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Columns

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
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Forum Name: Closed Topics
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1619
Printed Date: 12/04/24 at 9:16pm
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Topic: Columns
Posted By: Aimee
Subject: Columns
Date Posted: 9/25/05 at 12:27am

I am sure there must be a relatively easy way to make pillars (columns) I just don't know what it is. We are doing Cinderella and we were thinking of using some columns in the King's Chamber and the ballroom.  They ofcourse need to be light weight, and yet sturdy. Anyone know where I can buy some, cheap? Or make them, cheap? (and easy?)

Thanks!

Aimee



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Aimee



Replies:
Posted By: Spectrum
Date Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:41am
I have made columns that were quite elegant by using 8-inch diameter, 8-foot long carpet tubes.  To remove the spiral seam on the tubes, I covered them with a single layer of muslin glued on with a strong mixture of carpenter's glue and water.  Take care to make sure no wrinkles occur and the weave of the fabric and the seam are straight.  That seam will be positioned upstage on the finished column.  The bases and caps were fabricated from stacked layers of wood in decending (for the caps) and ascending (for the bases) diameters.  To make them perfectly round I used a fixture on a tablesaw (trust me, it can be done).  Only the smallest diameter circle on the caps and bases had a clearance hole cut the same diameter as the covered tubes.  To "fancy them up" a bit, each layer was then edged with a roman ogie router bit before stacking them and gluing and screwing them together.  I plugged the ends of the tubes with 2-inch thick, circular-cut wood and fit the tubes into the bases and caps.  Using 3-inch screws from counter-bored clearance holes on the top of the caps and the underside of the bases, I assembled the caps and bases to the tubes.  I used a thin bead of caulking (smoothed out with my finger) to close any gap between the base or cap and the tube.  The assembled columns were then painted to match the set.  The bases were large enough that the columns were stable and stood vertically straight and looked great.  The whole process only took about two hours.

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Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.


Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:33am
Besides the carpet tube which do work as Spectrum suggested.
As it is foe Cinderella you could use  the plastic PVC corrugated see thru roofing sheet.
Roll & cut to whatever diameter, pop rivet the edges together. Fit cut board for the base as Spectrum suggests & insert a circular piece of wood in the base & top. You can fix the wood pieces to the base or top finials created..
There are quite a range of colours & clear. available in the sheets.
If the top is left open you can focus a lamp to shine down it & even with a colour changer or colour wheel. Also you could pop in a  paraflood in the base, for the same fantasy effect.
You may find you don?t need a top or base, as the tube is stable depending on the column tube width.
Carpet rolls are 12? while the sheets are about 6? tall, so the hight may have to be considered, although they both could be mounted on top of any rostra.



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      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}



Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 9/25/05 at 7:21pm
Also, check out your local home improvement store.

In the concrete section there is a product called
Sonotube? which is a cardboard tube about 8" (or
more) in diameter.

They can be stacked together and disguised as
mentioned in the above posts.

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone


Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/26/05 at 8:58am

For a really impressive column, check out a carpet store that does a lot of commercial work.  Ours has great rolls that are over a foot wide and over 12 feet long... The best part was, they couldn't WAIT to get rid of them!




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