Building a DIY GFRC CONCRETE Dining Table for Outdoors // How To

Learn how to build a concrete outdoor dining table with a metal base using GFRC, glass fiber reinforced concrete. This was my first GFRC project and definitely won't be my last!
🛠 Tools Used On The Concrete Dining Table (affiliate):
🔹 Rockler Countersink Bit : www.rockler.com/rockler-insty...
Collomix Concrete Mixer : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
Hopper Gun : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
Compacting Rollers : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
Polishing Pads : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
Drill/Tap Bit : amzn.to/2STNUOl
Table Saw : amzn.to/2WrrNMm
Push Stick : amzn.to/2XIvgFq
Magnetic Screw Holder (for my impact driver) : amzn.to/2xGYPwD
Cordless Drill : amzn.to/2wOFM2S
📦 Materials Used On The Concrete Dining Table (affiliate):
🔹 Rockler Metal Table Legs : www.rockler.com/u-shaped-weld...
🔹 Rockler 1 ¼" Screws : www.rockler.com/centerline-8-...
🛥 TotalBoat 4 Minute Epoxy : www.totalboat.com/product/4-m...
🛥 TotalBoat Thixo Fast Cure Epoxy : amzn.to/3iYFj7I
Fishstone GFRC Mix : bit.ly/FishstoneGFRCmix
Fishstone Pigment : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
Fishstone Super Plasticizer : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
Fishstone U-Seal Concrete Sealer : concretecountertopsupply.com/...
📹 SUBSCRIBE : goo.gl/V5gcNJ
💰 BECOME A MEMBER : / @craftedworkshop
👕 Get your Build It Yourself merch! bit.ly/BuildItYourselfMerch
📲 FOLLOW CRAFTED WORKSHOP!
INSTAGRAM: / craftedworkshop
FACEBOOK: / craftedworkshop
TWITTER: / craftedworkshop
PINTEREST: / craftedworkshop

[@VanDerPol]

I really like that you also share your mistakes with us - at least as helpful as the things gone right!

[@craftedworkshop]

Always! Everyone learns from their mistakes and hopefully y'all can learn from mine.

[@Blazer19742002]

A grinder dust shroud would've been your best friend with smoothing out the surface of your table. Fantastic build btw 👌❤😁

[@craftedworkshop]

Definitely wish I would have had one!

[@ChelseaPensioner-DJW]

Hi, enjoyed your vid and just a tip from an old all round builder. If you add a couple of drawer handles to a board or aluminium rectangular box and pull across the base or tamp it down, you'll get a better final finish but if tamping get rid of air bubbles in the concrete. Just a scaled down version of laying a shed/garage/workshop base. Would add a pic but won't let me, just look up concrete base tamping.

[@michaelfishburn9367]

Really appreciate the honesty in the video! I think you may have dissuaded me from pouring a concrete table top…!

[@seyyedamirir4977]

It's very weird watching the king of overdoing, underdoing his concrete pouring.

[@catherinemiles8021]

This looks absolutely awesome thank you for sharing 🤩

[@tjstengel]

When I did my concrete countertops I started with 400 grit after taking it out of the melamine and that seemed to work well. Did, 400 grit, 800 grit, 1200 grit and ended with 1500 grit. All wet sanding.

[@craftedworkshop]

Yup, definitely starting WAY higher next time!

[@jebba1987]

Keen to hear how this one holds up. Normally don't see an issue with gfrc for slabs on ground but it doesn't really do much in terms of flexure in a suspended spanning situation. Probably ok for counters since it's spanning at most 24 inches typically but this one seems a bit sketchy

[@fishstonestudio]

For your first GFRC project it really turned out great!!!!

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks Tom! Definitely could have been better but a good project to get started!

[@SpencleyDesignCo]

This table is dope! Well done man!

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks man!

[@netposerx]

Did this back in 2007 but added diagonal strip to break it up into 2 sections because there was no way to move and place it on my island. After I put it in place I put some black caulk where the 2 pieces met and it looked pretty good. Worked out well.

[@craftedworkshop]

Nice, good tips!

[@TravellingAsh-]

Can’t wait to see the concrete plates and cups.

[@robohippy]

Well, I did a lot of high end residential concrete work, which included a lot of counter tops, and I also have a full wood shop. So, from that point of view, I got a couple of eye rolls out of this... Seems way over complicated to me. I do know they have light weight concrete mixes, which can include pumice as a big part of the aggregate mix, and/or vermiculite. I do like the idea of the fiber in it. My preference is for the micro fibers rather than the big stuff, cat hair, as we used to call it. My style was a hand troweled top, which included stripping and facing the edges and under lip of the table, about 2 inch over hang max. I just got a better look/finished product after, and didn't have to do any grinding after, but that requires set up and finish troweling experience. If we used the longer cat hair, a torch was used to burn off all nibs sticking up, but with the shorter hair, it wasn't necessary. For coloring, we used the acid based stains. For sealers, there were a lot of them back when I still did this work. I would expect that with any water based top coat, that the first coat would seal the top, after proper curing time, and then extra layers would build rather than continue to soak in. Not sure how that all works now days. I think I would have used a wider foot spread/base for your table top, and added a center lengthwise support as well. Every one that I did concrete work for told me I was too dang fussy to do concrete work. Maybe I should have been a finish carpenter....

