Category: Restaurants

Wobble Wedge is a family-owned company, and here in our family, probably much like yours, we are looking for ways to reduce the amount of plastic packaging waste in our household. That means we’re making changes in our business too! We are proud to announce that Wobble Wedge is moving away from plastic packaging for our products. Last year, when we launched our rebrand, our 30-packs started coming in attractive square cardboard boxes. Now, we’re thrilled to share the next elements of the transition are ready! The Shop Shims Variety Pack is now going to be sold in partitioned cardboard boxes instead of the hard plastic container. Soon the 300-count Wobble Wedge container will also be available in cardboard.

Why Are We Transitioning From Plastic Packaging?

Plastic waste and micro-plastics are having an enormous negative impact on our environment and in our present economy, the supply chain for recycling plastic is not functioning. We feel it is our social responsibility to reduce the impact our business has on the environment for future generations. Therefore, we’re making the shift to cardboard packaging for all of our product containers. Cardboard packaging is recyclable and is currently being recycled in most municipalities, offering a more stable supply chain. Plus, the new cardboard packaging features updated graphic design and branding elements that will stand out on any shelf.

Will Wobble Wedge Shims Still be Plastic?

One obvious question may be looming in your mind; will Wobble Wedge shims still be made of plastic? Yes, Wobble Wedge shims will still be made of plastic, as we are confident that this is the best material for the job. Flexible plastic shims grip onto hard flooring surfaces without sliding and rigid plastic shims are ideal for furniture on soft flooring materials. We also know that our shims are built to last and will get used many, many times before they become waste. Wobble Wedge plastic shims won’t flex or rot if exposed to moisture or the elements, making them a durable solution to all rocks, leans, and wobbles.

What’s New with the Shop Shim Variety Pack?

We are very excited about the changes happening with the Shop Shim Variety Pack. The cardboard box is a sleek update to the cumbersome plastic tacklebox-style container. Take a look at the photo below for a peek inside the new Shop Shim box with its delightful, labeled cutouts for each of the three shim sizes.

New packaging, Same Great Product

Wobble Wedges ® have been the go-to leveling and stabilizing solution for industry professionals for over 30 years. Developed and designed by a family-owned Boulder based company dedicated to serving our customers quality solutions. We felt that a new decade warranted a fresh new look for our brand, with a new focus on the everyday consumers’ needs too. To this end we’ve revamped our packaging for our plastic shims, redone our logo, and overhauled our website. We hope this new look reminds our customers that Wobble Wedges ® offer an intuitive solution from an easy-to-use tool with limitless possibilities. 

Why? We Want to be the Hero of All Household Projects!

Simple and straightforward in its design, Wobble Wedges ® are engineered to be user-friendly and intuitive to implement. Perfect for at-home uses, our plastic shims are multi-purpose tools that empower users to tackle all types of home, office, and outdoor improvement challenges. Patented interlocking technology allows you to securely stack all sizes of plastic shims in combination; customizing the product to fit each fix-it need. Multiple color options and trimmable features ensure adaptability, from shimming a table leg to laying concrete slabs. Our plastic shims offer a quick fix that’s durable enough to be used, and then reused, time and time again.

New Packaging, Same Great Product

Our fresh new packaging and smaller consumer sized containers will practically jump into your hand at the hardware store! For our 30 count and 75 count packages we have replaced the old PVC jars with paperboard packaging that is more eco-friendly. In the near future you can also expect smaller packages to be available at your local hardware store and on our website. These smaller package options will give our customers the option to buy only a few plastic shims at a time. Making Wobble Wedges ® even more accessible to the average consumer. 

The Go-To Plastic Shim for Industry Tradesmen

Wobble Wedges ® are still the go-to for industry tradesmen (plumbers, contractors, maintenance, etc) and restaurants! The ultimate solution for wobbly toilets and tables, our plastic shims can be reused over and over again! We are proud to offer the only sustainable wedge of its kind; designed to weather the elements and burden of time. Making our tapered shims the perfect choice for all kinds of jobs.

Like what you see? Go follow Wobble Wedges ® on your platform of choice, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and browse revamped products in the shop!

What Led Us to the First Patented Plastic Shim with Interlocking Ridges

The history of shims starts long before plastic was around. In fact shims or wedges are some of the oldest technology that humans developed. Early shims were made from stone, wood, antlers, and various other natural materials. But modern times call for modern materials, and we needed a solution that didn’t deteriorate or slide around when stacked. So we developed the Wobble Wedge® plastic shim with interlocking ridges. And now over 30 years after it was first created, our plastic shim is still the leader in shim technology.

When Did Humans Develop the Shim?

