Jump to content

New cyc


gibbothegreat

Recommended Posts

Hi all, looking at replacing our cyc which is beginning to show its age. It's pretty much permanently rigged on a fixed bar at the rear of the stage. What is/are the best choice(s) of material in terms of appearance (smooth & flat) and durability? And would your choice benefit from stretching?

 

(Apologies if done already, could only find one on touring cycs)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

White filled cotton is the traditional material, although plastic do look good.

 

Any one of the drape manufacturers, J & C Joel, Whaley's, etc will be able to make it. Be sitting down when you open the quote though, as it will not be cheap.

 

All cyc's, whatever the material, will benefit from stretching, both at the bottom with conduit, and from the sides with home made cyc stretchers or Hold-Ons to a scaffold frame. With a couple of pulleys, the side stretchers can run, allowing the whole lot to fly in and out easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks both. Hadn't even considered plastic, how durable are they?We do get a fair number of dance schools/amateurs etc, some of whom are not wholly to be counted on in remembering to avoid the cyc.

 

Filled cotton is indeed what we have, and that has lasted 6 years. Don't know whether that's good or bad...?

 

Our main supplier when asked to quote did so offering a canvas cyc, which again is one that had never occurred to me. Does anyone have experience of that? Instinct says it might be the most durable, but not sure how easy it would be to get it smooth and flat...

 

Cheers,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Plastics are durable, depending on the material. The problem that I have found with them is once folded, it takes a lot more effort to stretch it than a white filled cotton cyc.

 

I would expect at least 10 years from a cyc, if well looked after. The storage is key. If it can go on a bar and never be taken down, living in the grid when not used, it will last a lot longer.

 

I have never used a canvas cyc, not even sure of the differences between that and a white filled cotton cyc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never used a canvas cyc, not even sure of the differences between that and a white filled cotton cyc.

Canvas is woven on a loom (weft & warp) so can only be a certain maximum width (maybe 8 feet?). Therefore a large cyc or backcloth would need sewn seams every so often.

Cycs used to be described as cotton filled gauze and, as with a full sized transformation gauze, they can be made without unsightly seams because (don't press me on the process) they are knitted and having made two sections as large as the knitting machine can manage, the 2 sections can then be knitted together and so on as many times as needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canvas is woven on a loom (weft & warp) so can only be a certain maximum width (maybe 8 feet?). Therefore a large cyc or backcloth would need sewn seams every so often.

A quick Google shows that at least one major supplier provides 'cotton cyclorama canvas' in 10m x 60m rolls, so there may some confusion about the grade of canvas being used? Contrary to my expectations, it's actually lighter than filled cloth, although more expensive...

 

Thanks all for the input, My supplier (Black Light in Edinburgh) tell me that canvas is what's typically asked for these days, I was just hoping to find someone who had hands on experience of how they perform... Plastic isn't an option for us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.