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Complete novice at DIY but we really wanted a industrial style table so we decided to give it ago ourselves. I really like how it turned out but due to the style of table legs used I have some stability issues on the table and bench, movement direction left and right if you stood where I've taken the photo.

Ideally I don't want to add any stretchers so I was wondering what other options I could try. I've considered repositioning the table legs where I've attached them on the underside to give them a trapezium shape but apart from that I've no other ideas.

They are on a thick pile carpet which isn't helping but it won't always be the case.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

enter image description here

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    Nice work for your first go! I'd guess that the steel is probably 1/4" but even at that thickness, the length makes for a huge lever that makes it easy to make it wobble. Your only hope is some triangulation - either adding some diagonal bracing or moving the attachment points closer together so the legs aren't vertical. If you'd used box section steel, you'd have probably avoided the issue. Your chairs appear to be box steel framed, and I bet even those will rock a bit as you sit in them due to your weight and the length of the lever arm.
    – FreeMan
    Mar 29, 2021 at 17:31
  • Thank you so much for the advice, definitely the width and height of the legs have been detrimental to the wobble we are considering moving the fixing points closer to give that triangular design to increase stability, would adding a skirt of wood at the top end of the legs pushing outwards give stability also? and if so do you think this would have a negative effect on the overall design?
    – Stevie Mac
    Mar 30, 2021 at 7:00
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    Attaching a skirt board to the legs would help reduce the wobble. Whether it would reduce it enough depends on the depth of the skirt. Whether it would negatively impact the design is up to you, as my opinion (and that of anyone else here) is irrelevant, since we don't have to live with it day-to-day. You might consider some wrought iron fillagre work to fill in the leg space. While it would change the aesthetic of the design, multiple attachment points to each leg would be your "triangulation" and make it look like it was intentional...
    – FreeMan
    Mar 30, 2021 at 12:42
  • Cheers, thanx for the advice apprediated 👍
    – Stevie Mac
    Mar 31, 2021 at 13:20
  • As you may have noted when you took the tour, the proper way of saying "thanks" is to click the up arrow of the answer(s) that help and the check mark next to the answer that helps the most. Lets everyone else know that this question has a satisfactory resolution so that others can turn to it for help, too.
    – FreeMan
    Apr 30, 2021 at 15:46

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I'd guess that the steel is probably 1/4" but even at that thickness, the length makes for a huge lever that makes it easy to make it wobble.

Your only hope is some triangulation - either adding some diagonal bracing or moving the attachment points closer together so the legs aren't vertical. If you'd used box section steel, you'd have probably avoided the issue. Your chairs appear to be box steel framed, and I bet even those will rock a bit as you sit in them due to your weight and the length of the lever arm.

Attaching a skirt board to the legs would help reduce the wobble. Whether it would reduce it enough depends on the depth of the skirt.

You might also consider some wrought iron filigree work to fill in the leg space. While it would change the aesthetic of the design, multiple attachment points to each leg would be your "triangulation" and make it look like it was intentional.

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