First time doing a drop pocket/feather strip table.

[cycopath]

I done quite a few barbox recovers, but I have never done a drop pocket/feather strip/3 piece slate table. This is for a friend so I had time to let the frame settle into postion before doing anything. When we initially placed the frame and slates onto his area rug I was shocked to see the thing was dead level. Now this was with a carpenter's level, I didn't have my Starrett machinist's level with me.

We've let the thing sit for a week for so and he says it's still showing level, with the same carpenter's level, on the head slate and center slate. He told me the bubble is touching the line on the foot slate.

Now for my question... finally

If two of the slates are showing level and one is out, should I adjust the one slate by shimming the slate itself or by shimming beneath the legs?

One more question.

Like I said this is the first 3 piece slate table I've done. Do I use bondo in the seams of the slates and then go over the bondo with bees wax? Or do i just use bees wax, alone, in the seams? How do I heat the bees wax, cigarette lighter or would a heat gun be better?

Thanks for any and all information you guys can give.

I'd like to say I really appreciate all the table mechs that take their time to answer newbie questions, like mine.

 

[mechanic/player]

I level the frame first, then I place all 3 slates on and level each one, I like to start with the middle one but that depends on which one is highest. Most of the time the head and foot ends are higher than the middle slate ,so the middle slate needs to be shimmed up so all 3 are on the same plane. I try to shim under the legs as much as I can but customers dont like to see thier 3-6 thousand dollar tables with shims under the legs on a nice tile or wood floor, so you really have to do both to some degree.

I use beeswax and a propane torch, be sure to shim/wedge the slates in the middle for support ,that provides a solid joint that cant move and crack the filler used, whatever type it may be.Hope this helps, m/p.

 

[magnetardo]

Also be sure to use quality hardwood wedges, not .99 shims from home depot.

PS I don't heat the beeswax, I heat the slate and let the heat from the slate melt it, then use a putty knofe to scrape it.