DIY Wood and Resin River Wall Art - Baseball Storage Rack

2 Materials
$130
3 Days
Medium

In this HT post, I show you how to make a DIY wood and resin river wall art and baseball storage rack. This was a gift for my oldest son's big day. Be sure to watch the video and read the entire post to see the end result and a letter I wrote to my son.

My oldest son, Zeph, received a college baseball scholarship from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The day a high school athlete signs a national letter of intent to play college sports is a BIG day. They are finally rewarded for their dedication, hard work, & sacrifice they put forth to their craft for more than half their lives.

Instead of buying my son a gift for his big day, my younger son and I decided to make him a wall mounted baseball storage rack to hold his baseball gear at college.

The baseball bat rack, hat rack, and baseball glove display is also DIY wood and resin river wall art with the logo and colors of his new college - the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

This baseball display case holds 3 baseball bats, 2 baseball gloves, and 2 baseball hats. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, the techniques I use in this project also apply to tables and general wall art.

Make Large Resin Mold

First, I made a large resin mold made from a 2'x4' sheet of particle board for the DIY wood and resin river wall art.

Then, I covered the particle board with silicone tape. As a side note, packing tape is cheaper and will do the job just fine.

Next, I covered the silicone tape with furniture wax which works as a mold release agent. When I don't have furniture wax in my shop, I use vaseline.

Prepare Wood and Seal Mold

I decided to use a piece of cherry wood for the DIY baseball storage rack. This piece of cherry was not milled, so I had to do some work to get it straight on the sides and flat/smooth. If you don't have any woodworking tools, simply buy the wood already milled from your local home center or lumber yard.

First, I used my tape measure to find the center of the board which was 5".

Next, I used my track saw to cut a straight line down the center of the cherry. I always make sure to cut a nice, straight line down the center of the wood I use for river tables. Ultimately, this will be the outer sides after I flip the wood around.

Then, I used my rotary sander to clean up the loose bark and dirt from the entire piece. The sandpaper grit doesn't matter during this step since I'm simply cleaning up the sides and edges.

Seal Resin Mold

I decided to use a piece of cherry wood for the DIY baseball storage rack.

First, I used my tape measure to find the center of the board which was 5".

Next, I used my track saw to cut a straight line down the center of the cherry. I always make sure to cut a nice, straight line down the center of the wood I use for river tables. Ultimately, this will be the outer sides after I flip the wood around.

Then, I used my rotary sander to clean up the loose bark and dirt from the entire piece. The sandpaper grit doesn't matter during this step since I'm simply cleaning up the sides and edges.

Mix Resin

Once the silicone was dry, I mixed 48 ounces of resin for the DIY wood and resin river wall art.

After I mixed the resin, I split the 48 ounces into 2 containers with 24 ounces in each.

Next, I slowly mixed in red opaque pigment in one container and white opaque pigment in the other container.

I added more pigment until I achieved the shade of red and white I wanted.

Then, I added red glow powder to the red pigment. I had 8 ounces of glow powder from a previous project and thought it would be cool to add it to the baseball storage rack.

Pour Resin

My youngest son and I poured the red and white resin simultaneously.

He poured the white and I poured the red at the same rate in order for the resin to meet in the middle. It worked perfectly.

We had a little leftover white resin, so I poured it in my fleur des lis silicone mold. More on this later.

Resin Lace Effect & Embedded Objects

First, I cut 3 baseballs in half on my bandsaw. My apologies, but my camera memory card was full when I did this; therefore, I didn't capture it on film.

Next, my youngest son dropped a baseball in the center.

Then, he dropped one 5 inches from each end of the DIY wood and resin river wall art.

After the baseballs sank into the resin, I used a stir stick with a little dab of white resin to cover the writing on each baseball.

I turned off the light and shined a black light over the red resin to test the glow powder. It had a very nice red glow to it.

Finally, we let the baseball storage rack sit overnight.

Second Resin Pour

After the first resin pour cured overnight, it was time for the second resin pour.

As a side note, I didn't want the resin to completely cover the baseball. I wanted a portion of the baseball to protrude the surface about 1/8". You will see why in a later step.

First, I mixed 48 ounces of clear resin and poured 36 ounces on the DIY wood and resin river wall art.

Resin Casting

In order to add a decorative touch to the baseball storage rack, I mixed red opaque pigment into the resin.

Next, I poured the red resin into the fleur des lis silicone mold.

Then, I used my blow torch and heat gun to remove the bubbles.

Baseball Bat Wall Holders

Once the resin was cured the following day, I installed the baseball bat rack holders.

I prefer to not drill resin, which is the reason I left a tiny portion of the ball protruding through the resin.

