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Leveling work tables

FlyingDiver

Well Known Member
Built my first work table for the shop, according to the EAA 1000 plans. Came out pretty good, but with a slight wobble. One of the legs is maybe 1/16" long, probably because of a slightly warped 2x4. Or maybe I mis-cut. Who knows?

Anyway, what's the best way to trim a leg? I was thinking of getting a coarse sanding disk for my angle grinder. Any other suggestions?

joe
 
Don't have either of those, which is why I was thinking of using the angle grinder. But hey, it's an excuse to buy more tools. Which of those sanders is likely to get more use in the future?
 
I think this would be a better solution

I had a similar problem with my EAA tables too. Knowing me, I would keep screwing up by trimming too much off of a leg and I'd have to keep trimming the legs to get them even. Before I knew it, my table would be 4" off the floor... I decided to go a different route. I added some casters and some leveling feet. See the links below. The casters allow you to quickly lift up the table and move it around. The leveling feet not only help with uneven legs, it helps with uneven floors too.

I hope this helps.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4BUE1P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SX3T2LO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Rather than trying to trim all the legs to exactly the same length, you might consider installing T-Nuts and carriage bolts in each leg and using those to level the bench. That is what I did, and it allowed me to level the bench when the shop floor wasn't level, and to re-level it when I moved a bench to a different location in the shop.

T-nuts something like these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Prime-L...Plated-Steel-T-Nuts-25-Pack-9078051/310563964

Carriage bolts something like these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...Plated-Carriage-Bolt-25-Pack-800260/204281334

They don't have to be the ones above, but just providing an example. You can generally find something like these in-stock in your local big box hardware store.

Regards
 
+1 on the leveling feet, as they're an easy solution if (when) you need to move the table around.

Alternatively, you can use shims (either the cheapo wooden ones at the hardware store or the plastic ones like "Wobble Wedges") which also work very well.
 
Simplest way is to screw some lag bolts into the bottoms of the legs and call them feet. Drill holes for them first, leaving wood for the threads.

Dave
 
Which of those sanders is likely to get more use in the future?

Neither sander is likely to get much use on a metal airplane project. I like the idea of leveling feet, Wobble Wedges or lag bolts. Another thought is to just put some cardboard or scrap aluminum under the legs that are slightly too short. That’s what I ended up doing with my worktable.
 
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May seem cheesy, but I just used some nail-in plastic gliders. These allow easy sliding of the tables across the floor.

https://www.wonderglides.co.uk/30mm-nail-in-white-plastic-furniture-sliders-pads-glides.html

30mm-nail-in-white-plastic-furniture-sliders-pads-glides-002[1].jpg

I know mine were not level, perhaps they were massive and flexible enough to just bend so that all 4 legs adapted to the surface. I don't recall spending any time removing wobbles, and none of the floors I have them in are totally flat and level.
 
Youre going to be fighting a losing battle with trying to trim or sand them. I've moved mine around lot to different configurations, and every time I do they pick up a wobble, due to my concrete garage floor having high and low spots.

My fix was just to grab a package of wood shims at Lowes, like you use when installing windows or door frames. When I move a table I just kick one under whatever leg is short and the wobble goes away.

Less that $2 for a pack of shims and you can also use them later on when you've got the fuselage upside down on saw horses.
 
Shims

Youre going to be fighting a losing battle with trying to trim or sand them. I've moved mine around lot to different configurations, and every time I do they pick up a wobble, due to my concrete garage floor having high and low spots.

My fix was just to grab a package of wood shims at Lowes, like you use when installing windows or door frames. When I move a table I just kick one under whatever leg is short and the wobble goes away.

Less that $2 for a pack of shims and you can also use them later on when you've got the fuselage upside down on saw horses.

This works for me.
Since I build furniture when I'm not building the airplane I have lots of tools.
I find a random orbital very useful on the airplane.
 
Orbital

Larry, What do you use the random orbital sander for on the plane? I’ve only used mine on woodworking projects.

I'm sure I'll get flamed because it's not an approved airplane tool or process, but here goes.
I use a random orbital. A large piece of scotchbrite sticks on the velcro pad. Takes a few seconds to scuff a flat panel like a wing skin. Prep for priming. I got the idea from an airplane paint shop.
The other use is rughing up the fiberglass gel coat for priming.
Ok, flame away.
 
I used my random orbit sander for cleaning up edges of fiberglass parts after cutting them with a Dremel tool, and other fiberglass/epoxy sanding. I used it quite a bit, but didn't find much use for a belt sander when working on the RV.
 
Wood shims. Plain cheap builder's shims, like you'd use to put in a door frame or a cabinet. I built EAA tables and I like them, but my carpentry is not perfect, and that doesn't matter because my shop floor isn't flat or level - it's a garage and it's sloped for drainage. Everything wobbles, and if I move it somewhere else it wobbles different. So, shims.
 
Cardboard

Cardboard. There's probably several boxes sitting around your house/workshop/hangar. Cut a small tab and shove it under the short leg. Might take 2 pieces. Certaintly a lot faster than driving to the hardware store to buy shims.
 
I'm sure I'll get flamed because it's not an approved airplane tool or process, but here goes.
I use a random orbital. A large piece of scotchbrite sticks on the velcro pad. Takes a few seconds to scuff a flat panel like a wing skin. Prep for priming. I got the idea from an airplane paint shop.
The other use is rughing up the fiberglass gel coat for priming.
Ok, flame away.

I did the same thing Larry. Makes prep for primer a whole heck of a lot faster!
 
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