#I don't have a flat surface anywhere. How can I cut the legs level on my 1st workbench build?

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

round arrow
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I just built my first workbench, the "lightweight traveler" build by Rex Krueger on youtube, but now I need to even out the legs so it doesn't wobble!

COMPLICATION: the house I live in is old and in disrepair, so there's not a flat surface available anywhere in the entire place.

I know there's the "pencil glued to a board" trick for marking leg cut lines, but if I mark while the bench isn't on an even/level surface, will the resulting cuts not actually level it? Or will the marks be accurate, because it's following the floor as the bench sits, albeit the uneven floor?

Anybody have ideas on how I can do this?

Thank you!

fickle glade
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You can also use this method, where you use a board that's your final leg height (total height minus benchtop thickness) and trace around the legs with the bench flipped over to mark your cut lines. As long as the underside of your bench is flat and level, your legs will come out the same length. Any small discrepencies caused by inaccurate cuts or the ground, you can just stick a wedge under

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Screenshot is from Chris Schwarz's Ingenious Mechanicks

fathom vale
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Depending on the size, a door in your house is likely large enough

strong crescent
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If the surface you're sitting it on isn't level, there's not much reason to worry about perfection. Just get them close and use a shim to keep it from rocking.

round arrow
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I do plan on just using this thing outside on the porch and in the driveway and stuff

fathom vale
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The porch and the driveway are likely to be just as unpredictable as your floors. Shims don’t work very well with a low bench, as the bench is prone to sliding and being moved around. I’d just get it as close as you can, it’s not a serious issue