Basic steps to leveling a 3 piece slate.
First of all, we’re going to have to break this down into sections, as leveling a 3 piece slate is more like a marriage between the slate and the frame of the table, with the floor interfering with the union of the two. You can’t talk about leveling the slates unless you go back to the beginning of first installing the frame of the table. I’ve broken down this process into different sections as you will understand the principals better this way. I can not even begin to explain all the different learned variables to this challenge as some of them are just learned over time because of having to work on all the different kinds of slates. Some methods are just improvised as you go. What I’m going to give you here in this lesson…LOL…is the basic principles of the system that I use to accomplish this feat.
Section 1: Installing the frame of the table.
Once you’ve packed in, assembled the frame, tightened all the necessary nuts and bolts, you’re ready to now level the frame of the table.
Step 1: In this first step, all you are concerned with is leveling out any possible twist in the frame of the table that may, or may not be present. Take a 4ft carpenter level, place it on the table at one end, reading from side to side. Place your starrett level on top of the carpenter level. Pay attention to the machinist level, not the carpenter level. The carpenter level’s only purpose here is to give our machinist level a much wider base to sit on since all we’re concerned with at this time is the level of the frame of the table, we’re NOT concerned with the end to end level at this point.
Checking both ends of the frame this way, take a mental note of the level of both ends of the frame. At this stage of the game, the table is already down on the floor as low as it can go as its setting on all 4 legs/feet, so from here you only have 2 legs/feet with which to level the side to side level of the frame. This can be tricky depending on what kind of table you’re installing. Some tables require you place shims under the feet, some you can place the shims between the frame and leg pedestals, and some tables have adjustable leg levelers. Only “you” know what you are working with at this point. Bottom line, level the frame of the table from side to side first. Once correcting the level at one end of the table, go to the other end and check, correct, then go to the other end, check, correct. Once the side to side is leveled, and no longer changing as you level it out, and now both ends read the same level from side to side, you’re now ready to level the table frame from end to end. Determine which end of the table is lowest, if either, then at that end of the table you only have to deal with the level of them two legs/feet, as the rest of the table is already level side to side. Raise the low end of the table at to match the high end to a level in which both ends are now the same level. You are now ready to install the slate.
Section 2: Installation of the 3 piece slate.
Step 1: Install the center slate first. Slates are ground head to foot, so when installing the center slate, look at the grind marks of the slate. They are the wide “C” looking marks on the slate from the finish grinding. The center of the grind marks should be going in the direction of the head of the table, with the lower outside grind marks curving away from the head of the table. Once determining in which direction to install the center slate, slide it on the frame of the table to the center.
Step 2: Take a tape measure and center the slate from end to end on the frame of the table. At this stage, you are NOT concerned with the slate being centered from side to side, approximately centered will do.
Step 3: Place the head slate on the frame of the table with the grind marks facing in the same direction as the center slate, slide it up to the center slate, flush it with the center slate. Repeat this step for the end slate.
Step 4: Take a tape measure, and under the head slate, on the side of the frame of the table, nearest the corner pocket, measure the amount of over hang on both sides of the end slate in relationship to the frame of the table. Slide the slate left or right in order to center the slate on the frame. Taking that final measurement of the overhang on the head slate, on the same side of the frame of the table, adjust your end slate to read the same overhang. Now, line up your center slate with the two outside slates as to create a straight edge down one side of the slate, the other side will match.
Note: Trying to center the center slate from side to side can be a waste of time and effort as not all table frames run true and straight down the middle. Some are wider or shorter than the ends of the frame, so as to avoid taking faults reading for centering the slates, I rely on the end measurements of the frame of the table as they are more accurate when measuring slate overhang.
Step 3: Installing the slate screws.
Step 1: Starting with the end slate screw, install them first at an angle facing away from the center slate as much as possible, as this will help ensure that both ends of the slates are being pulled so to speak towards the center slate to help avoid any possible gaping between the end slates and the center slate.
Step 2: Once the end slate screws are installed, then install the 8 center seam slate screws. You are now ready to level the slates on the frame of the table.
Note: Use a bar of hand soap to coat the slate screw with as this will allow the screws too thread into the frame of the table like sticking a nail into a cube of warm butter. It’s not smart to pre-drill the slate screw holes as this will sometimes remove the wood pressure needed to keep the slate screw from stripping out. If dealing with slate screw holes already stripped out, fill them with round tooth picks first, then re-install the slate screws. If dealing with slate screws with the heads stripped, drill out the head of the screw, lift the slate off the shank of the remaining screw, remove the screw with vice-grips, re-set the slate, and replace the slate screw.