[@craftedworkshop]

Good tips! I kind of wish I would have gone the stain route to get the concrete even darker.

[@flamabl1]

Which is exactly why you spray the first coat and don't need any troweling experience. And NOBODY needs to grind....he screwed up just as he said.

[@TotalBoat]

Beautiful build, it looks awesome!

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks a bunch!

[@bobbicatton]

Beautifully done👍

[@BigDertskitchen]

Great video again you never disappoint happy Father’s Day to you my brother

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks Don!

[@ScottH7651]

I made a concrete table and have a couple suggestions. To lighten the table, I used styrofoam bean bag balls that I mixed in to the 2nd and 3rd pourings. Worked well. And to make the concrete black, I would use India ink after it's all cured rather than try to add colorant to the concrete mixture. You''ll get a better look.

[@tidaltimber]

I just poured a table and used garden perlite as a filler and aggregate. Table was about 25 to 30 percent lighter!

[@louisv9092]

Great idea. Was the garden perlite visible in the end result? @@tidaltimber

[@tidaltimber]

No but to be fair my table surface is facing the bottom of the mold because it has a wood grain pattern print on it.@@louisv9092

[@madroot]

Hey hey , the Johnny squat!!!!Nice job on that table.

[@craftedworkshop]

Hah, it's back!

[@dodgezilla04]

Phew. It's about time. Thanks

[@FlowylineDesign]

Great work. Much admired. You guys might check out some of the heavy duty legs that I have here to pair with this GFRC table top. Oh love it.

[@jack-uq3tn]

House is coming along great!

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks!

[@AMC-eq3jr]

Just beautiful.

[@limawhisky]

Sort of the issues I had when I started almost 10 years ago with GFRC. Large tables always tend to sag like a banana. that´s because cement tend to shrink where there is more material. My solution was to add a metal frame within the whole table to counter balance sagging. And regarding the screening of the back face, I advice to never use a piece of wood since it drags the material and get adhere to the wood. I always use an aluminum straight edge. Overall beautiful work. !!

[@R1tu4lz]

I wish I could do this but I am a beginner and it seems really complicated. Hopefully one day but I need to try a more simple project first. Amazing job though I absolutely love the look of the concrete and legs you chose. Perfect.

[@davestephenson2990]

Check out Micheal builds. Has a simpler version

[@idontthinkso666]

I feel like I say this everytimeee, but thanks for stating your regrets, thee "do overs." Most U Tubers pretend perfection, and none of us buy that. Life is aboout learning from mistakes. Thanks for sharing yours.

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Beautiful love it

[@AmosAmerica]

This is amazing! Thx for this post.

[@hendok700]

Wow, thx for sharing all that and awsome production

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks!

[@keeganbuilds]

Do you feel like you need to add any sort of cross bracing underneath to prevent the table top from swaying? Or did that Apron really help out? I am mid build on my project, ended up around same amount of concrete and this thing is HEAVY. Im afraid that someone pushing on one end might topple the whole thing.

[@Jason.Davis.]

Sick table dude. Holy crap

[@jp8479]

I thought I was the only weirdo that would tackle a big slab project as my first GFRC project. lol

[@hdwoodshop]

I wonder if Finish should’ve been applied to underside of the top. Looks good

[@nickpearce2968]

Looks awesome

[@Oonagh72]

You made a wonderful piece. I even like the way it looked on the saw horses! In the video, the table wasn’t sagging it was bowed, it looked like it was sagging when you flipped it over. It was the oddest thing.I am so glad it worked out.

[@craftedworkshop]

It was definitely sagging, it flattened back out once I added the 2x4s underneath.

[@jeremyharris6153]

Nice looking project. I want to build a similar table. But add a cutting board insert to one side. For outdoor meal prep. Not brave enough to put into motion yet.

[@joshweightwoodworks]

Where did you get that bigger mixing tub? Awesome build btw

[@reginalawson8008]

I was just curious of the total cost? If time were not a constraint would have you gone another route or chosen a different method to achieve a similar look and style??

[@diamondperidot]

It is inspiring that you show your mistakes. tfs

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks for watching!

