My husband and I built a DIY zinc top table-applying the zinc and it is gorgeous. This post will cover applying the zinc to the table. There is a post on the final table, and there is also a post on how we built the table base.
DIY Zinc Top Table-Applying the Zinc
We built the table base first. We wanted a large table so the table is 45 inches wide and 8 feet long.
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I want a farmhouse table with a zinc top like I see in high-end stores. We went to the internet to search for zinc or to find something similar that we could use. Many countertops in restaurants are zinc or stainless steel. I do not want to use stainless because I want the table to be matte finish, not a shiny finish, and I also want a little texture in the tabletop.
The Zinc
We found the zinc at RotoMetals online. We called the company and told them our idea and they were extremely helpful explaining the product and how to apply the product. We ordered a roll of zinc, the flux, solder and adhesive from rotometals.com.
The zinc weighs 50 pounds and FedEx delivered it within a few days. Getting up the nerve to start this part of the project was so hard for us. Yes, we were scared.
We laid the zinc on top of the table and cut the excess zinc off with a pair of tin snips.
We cut a small slit in all four corners and started bending the zinc and rolling it under the table.
We purchased the highest gauge zinc because we wanted the zinc to be durable but I feel like this made the zinc harder to bend. Let’s just say that we got a great arm and shoulder workout because we really had to use our strength to bend it. We did have to use a rubber mallet. I was afraid that it would cause dents in the zinc but it did not. It didn’t take us too long and we had the job done.
Clamp down all the sides and leave it clamped overnight.
As you can see, when we removed the clamps the zinc remained bent which made it easy to pop back onto the table.
Sealant
Apply the sealant well and use a trowel to spread the sealant over the entire table.
This is very important! You want great coverage so that the zinc will completely adhere so apply it to the zinc itself as well as the tabletop.
So we threw everything in our garage on top of the table so that the zinc would stick to the tabletop. We did have a small bubble in the center of the table that did not stick but we held a heat gun to it until the area became really hot and the adhesive stuck to the zinc and it worked.
Truth here! We had no idea how to solder. We watched a few YouTube videos and gave it a shot.
It looked pretty rough but after we filed it down and sanded it, it looked fine.
Sanding
We use an orbital sander to sand the entire table, and it left a beautiful texture and finish to the tabletop. Apply the sealer from Rotometals.
This table was so much fun to build and we are so proud to show it off. We have been bitten by the furniture building bug and can’t wait for our next build.
Check out How We Built the Table Base
nikki frank-hamilton says
This is so cool! I love how the zinc looks on the table, industrial modern decor is my jam. Love it mixed with modern style. I am envious of your table! Thanks for sharing the how to and the links, this may be a future project of us, love it so much! (Can I use any more exclamation points? LOL)
Christine says
You did a amazing job. Hands down, that’s the best table I have ever seen DIY’d. Please don’t be surprised if i copycat his, I need a table for outside and I was thinking concrete top but now I am loving the zinc!
laura says
This is so cool! I have an existing serving table that looks dated. The zinc top would look amazing. Our the decorative rivets from the same company? I didn’t recognize all of the items you ordered. newbie! laura
Kathryn says
How are the decorative rivets around the edge applied? Gorgeous table and thanks for the tutorial. Kudos to a job well done!
Sherry says
Thanks Kathryn, We drilled small holes through the zinc and the wood under the zinc. Then we took the adhesive that we used to glue the zinc onto the table and placed it on the rivet and stuck it into the hole. I tapped it in with a rubber hammer. The rivets are very secure in the holes. I did take pictures of how we did the rivets if you would like for me to email them to you.
Rebecca says
Remodelaholic shared your table and I’m so glad! I’ve been wanting to try and do something like this but for a desk for my husband. I do have just a couple of questions and then I’m going to get planning the project and I can’t wait. What was the purpose of the sanding you did on the table and what was the grit of sandpaper you used? My second question is where did you purchase the rivets? Thanks!
Sherry says
Thank you Rebecca! We sanded the zinc with 220 grit. I had a picture of a zinc top table from a very expensive store and I was trying to make my table top look like the one from the store. I sent the picture to the company where I purchased the zinc from called Rotometals.com. and I asked them how to get that look on my zinc. The company told me that the table in my picture was sanded so that is why I sanded the table. Look at my blog post and you can see what the table looks like before sanding. I thought it looked like stainless steel and I did not want my table shiny like stainless steel. I also purchased the rivets from Rotometals. I really like the way our table turned out more than the one in the store. If you want me to email you the pictures of the tables from the expensive store so you can see the look that I was going for, I will.
Rebecca says
Thanks for the additional info! If you want to send the pictures I’d love to see them.
phyllis says
Can you give an idea of the cost of the zinc top as well as the size? We are considering doing a metal top over a kitchen island and would consider this type of installation. Love the look you created!
Sherry says
Hi Phyllis! Our table is huge. It is 45 inches wide and 8 feet long. We purchased the largest and the most expensive sheet that the company sold. Our sheet is 10 feet long and we cut off almost 2 feet. For the extra large sheet of zinc, it was $259.00. That may sound like a lot but the 6 foot zinc table in the store was $2500 so I think the price of the zinc was great. Some of the sheets are under $200 depending on the size. The only place we found the zinc sheets was Rotometals. If you go to Rotometals.com and look on the left side of the page. Click on zinc sheets. Look for the size you need and you will see the price. Let me know if you need anything else. Also you will need to purchase the adhesive and the stuff to solder the edges but those things are not expensive at all.
Nancy Hrbe says
Love your table! Absolutely gorgeous and at a nominal cost.
Thanks for sharing!
Nicki Parrish says
Your dining room is amazing. I absolutely love that table!