On three piece slate I lift by the ends not sides. Correct or just been lucky?
Lifting Table To Shim Legs
- Thread starter poolfitkids
- Start date
Lifting by the ends would be correct, as on some very cheap tables lifting by the sides can break the seams apart from the twisting of the frame.
Glen
Thanks that's what I thought.
NeverLevel
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Are you talking about lifting from the side at the center of the table or at the side right at the leg? I'm just trying to picture how you would twist the frame lifting from the side.
It's not that you would, rather you could is more like it. If you're working on a table that has a lot of frame support sag in it from end to end, and you've had to shim up the center of the slates to the point that the only part of the slate touching the frame is at the ends...what do you think could happen to the seams if you lift in the center of the side of the table...you could end up flexing up the side panel that has the slates already screwed down, and seams filled...flat and level, so in lifting the side panel you could in-fact lift the center of the slates as well...before the legs even lift up off the floor on that side...which could result in a popped seam. I've leveled tables before with as much a 1" sag in the middle of the frame...side panels made from MDF
NeverLevel
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Ok that makes sense, all that about the huge sag in the middle wasn't really mentioned before. It does still seem like lifting from the end would still put an awful lot of strain on your seams though. I guess maybe I'm also confused about the scenario here. Why are we shimming the feet on a table that already has the seams filled?
What if it was setup on new carpet and settled into the pad on one of the legs a little bit too much.... sometimes it just needs a little bit of help, and not a teardown, relevel and rebuild.
NeverLevel
Registered
I understand there are circumstances where this would need to happen, new carpet, thick padding, etc... I just wanted to make sure I was on the same page as everyone. The reason being is I always thought, and was always told that you always lift from the sides and not the end. Since this goes against everything that is being said here I want to understand the reasons why and make sure that we are talking about the same circumstances here. That is why I asked if we are talking about lifting from the center of the side, or the side right next to the leg. Basically I'm wondering if the point of view here is from a mechanic that works alone. If your working alone there is no way your going to lift from the center of the side and still get a shim under the leg, so your going to be forced to lift from the end. But wouldn't you run less of a risk of popping your seams by lifting from the center of the side (which would lift all three pieces together) as opposed to lifting from the end which would be flexing the seams and recreating the same action you would use to break the seams if you were going to move the table? Also since very cheap tables with MDF board were mentioned, would it be wise to lift a table by the end using only an MDF board apron?
Lift from the bottom of the cabinet, this will help with twisting. It allows the table to be lifted evenly, you can use a bottle Jack too, works mint
Also on new table set ups on carpet I over level just a touch to compensate for uneven settling,since I started doing that a little over three years ago I've rarely had to go back for relevels
Also on new table set ups on carpet I over level just a touch to compensate for uneven settling,since I started doing that a little over three years ago I've rarely had to go back for relevels
I think it's a pretty safe bet that I'm stronger than most table mechanic's but never-the-less....I always carry a bottle jack with me, to use to lift a table if need be. As far as I'm concerned, some type of jack is part a mechanic's tools...to better work on tables
in fact, I also carry a 3,000 alumimum floor jack as well. If for example you have to turn around a Diamond 9ft ProAm, 1,080lbs...all you have to do is place the floor jack in the center of the bottom of the table, jack up and spin around....one man job
Glen