Craftsman hobbies can be an important part of people’s lives. For Bobby Burns, his passion for carpentry started in the twenty-teens, during the construction of Hudson Yards. Since then, Burns has spent his free time creating live-edge epoxy tables, cutting boards, charcuterie boards, birdhouses, and Little Free Library boxes. As chief engineer for Warner Bros., with a 38-year career, Burns and his team of 19 people operate 24/7 to ensure that their offices are well maintained. His team manages HVAC, power generators, and other infrastructure to keep daily operations running. During the construction of Hudson Yards, he saw crates coming in and out of the site and was inspired to take up carpentry.
“I thought it would be wasteful to let all of that wood go to waste,” Burns said. “So, I took some home and decided to make something with it.”
Having never done any kind of formal carpentry work before, Burns purchased an online class called “Weekend Woodworker,” which assigned its students weekly beginner projects until the course was completed. After finishing that, he purchased an instructional CD to build a storage trunk. From there, he took a less structured approach and attempted various new projects to improve his skills. After some time, he invested in more sophisticated equipment to make items for friends and family, such as personalized signs, lazy Susans, birdhouses, and charcuterie and cutting boards.
The most complicated items he produces are live-edge epoxy tables. Epoxy tables are one of his favorite items to make due to the complex and changing nature of working with epoxy.
“It’s like a science project,” he explained.
The process begins by preparing the wood, sanding it smooth and sealing the surface to prevent trapped air from bubbling up later. Next, the edges of the piece are dammed off, since liquid epoxy needs a mold to hold its shape while it sets. The resin and hardener are then mixed in a precise ratio, often tinted with pigment or mica powder for color, and poured slowly to avoid trapping air. A quick pass with a heat gun pops any bubbles that form. From there, time is needed: pieces are usually dry to the touch within a day but require one to two weeks to fully cure, especially for thicker pours. Once cured, the surface is sanded and polished to a glassy finish.
When issues do occur, they can stem from a number of factors, including the weather.
Burns said that his first table, a live-edge epoxy river table with a “midnight blue” river running through it, is still in use and enjoyed today and was a tremendous learning experience. He takes pride in the outcome and in the reactions he receives to his work.
“That’s someone’s dining table, and it’s in their home. They use it, and people comment on it.”
While Burns earns income from his creations, especially the epoxy tables, it’s less about the money and more about doing what he enjoys, helping others, and creating pieces people can appreciate. He occasionally participates in local craft fairs on Fire Island, where he enjoys meeting people and seeing his pieces find new homes.
“I’m certainly not a big shop or a production business,” said Burns. “I’m just someone who enjoys creating unique pieces one project at a time.”
He often lends his skills to friends and neighbors, who cover only the cost of materials and his time. One example: a friend once asked for his help in making an epoxy river table to be donated to the Fair Harbor Fire Department. That project became a learning experience when the table failed to cure the first time properly. A solution was found, and the table was finished beautifully, with the local fire station’s insignia embedded inside.
Another facet of the work he enjoys is building beach-themed Little Free Libraries that can be found in multiple Fire Island communities.
Beyond decorative items like the tables and libraries, Burns also does handyman work, simple deck construction and repair, and moldings. As with the fire department table, much of this work isn’t done with profit in mind, but as a function of being an active and dedicated member of his community.
At his home in Shoreham, Burns has many of his pieces on display: an epoxy river table he made for himself, two coffee tables, a bench, several signs, and a trunk he built for his wife.
As Burns said, it’s not so much about the money. Because of this attitude, his neighbors remember his kindness and favor him in return.
“I’m a quiet man,” he says. “I do this stuff because I enjoy it, and I enjoy helping people. I like people’s reaction to how I can help them.”
Visit Bobby Burns’ Instagram page @bobbysboards.
