Just realized my old workbench is way off level after 10 years

I built a workbench in my studio back in 2014 and never checked if it was level. Last week I tried to square up a frame for a painting and nothing lined up right. I spent 3 hours messing with the frame before I thought to check the bench. It was a full half inch lower on one corner. Had to shim the whole thing with scrap wood and now everything works fine. Has anyone else had a hidden problem like that mess up a project for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

brown.susan1mo ago

Only 3 hours? That's a pretty good warm up for the real problem solving. At least your frame didn't end up looking like a trapezoid.

michaeladams1mo ago

Trapezoid" is a generous way to put it, I've seen frames that ended up looking more like a squished potato. My last attempt at a similar project took about 4 hours and I somehow ended up with a piece that could double as a modern art sculpture. At least your frame probably sits flat on the floor, which is more than I can say for my disaster.

the_sage11d ago

Gotta push back a little on @brown.susan though. I mean, yeah 3 hours isn't the end of the world but when you've already spent 10 years not knowing your bench was off, those 3 hours feel like the straw that breaks the camel's back. I spent like 6 months once printing posters on a slightly tilted worktable and had to redo half my client proofs because the crop lines kept coming out crooked. It's frustrating because you blame yourself and your tools instead of the one stupid slab of wood underneath it all.