Fix a wobbly table
We all know how annoying – and risky – it can be when your folding table won’t sit firmly on the floor, but a permanent fix is easier than you might think, says Tony Brown
HAS YOUR CARAVAN table become wobbly over time?
Turn it over and see if loose leg-fixing screws are the cause of the problem. Start by firmly but gently retightening them.
If, like mine, your table is very basically constructed from a chipboard core with melamine laminate faces, you may find that the screws just rotate in their holes – this will never be a success, as you cannot easily replace the screws with longer or fatter ones.
Table meets its match
The solution is to remove the screw-on legs entirely, and use pieces of matchstick with a coating of PVA wood glue to fill the holes. Not only will this reduce the hole size, but it will also provide a much better grip for the original self-tapping fixing screws.
You can cut two filling pieces from each match, which must then have one side tapered with a craft knife before coating with glue and partially inserting into the hole. Partially fit the second tapered match before very gently tapping them both into place with a small hammer. You must take care to avoid pushing down on the melamine top face and, if in doubt, keep a hand underneath to ensure you are not tapping too hard.
The tale of the tape
Although this will probably provide an excellent fixing, as a belt-and-braces measure I applied some powerful doublesided tape to the back of the leg fixing plate before it was refitted. This was not your common or garden high-street product, but something described on the internet as ‘High Performance Acrylic
Foam Tape’ as used in the automotive trade. A quick rub over both surfaces using methylated spirits will remove any grease before the tape is applied to the back of the plate.
After removing the protective film from the sticky tape, position the plate over the screw-holes very precisely, as it will be difficult to reposition it to insert the srews.
The end result was a very firm fixing, as the tape complements the fixing screws. I rather hope that I never have to try to remove these legs!
‘The solution is to remove the screw-on legs entirely and use pieces of matchstick’