[@xyzcreate]

Yet another amazing build and video! One question though, why didn't you use wire mesh or rebar embedded into the concrete for strength? Not criticizing, just curious.

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks! And kind of the whole point of GFRC is you don’t really need rebar. I could have added some glass scrim, which is a mesh made from the same material as the fibers.

[@xyzcreate]

@@craftedworkshop Thanks for the response Johnny. I've seen GFRC on KZbin a ton, but have never used it personally. I had no idea it was that strong! I'm going to need to get my hands on some :)

[@MCsCreations]

Pretty fantastic work, dude! The table turned out amazing! 😃 I really liked the idea of adding the foam boards, but I guess you should've added more of them! 😬 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks! Definitely could have added more foam potentially but I didn't want the table to be too thin either. Kind of a tough balance!

[@MostRussianTim]

That is the best concrete table that I have seen on KZbin.

[@markhandy3805]

Nice work tell her to use a little rebar inside the concrete to stiffen it up a little but all in looks good

[@chazzmantis2279]

Great job

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks!

[@mauserkk98]

Looks good.

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks!

[@moresapa1147]

Well done

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks!

[@sparks6666]

Love the color. This turned out great. How do you not own a trowel? ;-)

[@craftedworkshop]

I own trowels but they're all at the house, not at my shop!

[@CrawfordMethod]

Float trowels are usually magnesium, the porosity of that metal helps bring up the cream. Wood floats were also popular at one time, I can say I have made an emergency wood float before!

[@GregoryRusso]

Nice video. I've been planning a similar project. How thick was your table-top? I am having trouble figuring out how you ended up using 7x45 lb bags of concrete? My calcs for what I think is a similar sized table are quite different and the magnitude of the difference worries me. Thanks.

[@mauriciogonzalez6302]

Acid washing the concrete and then wet sanding with 200 and 400 grit will give you that machined looking finish.

[@leonbraun363]

Curious. This is the first time I am seeing someone drill into their concrete table top. How thick is the table that it can handle being drilled into? Looking into making one myself but I am very nervous of drilling into the concrete.

[@alonro]

Amazing, Please share a link to the fibers

[@goeppinger41]

How were you able to carry the slab in the end? Did it become lighter?

[@edition-deluxe]

So at the end you guys were lifting it np, so it must have lost water weight? What's the estimated weight after curing?

[@silkandclayartvideostutori9923]

What type of drill and bit do you recommend for attaching the metal legs to the concrete. Thanks!

[@2005jungsuman]

Hard work

[@hasanhas00n1]

Hello I’m glad the table ended up looking great. what is the best thing to weather proof this GRFC concrete table for outdoor use. Im planning on placing one near a pool, where I’m at during the summer it can reach 130F and quiet dusty. Im afraid thermal cycling could cause the corners to chip off

[@craftedworkshop]

The U-Seal sealer I used is meant for outdoor use. I don't see anything chipping off as long as the piece is built correctly.

[@flamabl1]

lol, GFRC is not chipping during your lifetime.

[@abbo3272]

@@flamabl1 i have seen some badly chipped etc, but suspect, not well made, sad, gives GFRC, bad name, but if done right, as you say, will last years.

[@DynamicJon]

I'm trying to understand why use GFRC here instead of something like the quickset stuff from the orange big box, is it just that it comes out super smooth? I thought maybe it was because it would pour extremely well and self level but that didnt look like the case and then not being able to level out the back with a piece of wood really adds complexity... just curious as i'm looking to do this project myself super soon.

[@mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.

[@Milaandlukeliketodostuff]

Got to applause you for posting with all the hiccups along the way man. Still turned out great.

[@BruceAUlrich]

Turned out really cool! When you said you started with that lowest polisher, I cringed a bit. ha ha

[@craftedworkshop]

Hah, yup! Thanks Bruce!

[@user-qm1xp3zo9v]

What brand of wax do you Use on the concrete Surface i will find some To put on my concrete Table.

[@dragade101]

Use water when you are grinding it smooth?

[@RedBairnMedia]

Would look fantastic with a set of matching chairs, or stools.

[@craftedworkshop]

Totally!

[@Mark-ff8ir]

Do you live near a Fishstone distributor? I'm trying to price out a double vanity with ramp sink and find the shipping costs to double the cost of the material

[@NirvanaWoodWorksbyJanie]

Love the color you chose! Do you have a link for them tap/drill bits?

[@craftedworkshop]

Thank you! And can’t believe I forgot to link that bit, here it is : amzn.to/2STNUOl

[@craftedworkshop]

Thank you! And can’t believe I forgot to link that bit, here it is : amzn.to/2STNUOl

[@002seleena]

Recommended

[@stuartgray5877]

You probably figured it out but Tapcons do not like being removed and reinstalled. I suspect that is why you added glue for the final assembly :-)

[@ngarmy6602]

Nice

[@liamrobins8789]

When do you expect to finish the house? An estimated completion date?

