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One of the most frustrating things in almost any setting is having a wobbly table due to uneven table legs. It can be off-putting for your meal, make working difficult, or even just be noisy! Luckily there are a few easy tricks to get your table nice and even so you aren't constantly dealing with a shaky table.
Steps
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Hold your table on a work surface so there are three legs on the ground. This will give you an indication of which leg is shorter than the others.
- Ideally, you will do this on a flat surface such as a work-bench.
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Check whether your surface is flat by using a leveling tool. Leveling tools are long rectangular pieces of aluminum. They have a small tube of water in the middle of them with an air bubble. If your tool is on the surface and the bubble is within the lines that denote the middle, your surface is flat. [1] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Measure the length between the ground and any legs that are off the ground. Use a measuring tape or a ruler to make sure you are as accurate as possible. [2] X Research source The last thing you want is to measure incorrectly and be left with a still wobbly table.
- If you’re struggling to hold the table steady and also measure at the same time then get someone else to hold the table for you.
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Cut off a piece of cork that matches the length of the difference. Use either a large knife or a fine-wood saw. Be careful to account for the fact that the glue you use to stick it will form a thin layer which may add to the correction length just fractionally.
- Your cork will probably be in a circular disc shape and if it is wider than the leg you will be attaching it to, trim it down to size using your knife.
- If you’re concerned about the color of your cork being different to your table, now is a good time to adjust it with some paint. [3] X Research source
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Stick the piece of cork to the bottom of the leg that is shorter using hot glue. Using a strong adhesive here is important as you don’t want the cork to come loose. Make sure you give the glue at least 2-3 hours to dry. [4] X Research source
- To help the cork get secure, putting some weight on it while the glue dries, like some heavy books, is a good option.
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Turn the table back over to check that the table is level. It’s important to note here that if the adjustment is too large then you can always slice off a little bit of the cork to make it even. [5] X Research source
- As the table will be putting weight down on the cork, it’s ok to turn it over while the glue is still drying. If you do this, however, don’t move the table around once you’ve flipped it.
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Check that all the legs are tightly attached. This may involve looking to see if any screws are loose or if the legs are properly glued on. If they are not, then this may be the source of the problem. [6] X Research source Simply screw back in or glue back on to make your table level again.
- If you level out a table that has poorly attached legs then it will soon be wobbly again regardless of how accurate your corrections are.
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Stand your table on your table saw’s flat workbench. If the surface is not flat then the measurements may end up being off. This will result in your table being wobbly even after leveling. [7] X Research source
- Check whether your surface is completely flat by using a leveling tool and seeing if the air bubble is within the middle markings on the tool.
- You can find leveling tools very cheaply at any hardware store.
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Hold the table and wobble it so you can determine which are the longer legs. Do this by gently wiggling the table back and forth to see which legs do not ever leave the ground. Either (but not both) of these legs is the one that you will be adjusting as they are longer than the ones that do move.
- This is because the legs are on a plane, and the plane is not flat. Sawing down these longer legs will make the plane flat.
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Set your table saw to 0.0156 inches (0.040 cm) or 0.031 inches (0.079 cm). At this length, the blade should barely above the surface. You can always feel free to increase the depth later on if need be but you should only be just grazing the surface of the legs. [8] X Research source
- If your table saw doesn’t have a length setting this minimal, choose the smallest setting you have.
- The measurements above are 1/64 of an inch and 1/32 of an inch, respectively.
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Run one of the longer legs through the table saw until the table has leveled off. At this blade depth, the leg will receive a very small shave down. As you do it several times, the leg will get closer and closer to being flush with the rest of the legs. To get a clean cut, move the leg straight through the saw and at a gentle pace. [9] X Research source
- Be careful not to overdo it as if you cut down too much of the leg, you’ll be left with a still wobbly table.
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Use sandpaper to sand down the end of the leg that you just cut. This is simply to make the table look more presentable and to ensure that whatever surface you put it on will not be scratched. [10] X Research source
- To use sandpaper, simply cup the paper in your palm and rub it firmly on whatever surface you are smoothing down.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do I fix uneven table legs?Jacob Pischer is a Home Improvement Specialist and the Owner of Helpful Badger, a home repair service in Portland, OR. With over four years of experience, Jacob specializes in a variety of handyman services including pressure washing, cleaning gutters, repairing drywall, fixing leaky plumbing fixtures, and repairing broken doors. Jacob studied at Madison Area Technical College and has a background in real estate investment.If your table legs are made of wood, they usually have a cloth pad underneath them to keep them from scratching the floor. If one of the pads fell off, you can just replace that with a sticky pad.
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Tips
- If you don't have cork, you can use a small cloth pad, hard plastic, or even small pieces of carpet to stick onto the end of the legs. [11] X Expert Source Jacob Pischer
Home Improvement Specialist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020.Thanks - If the table is metal, chances are that one of the legs got bent. You'll have to use a vise and scrap wood to bend it back without scratching the metal. [12] X Expert Source Jacob Pischer
Home Improvement Specialist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020.Thanks - If you suspect the surface your table will be on may not be flat, when taking measurements, take them from that surface. If you take the measurements from a flat surface, the legs will still be uneven when you put the table back.Thanks
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Warnings
- When using the table saw, make sure you have safety goggles and, ideally, gloves as well. Table saws are extremely sharp and getting a finger caught in one would not be good!Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/choosing-and-using-levels
- ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/g2538/furniture-problems-you-can-fix/
- ↑ https://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/how-to-fix-uneven-patio-furniture-legs-with-a-wine-cork
- ↑ https://www.networx.com/article/easy-fixes-for-uneven-table-legs ?
- ↑ https://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/how-to-fix-uneven-patio-furniture-legs-with-a-wine-cork
- ↑ https://www.networx.com/article/easy-fixes-for-uneven-table-legs
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WZFDo1f2tQs?t=43
- ↑ https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/10/level-wobbly-chair-legs-in-an-instant-with-a-table-saw/
- ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/a20772/fix-wobbly-chairs-easy/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WZFDo1f2tQs?t=189
- ↑ Jacob Pischer. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview. 4 September 2020.
- ↑ Jacob Pischer. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview. 4 September 2020.
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