I have recently joined a school in which they already have a system of making stage flats. using 2x1 as per usual and paravent hinges to connect them together, but there are no supports on the rear making them quite easy to fall over.

We have some with doors but they are just making the flats weaker. The doors are around an average door size and there is a thin piece of metal accross the bottom to keep the flats together.

Have you got any suggestions? How do you guys make flats?

so what do you want to know how to make flats or how to securely rig flats?

For support you need stage braces and weights,put a screw eye in the frame of the flat,and the pointy bit of the brace goes through it ,adjust for length,add a weight or 2 and it should stand nicely,normally I would brace either side of a door flat,but angle them so then so theres no sightline problems

There are several ways of keeping flats upright. Probably the simplest, in terms of modifying your existing flats, would be to get some stage braces.



Can either be screwed to the floor, or weighted down with a stage (brace) weight. Requires a screw eye to be inserted into the rear of the flat. Available for all good theatre stockists - about £50 each.

Gareth.

Or make a triangular 'French Brace' from timber, fixed to the flat with hinges and fixed to the floor with weight, or backflap hinges. You should be able to find this information in any book about stagecraft or scenic construction.

3"x1" is the industry standard.

But 2x1 works well for smaller flats as are often used in schools.

I suppose it's just possible that maybe the OP is just expecting flats to be more rigid than they ever are. 3 x 1 with reinforced corners and sill irons on the bottom of doorways is about as strong as they're going to get, and this kind of construction works fine up to 5m or so. For 3m or less, then 2x1 is not really that bad - and the weight saving important for kids.

What exactly is wrong with the ones you have? Half lapped joints instead of M&T or biscuit and screws work nearly as well (or better perhaps if well made with decent mating surfaces. Tell us what is wrong with your ones?

Also consider whether or not the timber is 'on-edge'

Just a thought - anyone know why they are called French Braces? And why is a "Frenchman" so called?

Discussed before at some length but with little conclusion HERE

As an additional note about rigging stage flats and depending on your venue; it is also possible to rig your braces out from the flat at 90 degrees and bolt the end to a batten affixed to a wall above head height, thus freeing up a lot of floor space and making them far more rigis than just using weights.