I was messing around with some scrap and I guess this "odd endtable" of sorts came together (still have a lot of areas to zip together then clean up - it's just tacked up here) - thinking possibly an oval glass top for it at some point but along the way I decided to bend some 1/4" round into hairpin legs. It seems to be "OK" for stability - it's not anything more than maybe a decorative table I suppose. But asking for those who do make/use hairpin legs on some things if you have any tips or tricks to ensure that the resulting height is equal to all ends once mounted. No table wobble, top surface level/flat ......... "Asking for a friend" This guy - eyeballed as best he could with the use of the holes and edges of the certiflat table and another straight edge - got 3 out of 4 even (always was a "C student I suppose") - so ended up coaxing the other legs out a bit to even it up. Sits fine now - but couldn't have done that with say rebar hairpin legs. Again - this is a light duty accent table at best and maybe has something like this "organic steel plant" I just made out of "other scrap" - so - not much weight - maybe 5-10 lbs
Re: Hairpin Legs - tips or tricks if you can offer
I’d draw out the legs on a flat table or make a template to duplicate each leg to precise dimensions. When mounting the legs place the table upside down flat on a work bench. Using vise grips place 3 legs on the table with the legs sticking up in the air and clamp them in place. Then flip the table over and place the fourth leg in place and clamp it to the table. Check for rocking and level. If all is good tack legs into place and check again. If all is good remove the clamps and weld it out. Easy. There are many ways to skin a cat, that is the first idea off the top of my head. IMO the key is finding a way to duplicate the legs in a way that is fast and easy to repeat.
Last edited by N2 Welding; 08-31-2021 at 05:33 AM.
Lincoln, ESAB, Thermal Dynamics, Victor, Miller, Dewalt, Makita, Kalamzoo. Hand tools, power tools, welding and cutting tools.
Re: Hairpin Legs - tips or tricks if you can offer
Thx all - some good ideas. never thought of turning them 90 degrees - that is interesting. I think - the clamping upside down then running a level across each might be my best bet - then tacking on and checking flipped b4 really melting them together. I had pretty good luck repeating the bends and lengths of each - as I was angling them slightly outward from top to bottom - that threw me off a bit.
Re: Hairpin Legs - tips or tricks if you can offer
Originally Posted by SweetMK
You can try anything that you want,, BUT,,,
IF you have more than three legs,, the table will wobble on some surface,, that is an absolute given.
There is only a 5% chance that you can match your 4 leg set to a surface, 95% chance that it will wobble.
Three legs,, maximum,, please!!
This is the exact reason I suggested doing three legs and placing the 4th once the table was standing level on three legs. Once 3 legs are set it'd be super easy to lay the 4th in place on a level surface so the table wont rock. Only way it could rock after all that would be if the surface the legs were standing on were not even and level between all 4 legs.
Lincoln, ESAB, Thermal Dynamics, Victor, Miller, Dewalt, Makita, Kalamzoo. Hand tools, power tools, welding and cutting tools.