How to Build an Easel

By: Chrystle Fiedler, This Old House online

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. Three 8-foot oak or maple 1x3s

2. Two 23x23-inch magnetic dry-erase boards

3. 1-inch dowel, 3 feet long

4. Two 4-inch strap hinges

5. ¾-inch #10 wood screws and eight washers

6. 1¼-inch #8 wood screws and two washers

7. Two plastic trays or kitchen drawer organizers

8. One 2-foot-wide roll of paper

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Tape measure
- Combination square
- Bar clamps
- Spring clamps
- Jigsaw
- Drill/driver fitted with 3/32-inch and ¼-inch, and ⅛-inch drill bits and a 1¼-inch hole saw
- Safety glasses
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Photo: Wendell T. Webber

Introduction
Overview
Steps:
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1. Lay out the pieces

Using a tape measure, mark the midpoints (4 feet) of two 8-foot oak or maple 1x3s to make the four legs. Using a combination square, mark a cutline at each of these points.

On a third 1x3, measure out and mark four shorter lengths: two 24-inch sections for the cross braces and two 14-inches sections for the side brackets.

Hey, kids! A combination square helps you make a straight line at a perfect right angle. Just hold the ruler part flat on the wood, and brace the square head against the edge while you mark your line.