How to Shorten Coffee Table Legs?

How to Shorten Coffee Table Legs?

Everyone wants a coffee table with the perfect size and shape. It becomes challenging to shorten the legs of the table.

How to Shorten Coffee Table Legs? You can shorten coffee table legs by using a power saw or hand saw and a cutting jig. Measure the required length and cut the wooden legs, and stabilize the table. Furthermore, you need clamps for a firm grip and sandpaper for a smooth finish.

However, you should be careful during this process of cutting the legs of the coffee table. It is better to measure the before and required length of the table in a proper way.

How do you shorten coffee table legs?

Every family member in the house uses a coffee table in their own different ways.

Some use it to rest their legs and to put on their coffee mugs. Furthermore, kids sit around it on the floor to do their homework or do art projects.

However, it is not too late to fix it according to your needs, as you can cut off its legs if they are making it higher than your requirement.

You should follow the steps of this method to have a perfect result. You need a flat and equally leveled surface for this process.

Next, measure the legs of the coffee table from the point of its joint to the base. Also, measure the height you want to achieve.

Subtract both measurements; the result will be the length you want to cut off. Mark the legs with a marker or a pencil.

For example, you want to cut off 5 inches from the height of the table. You will mark the legs 5 inches from the floor surface.

Now, you will have to make a jig with the help of plywood. A jig will help you to give support to the leg of the coffee table you are going to cut.

Cut the plywood according to the height you are subtracting from the leg. For example, suppose you are going to minus 5 inches from it; then you have to make a jig of 5 inches in height.

In addition, it should be more in length than the leg and equal in width. The final shape of a jig will be like a rectangular box, but it will open from one side.

You can separate the legs from the table if you can; otherwise, you will have to cut them with the whole table.

It is essential to examine if all four of them if they are of equal width as the jig have to be the same width as them.

Next, you need clamps to have a firm grip on the jig with the leg. You do not want it to move when you are cutting them.

Clamp it and make sure it is not loose. Then, begin the cutting process with the handsaw or power saw.

It depends on your preference if you want to use a hand or a power saw, as both are better for this task.

Furthermore, smooth the freshly cut legs from beneath to avoid sharp edges. It is essential because the sharpness of the wood can cause injury and damage your floor or rug.

Check if the table is stable by placing it on the leveled floor in case of wobbling. You can further cut coffee table legs with the table saw if there is any wobbling.

Why would you shorten coffee table legs?

There can be many reasons for shortening the coffee table legs. It could happen if you got one without checking the height and space of your lounge.

Higher than a sofa

The coffee table has to be lower in height than the seat of the sofa. The standard height difference between the two is two to three inches.

It is essential because when you put a decorative item, it will not look taller. Furthermore, it is often placed in front of the tv stand, and it can block your view if it is taller than the sofa.

Moreover, the kids use it as their study table, and it is perfect according to their level. 

You can invite your friends for a movie night, and some can sit on the floor. However, the table could be a hurdle in their view and block it. 

Wobbly

It is a common reason for shortening the legs of the table. A wobbly coffee table can be dangerous if you put anything on it.

There is a continuous risk of falling off things that can break your valuable décor items.

In addition, a wobbly leg of the table can be a fault of its manufacturers.

However, you do not have to put a block of wood under its leg to stabilize it temporarily. It will be extra work to move it and the block every time you clean the floor.

Fix this issue by shortening the legs to avoid this extra struggle. 

Damaged wooden legs

It’s no wonder that wood can get damaged and can make the whole item look ugly. For example, the legs of the coffee table can get damaged due to moisture and dirt.

In addition, sometimes people move it with the force of their shoes and damage its finish. It happens, and you should be careful next time because you cannot keep cutting them off the table.

Moreover, the wet mop can damage the wood and leave moisture in it. You can wrap the ends whenever you mop or throw water to clean the floor.

Will a coffee table look good with short legs?

A coffee table looks good with short legs if the top is thick and provides a good level, according to the couch. 

Furthermore, the tall coffee table can look more like a console table. It cannot be higher than the sofa and TV stand.

The overall decor of the lounge will be affected. Moreover, it will not look better if you put a few things over it as the decorative item can block the view of people sitting around it.

Related Articles:

Can You Keep Glass From Sliding on Wood Table?

How to Remove Cloudiness From a Wood Table?