Making a table level on uneven floor

[Amanda Carper]

I have been building dining tables for friends and now for actual customers. My problem is that I need a way to make sure the table with legs on it is level when they take it home without having to take everything into my house to check. My shop floor isn’t level. I have considered building a stage of sorts that I can level with leveling feet.

[Edward Dyas]

Is there a place in your shop you could pour some level quick? Another option would be to pour a small pad of concrete just outside your shop. If the legs are large enough you could also install leg levelers. That way if the customer's floor was off they could at least level the table to the bad floor.

[Jim Becker]

The solution for many folks is to have an assembly surface that's made as a torsion box that stays absolutely flat so it becomes a reference surface...something almost every floor can never be. Having the means to support that torsion box at multiple heights makes for comfortable usage no matter what size the project is, too.

[Mark Hennebury]

A couple of ways that you can do it but you will need a reference of some sort.

either have or make a flat surface or use a straight edge.


A.a granite surface plate is nice.
B. you can make a flat surface ie. a torsion box. or
C. you can make flat reference pads on your floor.

You need 5 reference points for a flat rectangle. 4 corners and the center.
Place four pads ( 3/4" x 3" x 3" MDF) on the floor spaced to stand your table legs on.
Place the fifth pad in the center.
Place a straight edge across the diagonals one way then the other.
The straight edge needs to touch all three pads in a straight line, across the diagonals, in both directions to have all five pads in the same plane.
Shim pads until all are in the same plane, then you have a flat surface to sit your table on.

Another way is to just check your table;

1.Take a scrap of wood, maybe 2x2", or 3"x 3", and shorter than the table legs. use this for a pedestal. put a screw in the top.
2. get a long straight edge, long enough to span the diagonal across the legs.

Turn the table upside down.
Put the 3x3" leg in center of your table.
Put the straight edge on top of the legs across the diagonals.
Adjust the screw in the center pedestal up to touch the bottom of the straight edge.
Now place the straight edge across the other legs diagonally.

If you have a flat surface your straight edge will touch all three points in a straight line across both diagonals.
If you legs are uneven you will find the the center point is either high or low.
You can if you give it some thought, easily see which legs need to be trimmed to bring everything into the one plane.

Large table tops can flex. making any referencing void.

[Tom Bain]

The solution for many folks is to have an assembly surface that's made as a torsion box that stays absolutely flat so it becomes a reference surface...something almost every floor can never be. Having the means to support that torsion box at multiple heights makes for comfortable usage no matter what size the project is, too.

This is the ideal solution, but before I had an assembly table I would use the top of my table saw as it was the most level surface I had.

[Jim Becker]

This is the ideal solution, but before I had an assembly table I would use the top of my table saw as it was the most level surface I had.

I still occasionally employ my saw table or the slider wagon for something that requires 'absolutely flat' and is small enough to allow for it.