I build sets for a childrens theater group. We'll have as many as 80 children in our productions. We have a large stage so many set pieces are needed. Most pieces are 4 feet deep by 8 feet wide and as tall as 5 feet. The wagon brakes work OK until the kids start dancing on the sets. In many shows the sets are rolled out with the children already on them, so lifting them and using blocks is not an option. We can't drill holes in the floor for pins and anchors. Any ideas would be appreciated, this has been an ongoing problem for years. Thanks.

 

 

There are some tricks though.

 

This device is really designed to hold a something on a workbench and are not super heavy duty. They come with a bolt and a rubber foot that are really weak. The little rubber foot is much too small to hold a wagon in place. If you forget to release it, the rubber foot will rub off onto your floor and provide little resistance. If you allow more than 1/4" of the bolt to be exposed, the bolt will bend and become useless, or the bracket will bend. It can be straitened on a work bench, but it isn't trivial.

 

My trick is to mount a 2"x3" oak block to the bolt with very little of the bolt showing (countersink the bolt). I then put a ribbed rubber pad on the bottom of the block.  Then mount the brake on the side of the wagon with the block on the floor, and the handle sticking straight out. That way it only lifts the wagon by enough to slightly take the load off of the wheels. I usually put both brakes on the same side of the wagon. If you do it this way the wagon is really hard to move without releasing the breaks.

 

If you use them this way they work very well.

 

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on terminology.

My first experience with set construction was 15 years ago, for our groups production of The Music Man. I showed up as a volunteer and had no experience with theater of any kind. I was asked to dismantle some of the "wagons"  from the last production, Bye Bye Birdie. The only wagon I saw had Wells Fargo written on the side. Oops! Before anyone knew it I had the thing in pieces. The "set designer" blew his stack, packed up his stuff and we never saw him again. Fortunately a few of the volunteers were contractors, and we were able to complete everything ourselves. I've been doing this ever since.

 

By the way, since then, any set that rolls on wheels we call a truck instead of a wagon. My idea.   Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

Changing the name of a wagon brake to a wagon lock will work as well as trying to teach people not to call a paper tissue a Klenex.