Prepare the Back Leg
The first thing to do when making an easel is to prepare the rear leg of the easel. Cut a piece of 2 by 3 foot wood to 81 inches long for the rear leg of the easel using a saw. Use a tape measure to measure 7 inches from the top of the wood. Mark this spot with a pencil. Measure down 35 inches from that spot and mark the wood again. Drill a hole at each of these marks using a drill and 3/8-inch drill bit. You must drill these into the widest side of the wood.
Get the Front Legs Ready
Preparing the two front legs is similar. However, the measurements are slightly different. Cut two 2 by 3 pieces of wood to 82 3/8 inches. Use a tape measure to measure 4 3/8 inches from the top of each piece of wood. Mark this spot on each piece of wood. Drill a hole using the 3/8-inch drill bit at each of these marks on the widest side of the board. Cut an angle in the boards above the hole to 15 degrees. This allows the easel to have tripod-style legs. Now, you are ready to put the legs together.
Assemble the Legs
To put the legs together, you must lay the back leg on the ground with the holes facing the sides. Align the two front legs up with the back leg. The holes on the top of all three legs must be aligned. Secure them with a 3/8-inch carriage bolt that is 5 inches in length and a wing nut that fits the bolt. Spread the front legs out so they are 45 inches wide from outer end to outer end of the lower corner of the legs.
Get the Work Surface Ready
The work surface is the back of the easel that you put your canvas up against. First, you have to cut a piece of 3/4-inch plywood to measure 48 inches wide by 33 inches high. Then, sand the edges and front of the plywood using fine-grit sandpaper. This will prevent snags. Next, you have to prepare the bottom base that the canvas will rest upon. Saw a 2 by 4 piece of lumber to measure 4 feet long. Lay the plywood onto the legs with the top edge of the plywood 11 3/8 inches from the top of the front legs.
Now it is time to secure the work surface to the legs and set up the easel. First, you must apply wood glue to the back edge of the 2 by 4. Place the bottom of the 2 by 4 along the bottom edge of the plywood. Drill a hole through the 2 by 4 and plywood that also goes through one of the front legs. Use a 7-inch long 3/8-inch carriage bolt and wing nut to secure the plywood and 2 by 4 to the front leg. Now, do the same thing to secure the work surface onto the other leg. Glue the top of the work surface to the legs using wood glue. Next, you should stand the easel up and position the legs so it is in a comfortable work position for you. Tie a piece of rope to the lower hole in the rear leg. Stretch the rope to the back of the work surface. Mark the spot where it lands. Screw a small eye screw into the marked spot. Tie the rope to the small eye screw. This prevents the easel from opening more than desired. Your easel is now ready for you put a canvas on and start working.
