TomHoward Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Afternoon all I've got a set design where I need to mount 13ft scaffold boards (or similar timber) vertically, with around a 1" gap between boards, and have it swivel - so it can be spun round to show the other side. The reason is two designs which need to be interchangeable by section. I'm wondering if anybody has any clever suggestions for what to use as a mechanism at the bottom - it will be along the back edge of steeldeck (or similar) so we could mount to the decking, or run a bar along the legs. Ideally it needs to hold a 13' board vertically but with as little movement as possible - so it can spin but not flap about. It doesn't need to lift out during the performance but it would be helpful if they did easily - as one side will need re-painting between shows. So far I've thought of 28mm TV spigots and recievers - but I'm not sure if they will have too much play. We'll also need to mount the spigot reliably to the board - we have a metalwork workshop and a box folder so we may be able to fold up brackets. I've added a picture to help picture this - it's around 60 boards across the width. http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3410/animalfram.jpg At the moment I'm trying to avoid putting a top bar across them as they hopefully will be varied heights - just drawn at the same height at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Having just used a pile of 13' boards to make some garden structures I can say with confidence - they are heavy. A single pivot at the bottom just isn't going to hold them upright. The forces trying to bend the support will be huge. I'd be looking to make something the same size as scaff boards out of 2x1 and 3mm ply. You could then run a steel pipe up the middle for a distance of a few feet. The pipe would then stick down from the board so it could run through an upper (on the top of the deck) and lower (on the floor) supports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 60 nine inch scaff boards means 45 foot so roughly 6 lengths of Steeldeck, which if you attach say 10 boards on one edge will more than likely flip the Steeldeck over. Swivelling them round mid-gig is possibly the least of your problems and Brian is right to suggest re-design, though I would avoid individual units and go for 4' or 8' wide "flats" matching the decking. Does your set really need to weigh several tons, anyway? If this is for students then I would avoid messing with this sort of set like the plague. Swivelling one is hazardous enough with students, 60 is bound to end in tears, if not a trip to A&E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 FYI a 13' scaff board weighs 16kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Could you re-design the set, to include 4 Periaktosinstead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OllieDuff Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Could you re-design the set, to include 4 Periaktosinstead? +1 for this, unless the design calls specifically for having many bits moving for a "venetian blind" effect. If that is the case, I'd suggest having a spigot base as suggested above, and to stabilise the top you could have SWR fixed to the top of each section and terminated onto a fly bar above. If you have a swivel somewhere in the line (I'm envisaging something like this http://www.flints.co...ss_Swivels.html ) then you can put the wires under a slight tension using bottlescrews or flying the bar out, which will keep the boards upright, while still allowing the swivel to rotate so that you don't supercoil the SWR when you rotate the boards. It also means that if someone falls against the boards then the boards are more likely to stop them, rather than them snapping off its base and sending it (and the talent) crashing to the floor. It can also be got in more easily (and out again at the end of the run) by simply flying out the bar until the boards lift off their spigots, then swinging the boards DS while flying the bar in. I wholeheartedly second the recommendation to make a hollow structure out of 2x1 and ply; I have built set out of 13" scaff boards but it's boring and heavy. You might also want to rethink how you're going to rotate them live; having a stagehand run along and swivel each one might not be the best option, but attaching pulley sheaves to the base of each one and running cord to rotate them with one pull might be the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 The pieces are turned individually by the cast - there's a design element to turning them individually so ideally it would be possible - it changes individual letters in graffiti etc. They could be up to around 2' wide though - 2x1 flats with 3mm ply would be a possiblity - although a pig to make - although we can order the wood cut. This does have the advantage though that we can build the support inside - but does push the price up - not that this should really be a consideration. I had thought about wires back up to the grid - but I was hoping to go for that as a last resort due to the appearance. Unfortunately the Periaktos idea is a difficult one, as we have no pros arch and very wide viewing angles. I wonder if I could get away with using ply and bracing on the outside - so it looks like the back of a conventional flat - would halve the amount of ply needed - but change the look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timd Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 If you built it like a conventional flat, you could probably get away with using hardboard over ply, which would make it much cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 Hadn't thought of hardboard - usually we skin in 3mm ply or MDF - MDF always makes the bloody things so heavy. I'd be a bit worried about a 13ft tall 2ft 2x1 flat flexing - is 2x1 enough not to flex over that distance? If we can get away with it as a design element two pieces of 2x1 sandwiching a piece of 3mm ply would be lightest and strongest - as so http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/8928/2x1sandwich.jpg But with top and bottom braces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Turning them individually by hand is awkward and I don't know if this suggestion is complete rubbish, BUT!Once used vertical blinds with different images on either side and when half-turned revealed another backdrop through the open blinds. Otherwise Brians pole up from the decks with two drilled-out battens inside each "flat" seems optimal. You may have to round or chamfer the edges to allow turning rather than leave large gaps. The height of the "wall" will be crucial when considering lighting angles as I have learned to my cost in the past. Crossposting of you lovely drwaing reveals that what I think Brian meant was two sheets with an upright scaff pole inserted between them as a "spindle" on which to mount the "flats" ready for spinning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 I imagine lighting it will be a nightmare. I think the spinning of them is quite crucial as it's to modify rules etc - it's Animal Farm - they are not powered and the cast turn them individually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianl Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 what about welding up frames out of inch box, which the flat then pivots in on top and bottom spigots.the frames can be different heights, bolted together and braced back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 OK, even more off the wall than vertical blinds, if you are going for the "Farmyard" feel, how about sheets of corrugated plastic painted up then graffiti'ed? Could be better representations of hay barns than timber, especially nice, smooth ply/hardboard/MDF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 I realise that this is a massively old thread but never posted a picture of the final build - we reduced the number in the end and increased the width of each to make it simpler. They were 18inch width (I think) by about 13ft height and had a metal pole internally up to the 4ft crossmember at the sheet join inside. There were 18inch little scaffold tubes for the internal pole to slot into, which stuck about 5mm over the deck to give room to spin. 2x1 construction with 3mm hardboard skin. You can see the spinning method construction in the three smaller spinning flats above the centre doors - before that was skinned above the door to cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave m Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Thanks for posting the resultAlways nice to see what turns out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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