Somewhat off topic

Measure with care, cut with care, assemble with care, and use a nice tidy shim if needed - perhaps the floor isn't level.

If you don't like a shim, put levelers on all four legs, or put enough weight on top of the table that all 4 legs touch.

I still do a lot of stuff with hand tools!

My benches are made by building a pair of end frames (two uprights, two cross pieces) and then long timbers between.

As long as the leg length in each frame is the same it cannot rock. If the two frames are not quite the same you just end up with a slight slope from one end to the other. All supposing your floor is flat, which my garage certainly isn't.

My method:

Cut your four legs and clamp two of them together with a couple of "G" cramps, matching the ends at one end as closely as possible. Carefully plane off the ends to be equal and square. (Yes I still use a hand plane and the legs will be held in the vice) Don't forget to clamp up a bit of scrap to avoid breakout at the end of your stroke. Mark out across both pieces of wood, whilst still clamped up, for whatever joint you prefer to use for the cross pieces.

Repeat for the other pair.

Similarly clamp up your pairs of cross pieces, plane off the ends, mark your joints and "Bob's your uncle"

Works every time.

Of course with /my/ floor I had to add height adjustable feet to each leg :-(

For shop tables, stands, etc. I'll often drill a hole in the bottom of the legs and install lag bolts. I can then turn the lag bolts in or out to compensate for an uneven floor and lag bolts are cheap.

Cut one leg shorter than the rest and put a leveler on it.

I have done a few of these and found that devil has a way of screwing around with you:

Many good solutions have been suggested. I solved the first problem by placing the shorter leg onto a caulking silicon blob and let it set. It cured the problem overnight.

A few holes, T nuts, and screw-in feet.

Ed

On Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:24:47 -0600, Kevin wrote (in message ):

I've been making sawdust for 50 years, and it is my considered opinion that there is no such thing as a 4-legged anything that will sit true on any given floor. Be of good cheer. You have gotten some great tips from experienced woodworkers, and they are all legit. tom koehler

Build it the best you can and them add leveling legs.. Most floors are uneven, anyway..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Well, if you are really obsessed about it: Imagine a table top with a good solid apron all the way around it. You'd attach the end frames (two legs each, right?) to the inside of the apron. Make one end frame a half inch shorter than the other. For this table, attach the taller end frame solidly but attach the other end frame with a single bolt centered on the apron, a half inch below the table top. That end frame acts as a single leg, so you have a three point support for the table.

Personally, I thought that shim shingles were part of everyone's toolkit. You just throw a few of them on the floor and kick them into place as needed. I have concrete floors in all 3 shops and I watched the contractors as they screeded them off. No chance that they will be level within one 64th of an inch over 8 feet.

Pete Stanaitis

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mac davis wrote:

That would be exceptional.

The leg frames on my principle work bench are at approx 3'10" centres. There's a block of wood 1.1/2" thick under one leg frame do get the bench top approximatly level! All the legs are as near equal in length as I could make them

With the table in the position in which you intend to use it, place packing such as pieces of cardbroad under the wobby legs until they don't rock.

Then use a small block of wood, say 1/2" high, held against the sides of each leg as guide as you scribe a line around all four sides of each of the legs in turn, then cut the legs to the marks and it won't wobble.

Same for chairs.

Hope that helps!

David.

Some "enhancements"/clarifications to David's suggestion:

When I have done this, I've set the chair on my table saw versus the ground. This is as flat a surface as I have. Also, the block of wood slides more smoothly and it eliminates inaccuracy introduced by the floor. You may want to check your chair with a level.

Specifically, tape a sharp pencil or pen to a block of wood with the tip protruding beyond the edge. Then place the block on the tablesaw surface and scribe around all 4 legs and cut/file to the scribed lines.