How to install Adoored table legs?

[Jukie78]

Hello. I am attempting to make a desk.

I have purchased rubber wood bench tops, adoored table legs and vertical leg plates.

whenni went to attach the legs the 3/8 bolt from the leg was longer than the thread allowance between the leg plate and the bench top. 

I thus drilled a further hole into the bench top at the appropriate depth and screwed in the legs. As a result my bench tops have now warped.  Yay.

I have taken everything off and applied weight and the bench tops are now flattened some what, one is still slightly bowed.

so - do I drill further into the leg in order to reduce the depth of the 3/8 bolt and reattach the legs as before, or do I screw a mounting board of sorts (can be rubberwood offcuts) onto the edges of the desk and then screw the legs into these?  This will result in me needing to trim the legs I think.  

any advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regardss

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Jukie78. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about installing Adoored table legs.

I'm sorry to hear that installing your Adoored legs into the leg plates is proving difficult. As you've mentioned, a mounting board can be used. Alternatively, you can cut the threaded sections down, so they don't hit the tabletop. 

You'll find the reasoning for the longer threaded bolt is that if you're using the T-nuts for the bottom of a cabinet, the threaded section must be long enough to pass through the bottom of the cabinet and reach the T-nut.

I suspect the benchtop has warped due to humidity instead of the minor adjustment you've made by drilling holes. Once the panel has acclimatised, I'd suggest re-installing the legs as you had them. Have a look at the discussion from @Bobnotabuilder on How to prevent Acacia desk from bowing?.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Mitchell

[Jukie78]

Thanks Mitchell, that’s very helpful.

I’ll keep pushing on.

quick question - are the t nuts able to be inserted into the desk so that the bolt can screw in, like an insert nut such as this?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/taskmaster-m6-x-13mm-screw-in-insert-nut-flat-surfaces-8-pack_p0035526

[EricL]

Hello @Jukie78

I suggest using the T-Nuts as these are designed for furniture legs. The Taskmaster M6 x 13mm Screw-In Insert Nut Flat Surfaces is designed to join furniture surfaces together. As for the bowing of your benchtop, I suggest putting a sealer on it once you've fixed the bowing. Moisture is the number one enemy of unsealed timber as it enters and leaves it dries off the fibres within and contracts to create that bowing effect.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[jennig]

I'm having the same problem. I want to put some legs on a piece of wood. I want to be able to remove them for storage so I thought the Adoored plate system would be perfect, but the bolt on the legs is way too long. I don't want the leg to actually screw into the wood, just the plate. Just like in the Adoored video about how to install them.

How do I shorten the bolt?? If I have to cut it what tool do I need to do that??

[EricL]

Hello @jennig 

In order to cut the threaded section, you'll need to use a Trojan 300mm Tubular Hack Saw. But before cutting, I suggest screwing the loose plate onto the leg. You will now see how far the threaded section goes past the plate. Mark the threaded section with a black marker where it's supposed to be cut.

Leave the plate attached as you cut the excess off. Once you have cut the threaded section slowly unscrew the plate off the threaded post. The plate will repair the thread of the bolt so that you can screw it back on, repeat the process for the other legs.

Please make sure to use personal protection such as gloves, goggles, and a dust mask when working on your table.

Let me call on our experienced members @TedBear and @JoeAzza for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[jennig]

Thank you 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @jennig,

I thought I'd also mention that if your piece of wood is thick enough, you can drill some corresponding holes into the bottom of it so the threads recess inside them. If this works, you can avoid cutting all the threads down.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell