We are getting ready to move into the new house/shop and I'm thinking about how things are going to be organized in the new shop. The long walls are 48' and I want an easel at least 20 feet long. How do you build your easels to accomodate substrates of different sizes? I want to be able to work on signs that are between 4' to 10' tall on that wall.
What works best for you?
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I have 16' of wall benches, but they are for laying out patterns, and I keep pattern paper on rolls above the bench to roll down easily, as much as I need. Most signs I put on a free-standing shop easel for lettering. It's dead simple to build; an A-frame of 2x4s, each side 8' tall and 4'wide, hinged at the top, with 1x4 cross-pieces. Each vertical leg (the 2x4s) has a series of holes in it that accept 3/8" thick landscape spikes, these hold the sign, and can be easily moved up and down from hole to hole, to put the sign at the right height to work on. Just about every sign made here is on that easel at some point; it is the cheapest, most useful and versatile object in my shop - and I built it in 1988, so it has lasted a while too.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Most easels are closer to the wall at the top than the bottom. These are great for painting and for applying vinyl. If you are going to build your easel flush to the wall, you might want to have the top part about 1-2" out farther than the bottom. This will reduce any drips from your brush hitting the sign on they to the floor.
When I had my own shop, I just screwed some 2x4's horizontally along the wall about 2' from the ground and about 20' long, I put some clips 8' up the wall from there to hold the tops of the boards. I also cut a bevel on the tops of the 2x4's, angled towards the wall to stop the boards from slipping off them. I'm sure you could make the clips stand off the wall a bit to get boards to lean out for the paint drip protection.
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I used to make mine as the sketch below. I'd mount a scaffold pole about 1" away from the wall ((edit)actually, I think it may have been steel conduit, 1½" diameter or thereabouts, it was black and lighter than scaffold). The legs would be 3"x 2" planed with the 2" facing you as you work. Peg-holes drilled every 2" although I think 3" would probably suffice, especially if you use an adjustable chair. The legs were loose on the cross-beam so, could be slid to left and right, to adjust width. If you get the length of the legs correct you can push them in towards the wall enough to flex the cross-beam and wedge them. This will stop them slipping sideways as you work.
[ March 08, 2004, 08:08 PM: Message edited by: Arthur Vanson ]
-------------------- Arthur Vanson Bucks Signs Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England arthur@buckssigns.co.uk -------------------- Posts: 805 | From: Chesham, Bucks, England | Registered: Mar 2002
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I mounted a 2x4 ledger the length of the bench to the wall at the height of the top of the bench. I built a frame out of 2x4's on edge and hinged that to the ledger. Then I skinned the frame with 1/2" plywood and then covered that with Upsom Board so I could use push pins. I then covered ten feet with some sheet metal for the Electro Pounce and use magnets to hold patterns there. I then added a long straight and smoothe well sanded piece of hardwood to the bottom that protruded an inch to be the lip that holds the signs.I made some struts that hold the bottom out at the angle comfortable for me, and they can be easily removed so it can fold into the wall, but over the years I've never folded it in.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6720 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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In my current shop, I have a wall easel made out of plywood that has hinges at the top and a ledge right at waist level. It is perfect for 4X8's, but not for anything taller. I'm starting to do alot of 8X12's and wondered how to build one to accomodate both. The peg thing should work well, but I'd like a solid background for diabond. Maybe I could just cover the 2X4's with plywood on the top half, and drill the peg holes to the floor.
I'll put my thinking cap on.
Thanks again, Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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In the bigger shops we always had a big open wall for bigger signs & big banners. In another area we had 3-4x8 panels, individually hinged to the wall that you could use alone or together.
If you want to be really cool, I've seen a setup that uses electric garage door hardware that raises and lowers with a remote.
Mount the easels to the garage door track, sweet setup.
My current shop has a 4x10 easel hinged to the wall with legs that hit 2x4s blocks to raise it, or it can be set flush with the wall.
Cheers
-------------------- Rob Thomas 3410 Ketcham Ct Beautiful Springs FL 34134 Posts: 965 | From: Bonita Springs, Florida USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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when I found my shop it had a main room of 24'x40' and I knew I wanted and easel. My easel is 32' long and can handle up to 6'tall, although the perfect working height is to 4'tall board. the bottom supports are 1x4's boxed and screwed to wall with mdf legs avery 5 or so feet, the easel itself is 4 sections of particle board framed and set into place, all covered with gypsum board and painted white. I wanted upsum board but...time and energy was expended and I never looked for it. I have Various projects living on the easel during there stay here, all in full view of customers that come into the shop, (counter is on other side of 40' wall and is hallway 8'wide the lenght of the building, 100') It has worked so far.
-------------------- Michael A Latham Tee's Me Shirt & Sign 16462 Jefferson Davis Highway Colonial Heights Va. 804-835-3299 signdogopie@aol.com Posts: 379 | From: Colonial Heights, Virginia | Registered: Feb 2004
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boy I know it's morning when I wrote that post! The easel is spaced out from the wall 16" at the bottom, approx 40" off the floor and goes to 8" at the top. Never felt the need to remove any of the sections. The far right section has a space for a 4'x16" light box I haven't built yet, partialy because I do not think it's big enough and I haven't needed it yet. between the easel and the 8x24 table my shop has more layout space than I can layout signs on!
-------------------- Michael A Latham Tee's Me Shirt & Sign 16462 Jefferson Davis Highway Colonial Heights Va. 804-835-3299 signdogopie@aol.com Posts: 379 | From: Colonial Heights, Virginia | Registered: Feb 2004
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My Dad built my easel for me years ago. He mounted an 8' pipe horizontally (near the cailing) to 3 12" shelf/ pole brackets -ran screws through the pipe and pole bracket to secure it after running 2 12' 2 x 4's through the pipe. This allows me to move the 2 x 4's to the width I need. Then he drilled holes into the 2 x 4's that I fit an 8" pipe into to adjust substrates to different levels. He mitered the "feet" of the 2 x 4's so they are flush to the floor. It's set at a slight angle and works beautifully. It's really sturdy and I've had as many as 4 4 x 8's on it at the same time. :clap:Thanks Dad
-------------------- Linda Schmidt Vital D'Signs Greers Ferry, AR signlady@ozarkisp.net Posts: 160 | From: Greers Ferry, AR | Registered: Sep 2001
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I had smaller easels and still have one similar to Arthurs. I had to do a 8' by 16' billboard for a customer, so I built this to lay it against, and I have used it ever since. I installed a plywood ledge about 24" up from the bottom to lay signs on, and also have holes drilled to accomodate pegs to hold smaller signs. Easy to do banners and coro signs on to.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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