[@craftedworkshop]

Hoping to be completely finished with the inside by October, I've got lots to do on the inside still.

[@bikervlad]

That looks amazing, but please clean your lens or sensor ( that black spot drove me mad 😂 )

[@craftedworkshop]

Oh believe, it drove me nuts too. Couldn't see it while filming, only after I imported the footage did I notice!

[@arseniharkunou5905]

Could sagging be because of foam boards?

[@Dev1nci]

You should try GDFRC concrete. Also known as going down for real concrete.

[@ttwil9810]

Your ball trick is used in fiberglass industry for a wax strip to ginish fsealing parts of molds

[@Wo000T]

how much did the table end up weighing roughly?

[@T.E.P.]

this channel is blowin' up!! Monday June 21, 2021. 870k subscribers. 1.3k thumbs up and merely 23 loser thumbs down

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks!

[@MartinDoms]

Why could you two not lift it after the curing but you could lift it after finishing, even with the legs?

[@jalexand007]

You should use spax screws. Easier to use and saves you time.

[@Cronkerdonk]

What happened to that ipe table you made a few years back?

[@craftedworkshop]

We still use it a ton on the deck on our main house!

[@pepper7144]

How large a flow air compressor do you need to use the hopper gun?

[@craftedworkshop]

Not much, I just have a small compressor similar to a pancake compressor.

[@pepper7144]

@@craftedworkshop thanks for prompt reply

[@eudo1898]

Great build, however, I think that your legs were placed too close to the end of the table. It should be the depth of a chair or appropriately 20 inches inside. This will also help to balance the weight of the concrete and prevent sagging.

[@davecurda2350]

I personally would prefer a wood table. I know there would be more maintenance but wood looks better. Very nice build John

[@craftedworkshop]

Fair enough!

[@netposerx]

And concrete has no tensile strength. So when you jumped on top on if (even in the form) I was surprised it didn't break and even more surprised when you didn't have an middle support after the form was off.

[@craftedworkshop]

The glass fibers give this a good amount of tensile strength, that's the whole point of GFRC!

[@netposerx]

@@craftedworkshop Yeah, that helps. Fiberglass rods are a great alternative to rebar these days.

[@214sioeh]

👍👍👍

[@latencycc]

How do these makers use impact guns without a magnetic driver?

[@danebroe6067]

They don’t use philips bits?

[@latencycc]

@@danebroe6067 they do, but most of the makers just stick the Phillips bus straight in the impact, as a framer and drywaller, I'm used to having magnetic shafts, that we put the Phillips bits into

[@DaleDoesItAll]

Do you feel like the table is top heavy? Or are the legs sufficiently wide enough?

[@craftedworkshop]

It's certainly top heavy but I can't imagine this thing accidentally getting knocked over. The legs are 24" wide, so only an 8" overhang on either side.

[@verygoodboy2688]

Isn't Mike from modern builds not modustrial maker? Or are they both named Mike?

[@KnottenWood]

Two very different guys.

[@craftedworkshop]

Both named Mike!

[@verygoodboy2688]

@@craftedworkshop mike gang 🤝

[@Zoom_fast911]

Are you a Deathcore fan

[@craftedworkshop]

Depends on the band!

[@adamcampbell1980]

Was this not reinforced? That’s likely why it sagged.

[@craftedworkshop]

Shouldn’t need it with GFRC.

[@cuajocuajocuajo]

1:57 a what?

[@fundifferent1]

the fact that this table is 500llbs automatically disqualifies it from being DIY. have to redesign a much lighter table!

[@gantzi77]

3:24 Someone was watching Dexter recently?

[@MohammadAli-cv8qm]

When will there be a house tour give us a date

[@craftedworkshop]

Hoping to be completely finished with the inside by October, I've got lots to do on the inside still.

[@latiffesa]

u forgot to put rebar in the concrete

[@kanedNunable]

my condolences to the poor lady who put her washing out to dry just as you decided to grind a load of concrete :)

[@flamabl1]

Quality wet grinder and pads....less than $400.

[@dorhocyn3]

I thought you were just gonna throw it in a form and hit it with a vibrator....

[@andrhamm]

lol what were you thinking 😅

[@craftedworkshop]

Evidently I wasn't! 😂

[@joeyp2299]

you should build a pizza oven

[@craftedworkshop]

That'd be fun!

[@kiendesign6495]

Hi everyone! I am very happy to help you all draw the construction of the furniture product, include 3D and rendering for free. Thank you very much.

[@Stephen_Strange]

Oh dear, so heavy !!!

[@charles5259]

Jesus only thing not provided by a sponsor was his buckets