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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Seattle, Washington, USA
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    1,857

    Default Leveling Pedestal Bases

    Hi,

    I recently made my first piece of furniture. It's this Huon Pine pedestal table.

    After joining it all up, there is a slight wobble from side to side at the base.

    I know that I can just slowly and patiently sand it strategically to level it, but does anyone have any "Tricks" for getting this kind of thing done a bit more quickly?

    Thanks in advance for any advice.

    Oh yeah, here's the table:

    image(1).jpg

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
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    Melbourne
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  4. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Albury Well Just Outside
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    Default

    I just wanted to say well done on your pedestal table.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    blue mountains
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    4,882

    Default

    First make sure you are checking it on a flat surface as most floors will have hills and hollows. Top of the table saw is my choise.
    I usually put a strip of sandpaper under the long feet and with some pressure bearing down rub a bit off that foot or even the 2 longer feet. Not often a lot has to come off but a block plane could be used if more is required. Having done that there is nothing can be done with uneven floors apart from turning the table 90*.
    Regards
    John

  6. #5
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,820

    Default pencil and sandpaper trick

    Wonderful. I love Huon pine.

    I make zillions of kids coat racks. There is always a little nano-wobble to ruin my day.

    Using a pencil, I lightly zigzag over the whole bottom, put down a sheet of ~120 grit A4 sandpaper on MDF and give it a very light sand (with the stand made up). This shows me the high spots. Then using a very finely set plane (I use a half-decent Japanese finishing plane) slice of an absolute hair from where the pencil was removed. Do these pencil trick again for test.

    It seems it only takes a few atoms for the bugger to rock on a 4 legged item.

    Even on the worst this works very quickly. I can true up 3 stands just prior to delivery in about 5 minutes - not because Im good (Im crap) but its simple.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Seattle, Washington, USA
    Posts
    1,857

    Default

    Thanks, guys!

    I had thought about that trick with sandpaper on MDF but didn't think of it as a way to identify high spots as much as a way to just sand the whole thing even. Good idea with the hand plane.

    Cheers!

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Geelong
    Posts
    423

    Default

    Three legged seats/racks/benches/any things were invented because of this problem with four feet wobbling.
    pedestal table with three legs on an even OR uneven floor will never wobble. Hence wherever possible I build with three legs.

    however thanks to the link from joez I might try four legs for a change.
    cheers

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