Hi everyone,
I have been away from my CNC machine for a while due to health issues because of “human malware” that has plagued us since 2019. As I am recovering I am taking things slow and picking up on some old hobbies.
Because of this I created my own version of an A5 paper size “Plein Air” easel. There are several designs out there, but I did not like using these expensive constant torque hinges that often fail anyways.
The easel attaches to any standard Tripod and can be used both in “landscape” and “portrait” mode.
Materials:
- One sheet of 6 mm plywood (400 x 350 mm). I used poplar, as its light.
- Five magnets (dia. 15 mm, 4 mm thick).
- One 1/4-20 UNC T-nut.
- A foldable silicone cup (diameter 80 mm).
- Two to four metal clamps/clips to hold the sketch book.
- Wood glue for attaching the part that sits on the tripod.
- Fine sandpaper.
- A metal tin to store your paints and can be used as a pallet.
- A small piece of 5 mm elastic string to use as a cloth hanger.
- Satin wood lacquer for protection (optional).
I used a single 1/8 inch router bit, suitable for wood and acrylic.
Comments:
- I added small holes where the paint brushes go. You can adapt these to the sizes that fit your brushes. The green outlines are the sizes I went with.
- The magnets have a press-fit. Optionally you can add some glue, however I found that this is not needed.
- Here is a link to the water cup I bought from AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006136239729.html
- Here is a link to the tin I bought from AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006140969819.html
I used a 1/4-20 UNC bolt with a hex head to attach the t-nut to my easel. This way you can pull it into the wood using a socket wrench, instead of hammering it in. Using a hammer will definitely split the wood. I placed a scrap piece of wood in between the nut and the easel to make sure it did not get damaged, as poplar is a soft material.
Below my vector files (PDF, AI and SVG).
Easel 6mm.zip (123.1 KB)
And here some photos without the accessories:
Enjoy the summer and happy paining!
Hidde.