Wonky tables

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Any of you guys work(ed) in the commercial furniture industry because I would like to know if they make a special design for cafes with one leg slightly shorter than the other, every table I have ever come across in a cafe wobbles.

Bill D.

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

That's what they make beermats for

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Posted by Bill Dawes on 24/02/2020 19:13:19:

Any of you guys work(ed) in the commercial furniture industry because I would like to know if they make a special design for cafes with one leg slightly shorter than the other, every table I have ever come across in a cafe wobbles.

Bill D.

Try cafes that only have tables with three legs that way they will not wobble or as Grindstone Cowboy says beermats are your friend

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Three legs…..Simples

ATB,

Daniel

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

If you buy table legs from a DIY shop they usually have screw-adjustable feet so you can annihilate irregulariltes in floor or leg-mounting. Guess they're too expensive for cafes.

If they don't serve beer, you might have to multi-fold crisp packets or lolly sticks or wrappers, or bits torn off the less interesting parts of the menu.

Edited By Mick B1 on 24/02/2020 20:11:15

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Rotate the table gradually and you may find a better point. Any 4 legged table when put down will rock, then when moved will rock on the other two legs. There must therefore be a position between these two locations that is the transition and all 4 feet are solid.

Relevant diversion from topic: We often see workbench designs, lathes etc fitted with 4 adjustable feet that the designer thinks are so clever – often long spindly screw threads that will wobble like crazy. Only one should ever be adjustable that way 3 solid feet will find their own level then the fourth is adjusted to suit. Much firmer.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bill Dawes on 24/02/2020 19:13:19:

Any of you guys work(ed) in the commercial furniture industry because I would like to know if they make a special design for cafes with one leg slightly shorter than the other, every table I have ever come across in a cafe wobbles.

Bill D.

Have you ever noticed that very few four-legged animals wobble. Have you ever seen a wobbly dog in a pub or cafe? Just goes to show how nature and evolution can achieve things engineers struggle to do, eh?

Neil

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Thought that it might be the floor, not the table?

[Michael BriggsParticipant @michaelbriggs82422]

Good point Neil, in pubs I have seen two legged mammals wobble.

Edited By Michael Briggs on 24/02/2020 20:42:49

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I wonder if a device filled with thixotropic material could be used as feet so as soon as the table tries to move the fluid goes solid. I wonder if this is a brilliant idea?

Mike

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Mike Poole on 24/02/2020 20:45:23:

I wonder if a device filled with thixotropic material could be used as feet so as soon as the table tries to move the fluid goes solid. I wonder if this is a brilliant idea?

Mike

Cornflour

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Furniture in my old house (1860) all wobbles to some extent due to the floor, the house used to be a horse stable which may explain it. I find the felt stick on pads a boon using two or three at a time to balance things up on the more permanently sited stuff. Cant carry em round to the café though.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 24/02/2020 20:28:24:

Posted by Bill Dawes on 24/02/2020 19:13:19:

Any of you guys work(ed) in the commercial furniture industry because I would like to know if they make a special design for cafes with one leg slightly shorter than the other, every table I have ever come across in a cafe wobbles.

Bill D.

Have you ever noticed that very few four-legged animals wobble. Have you ever seen a wobbly dog in a pub or cafe? Just goes to show how nature and evolution can achieve things engineers struggle to do, eh?

Neil

There is a thing called Wobbly Cat Syndrome, though cats that have it often seem to cope.

But hey, nature and evolution have had 500 million years or so – engineers have to look for shortcuts…

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Michael Briggs on 24/02/2020 20:42:20:

Good point Neil, in pubs I have seen two legged mammals wobble.

As my right leg is 20mm shorter than the left, I wobble before entering the pub……

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 24/02/2020 20:28:24:

… Any of Have you ever seen a wobbly dog in a pub or cafe? Just goes to show how nature and evolution can achieve things engineers struggle to do, eh?

Neil

I thought the Wobbly Dog WAS the pub. Sounds like a good 'un.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Posted by Nicholas Wheeler 1 on 24/02/2020 21:30:00:

As my right leg is 20mm shorter than the left, I wobble before entering the pub……

So you wobble on the way in and walk steadily on the way out

Isn't darwinism wonderful

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Often a good starting point to make a very low stool!

Howard

[bill ellisParticipant @billellis45274]

I thought I'd heard wobbly dog from somewhere. Turns out

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's, "You're The One That I Want"

Misheard Lyrics:

You're a wobbly dog.

Original Lyrics:

You're the one that I want.

Just had a listen and can't see it myself, maybe I should drink a bit more.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Cafe tables are designed to be wobbly so you don't need to stir your mug of tea as the contents will be well mixed by the time you have got through your full English

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I was in Pizza Hut yesterday (I know…) and the table had a single leg in a sort of 'trumpet' shape. despite the floor appearing pretty much flat and the bottom of the leg being a simple circular shape it had a huge wobble. I had to keep my feet on its base to hold it steady!

Neil

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 25/02/2020 19:23:45:

I was in Pizza Hut yesterday (I know…) and the table had a single leg in a sort of 'trumpet' shape. despite the floor appearing pretty much flat and the bottom of the leg being a simple circular shape it had a huge wobble. I had to keep my feet on its base to hold it steady!

Neil

A triumph of form over function? If they had put 3 lumps on the circular bit it would have sat steady, but no doubt 'designed' by an artistic type. I have a suspicion that a better design altogether would be 6 legs, but alternate ones just short of a perfectly flat floor, then it would sit down without rocking, but if overloaded on one side would only tip a little bit before one of the extra legs cam down. 

Edited By duncan webster on 25/02/2020 23:27:33

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Went to a Mercure hotel yesterday for afternoon tea (yes that's how we live down in Somerset) new place and very nice restaurant, sat down at said new table and guess what, yes it wobbled. Looked at feet (4) and they appeared to have screw adjusters, whizzed one around a bit but made not a scrap of difference. So conclusion is, wonky tables are specially made for the restaurant market.

Bill.D.

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