Introduction: DiY Tabletop Portable Easel - Atril Portátil De Sobremesa

By Francisco Dominguez
About: I'm an Electrical Engineer and I have build some robots and microcontroller based systems. I also like building things that fly like planes, rockets and more. I started with 14 years old controlling an arm wit…

Do you need a tabletop easel?

Also portable, inexpensive, adjustable (different angles from zero to nearly vertical) and with different positions?

Don't keep looking for it: it's here!

Make your own one, quick, easy and very affordable. You can also recycle things from home.


I made mine after looking for some tutorials (like this one) and not finding any. Yes, you can buy one, but it's normally more expensive, and/or doesn't come with all the things you require.

Supplies

Ok, so the materials you need are:

  • A thin wood platform of the size you prefer. +A3 will be perfect, but it depends on how big you need to draw.
  • 12 long bamboo sticks 350 mm long, and 5 mm of diameter.
  • 9 Jumbo Natural Wooden Lollipop Sticks 150x18 mm
  • 4 small hinges 20x25 mm
  • Hot glue.
  • 2 small neodymium magnets of 5 mm diameter x 3 mm thick.
  • Masking tape.
  • 2.5 iron wire.
  • Neoprene pads self-adhesive.

For the tools, you need:

  • Cutting pliers.
  • Flat pliers.
  • xacto craft knife.
  • Hot glue gun.
  • Rotary tool ("Dremel" like) and a 3 mm drilling bit. Or a 3 mm size gimlet.

Step 1: Prepare the Main Structure, the Frame

The whole easel is based on a frame that the drawing platform pivots on.

  1. Present the first layer of bamboo sticks as per the first picture, glue them together at the end of each until they form a rectangle as in the picture. Attach them with masking tape to the panel. Don't worry about the masking tape interfering the glue, it will be fine.
  2. Cut out four small pieces of bamboo sticks in triangular shape to reinforce each corner that you have made: see pictures.
  3. On top of them, start gluing together a second layer of bamboo sticks.
  4. For the third layer, you add only the two top and bottom sticks. Don't add at the sides, as that will be where the stoppers for adjusting the angle will be.

Step 2: Prepare for the Frame's Hinges

Note that there are two pair of hinges: one pair is for the frame, another pair is for the holder.

Before you glue the hinges, you need to prepare their placement:

  1. Place flat the main frame that you made in the previous step where it should be.
  2. Then use masking tape to make temporary hinges. See the pictures for details.
  3. Once you see the masking tape hinges allow the movement you want, mark the places on the board, for the frame's hinges with a xacto knife.

Step 3: Glue the Frame's Hinges on the Board

Now we'll glue the frame's hinges on the board:

  1. Mark on the board where the hinges need to be. Protect the external side with masking tape.
  2. Remove some surface from the board with the xacto knife, so the glue will stick better to it.
  3. With a pencil, mark on the frame where the hinges should go.
  4. Remove with the xacto knife, 2 mm more than the hinge's thickness from the bamboo stick. On that way, the frame and board will close flat.
  5. Then, with the rotary tool and the 3 mm drilling bit (or the gimlet), make two pass through holes to the frame, at the place where the hinges have them too.
  6. Stick the hinges to the board with hot glue. Don't use too much or the board and frame won't close flat.
  7. Use some lollipop stick to secure the hinge to the board. Again, use minimum quantity of hot glue, so the hinge will close fine.

Step 4: Secure the Board's Hinges With the Iron Wires

We'll secure the frame-hinges with two pieces of iron wire:

  1. Cut about 80 mm of 2.5 mm iron wire for each hinge, and form it with the flat pliers to have a U shape as the picture. The shape must make the U fit into the hinge and frame.
  2. Pass the iron wire with U shape between the hinge and the frame through the holes.
  3. Form the wires on a way that they rest flat following the frame, first down, then to the outside as shown in the picture.
  4. With the flat pliers and care, try to make it as flat as possible to the frame. Use hot glue to secure the wires to the frame, also to avoid the end of the wire to be a risk.

Step 5: Prepare the Bars That Secure the Board's Angle

We'll need two bars to keep the board with an angle from the frame that rest on a table.

To do so, well use 6 jumbo lollipops (3 for each bar in a sandwich) with two different lenghts: one is longer and go external, and another size is shorter, and go internal to that bar. On that way we have room to keep the hinge fix.

  1. Measure and cut first the lollipops with the right size. Note that there is an additional bar at the end of the lollipops, not glued yet.
  2. Use masking tape to test if the whole set of board + bars + bar go fine with the frame.
  3. Cut two sets of 3 lollipops each, on a way that you have 2 lollipops longer than another one (the middle one).
  4. Glue the lollipops together, both inside and from the sides, so they get solid like one piece. Observe how at one side the middle lollipop is shorter: the size should be such that, one side of the hinge enters perfectly.

Step 6: Let's Stick the Bars Between the Hinges and the Adjustment Bar

We're almost done!

These two bars will keep the board with the angle we want, and solid, so the board doesn't move while we paint or draw:

  1. Once more, test that the bars have the right size, from the bar to the hinges. If not, adjust accordingly.
  2. Use a piece of lollipop of 20 mm to secure the bar to the perpendicular adjustment bar.
  3. Glue each bar to its hinge with the minimum glue possible, on that way the whole set will close flat. If you put too much, re-heat and remove what's not needed.

Step 7: Placing the Stop Points for the Angles We Want

This easel is as adjustable as you want, and that's great!

To do so, we'll place stop points at the places we need:

  1. Each stop point is made from bamboo stick, by measuring the height, from the bottom to the external size of the adjustment bar.
  2. The first stop is just after the frame's side. On that way the board and frame will remain flat at that position, so it's easy to store it, or paint when is placed flat.
  3. Use different solid elements to keep the adjustment bar in position, while you measure the stop points, cut and glue them to the inside part of the frame. You don't need much glue for this: a bit between the stop point, then a bit more glue at the side of the stop point.
  4. With different solid elements, you can keep the adjustment bar into position while making and placing the stop points where you want. Use jumbo lollipops to do fine adjustments.
  5. The final position, near 90 degrees, will be made of two stop points at each side. On that way, the adjustment bar will stay in place. Note that you will need to place the stop points inwards, so the bar won't be released easily.


Step 8: Let's Finish It, and Make It Great!

We're done, let's just add the little details to make it great:

  1. Add little neoprene pads self-adhesive to each frame's corner, so the easel remains steady while you draw.
  2. Remove material at the middle of the frame, where it closes, so the two neodymium magnets fit inside. Also, a bit of hot glue must be inside!
  3. If you don't make the whole deep enough, the magnets will protrude and the frame will move when the set is closed. If that happens to you, remove the magnets and make the hole deeper.
  4. Cut two jumbo lollipops at the long side, so they can hold a pen easily. Then glue them to the bottom part of the board.
  5. Secure the lollipop sections with enough hot glue from the inside, but not too much or the pens will fall down.


Now you are ready to enjoy your new easel for many years. If so, please send me some pictures of your work done, either here in the comments or at Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franciscodr/status/1491910973623607307

If you have any doubt with this instructable, please let me know and I'll try to help you.

Thanks and enjoy!