Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: moving heavy set piece

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sramnesia
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Joined: 10/27/04
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Topic: moving heavy set piece
Posted: 1/09/05 at 12:46pm

What is the best and easiest way to move a heavy set piece? this needs to be stood on by actors and later rolled out of the way. Castors seem like they would slip when someone stands on the piece, but it is too heavy to move without them, and too big to put on a cart. Allso it needs to seem to be on the floor. Any ideas?

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Stagestar2000
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Posted: 1/09/05 at 3:58pm

They do make casters that have a locking device. Depending on the size of the piece, casters may just work fine by themselves. We just did Noises Off, which has a 2 story set that rotates for the second act, then back for the third. Our set was divided into three sections and then c-clamped together during the acts. (photos on the NO page at http://www.geocities.com/dexterdrama) Be sure to use enough casters and make sure they are securely BOLTED in, not just screwed.

"I am constantly amazed at the wealth of knowledge I do NOT have." -Ethyl Savage, The Curious Savage

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Gaafa
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Joined: 3/21/04
Location: Australia
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Posts: 1181

Posted: 1/11/05 at 2:47am

Stagestar is right!

Castors with brakes are expensive, especially if you have to use roller bearing castors, rather than the elcheapo bolt bearing ones with plastic wheels, that are very noisy with weight & movement.

As a cheaper alternative use ?press down door stops? mounted on the side of the base, from the local hardware shop! These are easily operated with the foot, pressing down on the spigot, pushing a rubber stop to the floor & have a quick release.

There is another way, instead of castors, by gluing old pieces of carpet, upside down on the base of the piece. However this will depend on the type of stage surface you have & may still have to be braked. The other way is to use a paint brush, screwed on at the handle & can be swiveled down, so the bristles jam on the stage, also good for doors as well!

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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sandy
Guest
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Posted: 1/21/05 at 5:20pm

I would suggest wagon breaks. They are available from Rosco dealers and are made for just this type of problem. They come in a 300lbs test and 1000lbs test. I have used these many times and they work great!

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Kay
Guest
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Posted: 2/10/05 at 4:45pm

My school had heavy rolling stairs and they just had a lifting device that made the wheels retract and the base of the stairs lay flat on the floor

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TechDirJay
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Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:37am

There are multiple ways of doing this but the absolute simpelest and most inexpensive way is to cut wooden wedges that can be kicked under the back or sides of the piece. Another fairly inexpensive way is with hold down clamps that woodworkers use. They are lever activated, and have a rubber foot on the bottome of them to keep the piece from moving. They can be mounted on the set piece with screws and they are not as noisy as the doorstop bottoms which are spring return. You can find them at any woodworkers store, or at a tool outlet such as Harbor Freight.

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Gaafa
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Joined: 3/21/04
Location: Australia
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Posts: 1181

Posted: 2/13/05 at 4:49am

Your right Dirjay!

What I was on about the real elcheapo, door stops, that are not more than a press down spigot, with a loose fitting plate, that jambs the rubber foot on the end & the rod spigot, much the same as the plate type washer catch, that is used on fly screen door closer arm, to hold it open. The spigot has an internal spring that returns it to it?s original, when the catch is depressed!

Unlike the other type which do tend to clunck, when released!

As for moving large set pieces & even whole box sets.

You can use a 3 simple pieces of wood hinged to the set piece, 1 which is secured to the flat/set as an upright, 1 hinged to the bottom edge of the upright, as a base piece, set flush to the floor & the other as a loose diagonal brace arm, hinged at the top edge, near the top of the upright. Lift the base piece of wood & half way along secure a fix a castor to the under face of the base piece, which came in contact with the floor. Let the diagonal locking brace drop onto the base wood & where the castor raises the flat, off the floor, If the end of the wood is stepped on, sufficiently. Screw a small block of wood as a stopper, on to the top of the base piece, which is now a fulcrum. So as to physically hold the diagonal brace arm in that position!

With a number of these on the back of the flats or large set pieces, it is easy to just step on the end of the base wooden board & the set will be lifted, via the wheel of the castor, until the diagonal brace arm passes over the small wood stopper, holding it in place, making the set mobile!

To drop the set in position, just step on the base board again, enough to release the diagonal locking brace & lower the set to the floor!

It would be easier to show in a drawing, rather than me attempting to describe the brace, diagonal arm & castor construction!

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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TechieOfDoom
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Joined: 11/01/05
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 11/01/05 at 9:59pm

we use castors all of the time, we just add 50 lb stage weights so it wont move as much... also for 42nd street we had two giant staircases on wheels and during the scenes we used them for had crew members sit inside the backside.... it worked... and at no extra cost!!! ^_^

Fortune cookie says:"'actions speak louder than words' [in bed]" Dave: "I dont have to talk to myself in bed, because actions speak louder than words!"

