DIY Console Table - Unstable Design

Question

I have embarked on creating my own hallway console table because I was unable to find a narrow enough one on the market that fit my space. For my design I went with 2 IKEA Bergshult shelves to save me from using unfinished wood. I bought a short and long one because the legs I bought are too short to fit above the radiator. The plan was to attach the 2 shelevs and create a little shelf that will elevate the top shelef above the radiator and the bottom fits just fine in between the gap and the radiator.

Thats the design explanation and why I am designed it like this. My problem now is the table is unstable and won't stand without falling. How do I stabilise it? I thought of orienting it like the picture, with the small shelf acting like the base, and buying another small shelf to continue with the original design, but how will I attach the new small shelf as the top on the "Bottom" of the hollow legs?

Answer 1

Two legs won't stand up by themselves. It works for a person, but that has a lot to do with center of gravity and the brain helping keep the body stable. Two sticks of metal and a slab of wood need a bit of help.

You generally won't find anything with one or two legs standing by itself, unless each leg has a much larger base attached. Think about a typical small round table. It has one leg, but the bottom will typically be a circle several inches (or more) in diameter, sometimes deliberately weighted for stability.

The solution for a table that will be up against a wall is to use some mounting brackets under one of the shelves to attach the table to the wall, ideally into studs if the walls are typical (for the US) drywall over wood frame. Done right, the legs will still support the bulk of the weight and the brackets will provide stability, so the brackets don't need to be nearly as large as they would be to support shelves without legs.