I agree. I thought they did a great job at showing the build.

My wife wanted a smaller and lighter mast for her “smallest” plein air setup which consists of a lightweight tripod, small tray and a mast, so I built one yesterday using 1/4″ birch plywood instead of the 1/2″. It weighs 12 ounces, half what the full sized one patterned after the one shown in the link above and is only 25″ long but will hold a 20″ tall panel quite well.

Rather than gluing together strips as in the example on the link, I cut a 3 1/2″ wide x 25″ long piece of plywood then cut a 1/4″ slot down the middle of it, stopping about 3/4″ of an inch from each end, plus leaving solid wood in the 2 1/4″ space where the tripod plate goes. I used a table saw to cut the slots, stopping about an inch from the ends, then rasped out the last bits on either end. A router would do the job better but I didn’t have the right bit. I made the tripod plate smaller as well, at 2 1/4″ by 3 1/2″ out of 3/8″ hickory hardwood plywood, since it will have less stress on it. If you don’t have the power tools, two strips of wood about 2″ wide held together by 1×3 end plates made from plywood that lay on the backs of the two boards plus the tripod plate are going to hold better than small strips in between the boards at the ends like the person in the link used.

The 1/4″ plywood has more flex than the 1/2″ but it in practical use there is no noticed difference. I made the tripod plate and the cross bar supports out of 3/8″ FREE samples of laminated hardwood hickory and maple flooring from Home Depot rather than the 1/4″ plywood. (You should probably ask if it is OK to take a few of them for an art project if that is your only intended use. I didn’t since I am also deciding on new flooring for the house.) They are extremely tough pieces of wood. but the plywood would work fine if you don’t have a Home Depot or Lowe’s nearby.

A 1″ flat hole boring bit worked perfectly to drill out the recesses for the 1/4-20 T-Nuts, followed up by a straight bit to match the center post size. I used the T-Nuts with the spikes on them and pressed them in with a vise. You could use the brad hole style T-Nuts but it does complicate the installation and if you epoxy the T-Nut in place before assembly onto the mast, I think the spike variety will end up holding better. Match the T-Nut length to your tripod plate and cross bar thickness.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Hillman-Group-10-32-tpi-x-9-32-in-x-3-4-in-Stainless-Steel-Round-Base-Brad-Hole-Tee-Nut-12-Pack-4142/204785964

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81DynwZ-UOL._SL1500_.jpg

I will post a drawing with dimensions later if anyone is interested.

Here is a quick drawing with dimensions. It is NOT to scale. You can easily change the specs to fit your needs. I used cabinet grade Baltic Birch plywood. ApplePly would have been my first choice but I can’t get any around here.

Some Notes from My Build

Depending on the height of the panel holder pieces, you may need to make the mast slightly longer in order to reach the desired maximum panel height it will hold.

I found that 1/4” thick panel holder pieces were more than strong enough, but thicker pieces allowed for more options on what type of slots you can cut for various sizes and types of panels and canvas.

Clamp all glued joints and let cure for the recommended time before using the device. If you are using it outdoors I would recommend Polyurethane or Titebond 3 glue.

Get T-Nuts that are the proper length for your Tripod Plate and Panel Holder Thicknesses. You do not want the small end of T-Nut too far down inside the wood or poking out the top. The large end of the T-Nut for the Tripod Plate must have a recess either in the tripod plate or in the mast so that the Tripod Plate can lay flat on the mast for proper alignment and a strong glue bond. A cheap 1” hole boring bit works great for that recess. Don’t make the recess deeper than needed, just enough so the Tripod Plate will lay perfectly flat on the mast. Keep glue out of the threads of the tripod plate!

Dimensions

Approx Dimensions for Smaller Lightweight Mast

[*]25” – Mast Length
[*]20” – Max Panel Height
[*]1/4” to 3/8” – Mast Thickness
[*]3” to 4” – Mast Width
[*]3/8” to 1/2” – Tripod Plate Thickness
[*]2 1/4” H x Mast Width – Tripod Plate HxW ( Match the width of the mast)
[*]3/4” – Height of uncut sections at top and bottom of mast

Approx Dimensions for Larger Mast

[*] 36” to 40” – Mast Length
[*]36” – Max Panel Height
[*]1/2” – Mast Thickness
[*]3” to 4” – Mast Width
[*]3/8” to 1/2” – Tripod Plate Thickness
[*]3 1/2” H x Mat Width – Tripod Plate ( Match the width of the mast)
[*]1” – Height of uncut sections at top and bottom of mast

Legend

A – Mast
B – Panel Holder
C – Tripod Plate
D – T-Nut
E – Knob or Thumbscrew
F – Fender or Flat Washer
G – Countersunk Screws x 4
H – Optional Reinforcement for 1/4” Thick Mast, width of mast and about 3/4” tall
I – Angle Notched Panel Holder for 1/8” and 1/4” thick materials
J – Square Notched Panel Holder for 1/8” and 1/4” thick materials
K – Panel Holder for Two Thicknesses of Canvas