On Sunday, September 30, 2018 at 10:52:28 AM UTC-4, pyotr filipivich wrote:
DerbyDad03 on Sat, 29 Sep 2018 14:30:21 -0700
(PDT) typed in rec.woodworking the following:
On Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 4:52:58 PM UTC-4, pyotr filipivich wrote:
DerbyDad03 on Sat, 29 Sep 2018 09:06:52 -0700
(PDT) typed in rec.woodworking the following:
My daughter saw these benches at a flea market and she wants me to build
one for her:

https://i.imgur.com/5n5kB3K.jpg

Nice.

The bench she wants will be 5' long. The problem I foresee is that she
rents the first floor of an older home (1940) and the wide plank floors
aren't level/flat.

Am I nuts to be wondering if there is a way to build the bench so the
overall look is maintained and the bench is sturdy enough to hold 2-3
adults, but has just enough flex to not rock if the floor has a dip or
sag?

Not really.

Maybe with 2-3 adults it will flex on it's own even if fully glued and
bolted, but what if only one person is sitting on it?

Am I, as usual, overthinking a simple project?

Include a set of wedges / shims.

What purpose would a set of wedges/shims serve?

To fill the gap between base of table and floor.

The bench will be used primarily at a dining room table, which means it will
be moved to slightly different locations, some of which may have dips, humps, etc. That's why I'm asking about "flexibility", allowing the bench to find it's own solid footing.

Just how "potholed" is this floor?

You've got two basic choices: the table top is stiff enough to
remain "flat", in which case one of the feet will not touch down, and
the table will rock as weight on top shifts*. Or the table top is
flexible enough to let all four feet reach the floor, in which case it
will not be flat. Okay, two extremes, one doesn't flex at all, the
other extreme it reflects every bump and dip.

The "simple solution" to a table as stiff as this and an uneven
floor is a collection of shims. An elegant solution is to make
adjustable feet that can be raised and lowered. Hmmm, wooden rack and
pinion is one suggestion. Or just turn an Acme Screw thread and nut.
Each foot will have to be independent of the others, so a central
adjustment knob/crank is out. Although that could be fun.



You appear to be missing a key point here - something I pointed out in
my OP as well as my previous response: I'm building a *bench*, not a table.

Sure, a table could be shimmed or fitted with adjusters because once placed
it's not going to move very often.

However, as I mentioned:

"The bench will be used primarily at a dining room table, which means it
will be moved to slightly different locations, some of which may have dips,
humps, etc."

The bench may shift left or right, in or out, depending on the size of the
users, it's current use, etc. "Filling the gap between the base and the floor"
is not a feasible solution for a movable bench.