Personalized Epoxy Desk Nameplate with Challenge Coin Display

Personalized Epoxy Desk Nameplate Coin Display

This nameplate started with a five-minute observation during a drill weekend: our commander’s nameplate had seen better days. Rather than simply replace it, we set out to reinvent it. The result is a nameplate that reads as much like a display piece as a name tag, and it is now one of our most requested designs.

Your name is printed in crisp white lettering and set into a block of resin that is poured in layers over several days. A clear base layer, a solid black background, a thin colored line, and a final clear layer over the lettering give the block real depth: the name seems to float inside the resin. After it cures, the block is squared, sanded through progressively finer grits, and given a final glossy coat that brings back a glass-like shine.

The block is set into a solid oak base that tilts the lettering slightly up toward the person across the desk. On either side, a precisely cut recess holds a challenge coin, so the nameplate doubles as a display for the two coins that mean the most.

Features

• Floating lettering: 3D printed name and rank suspended in clear epoxy over a black background.
• Thin line accent: a solid colored line poured separately and set through the center of the block. Blue honors law enforcement and military police; red, gold, green, and other colors are available.
• Glass-like finish: wet sanded from 180 to 600 grit and sealed with a final clear coat on every face.
• Solid oak base: about 16 x 4 inches, with a chamfered top edge and a Walrus Oil Furniture Butter finish.
• Coin display: two recesses sized to standard challenge coins (coins not included).
• Hidden message: an optional personal note laser engraved on the bottom of the base, seen only by the owner.

Make It Yours

• Name: as it should appear, with rank or title if you would like it included.
• Accent line color: blue, red, gold, green, white, or ask about other colors.
• Coin recess size: tell us the diameter of your coins so the recesses fit them snugly.
• Underside message: a short dedication, date, or signature engraved on the bottom of the base.

Materials and Construction

The lettering is designed on the computer and printed in white PLA on our Bambu Lab X1 Carbon 3D printer. The accent line is cast first in its own mold from deep-pour epoxy tinted with pigment powder.

The nameplate block is then built up in layers in a separate mold. A clear base layer cures first. Next comes a black-tinted layer poured around the accent line to about halfway up. Finally the lettering is placed and covered with a clear top layer. Each layer has to harden before the next can be poured, which is why this piece takes longer than most.

Once the block is out of the mold, we square every side, cut a slight angle on the bottom so the name faces up toward the viewer, and sand the resin from 180 up to 600 grit, cleaning with alcohol between grits. A thin coat of tabletop epoxy on every face brings back the shine.

The base is cut from 3/4-inch oak. Our CNC machine cuts the center pocket that seats the resin block and the two coin recesses, a trim router adds a chamfer around the top edge, and the laser engraves any message on the bottom. The base is sanded to 220 grit and finished with Walrus Oil Furniture Butter, a blend of tung oil, carnauba wax, and pine rosin.

Specifications

• Base: Solid oak, 3/4 in thick, chamfered top edge
• Lettering: 3D printed white PLA, embedded in epoxy
• Resin: TotalBoat ThickSet deep-pour epoxy, tinted layers; TotalBoat Table Top epoxy final coat
• Finish: Polished resin; Walrus Oil Furniture Butter on the oak
• Coins: Two recesses; display coins not included

The Story Behind This Piece

Our founder serves in the Army National Guard, and much of what we build is made for fellow soldiers. During one drill weekend, we noticed our commander’s desk nameplate looked worn. She had seen the plaques and awards we had made for retiring and departing soldiers, so we took a quick photo of the old nameplate and went to work.

The first version was a CNC-carved maple block with black epoxy in the letters, and it was fine, but it was only a better copy of what she already had. Knowing she was a military police officer, we redesigned it around the thin blue line. The build took about three weeks and had its share of surprises: the 3D printed letters were hollow inside and wanted to float to the surface of the wet resin, so we spent an evening nudging them back down with a toothpick until the epoxy set. It worked, and it taught us to print the letters solid for every nameplate since.

Care and Keeping

Epoxy resin is hard and glossy, but it is not glass. Clean the resin and the wood with a soft cloth and a little mild soap and water, then dry. Skip abrasive pads, ammonia cleaners, and solvents, which can haze or scratch the surface.

Keep the piece out of long hours of direct sunlight. Over time, UV light can yellow clear resin and fade colored pours, so a spot away from a sunny window keeps the colors bright.

The oak base has an oil and wax finish. Dust it with a dry cloth, and if it ever looks dry, buff in a little furniture wax.

Build Time, Shipping, and Delivery

Every piece is made to order. If you would like a digital proof of the layout and lettering before we build, ask for one in your order notes. Plan on about three weeks for us to build and finish your piece. Shipping time is in addition to the build time.

Layered epoxy work cannot be rushed. Each pour needs time to cure before the next one goes on, and the piece needs to cure fully before it is sanded, polished, and packed.

If you have a firm date, such as a retirement, birthday, or holiday, tell us when you order. We will tell you honestly whether we can meet it. We do not guarantee rush work.

We pack every piece carefully for the trip. The shipping cost is shown at checkout. For orders of $75 or more within 25 miles of Charleston, West Virginia, free local delivery is available. We are a private shop, so we do not offer pickup or workshop visits.

Good to Know

• No two are alike: wood grain, color, knots, and figure vary from board to board, so your piece will not match these photos exactly. That variation is the mark of a handmade piece, not a defect.
• Epoxy has character too: hand-poured resin can show tiny bubbles, slight color shifts between layers, and gentle variation in the surface.
• 3D printed details: printed parts can show fine layer lines up close. They are part of how the piece is made.
• These photos show a piece we made earlier: yours is built new, to your details.
• Logos and insignia: for unit crests, team or school logos, and other protected marks, tell us what you need and send proof of permission when you have it. We will tell you plainly whether we can take it on.
• Personalized pieces are final sale: because they are built to your details, custom and personalized items cannot be returned. If anything arrives damaged, contact us with photos of the piece and packaging and we will make it right.
• Sales tax: West Virginia sales tax applies to orders delivered in West Virginia.