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1. 
   ErnieConover | Feb 20, 2006 10:21pm | #1

   Much depends on the size of the table. Most tables that a worker in a small shop might build will fit on a piece of plywood. Set said sheet of ply on a level concrete floor. Check if with a bubble level. If you cannot find a level floor but the floor is flat mark the level with a fine tip magic marker for the amount it is off. Do this in two directions along the long and short axis of the plywood. Now place the table on the plywood. If it rocks, hang each leg off the plywood in turn until it does not rock but sits as level as possible. This should leave one long leg hanging off of the plywood. Mark the leg with the top of the plywood and cut on the line with a back saw. This works on the premise that three legs will always sit without rocking.

   If your table has more that four legs the situation becomes more problematic. You will have to measure the height from the table top to the floor at each of the legs. You now can use trig to figure how much to take off of each leg, but in reality you can usually just remove small amounts incrementally until the table is level. Another good leg shorting tool is a disk sander with very coarse abrasive.

   Good luck, have patience and only cut when you are really sure. It also helps to be very accurate about the length of your legs, the placement of mortise and tenon joints and the trueness of your aprons. Nothing replaces a well laid out frame as then it should sit level without any need of the above.