I'm old, I'm tired, I'll post more information later on...that is if anyone's interested in this gibberish...LOL
Glen
First of all, we’re going to have to break this down into sections, as leveling a 3 piece slate is more like a marriage between the slate and the frame of the table, with the floor interfering with the union of the two. You can’t talk about leveling the slates unless you go back to the beginning of first installing the frame of the table. I’ve broken down this process into different sections as you will understand the principals better this way. I can not even begin to explain all the different learned variables to this challenge as some of them are just learned over time because of having to work on all the different kinds of slates. Some methods are just improvised as you go. What I’m going to give you here in this lesson…LOL…is the basic principles of the system that I use to accomplish this feat.
Section 1: Installing the frame of the table.
Once you’ve packed in, assembled the frame, tightened all the necessary nuts and bolts, you’re ready to now level the frame of the table.
Step 1: In this first step, all you are concerned with is leveling out any possible twist in the frame of the table that may, or may not be present. Take a 4ft carpenter level, place it on the table at one end, reading from side to side. Place your starrett level on top of the carpenter level. Pay attention to the machinist level, not the carpenter level. The carpenter level’s only purpose here is to give our machinist level a much wider base to sit on since all we’re concerned with at this time is the level of the frame of the table, we’re NOT concerned with the end to end level at this point.
Checking both ends of the frame this way, take a mental note of the level of both ends of the frame. At this stage of the game, the table is already down on the floor as low as it can go as its setting on all 4 legs/feet, so from here you only have 2 legs/feet with which to level the side to side level of the frame. This can be tricky depending on what kind of table you’re installing. Some tables require you place shims under the feet, some you can place the shims between the frame and leg pedestals, and some tables have adjustable leg levelers. Only “you” know what you are working with at this point. Bottom line, level the frame of the table from side to side first. Once correcting the level at one end of the table, go to the other end and check, correct, then go to the other end, check, correct. Once the side to side is leveled, and no longer changing as you level it out, and now both ends read the same level from side to side, you’re now ready to level the table frame from end to end. Determine which end of the table is lowest, if either, then at that end of the table you only have to deal with the level of them two legs/feet, as the rest of the table is already level side to side. Raise the low end of the table at to match the high end to a level in which both ends are now the same level. You are now ready to install the slate.
Section 2: Installation of the 3 piece slate.
Step 1: Install the center slate first. Slates are ground head to foot, so when installing the center slate, look at the grind marks of the slate. They are the wide “C” looking marks on the slate from the finish grinding. The center of the grind marks should be going in the direction of the head of the table, with the lower outside grind marks curving away from the head of the table. Once determining in which direction to install the center slate, slide it on the frame of the table to the center.
Step 2: Take a tape measure and center the slate from end to end on the frame of the table. At this stage, you are NOT concerned with the slate being centered from side to side, approximately centered will do.
Step 3: Place the head slate on the frame of the table with the grind marks facing in the same direction as the center slate, slide it up to the center slate, flush it with the center slate. Repeat this step for the end slate.
Step 4: Take a tape measure, and under the head slate, on the side of the frame of the table, nearest the corner pocket, measure the amount of over hang on both sides of the end slate in relationship to the frame of the table. Slide the slate left or right in order to center the slate on the frame. Taking that final measurement of the overhang on the head slate, on the same side of the frame of the table, adjust your end slate to read the same overhang. Now, line up your center slate with the two outside slates as to create a straight edge down one side of the slate, the other side will match.
Note: Trying to center the center slate from side to side can be a waste of time and effort as not all table frames run true and straight down the middle. Some are wider or shorter than the ends of the frame, so as to avoid taking faults reading for centering the slates, I rely on the end measurements of the frame of the table as they are more accurate when measuring slate overhang.
Step 3: Installing the slate screws.
Step 1: Starting with the end slate screw, install them first at an angle facing away from the center slate as much as possible, as this will help ensure that both ends of the slates are being pulled so to speak towards the center slate to help avoid any possible gaping between the end slates and the center slate.
Step 2: Once the end slate screws are installed, then install the 8 center seam slate screws. You are now ready to level the slates on the frame of the table.
Note: Use a bar of hand soap to coat the slate screw with as this will allow the screws too thread into the frame of the table like sticking a nail into a cube of warm butter. It’s not smart to pre-drill the slate screw holes as this will sometimes remove the wood pressure needed to keep the slate screw from stripping out. If dealing with slate screw holes already stripped out, fill them with round tooth picks first, then re-install the slate screws. If dealing with slate screws with the heads stripped, drill out the head of the screw, lift the slate off the shank of the remaining screw, remove the screw with vice-grips, re-set the slate, and replace the slate screw.
I'm old, I'm tired, I'll post more information later on...that is if anyone's interested in this gibberish...LOL
Glen
