I want to put a bottom shelf on my cutter table but it looks like some of the leveling of the table is done by having the legs move a little when you adjust the wheel height. How did you guys Mount your lower shelf to your table? Did you take into consideration the adjustments?
I would assume you would level the table then add the shelf. That’s what I plan on doing
Ultimately you are leveling the table by adjusting the casters, You may have to loosen some frame bolts to allow the chassis to shift a little but if the table is level or or you measure down from the cross beams for setting your height and level the table later it should all work out the same. The caster is the lowest part and also the leveling part. However if you are leveling after you may have to loosen the shelf as well as the cross beams in order for the table to shift position with the caster.
I would just measure up from the bottom edge of the leg or down from the top and mark the mounting points. Doing it that way you new shelf should always be equal to your table itself.
It’s on wheels and I’m moving around all the time. I figured that was one of the advantages to these types of tables. But I guess I’m not releveling it everytime I move it
The only significant issue I see with being out of level is really the water level in the tray. To get the table trued up you may loosen up some legs and corners so you can jack the corners with the casters but then tighten everything down and then adjust the casters to make the table level. As long as the table is rigid the gantry should remain true to the table and if you roll it somewhere else does it really matter if it is a little out level? and if it was just adjust the casters.
That’s not entirely accurate. You can have some twist in the table. that twist is taken out by adjusting the legs it’s not the squareness of the table it’s how flat the plane of the slats are
agreed but also semantics. if you get your flat plane and your gantry is true to it and the table is then sufficiently rigid you should be able to get away with moving it level or not.
A shelf done well will add some rigidity to the assembly.
If the table is going to be moved around quite often then I would suspend the shelf from the legs so as the table moves the shelf can move with it.
Probably need a picture to best explain it. Build your shelf to the inside dimensions of legs minus, let’s say 1" on only one side. Thru bolt each leg with a bolt long enough for a couple of nuts and washers. Suspend the shelf from those bolts with some 1/8" flat stock. So it would be leg, washer, nut, washer, flat stock, washer then nut. Then thru bolt shelf going head of bolt, washer, flat stock, washer, shelf, washer then nut. Use nylon nuts and keep things kinda loose.
Having it setup this way would allow the shelf to undulate with the legs.
I can post a picture if needed.
Or just put leveling feet on the table and not move it.