As preferences and style of working became clearer, I realized that it is still possible to make the setup lighter by getting rid of the plywood board and replacing it with something to hold my support board which in most cases I always bring. Let me share with you the updated version of the ease
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| The old board was replaced with a wooden arm and the tray is made of aluminum sheet that is lighter and easier to remove. |
Materials used:
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| Support arm for the easel shaped ready to assemble |
Wood - the length of the wood depends on the size you frequently work on, I work mostly in quarter sheets/A3. In my case the wood measures 21" long, 1.5" wide and 1/4" thick.
2 pcs. Tnut screw - the T-nut is 1/4" and 20 TPI (threads per inch). It is pretty much standard, this could fit the screw from your tripod quick release plate.
knob screw - again 1/4' size (so it should fit the Tnut).
Wood Glue (I used Elmer's Wood Glue), a few sandpaper sheets with different grit.
This easel has a slide feature to accommodate different sized board support, in my case horizontal and portrait orientation of the support board.
Aluminum tray - I got Aluminum sheet from an Aluminum store in Recto, Sta Cruz, Manila. Fabrication is pretty much straight forward, It is first cut to size and shape, bent, and sanded smooth to clean up the resulting sharp edges. Then sent to a company that provides powder coating service (Info below).
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| The stopper piece is glued into the main arm. If you want to make your own quick release plate from wood, you can glue it as well to the main arm (also omit with the tnut). I recommend using the quick release plate that comes with your tripod. Another important thing to be mindful of is the center of gravity. This determines the placement of the quick release plate onto the main arm. Be sure to check your configurations before drilling/attachment. |
Note about the sliding hole on the Main support arm: Since I was just using a thin piece of wood, I was able to make the hole by drilling both ends and removing the material in between using a utility knife. You might need to use a router, or other power tool of choice if using a thicker piece of wood. As always, take care in handling sharp tools and wear protective gear.
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| Cross bar assembly. The Tnut is embedded into the wood. Make sure to use the appropriate drill size for a tight fit |
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| Stopper piece detail. Notice the bevel with with this piece and the cross bar(See assembly image above). This allows the support board to be held in place. |
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| Dimensions for the tray. Sorry I forgot the gauge, but when measured it is about 1mm thick. Note that the opening for the tripod insert depends on the tripod you are using, so make sure you make a prototype first in cardboard for a sure fit. |
Supplier list
To Suy Harware (Recto) - This is the store where I got the Tnut screw, knob screw
Versa Metal Industries (189 Haig St., Daang bakal, Mandaluyong - Provided the powder coating service. I don't remember the exact amount, but I think it is around Php 75.00.There are other colors to choose from. I choose black thinking about minimizing glare particularly when working under the sun. The turnaround time I think is about 1-2 weeks (they had to process it in batch with other pieces from other clients)
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| Knob Screw(left) and Tnut (right) Just in case you need to print this out to show to the hardware staff. Makes communication easier. :) |
Goodluck. Hope This Helps! :D
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