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The best formula in the featured experiment was 80% sand and 20% epoxy, with a little black dye, vibrated for 30 minutes. That was the best-looking result among the project’s seven samples—not a universally proven optimum or a recipe validated by standardized strength testing. For a machine base, aggregate grading, resin proportion, air removal, vibration, reinforcement and the finished structure all affect performance.
What the experiment actually found
In a 2019 project report, Hackaday’s Brian Benchoff described Adam Bender’s tests of epoxy granite for a CNC machine base. The seven samples explored composition choices involving play sand, gravel, dye and two-part epoxy. The report identifies a mixture of 80% sand and 20% epoxy, plus some black dye, as the preferred result; it was vibrated on a DIY shaker table for 30 minutes. The report does not establish that the percentages are by mass, nor does it provide standardized mechanical-test results comparing all seven samples. Read the Hackaday project report.
The result is best understood in the context of the project’s apparent aim: produce a visually good casting for a working CNC base. It is useful practical evidence, but it does not prove that the same recipe will be strongest, stiffest or best damped in a different mold or machine.
Why aggregate and trapped air matter
The project report says samples containing rock did not turn out as well and still had trapped air, including after vacuum degassing. That is an observation about those samples and that process—not proof that rock aggregate always performs poorly or that vacuum degassing cannot help. Aggregate type and size distribution affect how particles pack, while resin must flow through the spaces without leaving voids. The report does not give enough detail to identify why the rock-containing mixes retained air.
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For a repeatable comparison, record the aggregate material and size distribution, resin system, aggregate-to-resin ratio and whether it is measured by weight or volume, vibration or compaction method, any reinforcement, mold geometry and cure conditions. The project illustrates how visual inspection can identify obvious defects, but it does not supply a common mechanical test that ranks the formulations.
How the project formed a machine base
The mold was waxed before pouring, and the casting included a metal internal skeleton that provided a way to bolt the CNC machine to the base. These details matter beyond the mix itself: mold release affects demolding, and the embedded structure provides mounting points. The report does not specify a wax brand, skeleton dimensions or a commercial shaker-table model, so those should not be inferred from the project.
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A successful-looking casting is not by itself proof that a machine base will stay aligned or resist vibration under operating loads. The completed part’s geometry, mounting arrangement and the machine it supports are part of the result, not interchangeable details.
What later machine-base research adds
A June 2024 study by Dhanabal, Prabhu Raja, Kalayarasan and Mohanraj examined a vertical machining-center base. Its reported formulation used an 80:20 granite-aggregate-to-epoxy-resin mass fraction—a different specification from the 2019 report, whose percentage basis is not stated. In that study’s tested machine design, the epoxy-granite base had higher natural frequencies and sixteen times the damping of its cast-iron comparison; directional stiffness improvements were reported as up to seven-fold. These are study-specific comparisons, not performance guarantees for a DIY casting. See the 2024 study abstract.
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A 2017 study result excerpt likewise indicates that granite-to-epoxy ratio significantly affected compressive and flexural strength, while aggregate-size ratio strongly affected damping. Its available excerpt does not provide full methods or numerical results, so it supports treating these as important variables, not selecting a specific recipe. See the 2017 study listing.
Why published strength figures are not a DIY recipe
A separate 2026 PubMed-indexed study abstract reports maximum compressive strength of 76.8 MPa, maximum flexural strength of 35.4 MPa and a peak damping ratio of 0.0202 for its own epoxy-granite composites. Those values belong to that study’s formulations and analytical context; they are not reported results for Bender’s mix and should not be used to predict a reader’s casting. See the 2026 study abstract.
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How to use the 80:20 finding
Treat the reported sand-and-epoxy mix as a starting point for controlled trials, not as a finished engineering specification. Keep the mold and process consistent while changing one variable at a time, and record the basis for each percentage. Inspect specimens for voids and incomplete filling, then evaluate them against the requirements of the actual machine base. A fair comparison should distinguish appearance from measured properties such as strength, stiffness and damping; the cited studies do not provide one standardized ranking across all of their materials and geometries.
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- EASILY TINTABLE: Seamlessly match stone colors with EZ-Tint pigments. Tinting is required if dried epoxy is visible
- NO WAITING: Dry in 29 minutes, mess free, no sanding necessary, taping off repair area not required, & won't stick to polished surfaces
- SUPER STRONG, UNBREAKABLE BOND: For installing slabs or reattaching stones. Sand or drill smooth, slick surfaces on non-porous stones like marble
- SUSTAINABLE COLOR: Tinted repairs won't exhibit yellowing or discoloration over time. Extra tint may be needed if using white tint to preserve color
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