Hey Rich, welcome to the community...

Since you obviously have the skills to build the table/chairs you'll have no problem
adapting this video to your needs. Much easier than trying to explain it to ya. I used
this method recently on a rocking chair build and it worked exceptionally well.

The "sandpaper trick" - YouTube

 

Since you obviously have the skills to build the table/chairs you'll have no problem
adapting this video to your needs. Much easier than trying to explain it to ya. I used
this method recently on a rocking chair build and it worked exceptionally well.

That's a very nifty trick, Bill. A quick and easy solution to what could be a frustrating challenge. Thanks for sharing it.

 

After I stained it, it began to wobble, seems like one of the legs is approx 1/16 shorter.
Any suggestions on how to square the legs??

No problem. I carry a cane now, and it does a great job of preventing wobble.
Now you see why I make things with three legs, instead of four.
You can always go with something like these, that's what I would do; either that for a matchbook under the odd leg. :dance3:
Rockler - Search Results for leveler

 

Bill
Not sure I can explain to your understanding
First place table on level area then shim the short leg,now take a small piece say a 1/4" thick hard board lay it on the level surface and mark all four legs using the top of the 1/4" board then cut them at the line
( you should not be cutting as much off short leg) hope you understand

 

Would a small stick-on felt pad do the trick...? Maybe a thicker one for the short leg and thinner ones for the other legs...?

 

Hi,

here are two other methods for leveling chairs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq94qo7WbEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ScTjOX8CLI
tht

Uwe

 

Hate when that happens (LOL)... but it happens.

The reason it happened? Because before staining and finishing, there was unrelieved tension in the wood. That could have been just normal happenings when you take two pieces of wood and align the face surfaces during a glueup... Then when it gets wet, the tension tries to relieve itself... It probably took a slight twist when it did that. When you are in the middle of that, you can pre-relieve some of that by wiping it down with mineral spirts or alcohol, which alos helps clean the pores. Then adjust for it.

Now that it is relieved, It should be fine from now on. Taking it apart to redo it... Might introduce more tension back into it... Then you are going to be going through that again.

The method presented is good. Takes into affect that the workpiece is going to be in the position it is going to be used. There's some other variations of that... but that works. Another is to ensure the surface you measure from is level, then shim the workpiece so the top surface is level. That will keep help prevent that DIY spoof commercial where the guy leveled his own table and the glass slides off it... from happening.

 

For that slight of an adjustment I would just attach a piece of 80 grit sandpaper on the top of your table saw and slide one of the longer legs back and forth across it until all 4 legs sit on your flat surface without wobbling. You will only need to remove about half of the gap that you presently see under the short leg when the table is sitting on the other three legs.

Charley

 

for that slight of an adjustment i would just attach a piece of 80 grit sandpaper on the top of your table saw and slide one of the longer legs back and forth across it until all 4 legs sit on your flat surface without wobbling. You will only need to remove about half of the gap that you presently see under the short leg when the table is sitting on the other three legs.

Charley

+1

But that assumes "the table" would sit completely on the OP's TS top... It would fit on my panel saw (32"x72"), but not on my jobsite saw's top.

 

I agree with Theo; felt bottomed levellers. Not because there's currently a problem, but who's to say the floor's actually in a perfectly flat plane?
Levellers are essential for tables, less so for chairs as the area covered is a lot smaller...reduced error factor.

 

Hi Guys, this is really a problem
I'm making living room tables for son and his spouse.
Since I don't have a lathe, I got some pretty nice ash legs on-line.
I was extremely careful about cutting the lumber for the initial skeleton that holds the legs equal.
I was building it on my cast iron table saw because I know it's true.
After I stained it, it began to wobble, seems like one of the legs is approx 1/16 shorter.
Any suggestions on how to square the legs??
Last thing I want to do is take it apart or start sawing.
Thanks,
Rich

First, make sure the floor is flat. Rotate the table/chair around, try on different spots on the floor. Even if the floor is not flat, if that is where you want to put the table/chair, you have to fix it.
Rocking is not usually a problem on a carpeted floor or rug, unless it is severe.

The easiest is to buy screw-in leveling felt feet.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5821

with

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=362

Put them on all four feet and wind out the legs that are high. Problem solved and the felt will be beneficial on a hard surface to prevent scratching.

Otherwise, you will need to trim some off the end of either or both of the long legs, the ones that remain in contact with the floor when it wobbles. There are two ways to do this and both require a flat reference surface.

Method 1 is to shim up the legs until it sits level on your reference surface. then mark up the same distance on each leg with a scribing compass or even a pencil laying flat on the surface. Use a thin kerf hand saw to cut all the legs to the marked line.

Method 2 is to use MDF or plywood as your reference surface. Drill a hole that fits your leg in the corner of the sheet where the long leg sits. Scrape down the surface the thickness of your saw kerf in that corner. Drop the long leg into the hole and make sure the other 3 legs are sitting flat on the surface. Trim off the long leg with a thin kerf saw.
Now that MultiMaster is on the scene and just about everybody has one... It's now cake and pie to trim table/chair legs...

You could build using just 3 legs..
Always build on a flat surface..
For wobbly tables/chairs add spindles/stretchers/bracing..

Note:
when you are leveling the chair/table place a lot of weight on the the chair/table to reduce flexing and act as clamping to hold the unit steady while you mark and cut...

 

Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to try the sandpaper solution first.
I had no idea that there could be "tension" in a milled piece of ash, I'll wipe down each leg with thinner before I use them.
I think I may even stain them before assembly.
Thanks again,
Rich

 

Here is a great solution for uneven legs from Charles Neil:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiunzAJgdjw

 

Charles Neil's method is way too involved for me. It might be worth doing that if the end result has to be perfectly level, but cutting all 4 legs to perfectly match the pencil lines without any guide fence to keep the saw on course will likely end up with 4 shorter legs that may wobble even worse than before cutting. Most of the time all you need to do is to get rid of the wobble and it isn't important if the chair or table isn't absolutely perfectly level. So I still hold on my initial suggestion to put a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface and then rub the longest leg back and forth on this sandpaper until all 4 legs touch the flat surface that the table or chair is on. If the chair or table ends up slightly out of level, who cares, as long as it doesn't wobble.

Charley

 

What ever floats your boat, Charley. I was simply supplying another method. It's not a contest as to who's method is best.

 

check this out on table saw: https://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=29412

 

Please don't jump on my 'case', but why does everything that FW present have to be dam' complicated when a something simple sandpaper fix will do the same thing in this case. No more of my 'complaints' of that magazine.

 

+1 for the levelers. You should still try to make the table wobble free, I personally like the sandpaper approach, but how flat and level is the floor where your kids will put the table? Even if it's dead on, how about when they move and the new floor isn't? I don't know where your kids live but if there are extreme temperature and humidity changes during the year it is possible the the table can react and wobble again. For any of these, and any other eventualities (like grandkids :nhl_checking, the leveler not only solves the current problem but any future ones too.