Home made easel MkII

[DLevy]

I recently rebuilt my easel and thought I should update my previous easel thread
(http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231203)
It's not the first time I've improved things on it but this time I took it apart completely and rebuilt it so I thought a new thread was in place.

A few months ago I moved into a new house where I don't have a room for painting and I needed to modify the easel so that it could be moved between the different rooms. The biggest problem was the easel's width, I wanted to make it smaller so it wouldn't be in the way. I also wanted to take the opportunity and improve a few things and make it sturdier.

There are more pictures and details in this pdf. The easel itself isn't as "versetile" as it was before but it fits better to my needs, it is easier to move around and it is much sturdier...

Danny

[Diane Cutter]

A beauty... Definitely nothing 'homemade' looking about this! Thanks for the details.

Diane

[DLevy]

Thanks Diane,
I like the result very much but it's not as "elegant" as those you see in shops. I've become fond of wood working but I don't have the room or money for the machinery needed to make the finer parts...
This easel will probably last a long time but I know that one day I'll build another one (or more...), it's just so much fun.

Danny

[sbarre]

Very nice! Looks like a fairly simple, but effective, design. How do you manage the vertical (raising/lowering) adjustment? It's not obvious in the photo. I especially like the casters for moving it around.

I built my own easel about 5 years ago - not nearly as elegant as yours. There's a lot of personal satisfaction in doing this sort of thing - not to mention the cost savings.

Steve

[DLevy]

Steve,

Cost saving was the reason I did it in the first place but now I would like to build a few more just for the fun. I hope in a few years I'll have the money and the space to set up a little wood working thing at home. My wife always wanted to learn woodworking and I'm starting to like it too...
It would be a nice challenge to make easels that are more sophisticated and better looking than this one.

The vertical adjustment is done by lightly releasing the knobs on the back and then sliding the top/bottom bar to its new position. The bars are connected to stripes that run in the rails, these in turn are held in place with pressure from behind, using plywood and the knobs which screw in. Not a very clear explanation, I now, I'll try and get a better picture showing this...
Casters can be added to any easel, you can buy them at any hardware shop. From my experience the rubber ones are better than the plastic ones. To make sure the easel stays stable you should make sure only two of them can turn and that they are all lockable.

hope this helps...

Danny

[Brad121]

Excellent...

[artrookie]

This is my homemade easel. I got the idea from a picture of the Sorg. It is made from red oak, 22 Inches wide. There are no knobs to adjust. Just place the canvas, and then simply move it to whichever position that is comfortable. The easel itself is constructed by making a frame within a frame, being connected on both sides with loose tongue and groove. The inner frame uses rope, pulleys and weights to counter balance. It's range is about seven feet in height.

I also added the grooved rail attached to the upper canvas holder for my mahl stick to slide in. ( shaft from my seven iron )

[Firehorse_Australia]

this is a fantastic easel, love the contruction... looks VERY sturdy!!!!

[chewie]

wow, you ppl could go into business!

[rifloez75]

hey dlevy how tall is your easel???