How to Build a Wooden Display Easel

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Things You'll Need

  • Table saw

  • 76 inches of 5/8-inch flat molding

  • Wood clamp, small

  • 1/8 by 2-inch black stove bolt with wing nut

  • Electric drill

  • Pencil

  • 2 1-inch black wood screws

  • Screwdriver

  • 3 black rubber foot-pad washers

  • 3 3/4-inch flat head nails

  • Hammer

  • 2 1/2-inch brass hook screws

  • 12-inch brass chain, small links

  • 2 1 1/4-inch 3/8-inch dowels

  • Carpenter's wood glue

  • Sandpaper, 120 grit

  • Saftey goggles

  • Dust mask

Wooden display easels are a useful item around the home.

Wooden display easels are ideal for showing off family artwork, community event posters, personal bulletin boards and chalk boards. They are portable and collapse nicely to fit in your car for easy transport to a family reunion, gathering or a business lecture. They can fit on tabletops or on the floor. Easels are easy to make with a few simple materials and a couple of hours in the home shop.

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Step 1

Cut the 5/8-inch flat molding into 4 pieces. Cut three of the pieces 22 inches long, and cut one 10 inches long. Sand any rough edges with the 120-grit sandpaper.

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Step 2

Set the table saw angle cut to 67 1/2-degrees. Make two 67 1/2-degree cuts on the top of two of the strips of 5/8-inch flat molding. Sand any rough edges with the 120-grit sandpaper.

Step 3

Place the three pieces of 22-inch flat molding face up a work surface and clamp them together flush along the top edge so that the sides of the two 67 1/2-inch angle cuts are facing each other and pressed firmly against the uncut center piece. Clamped together, the three pieces form about a 30-degree triangle.

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Step 4

Drill a 1/8-inch hole through the three clamped pieces of wood 1/2 inch down from the top. Push the 1/8-inch by 2-inch black stove bolt through the hole in the three pieces of wood. Attach the wing nut to the bolt and tighten. Remove the clamp. You now have the tripod of the display easel.

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Step 5

Measure up 3 inches from the bottom of each of the two side pieces of the 5/8-inch flat molding and draw a small pencil line on the back of each of the side boards. Place the tripod face down. Position the piece of 10-inch 5/8-inch flat molding horizontally across the backs of the two side boards and flush on the sides, placing the bottom of the board along the pencil lines. Pre-drill 1/16-inch holes on each side of the 10-inch board, down through the 10-inch board and 1/4-inch into the back of the side boards. Screw in the two 1-inch black wood screws to secure the 10-inch board with the two side boards. This is the back cross-piece support for the easel.

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Step 6

Turn the easel over and lay it down face up. Measure up 2 inches from the bottom of the two side boards and make a light pencil mark in the center. Drill one 3/8-inch hole in the center of each side board about 1/4-inch down into the wood where you have made the pencil mark. Glue each of the 1 1/4-inch dowels into these holes. The dowels are the supports for your display items.

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Step 7

Screw in the two 2 1/2-inch brass screw hooks. Screw one of the hooks into the back center of the 10-inch cross piece and the other 4 1/2-inches up from the bottom foot of the center 22-inch flat molding board. Attach the brass chain to the two hooks.

Step 8

Attach the three black rubber foot pads to the bottom of each molding board by nailing them in with the 3/4-inch flat head nails.

Warning

Use all standard safety precautions when working with power tools. Wear safety goggles and a dust mask to protect your eyes and lungs.

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