How would you deal with a 16mm table-height difference?

[wow]

Since I've been laid up I have been drawing and planning, getting ready to build three fixtures:

1. My own Miter (or Mitre for you Metric Mavens) Saw stand

2. A variation of the Ron Paulk Table that doubles as an outfeed table for my Table Saw, and possibly as extensions for the Kapex. Not sure about that last part.

3. A replacement extension table for my Table Saw that incorporates some of the features of the MFT - specifically the 20mm hole grid.

I am able to move around a little, so this morning I allowed myself an hour to hobble out to the shop. I cleaned up a few things, re-stacked my Systainers, etc. But mostly I took some measurements. More about that in a minute.

Around 20 years ago I welded up a heavy-duty steel cart with locking casters to hold my table saw with a side cabinet under the extension that I use to store blades, dadoes, clamps, and accessories. Well, today I measured the distance from the floor to the top of the saw table and was amazed to find that it is 916mm!!!

Honest, it was an accident! Well, maybe not, since that is basically 36" - the common counter height here in the good 'ole US of A.

I had always intended to make all of the previously mentioned surfaces the same height, so now I am thinking that that height will be 916 mm. I am a little above average in height, so the extra seems logical.

Does this make sense so far?

I don't own an MFT, UG cart, or anything else that I have to match. So, I guess my question is this:

If I someday get an MFT, is there an easy way to add 16mm to the height if I want my horizontal surfaces to line up? I assume I could buy or build some kind of 'foot' into which the MFT leg could go? Heck, considering where I live, the 'booster feet' could well be hockey pucks with a recess machined out for the MFT leg to sit in? I'd have the added benefit of them minimizing vibration.

What say you all?

 

[Slartibartfass]

Hockey puck sounds like a great idea. I used hard rubber pads you use to level billiard tables to even out the 2 MFT/s that I connected.

 

[RKA]

Shim the feet with 5/8" ply and you should be pretty close.

 

[grbmds]

Actually 36" is a good height. I made a workbench a couple of years ago and decided to make it 36"; taller than most workbenches. It really is a good working height for me and I'm 5' 8"  tall. I find that I don't have to bend over nearly as much when working. It's OK for hand planing, chiseling, gluing, almost everything.

 

[Wenyce]

If u ever acquire a mft/3 I've noticed a lot of people place it on a base and of course u could measure accordingly to make the top of the mft/3 on top of that base to be the 916mm height.

Other option ( not sure how possible this is but the mdf/HDf  top on the mft/3 sits on the corners of the legs how about a 16mm shim/wood/rubber whatever, there to heighten the top a bit, I guess u would just need longer bolts to make sure they can reach all the way to the nut/tapped hole.

 

[shed9]

Easiest solution would be to fit longer rubber feet with a shim inside - if that makes sense.

 

[Tinker]

I like your idea of the hockey pucks.  I did the same sort of thing with our washing machine.  Our house has NO level floors anywhere. When we had it installed three years ago while doing bathroom redesign so could put washer 7 dryer in bathroom instead of basement, i don't think the guy tightened up the locknuts on the back feet.  when it suddenly developed a severe vibration, i investigated for level.It was slightly less than a mile or two out of level.  the back feet had vibrated so one side was about 7/8" lower than the front.  I leveled the front feet by screwing all the way up on one side and out about 1/4" on the other.  I then measured how far off the back feet were and made up a couple of 1-1/2" blocks glued and screwed together (two thicknesses of 3/4" ply).  Then i used the largest forester bit and cored out the centers of the blocks to the exact thickness needed to level all.  We ended up getting a new washer as it was cheaper to buy new than to repair the old.  When delivered, i just set the back feet down about 1/4" and set into the blocks.  the coring made it so even if blocks slid around, the feet would never slide off.  works like a charm and the most the machine could ever go out of level would be about 1/4" in any direction.  Your hockey pucks would work just as well. 

The responder who suggested building a base was a god idea as well.  That would be a lot more solid if you are into hand planing.  That, so far, is the only operation i have a big problem with my MFT's.
Tinker