Home › Forums › Explore Subjects › Plein Air › Old post for a DIY Plein Air Tripod Mast
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January 3, 2018 at 2:15 pm #448837
This is one of the better threads on WC that I have seen on building a tripod mast for a plein air setup. I had to add my 2 cents at the end – of course. :smug:
https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1320431
January 4, 2018 at 8:04 am #538568I will be making one of these soon, as well as a simple box palette. Thanks for all the information and photos! Stainless hardware or brass could also be used for added corrosion resistance.
The suggestion of plastic knobs is a good one- it’s remarkable what can be found at hardware stores these days!
Ken Tiessen
www.KenTiessenArt.com
Comments or Critiques welcomed...always!January 4, 2018 at 1:11 pm #538571I 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://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81DynwZ-UOL._SL1500_.jpg
I will post a drawing with dimensions later if anyone is interested.
January 5, 2018 at 8:41 am #538569Thank you for the information about your modified version! Hickory is amazingly tough- I shy away from plywood for small structural uses (with the exception of multi-ply Baltic Birch) and have the tools and interest. There are a few solid wood flooring remnants that could serve well in the garage. If you would post your dimensioned drawing, I would appreciate it!
Ken Tiessen
www.KenTiessenArt.com
Comments or Critiques welcomed...always!January 9, 2018 at 5:04 pm #538572Here 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
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[*]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 mastApprox Dimensions for Larger Mast
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[*] 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 mastLegend
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 CanvasMarch 7, 2018 at 6:41 pm #538573This link gives instructions for making a simple but durable palette shelf to go with the mast.
http://www.thomaskitts.com/2014/09/building-plein-air-shelf.html
March 11, 2018 at 9:54 pm #538570Thanks Contumacious for putting this all together- it is a great help! A mast/easel is a light and versatile addition to the easel/tripod setup. I will build one for the Spring painting season. Thomas Kitts is an excellent painter- what thickness is the bottom piece of the shelf?
Ken Tiessen
www.KenTiessenArt.com
Comments or Critiques welcomed...always!March 12, 2018 at 4:51 am #538574Thanks [B]Contumacious[/B] for putting this all together- it is a great help! A mast/easel is a light and versatile addition to the easel/tripod setup. I will build one for the Spring painting season. Thomas Kitts is an excellent painter- what thickness is the bottom piece of the shelf?
You are welcome.
So far I have made 3 shelves. One was made from a 12×16 basswood and birch cradled panel that has 1/8″ plywood for the bottom of it. I would probably go 1/4″ birch if I was making one from scratch.
https://www.rexart.com/cradled-wood-…anel-deep.html
I added poplar boards to the sides and back to form the slots where the tripod legs fit in by screwing and gluing them in place. It is very solid and can be used with either side facing to the top.
The other two were made from bamboo trays that I got on Amazon, with alder boards added in the same way as the one above. The bamboo bottoms appear to be about 1/4″. They are both have taller sides than the one that Kitts made so they keep stuff from sliding off the edges. I will post some images later.
March 7, 2022 at 11:25 am #1461323Hey, thank you for sharing the thread about building a tripod setup for filming youtube/Tiktok videos! I think this topic will be very helpful for starters and for experienced content makers. In my opinion, You can use one of the best tripod setups you can make with the GoPro Shorty Mini Extension Pole Tripod for different purposes. I use this best tripod model to record the action and stand-by videos in the small areas—more information about different tripod models you can find at the ballachy site.
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