sitting and waiting in the garage. Pretty much all of the finish work has been completed so it getting old didn't impact grinding. Although at this point there isn't anything you could do other than burn up pads.

Here is a shot of the crushed Murano glass in the surface. The big pieces are all back-lit with fiber optics.

My cat Portland supervising.
I haven't found a sealing method that I really like. I have tried the Cheng sealer with wax, just wax, and acyclic. None do a good job of penetrating and bringing out the color. I like the idea and durability of traditional epoxies, but they make the concrete look like plastic. I am experimenting with a soy-based eco-friendly epoxy. It is supposed to bring on the color and not make the concrete look like plastic and be UV stable. It mixes in two parts like epoxy but is really thin. There is no odor at all, which is good for inside work.

Here is the applied product. I tried a roller and a brush. It went on a little streaky and became more uniform during drying. I am going to give it a day or so before making a verdict, although so far so good.