Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Roll Drop Concern

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landon2006
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Joined: 3/10/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 55

Topic: Roll Drop Concern
Posted: 3/16/08 at 5:26pm

Hey there everyone,
my question today is one that I had discussed with my scenic design and she didn't for sure, so I figured I'd ask here.

We are going to use a roll-drop for our next production and we want to paint our backdrop on Muslin... Yet my designer is concerned that when the muslin is rolled up and down (on the roll drop over all of our shows) that the paint will crack and chip off the first few times it's used.

ALSO: Does anyone have any suggestions on the best scenic paint to use for painting on Muslin?

Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Thanks,
Landon LOL

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JoeMc
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Location: Australia
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Posted: 3/17/08 at 12:37am

We have used ordinary poster, plastic [latex] paints on 'Tumblers' for a long time now.

This is on canvas & calico [muslin] without any problems, except with raw cotton fabric [muslin] with water based paint, it will shrink. So it would be better to give the cloth a coat of diluted paint as ae colour - this is normally white.

Many seaons ago we used to slop it on with a mop 'whitener' to prime the cloth, these days just apply the diluted latex paint as the base.

The worst used to be 'poster paint' which tended to crack up in odd places.

On decent sized tumbler roller, you won't have any dramas.

Ensure the cloth has weight in the tail batten pocket, also a good idea is to incorporate a skirt, with the pocket, to cover any possible uneven stage decking.

The guru on Olio's is Vicki Franks, a member here & available at her website;

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com/

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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JoeMc
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Posted: 3/18/08 at 8:14pm

One other thing Landon, with muslin [calico] as you probably won't get larger widths of cloth required.

Cut the length of the cloth in panel strips across the stage.

Muslin is easily glued along the strip edges together, using epoxy 2 part glue.

Don't try & hang the panels verticly, as the individual cloth wieght will pucker straight up & down.

Run the panels across the stage & cut off at the rquired stage width. This puts an even weight across the glued seam, which makes it easier to hide & mask the seam within the scenic image as the horizon or foreground line.

Also it will roll better on the tumbler drum & hang as if a complete cloth.

You can use the larges diametre of plastic sewerage pipe as the drum, mounted on an alliminuim extruded tube, with gusset cut ply ribs to screw the plastic pipe on.

Use bearing housing mounts on the Ali tube & make up a fixed pulley on one end, also to accomodate the haul rope wind up. Run the haul line thru a floor pulley & attach the lines running end to the tumbler pulley. It is a fairly simple mechanism to bring the cloth in & out.

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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jvlsm
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Posted: 3/19/08 at 4:52am

Joe!
'Muslin' is Muslin! 'Calico' is Calico! 'Canvas' is (believe it or not) Canvas.

Three very different kinds weights and densities of fabric. For a demo of the difference, ask your main squeeze to do the dance of the seven veils with Calico veils

once more into the breach, dear friends, and damned be he who first cries hold, enough

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JoeMc
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Location: Australia
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Posts: 832

Posted: 3/19/08 at 6:05am

jvlsm your are so right matey! Welcome & chookas cobber!

However this is where we are seperated by a single common lingo!

I most certainly realise the 'KgSM' weight factor of the various fabrics.

We do not call calico muslin here at all -Only over there.?

As from previous experiance when posting anything about using 'calico' in a topic, it apparantly is not understood as a being a cotton fabric there? [this means 'muslin' to the other posters on that side of the lake.]

It is a rarety for us to use 'muslin' for flats or cloths.

For instance what we call a fly 'barrel' are known as 'pipes' in the US, but to us we smoke pipes & use them for water, gas or whatever.

The only reason I use what I believe is the comon term as well there, is to assist others on your side.

However if by offering a translation & doing so, could it be I'm some what of a galah & it's a complete dinkydie blue, that's fine I'll pull my noggin in from now on & go with known ockerism & terms from now on!

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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Set Design and Construction
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Set Design and Construction

Author	Message
landon2006 Star Joined: 3/10/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 55	Topic: Roll Drop Concern Posted: 3/16/08 at 5:26pm
	Hey there everyone, my question today is one that I had discussed with my scenic design and she didn't for sure, so I figured I'd ask here. We are going to use a roll-drop for our next production and we want to paint our backdrop on Muslin... Yet my designer is concerned that when the muslin is rolled up and down (on the roll drop over all of our shows) that the paint will crack and chip off the first few times it's used. ALSO: Does anyone have any suggestions on the best scenic paint to use for painting on Muslin? Does anyone have any ideas on this? Thanks, Landon

	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 3/17/08 at 12:37am
	We have used ordinary poster, plastic [latex] paints on 'Tumblers' for a long time now. This is on canvas & calico [muslin] without any problems, except with raw cotton fabric [muslin] with water based paint, it will shrink. So it would be better to give the cloth a coat of diluted paint as ae colour - this is normally white. Many seaons ago we used to slop it on with a mop 'whitener' to prime the cloth, these days just apply the diluted latex paint as the base. The worst used to be 'poster paint' which tended to crack up in odd places. On decent sized tumbler roller, you won't have any dramas. Ensure the cloth has weight in the tail batten pocket, also a good idea is to incorporate a skirt, with the pocket, to cover any possible uneven stage decking. The guru on Olio's is Vicki Franks, a member here & available at her website; http://www.studio-productions-inc.com/
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 3/18/08 at 8:14pm
	One other thing Landon, with muslin [calico] as you probably won't get larger widths of cloth required. Cut the length of the cloth in panel strips across the stage. Muslin is easily glued along the strip edges together, using epoxy 2 part glue. Don't try & hang the panels verticly, as the individual cloth wieght will pucker straight up & down. Run the panels across the stage & cut off at the rquired stage width. This puts an even weight across the glued seam, which makes it easier to hide & mask the seam within the scenic image as the horizon or foreground line. Also it will roll better on the tumbler drum & hang as if a complete cloth. You can use the larges diametre of plastic sewerage pipe as the drum, mounted on an alliminuim extruded tube, with gusset cut ply ribs to screw the plastic pipe on. Use bearing housing mounts on the Ali tube & make up a fixed pulley on one end, also to accomodate the haul rope wind up. Run the haul line thru a floor pulley & attach the lines running end to the tumbler pulley. It is a fairly simple mechanism to bring the cloth in & out.
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

jvlsm Walk-On Joined: 3/26/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/19/08 at 4:52am
	Joe! 'Muslin' is Muslin! 'Calico' is Calico! 'Canvas' is (believe it or not) Canvas. Three very different kinds weights and densities of fabric. For a demo of the difference, ask your main squeeze to do the dance of the seven veils with Calico veils
	once more into the breach, dear friends, and damned be he who first cries hold, enough
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 3/19/08 at 6:05am
	jvlsm your are so right matey! Welcome & chookas cobber! However this is where we are seperated by a single common lingo! I most certainly realise the 'KgSM' weight factor of the various fabrics. We do not call calico muslin here at all -Only over there.? As from previous experiance when posting anything about using 'calico' in a topic, it apparantly is not understood as a being a cotton fabric there? [this means 'muslin' to the other posters on that side of the lake.] It is a rarety for us to use 'muslin' for flats or cloths. For instance what we call a fly 'barrel' are known as 'pipes' in the US, but to us we smoke pipes & use them for water, gas or whatever. The only reason I use what I believe is the comon term as well there, is to assist others on your side. However if by offering a translation & doing so, could it be I'm some what of a galah & it's a complete dinkydie blue, that's fine I'll pull my noggin in from now on & go with known ockerism & terms from now on!
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

Topic: Roll Drop Concern( Topic Closed)