Restoring a Painting Easel with RAVEN CNC

Recently my brother and I, on one of our regular “thrift store lunches,” came across an oak H-frame studio easel that was missing some pieces.

After art school, I had tried my hand at being a painter. I had art shows and even sold many pieces, but painting didn’t pay as well as advertising, so it slowly faded into something I thought I might revisit someday as a hobby.

This easel might just be the spark that brings it back.

Designing the Parts

The first step was identifying exactly what it was so I could determine what parts were missing. After extensive Google image searches, I was able to find the brand and model—an old F. Weber Co. studio easel—and reference photos that showed what it was supposed to look like.

The easel was missing its entire base and the supports that connected it. Using the photos and measurements from the existing frame, I created scaled drawings of the missing parts and exported them as SVG files.

In Designer, I laid out the components into two projects and assigned the appropriate tools for routing, drilling, and cutouts.

The reference images showed a thicker base, so I designed the feet pieces for a 1-inch oak stair tread to create a stable foundation. For the supports, I was able to fit them both on a 1×8. Once completed I compiled both projects for my RAVEN CNC to cut them.

Machining The Parts

The 1×8 board was too long for my universal jig, so I applied Accutrack tape to secure it and ran the job. While those pieces were cutting, I mounted the stair tread in the universal jig and prepared it for machining on the RAVEN CNC.

Once all the parts were complete, I did a quick dry fit to make sure everything fit and I had all the hardware I needed.

Finish and Assembly

Then, I disassembled the easel completely to sand and stain everything. Years of wear disappeared as the fresh finish brought the oak back to life. I top coated them in a clear lacquer for a quick protective layer.

After reassembly, the easel stood solid and complete again ready for its original purpose.

This project was a perfect example of what’s possible in a small garage shop. Without a table saw or router, I was able to precisely fabricate these parts in a single day using my RAVEN.

More importantly, I didn’t just restore an easel.

I restored the possibility of painting again.