Got a wobbly table or a rocking chair that shouldn’t be? Spilling drinks or guests onto the floor? Well, you can stick a matchbook under the short leg, or you can deal with the problem more permanently. The trick is getting it right with one cut.
First, decide whether the floor is the culprit. It it’s not level, you may simply want to move the table or chair to a different location. Or you may want to fix the table so it sits properly in that particular spot. (Of course, you’ll have to adjust it again if you want to move it later on.)
We’ll assume a square table with four legs to make it easier to describe. Put the table in place, then have someone press down on the corners till one leg lifts off the ground.
Measure this gap, then cut a piece of wood to fit perfectly in the gap. Then, take this wood and place it against an adjacent leg (it doesn’t matter which one). Using the wood as a guide, scribe a line on the leg with a utility knife. (Alternatively, you could slide strips of cardboard under the leg till you have a snug fit, then use this pile of cardboard as your guide.)
Now, cut the leg along your scribed line. If the leg is removable, take it off the table to cut it.
Now the two adjacent legs are the same length, and the wobble is no more.