Wobbly bench woes.

As I rearrange my shop, I've noticed that my benches wobble ever so slightly depending on where they are placed. Additionally, they are very rudimentary (tubafours and plywood) and not all that heavy. As such they can slide if pushed too hard.

What I'd like to do is install some leveling feet with rubber pads on the bottom. This should eliminate the wobbling as well as the slipping. I've seen a bunch of leveling pads in the Reid Tool catalog, but they are quite pricey. Anyone have any cheaper suggestions?

Thanks - JP

Reply to
Jay Pique
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Jay Pique wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Mine is leveled with an offcut from one of the first tapered table legs I cut. Is that sufficiently frugal for your tastes? JOAT would be proud.

My bench is engineered much as you describe yours, except that I've recently added a scrounged wood fire-rated door, adding almost two inches of height, and 150 lbs or so of mass. And a clean top.

Patriarch

Reply to
Patriarch

Sat, Jan 22, 2005, 11:30am (EST-1) snipped-for-privacy@nospam.comcast.dot.net (Patriarch) says: Mine is leveled with an offcut from one of the first tapered table legs I cut. Is that sufficiently frugal for your tastes? JOAT would be proud.

Ah, you have done well (insert insect of your choice).

You know you've got major problems, when you've got to shim all 4 legs to stop the wobbling.

Folded cardboard works too.

JOAT Charity ain't giving people what you wants to give, it's giving people what they need to get.

- Albert

Reply to
J T

Same-o shimming anything. Cedar shingles, secure and snap. You can add some hot glue as non-skid.

Reply to
George

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 09:58:16 -0700, Jay Pique wrote (in article ):

Screw a lag bolt into each leg.

-Bruce

Reply to
Bruce

Instead of a lagbolt, I put in t-nuts (3/8in) and thread in a 3/8 carriage bolt with a nut already threaded. Once adjusted level, tighten the nut up against the t-nut to lock it in place

John

Reply to
John

Cross-bracing will take care of the wobbles. I'd add one brace at a time until it's stable.

Reply to
Gordon Airporte

Obviously, you need to have your entire shop floor professionally leveled. +/- .002" (or is that .0002"?) for the entire length and width of your shop. That way, your benches will wobble exactly the same way no matter where you put it.

It shouldn't cost you more than $50/square foot. (not to be confused with linear nor lineal feet).

Benches? How many do you have? Seriously, I like the carriage bolt/T-nut/lock-nut idea. Maybe you could find a rubber cap that would just fit over the head of the carriage bolt. Or maybe that will take you right back into the price range of the leveling pads.

Good luck with it. I need to get back out in my shop. Can't remember if the bench wobbles or not. 8^)

Jon Larsson

Reply to
JLarsson

I use a wedge with a smear of glue to hold it, works for me.

Reply to
Groggy

Shims should work fine. Depending on how often you rearrange your shop, you could also just trim the legs a bit, and bolt them into the concrete. Then they won't move around on you, either. If they're against a wall, you can screw the sucker right into the studs as well. I've got a bench like that (first peice of shop furniture I made, and I keep it for sentimental value) that gets a little shorter every time I move it, and gets nailed into the wall to keep it steady.

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Reply to
Prometheus

snip

That's an excellent idea - and I can scrounge one of them from a job I've been working on. I'll probably lop an inch or so off the legs, and then put the door on top and trim it to size.

WRT the wobbling, I've shimmed it and it seems fine for now.

Thanks all.

JP

Reply to
Jay Pique

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