James C Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Right, we've just ripped a great big "V" shape (about 7 inches long) out of our new black dancefloor. Anyone have any tried and tested invisible mending methods for it? (I might be lucky - if I swap it for the downstage strip and invert it, It might be hidden under a piece of set, though I'm rarely that fortunate in life...) Any advice gratefully appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Ouch! Only way I know of is gaffa underneath as per joining two strips, but it's not exactly invisible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Assuming its really vinyl there is an adhesive for repairing pvc liner swimming pools called Boxer 100 also used for mending pvc beach inflatables. To make a smooth seam cover the glued assembly with adhesive tape. Last tube I bought was £10 from a swimming pool shop. -cheaper than a new roll of floor BUT TEST its appearance FIRST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 Well, it's patched for now. However, after tonight's show we have two new gouges in the floor. Two of the scenic pieces are heavy, and are dragged around the floor by the cast. The pieces have PTFE strips on the bottom to enable them to slide, but clearly it isn't working well enough. Any other ideas for sliding pieces smoothly and non-destructively along the dancefloor? castors aren't an option, as they'll be too unsightly. please? anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Hello there, There is a substance you can buy that "welds" the two edges back together. We used it in our paintshop a week or two ago. I'll try to remember to ask for a the name of it tomorrow. If you PM me I'll send it to you during the day rather than waiting until the evening. Dazzler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Any other ideas for sliding pieces smoothly and non-destructively along the dancefloor? castors aren't an option, as they'll be too unsightly. Can't you submerge the casters?ie Mount them inside the piece so they hold it a few mm above the surface, while being hidden from view. Black wheels help. You need a well inside each corner with sufficient room for the caster to fully swivel, and just the right depth. Obviously you need the scenery to be big enough to fit them inside, but it doesn't sound like that's a problem in this case! I've done that several times for mobile scenery and it works brilliantly so long as the floor is flat - we found a few places where the unit would ground, but if that's the case you can lift the unit a few mm by fitting a spacer under the caster until it rolls fine.(scraps of hardboard or similar) Might take some lateral thinking to find somewhere to mount them though, but not having seen the piece I can't help with that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickb12345 Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Similar to what Tomo said, you could mount the piece on castors and then put a length of wood/curtan etc along the base, similar to the plinth in kitchens that covers the carcase legs! Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 You could try using a strip of carpet instead of the PTFE. Fix it on so that the carpat side is against the floor. (I apologise if that is blindingly obvious, but it is better to make sure) Dazzler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 I've found ptfe to be the best thing for this - subject to a few things - 1st, the ptfe is soft and picks up grit and muck off the floor, so make sure the floor is kept as clean as possible. (swept and mopped twice a day), 2nd, chamfer the edges of the ptfe, and make sure the screws fixing it are well countersunk. 3rd - don't use strips of ptfe - use small pieces where you would put casters. (reduces surface area to pick up grit with.) having said that, it's not perfect - there does seem to be a weight limit (don't know if any figures are available!). I've tried carpet, but without much success - wrong sort of carpet, I suppose, and casters move rather too well, necessitating chunky brakes if the piece is at all heavy, and very clunky "I'm putting the brakes on now" type acting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 There used to be a trailor hitch on farm vehicles and others that rolled free when the drawbar was lifted but the brakes were applied as you dropped the drawbar. Make the towing handle apply the brakes when released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northlass Posted October 5, 2004 Share Posted October 5, 2004 Flints the theatrical chandlers do 'flying saucers'. These are glides which can be put on the ottom of scenery to move it. We used them for moving a sledge and also for moving walls in a set. They can't be locked off but sit quite flush to the floor - can be a bit noisy though but may be worth an explore. Sorry can't do the technical thing to give a link to Flint's and if I mind right, the flying saucers didn't come up on the web site.Hope this helps ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted October 5, 2004 Share Posted October 5, 2004 flying saucers can be great but they are (as previously noted) noisy. Also beware of using them to support any significant weight on vulnerable surfaces, as they create a point load which can do nasty damage. They are designed in their real application to be used as a "conveyor belt" so that normally items are supported by several flying saucers in high concentration as the item is pushed along the table. Don't think I explained that very well - what I meant was the flying saucers are designed to be built into the table in what we would consider "inverted" mode - I.e ball bearing upwards. they stay still, while the items to be moved pass along above them....see Key Industries Catalogue or similar industrial products.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted October 7, 2004 Author Share Posted October 7, 2004 Indeed, I did rule out flying saucers because of the load being on such a small area. We're going with the PTFE, and with the pieces being lifted & dragged, to take the edge off the weight. So far so good - shame we had to trash the dance floor to work out what to do about it! PTFE is holding up fine on timber floors (the black dance flor is only for use in venues that don't have lovely black floors to begin with) - no nasty gouges! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.