Do you have a wobbly table at home, and you’re wondering how to make it stable? Wonder no more, for we have researched this question, and we have the answer for you.
The easiest way to stop a table from wobbling is to place a matchbook under the shortest leg. Additionally, you can try one of these other four methods:
- Twist the adjustable glides to make a shorter leg level with the rest.
- Hammer in a tack under the shortest leg if your table doesn’t have adjustable glides.
- Get a piece of a wine cork and glue it under the shortest leg.
- Trim the longer legs so that they will all be of the same length.
Unfortunately, a wobbly table can also be caused by a weak joint or weak structure at the legs. Read more about fixing a weak table leg joint to prevent wobbling in the sections below. Read on!
Bracing A Wobbly Table Leg
If your table wobbles, it is likely due to an uneven or loose table leg. There are simple fixes for this to settle out the tabletop so everyone can enjoy a stable surface. Firstly, grab a matchbook and slide it under the shorter or loose leg. This quick fix can work at home or even at a table at a restaurant.
You might want a longer-term fix, however, for your table at home. As we've mentioned above you can also affix a tack or cork piece to the shorter leg. You might also investigate the wobble to identify which leg is loose and simply tighten it by turning or pushing it back into place.
Finally, if you are handy, you can trim the longer table legs so they all rest at the same height.
How to Reinforce Table Legs
If the table's structure is to blame for wobbliness, you might need to add reinforcement. These bracket types can accommodate your table shape to ensure your table is structurally sound.
Use An L-bracket
This method is best used for tables with round legs with no apron or skirt. Additionally, this can only be used for tables with three or four legs, not one with a columnar pedestal base at the center for support.
Tools Needed
If you prefer to use an electronic screwdriver, you can use that instead of the screwdriver below. However, it is best to fasten the screws manually so that the threads can be preserved and give better support to the table.
- L-brackets
- Wood screws
- Drill
- Straight edge
- Pencil
- Pliers (if you need to bend the L-brackets)
This VicunaR 40-piece L-bracket set is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.
Steps to install L-brackets
Follow the simple steps below to brace a wobbly table using L-brackets.
- Mark a diagonal line from one corner of the table to its diagonal opposite. Draw another diagonal line for the other pair of legs.
- Bend the L-bracket to match the angle of the table’s legs. The angle that you want to measure is the angle the leg makes with the diagonal line that you measured. The L-brackets will be installed on the inside of the table.
- Mark the position of the holes of the L-bracket on the table.
- Drill pilot holes where you marked the holes.
- Screw in the L-bracket.
Repeat steps two to five to install the L-bracket on the other three legs of the table. Once complete, the four L-brackets should point towards the center of the table.
Use A Kerf Mount Corner Bracket
A kerf mount corner bracket is a type of metal bracket that adds support to the legs of a table. It works by bracing its position through kerf cuts on the corner aprons of a table.
Thus, it cannot be used on a table that doesn’t have an apron or a skirt. Additionally, it cannot be installed on a table with a skirt that is not thick enough to have a 3/8- to 5/8-inch kerf cut into it. It cannot be installed on a table with round legs too.
The kerf mount corner bracket minimizes sliding and movement by locking itself in the kerf cut. It is fastened on both aprons by two wood screws.
From this position, a large central screw coming from the diagonal center of the kerf mount corner bracket will be drilled diagonally into the leg of the table. The diagonal position of the screw in the leg eliminates leg wobble.
Tools Needed
- Hand saw
- Pencil
- Pan head wood screws
- Hanger bolts and nuts
- Screwdriver
- Drill
- Kerf mount corner bracket
- Chisel
- Hammer
The Rockler 2 X 4-1/2 inches kerf mount corner bracket (set of 4) is available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.
Steps to install kerf mount corner bracket
Follow the steps below to install a kerf mount corner bracket.
- Place a piece of cloth or corrugated board on the floor.
- Turn your table upside down with its top on the floor. Place it over the cloth or board to prevent scratching the finish.
- Use the chisel and hammer to cut a half-inch wide chamfer on the inside of the legs of the table.
- Hold one of the kerf mount corner brackets against the inner leg and align the large central hole with the chamfer.
- Mark the position of the hole with a light pencil.
- Mark the aprons where the tabs of the brackets align on the aprons.
- Repeat steps three to six on the other three legs.
- Cut a kerf that matches the width of the tabs with a depth that matches the length of the tabs.
- Do the same with the other legs of the table. Mark the kerf bracket and the corresponding corner if the positions of the kerf cuts are different with each leg.
- Insert the kerf mount corner brackets into the kerf cuts and mark the location of the screw holes for the apron.
- Drill pilot holes on the aprons of the table.
- Screw in the kerf mount corner bracket on the apron. Similar to our instructions in the previous sections, this is best done manually to preserve the threads.
- Do the same thing on the other legs of the table.
- Drill pilot holes on the chamfer, on the inner leg of the table.
- Screw the hanger bolt into the table’s leg.
- Fasten the kerf mount corner bracket to the hanger bolt with a washer and a nut. Do the same thing for the other hanger bolts on the other legs.
Use A Surface Mount Corner Bracket
A surface mount corner bracket is similar to a kerf mount corner bracket. The only difference is that the kerf tabs are replaced with a third flap along the chamfer side to be connected to the bottom of the tabletop.
It doesn’t need a kerf cut on the aprons anymore, making it faster and easier to install. However, the tabletop must be thick enough to take a screw to support the chamfer flap.
Tools Needed
- Chisel
- Drill
- Hammer
- Hanger bolts and nuts
- Kerf mount corner bracket
- Pan head wood screws
- Pencil
- Screwdriver
The POWERTEC surface mount corner brackets for table aprons (set of 4) are available on Amazon. Check it out through this link.
Steps to Install Surface Mount Corner Bracket
Here are the steps to install a surface mount corner bracket on an existing wobbly table.
- Follow steps one to four from the section above entitled “How to install a kerf mount corner bracket?”
- Mark the position of all the holes on the apron, tabletop, and chamfer on the leg of the table.
- Drill pilot holes for the holes on the apron.
- Use the pan head wood screws to fasten the surface mount corner bracket to the apron.
- Drill a shallow pilot hole on the underside of the tabletop.
- Screw the bracket to the tabletop using the wood screws.
- Repeat steps two to six for all the other legs of the table.
- Drill two pilot holes on the chamfer.
- Screw in the hanger bolts into the corner of the table’s leg.
- Fasten the bracket to the leg of the table using a washer and a nut.
Repeat steps eight to ten for all the other legs of the table.
Do Table Aprons Make A Table Stronger?
This is a reinforcement technique that not only stabilizes your table but can also provide more weight-bearing strength. Aprons increase the shear resistance of a table by interlocking with the legs of the table. Its connection with the legs of a table provides additional strength to the tabletop.
What are table stretcher bases?
A stretcher base or simply a stretcher is a horizontal structure to support the vertical elements of a table like the legs. In older designs of tables, it is often installed parallel to the aprons or table skirts.
Conclusion
Sometimes, a wobbly table is caused by an uneven floor or an uneven leg. If the table structure is to blame, reinforcing the structure at the leg is necessary. Since there are many ways to build a table, there are also different ways to reinforce them and add more strength and stability based on how they were built.
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