Shims or wedges are considered one of the six “simple machines” developed by early humans. This list includes the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, and inclined plane. Shims have been around since the stone age, and even pre-date the invention of the wheel. Bronze wedges were used in quarries in Ancient Egypt circa 3,000BC to break and shape rock during mining. There is also evidence that Native Americans used antler wedges to build canoes and dwellings. They also used stone wedges to make tools such as axes and knives (both of which are types of wedges themselves). 

Why Shim Technology Needed New Ideas

With thousands of years of development, interestingly wedges have mostly stayed the same. The most common types of shims are smooth and made of metal or wood. These have their advantages and disadvantages. Metals can be very strong, taking a lot of force, but they can also rust, degrade, and stain other materials when in contact with water. Metal is also quite expensive, and not easily manipulated. Wooden shims on the other hand are cheap, and easily manipulated and shaped. But wood can also warp, rot, and stain other materials when water is present. Both of these options work in certain situations, but they have limitations.

A New, Modern Shim for Stability

Living in a 115 year old home that didn’t have a level floor board in it, meant all of our furniture wobbled and listed. We decided that we needed a solution that offered stability. Stacking metal, wood, or plastic shims that were available at the time always resulted in the shims slipping and not staying in place. Shims needed some way to grip that would allow them to stack safely and remain firmly where you needed them. This is why we decided to invent the Wobble Wedge®.

The First Patented Plastic Shim with Interlocking Ridges

Wobble Wedges® were invented in 1985 to create a truly modern plastic shim that could eliminate the issues of other shims that were in the market at the time. We designed Wobble Wedges® as an interlocking modular system of tapered shims. The interlocking ridges allowed Wobble Wedge® plastic shims to stack on top of each other. Each plastic shim was designed to resist movement from all directions, no sliding side to side or forward and back. This allowed the Wobble Wedge® plastic shim to stay where you put it, be that gripping a surface or gripping another Wobble Wedge®. We didn’t set out to get patents, but ultimately our designs earned 2 patents for our interlocking ridges. 

Wobble Wedge®, the Most Versatile Modern Plastic Shim

Wobble Wedges® are made from plastic because it won’t rot, warp or cause discoloration when in contact with water. It’s also cheap, durable, and allows us to make plastic shims in both hard/rigid and soft/flexible options. Our hard/rigid plastic shims can take +2,000lbs of force, while the soft/flexible versions are strong and cushioned enough to use with delicate porcelain. We also designed the Wobble Wedge® plastic shim in 4 sizes with the same interlocking ridges so that you can use all 4 sizes together. Wobble Wedges® are equally effective at stabilizing a wobbly restaurant table, installing a toilet or leveling a backyard fountain as they are in shimming aluminium aircraft panels on an industrial assembly line.

Combine Wobble Wedges® for Versatile Functions

One word that should come to mind when you think of Wobble Wedges is “versatility”. The hard and soft plastic shims are perfect for different functions. From working great as furniture levelers to stopping items from sliding on your hardwood floors, and so many uses in between. But the best part of Wobble Wedge® shims is that they can be used together to add even more uses.

Hard Shims for Furniture on Soft Flooring

Hard plastic shims are great for supporting furniture on carpets or soft flooring, where the firm shim will give the stability you need. They also work great with heavy items, like a wobbly workbench in your garage. Use the hard plastic shims, which come in black or clear, under the workbench to keep it steady while you work! Wobble Wedge hard plastic shims can support over 2,000 lbs, so even your heaviest items can be stabilized.

Soft Furniture Shims for Items on Hard Flooring

Soft plastic shims are perfect when the item you’re supporting is delicate or dentable, like a vintage wood cabinet, and the soft plastic means they won’t leave a mark on your cabinet or on your floor. They also work great on hard flooring, like hardwood, tile, or laminate. The soft rubber “grips” the floor and keeps your furniture from sliding. If you sit down on your couch and it moves a few inches each time, pretty soon it’ll be in another room! But luckily you can use soft plastic shims, which come in three colors, black, clear, and white, to keep your furniture in place, no more sliding!

Combine Shims for Versatile Uses

The best part of Wobble Wedges is that the hard and soft shims can be combined to work together! Need to level a wooden cabinet on carpeting? A hard plastic shim gives stability on the carpeted floor, and use a soft shim to pad the delicate woodwork of the cabinet. With the patented interlocking ridges on Wobble Wedges using two shims together means they won’t slip! Have a heavy table that you don’t want sliding around on your laminate flooring? Use a soft shim to stop it from sliding, and a hard shim to firmly hold that heavy table in place.

Another great aspect of Wobble Wedges is that you can combine the different sizes to fill any gap. Stack two or stack five, the interlocking ridges will keep them firmly together. Use a Big Gap wedge with a Standard Sized wedge to fill a ¾ inch or larger space. A Standard Sized shim and a Mini Wobble Wedge can be combined for spaces less than half an inch. Two Big Gap wedges can fill nearly a 1 inch gap, really the combinations are endless!

Ready for the most versatile shims you’ll ever need?

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