A Thing, Completed

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 06/15/2020 at 10:35 • Filed to: None

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My wife !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for her birthday. I took up the challenge and made it with some requested modifications.

It’s a tripod-mountable easel for water coloring. It’s much larger than the reference design so she can use a large watercolor sketch book. The black hinges are torque hinges, so the top stays at whatever angle you choose. The dots are magnets for holding items in place. Most watercolor palettes are metal, so these are perfect for keeping the palettes on the easel instead of on the ground. The tray is for holding brushes or pencils and rotates to stay horizontal.

The back of the top has rails. These are used to support a t-shaped extension that’s used to hold a diffuser. The extension is held in place when extended by a magnet.

She decided that she preferred the raw look, so it’s coated with Minwax polycrylic which dries clear. It may look rough, but sanding between coats made the surface very smooth.

I fully expect to build another one out of hardwood. Pine ply is just too rough for my taste. I’m going to let her get some experience with this one first so we can make changes to better suit how she wants to use it. I’m already thinking about changes to the brush tray and changes to both the bottom and top to make it lighter. I also think it needs more magnets to provide more placement options for palettes, water cups, etc.

Overall, this was a fun little project. Now I can get back to finishing cabinets, repai ring holes in walls, building shelves, organizing my work space....

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 10:44

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Is that just a regular camera tripod? Excellent craftsmanship!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/15/2020 at 10:48

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Yes, just a regular tripod. And Thanks!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 10:50

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Did you do anything special to it besides just drilling a hole for the male end to screw into? Seems like that could wear down over time.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/15/2020 at 11:05

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There’s a nut epoxied into the wood. Some of the other examples beef up the interface a bit with a thin steel plate or a thicker piece of wood. The bottom is 3/4", so it should be thick enough. Spreading the load with a steel plate may be something I need to do in the future. The other option would be to create an interface plate that’s permanently attached to the easel. I can easily replicate the shape of the quick-release plate that screws onto the bottom of the camera/easel. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 11:27

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Nice work!

The only improvement I could think of is maybe putting some weights in the legs to add stability. I’m my experience camera tripods are not the most trust stable things. The weight of the table probably helps, but it’s also makes it top  heavy.

TheRealBicycleBuck > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 06/15/2020 at 11:31

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Thanks! That’s good feedback regarding the stability of the tripod. While there are some things I think could be better with the tripod’s design, they do provide an anchor hook  to prevent blowover. If she sets up in the grass, the tripod can be anchored with a tent stake and a piece of cord.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 11:35

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A captive nut should work fine, but a little reinforcement at the weakest point would be advisable for the final iteration. Love it!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 11:47

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Oh that’s really handy!

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 15:51

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Very cool!

TheRealBicycleBuck > shop-teacher 06/15/2020 at 16:35

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Thanks! You’ll be happy to know the new skills acquired:

Setup of a new routing table for use with two different routing bits (those back rails were made with the creative use of a small dovetail bit)

First use of a trim router

First breakdown of a 2x4 to source material for edge banding. This was done for all the plywood edges on the build

I’ve discovered that I really enjoy using a block plane. There is something very satisfying about turning big chunks of wood into thin shavings.

I still need to work on handling the trim router. Skill comes with practice!

These were cleaned up with a chisel. I may try making a template next time, but t he end result wasn’t too bad for something cut freehand.

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 17:16

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That's pretty dang good for a beginner working freehand!

A Boy and His Longtail > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/15/2020 at 19:15

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Impressive work! I’m sure she’ll be super happy with it

TheRealBicycleBuck > A Boy and His Longtail 06/15/2020 at 20:10

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Thanks!