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Author	Message
sramnesia Walk-On Joined: 10/27/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: moving heavy set piece Posted: 1/09/05 at 12:46pm
	What is the best and easiest way to move a heavy set piece? this needs to be stood on by actors and later rolled out of the way. Castors seem like they would slip when someone stands on the piece, but it is too heavy to move without them, and too big to put on a cart. Allso it needs to seem to be on the floor. Any ideas?

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Stagestar2000 Player Joined: 1/04/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 1/09/05 at 3:58pm
	They do make casters that have a locking device. Depending on the size of the piece, casters may just work fine by themselves. We just did Noises Off, which has a 2 story set that rotates for the second act, then back for the third. Our set was divided into three sections and then c-clamped together during the acts. (photos on the NO page at http://www.geocities.com/dexterdrama) Be sure to use enough casters and make sure they are securely BOLTED in, not just screwed.
	"I am constantly amazed at the wealth of knowledge I do NOT have." -Ethyl Savage, The Curious Savage
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 1/11/05 at 2:47am
	Stagestar is right! Castors with brakes are expensive, especially if you have to use roller bearing castors, rather than the elcheapo bolt bearing ones with plastic wheels, that are very noisy with weight & movement. As a cheaper alternative use ?press down door stops? mounted on the side of the base, from the local hardware shop! These are easily operated with the foot, pressing down on the spigot, pushing a rubber stop to the floor & have a quick release. There is another way, instead of castors, by gluing old pieces of carpet, upside down on the base of the piece. However this will depend on the type of stage surface you have & may still have to be braked. The other way is to use a paint brush, screwed on at the handle & can be swiveled down, so the bristles jam on the stage, also good for doors as well!
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

sandy Guest	Posted: 1/21/05 at 5:20pm
	I would suggest wagon breaks. They are available from Rosco dealers and are made for just this type of problem. They come in a 300lbs test and 1000lbs test. I have used these many times and they work great!
	IP Logged

Kay Guest	Posted: 2/10/05 at 4:45pm
	My school had heavy rolling stairs and they just had a lifting device that made the wheels retract and the base of the stairs lay flat on the floor
	IP Logged

TechDirJay Guest	Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:37am
	There are multiple ways of doing this but the absolute simpelest and most inexpensive way is to cut wooden wedges that can be kicked under the back or sides of the piece. Another fairly inexpensive way is with hold down clamps that woodworkers use. They are lever activated, and have a rubber foot on the bottome of them to keep the piece from moving. They can be mounted on the set piece with screws and they are not as noisy as the doorstop bottoms which are spring return. You can find them at any woodworkers store, or at a tool outlet such as Harbor Freight.
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 2/13/05 at 4:49am
	Your right Dirjay! What I was on about the real elcheapo, door stops, that are not more than a press down spigot, with a loose fitting plate, that jambs the rubber foot on the end & the rod spigot, much the same as the plate type washer catch, that is used on fly screen door closer arm, to hold it open. The spigot has an internal spring that returns it to it?s original, when the catch is depressed! Unlike the other type which do tend to clunck, when released! As for moving large set pieces & even whole box sets. You can use a 3 simple pieces of wood hinged to the set piece, 1 which is secured to the flat/set as an upright, 1 hinged to the bottom edge of the upright, as a base piece, set flush to the floor & the other as a loose diagonal brace arm, hinged at the top edge, near the top of the upright. Lift the base piece of wood & half way along secure a fix a castor to the under face of the base piece, which came in contact with the floor. Let the diagonal locking brace drop onto the base wood & where the castor raises the flat, off the floor, If the end of the wood is stepped on, sufficiently. Screw a small block of wood as a stopper, on to the top of the base piece, which is now a fulcrum. So as to physically hold the diagonal brace arm in that position! With a number of these on the back of the flats or large set pieces, it is easy to just step on the end of the base wooden board & the set will be lifted, via the wheel of the castor, until the diagonal brace arm passes over the small wood stopper, holding it in place, making the set mobile! To drop the set in position, just step on the base board again, enough to release the diagonal locking brace & lower the set to the floor! It would be easier to show in a drawing, rather than me attempting to describe the brace, diagonal arm & castor construction!
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

TechieOfDoom Walk-On Joined: 11/01/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 11/01/05 at 9:59pm
	we use castors all of the time, we just add 50 lb stage weights so it wont move as much... also for 42nd street we had two giant staircases on wheels and during the scenes we used them for had crew members sit inside the backside.... it worked... and at no extra cost!!! ^_^
	Fortune cookie says:"'actions speak louder than words' [in bed]" Dave: "I dont have to talk to myself in bed, because actions speak louder than words!"
	IP Logged

Topic: moving heavy set piece( Topic Closed)