I want to make a nice table for my campervan. I’m hoping to cover an old vinyl table top with an interesting map. The plan so far is to 3m spray glue the map to the table and then cover it in a clear varnish, something like yacht varnish. It needs to be clear, possibly satin finish, able to withstand a pint being poured on it and hard wearing.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Glass or polycarbonate

I’d go perchies route.

Failing that i’d go for a resin to get a thick perfectly smooth finish rather than a brush marked yacht varnish look.

Ideally bar top finish coats or some of the Floor coats. This kind of thing

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F282723377463

Cheers Perchy.

I’m trying to do this on the cheap and I already have a table with a rubber edging. I’d hoped I could glue map, coat in goo and replace the rubber rand (to protect from peeling) and have a lovely personalised table for the cost of a small tin of clear varnish.

It sounds like this maybe unrealistic…

Or use resin. That looks good guys, cheers.

This stuff:

https://www.easycomposites.co.uk/#!/resin-gel-silicone-adhesive/epoxy-resin/GlassCast-Clear-Epoxy-Surface-Coating-Resin.html

I made a camping table with a collage of magazine pictures once. Just hit it with many coats of water based varnish. It’s still looking good to be fair.

You could maybe try a self adhesive film such as this. It mentions table tops in the description.

https://www.diy.com/departments/d-c-fix-transparent-self-adhesive-film-l-2m-w-450mm/192270_BQ.prd?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1272379&ds_rl=1272409&gclid=Cj0KCQjwv8nqBRDGARIsAHfR9wDDJ0Cp4EWtE5SAZksdWKJnJLo9ID6gBoYK-IQ7KfdW8meLQuJA3kcaAq-QEALw_wcB

andyl

Member

This stuff:

https://www.easycomposites.co.uk/#!/resin-gel-silicone-adhesive/epoxy-resin/GlassCast-Clear-Epoxy-Surface-Coating-Resin.html

This!

polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is extremely strong in terms of stuff being dropped on it, but weirdly it’s also really soft and just normal cleaning with a cloth will swirl it up and make whatever’s underneath look murky.

That GlassCast stuff looks so good I now want to think of something I can do with some!

not sure I would be brave enough to attempt a whole floor. Especially not with a dog, 2 cats and rabbit putting lots of fine white hairs everywhere.

Perchy has it I think. I’d go to one of those Nickel and Dime type stores and buy the biggest/cheapest framed poster and take out the plastic ‘glass stuff’ it’s framed behind and use that. Although to be fair my missus just bought a 120cm by 120cm polycarbonate sheet for £30 From Easter Rd plastics.

Alternatively you could but a waterproof version of the map and stick it straight on.

Or do what i said first but make it removable so you can put a map in local to the place you’re visiting.

Varnish will inevitably go yellow. Anything epoxy will also yellow over time, chemistry innit.

Thanks all. I have ordered some of the Glass Cast stuff. I know it will yellow with time but I don’t care, I want to play with it.

Anything epoxy will also yellow over time, chemistry innit.

So will polycarbonate and like I said it scratches very easily too as does acrylic.

Glasscast has UV inhibitors anyway so it will last a long time. It’s great stuff TBH.