Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Ship’s wheel and mast

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Guests
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Topic: Ship’s wheel and mast
Posted: 11/06/05 at 7:32pm

Any ideas on how I should make a practical (spinnable) ship's wheel and a mast for a theatre where I can't attach anything to the floor?

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B-M-D
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Joined: 11/03/05
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Posted: 11/07/05 at 4:29pm

Why wouldn't a true working theatre allow you attach anything into the floor? Perhaps you could put the wheel and mast on large sheet of plywood and weigh it down with stage weights or sandbags.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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Spectrum
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Joined: 4/16/04
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Posted: 11/09/05 at 5:12am

Here's an idea; fabricate a ship's wheel out of a 36 inch wooden wagon wheel (available from Harbor Freight Tools - not very expensive) and attach it (free turning) to a "podium" made from 1x10 lumber. The ship's mast can be fabricated from a 10 inch diameter carpet tube (talk to a local carpet distributor). This obviously won't work if you intend an actor to climb the mast, though. Both the mast and the ship's wheel can be anchored to a sheet of 3/4 plywood painted the same color as the stage floor. The two set pieces will be stable if anchored properly (even more so with actors standing on the plywood base) and the position of the mast and the wheel will be exactly where you want them.

Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

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Gaafa
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Location: Australia
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Posted: 11/09/05 at 10:46pm

The stage plates are a good idea! Like you we can?t screw or paint the stage in the venue we use!
What we did was cover the stage with MDF boards & under tape them with gaffer at the joints to hold them.
We used MDF because they are cost effective & any damaged boards can be easily replaced.
As suggested by & . Ply is more substantial & the screws hold better in the wood.
Also if you do the whole stage, you could dress the set up with bulwarks & other tall ship cockpit paraphernalia including rope pin &stays to the mast & even paint the deck.
As alternative to the carpet roll, you can use plastic pvc sewerage pipe. As flanges & fittings can be glued & screwed on the pipe &/or attached the stage plate.

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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Author	Message
Guests Guest	Topic: Ship’s wheel and mast Posted: 11/06/05 at 7:32pm
	Any ideas on how I should make a practical (spinnable) ship's wheel and a mast for a theatre where I can't attach anything to the floor?

	IP Logged

B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 11/07/05 at 4:29pm
	Why wouldn't a true working theatre allow you attach anything into the floor? Perhaps you could put the wheel and mast on large sheet of plywood and weigh it down with stage weights or sandbags.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
	IP Logged

Spectrum Celebrity Joined: 4/16/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 176	Posted: 11/09/05 at 5:12am
	Here's an idea; fabricate a ship's wheel out of a 36 inch wooden wagon wheel (available from Harbor Freight Tools - not very expensive) and attach it (free turning) to a "podium" made from 1x10 lumber. The ship's mast can be fabricated from a 10 inch diameter carpet tube (talk to a local carpet distributor). This obviously won't work if you intend an actor to climb the mast, though. Both the mast and the ship's wheel can be anchored to a sheet of 3/4 plywood painted the same color as the stage floor. The two set pieces will be stable if anchored properly (even more so with actors standing on the plywood base) and the position of the mast and the wheel will be exactly where you want them.
	Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 11/09/05 at 10:46pm
	The stage plates are a good idea! Like you we can?t screw or paint the stage in the venue we use! What we did was cover the stage with MDF boards & under tape them with gaffer at the joints to hold them. We used MDF because they are cost effective & any damaged boards can be easily replaced. As suggested by & . Ply is more substantial & the screws hold better in the wood. Also if you do the whole stage, you could dress the set up with bulwarks & other tall ship cockpit paraphernalia including rope pin &stays to the mast & even paint the deck. As alternative to the carpet roll, you can use plastic pvc sewerage pipe. As flanges & fittings can be glued & screwed on the pipe &/or attached the stage plate.
	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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Topic: Ship’s wheel and mast( Topic Closed)