Easy Easels

 One of my fellow art students asked me to copy our studio's table top easels for her

new easel on the right

 So I did, I copied the studio's easel in poplar, using an off cut from the table top.  The poplar is strong and easy to work either by hand or machine.  After cutting the three legs to length with my mitre saw I did the rest of the work with hand tools. (just for fun). I used a back saw, a block plane and a bit of sand paper. I did use a cordless drill to make the holes for the threaded rod that holds it all together.  I do have a brace and bit if I need be.  I actually use it when the forstner bits aren't long enough.

  After I got the commissioned easel make I decided to make one from my self. Mine is made from:

from this:

  One of the car load of 2 x 4's that I brought home a few weeks ago from our kids house. The board was weathered and a bit twisted but after I cut it to length on my mitre saw, joined one face and one edge, then ran it through the planer and ripped it on the table saw:

to these:

 I even went to the trouble of putting a round over bit in my router table and smoothed all the edges. It took longer to rout the edges and sand everything nice than it did to cut and drill the thing. My easel doesn't have a cross piece like the others, it has two dowels upon which the canvas or book or what ever will sit.

 The only trick in making this....

The angle where the three pieces come together.  To move the easel around, just undo the bolt at the top.

cheers, ianw