First, I drilled the top of the ball with a 1/8" drill bit the same depth as the threads on the utility hook.

Next, I slowly screwed the utility hook in the pilot hole.

Drill Holes in Fleur Des Lis Casting

I removed the fleur des lis casting from the silicone mold..

Next, I used a 1/16" drill bit to drill a hole through baseball hat rack holder. The resin is difficult to drill, so I stepped up the drill bit size by 1/8" until I got to 3/8".

Remove Resin Art from Mold

The silicone tape and furniture wax made it very easy to remove the DIY wood and resin river wall art from the large resin mold.

Obviously, removing an object from a poorly constructed resin mold could be a nightmare.

Tidy Up the Wood (Optional Step)

To prepare the DIY wood and resin baseball storage rack for the finish coat, I trimmed each end, rounded over the edges, and sanded. If you don't have a circular saw or router, all this can be accomplished with an orbital sander and a little bit of elbow grease.

Sanding

My sanding sequence changes according to the material I use. I often experiment with different sequences, which was the case for this project.

Quick Tip: If you want your DIY wood and resin wall art to look nice, you need to sand thoroughly. It's the most important part of any woodworking project.

First, I sanded the back of the baseball storage rack. I used the 80 grit, 120 grit, 180 grit, 220 grit, and 320 grit sandpaper.

Next, I flipped the DIY wood and resin river wall art over and sanded the front the same way. I only sanded the wood and made sure to get as close to the resin river as possible without touching it.

The finish I chose for this project is satin Polycrylic. It dries quickly, protects the wood, and looks best over lighter wood.

First, I wiped all the dust with a damp lint free rag.

Next, I used my soft tip brush to apply the stain in long, thin strokes along the wood grain. Multiple lighter coats is always better than fewer thick coats.

Then, I hand sanded with 220 grit sandpaper after it dried.

I repeated this process 3 times.

Final Touches

This step all comes down to how you want to organize the gear and the look you are going for. I probably made this way more complicated than it needs to be.

I encourage you to add your own flare if you so desire.

Drill Holes in Baseball

I decided to use baseballs connected to dowels as glove holders for the DIY baseball storage rack.

First, I used a hole punch to mark the center of the ball.

Next, I started with a 1/8" drill bit and drilled a hole 1.25" in depth.

Then, I used a 1/4" drill bit and finally a 3/8" drill bit. The dowel I plan to use is 3/8".

Cut Dowels

In order to secure the baseballs and fleur des lis hat holders to the DIY wood and resin river wall art, I cut 6 cherry dowels with a 3/8" diameter to 3.5" long.

Installation

I decided to put the hat holder at the bottom and the glove holder at the top of the baseball storage rack.

First, I centered the fleur des lis hat holders between the baseballs.

Next, I found the center mark between the bottom piece of wood and river using my square.

Then, I put my hole punch through a piece of painters tape and placed the hole punch on the pencil mark. I marked the location with my hole punch. The painters tape helps prevent tear out.

My dowel jig came in handy as it helped me ensure I drill a straight hole 1" deep into the wood.

First, I dabbed glue around the edge of each hole and let it drip into the hole for a few minutes.

After a few minutes, I lightly tapped the dowels in place with my rubber mallet on the DIY wood and resin wall art.

Mount on Wall

To mount the baseball storage rack on the wall, I used a simple metal french cleat. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom of the DIY wood and resin river wall art to ensure the bottom sat flush.

The metal french cleat comes with a level to use when mounting the pack piece to the wall.

A Quick Note to my Son

Zeph, we are so very proud of you!

You have worked hard to shape and mold yourself into an outstanding baseball player. And, more importantly, we are proud of you for your kindness, loving heart & gentle nature.

Remember, the positive effect you have on those around you through small acts of kindness, love, & generosity are the moments which live in your heart, and the hearts of others, forever.

Keep working hard to achieve your goals, but be sure to find joy often during your journey as this is the path to true happiness.

I love you, son - more than you will ever know.

-Dad

In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed reading this article and it brought you some form of value.

Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel to be notified of future videos and visiting my website for digital project plans

I'm happy my youngest son and I decided to make something for my oldest son's special day instead of buying a gift.

Hopefully, this DIY baseball storage rack stays with Zeph for many years to come.

Suggested materials:
  • 104 ounces of Epoxy Resin   (Visit Blog for Complete List)
  • 48" x 10" piece of wood   (Lumber Yard)
Jeremy Hoffpauir
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  1 question
  • KD Redlowske KD Redlowske on Feb 05, 2019

    So talented. How heavy is it? How did you attach to wall? Will he be living in a dorm? If so, you aren't supposed to put holes in the walls.

    Just saying.

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