Ties for backdrops
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1766
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 11:00pm
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Topic: Ties for backdrops
Posted By: Kirk-Stauffer
Subject: Ties for backdrops
Date Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:14pm
I am looking for ties for new backdrops because we finally have pipe and drape. Our sets are 18 by 45 feet so they will need support across the top. Is cording usable and is there a specific one that it is best to use? We have used cloth and ribbon in the past and it works but I was wondering about other ideas.
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Melanie Kirk-Stauffer
Artistic Director
Dance Theatre Northwest
www.dancetheatrenorthwest.org
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Replies:
Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 3/21/06 at 5:23pm
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I always use black tie line
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 3/21/06 at 10:04pm
Shatcher is right!
I use any black cotton cordage for back drops & drapes, because it
is easier to strike or set up. I avoid synthetic cords or rope,
because they are subject to rubbing & fraying easily.
Use a Lark Head knot on the eyelet & a an ordinary Bow knot to tie off to the batten.
( For a Larks Head - fold the cord in half, then put the loop created,
put the two pig tail ends thru the loop & tighten on the eyelet.
You should have two pig tails now to tie around the batten- ensure the
cord is at least 2? long - longer is better, test it with the dia of
the pipe]
Also it is an idea to have the pipe marked off in 1 metre increments,
the centre in a different colour mark, so cloths can be lined up easily.
For hangings like Legs & Boarders I have started to use plastic
electrical reusable ties, which seam to work well for situations where
the hanging is normally stagnant.
With the ties on your drop, it is a good idea again to mark the centre of the cloth with a different colour tie.
{To correspond with the central mark on your Pipe [barrel/batten]}.
Also to stretch your cloth when it is IN, get some ?hold on? stretchers or make some up your self.
http://www.hallstage.com/holdon.htm
They are easily made using 2 piece of ply wood, cordage, bolt & wing nut!
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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}
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Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 3/28/06 at 5:11pm
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Thanks Gaffa! I like the uncoated (or un waxed) tie line the coated kind tends to work itself loose. The electrical speed ties work great to. make sure the ones you have are long enough to go around the pipe. I like them for dressing up cables on the grid as well, easy to cut down during strike
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:33pm
I’m organising a series of stagecraft workshops, at the new home of our
theatre. {Well at least it is a place to hang our hats at present}
One of the workshop modules is closely related to this topic of ‘ties’.
As I have yet to start a topic I think, I won’t break my own tradition & if Kirk-Stauffer doesn’t mind?
I will piggy back on to this thread & ask the question of our greenroom techies & others!
With rope work back stage, I know the knots, splices, whipping, & lashings I normally use. but just out of interest
& Releasing this in most circumstances it is a lost art back stage these days.
What are the favourite basic ones used by you or techies need to know, tie & understand back stage.
Of course the need for rope work will vary between theatres, however
there is still the requirement for a basic knowledge of them,
even in the most hi-tech venues.
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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}
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Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 3/19/07 at 9:29am
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Well Gaffa, this is a great topic. I am always amazed when folks can't even tie a square knot. I learned all my knots in girl scouts. The ones I use most oftern are square, bowline, clove hitch, slip knot. I have also had to tie a noose and a monkeys fist for shows.
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 3/20/07 at 2:30am
The old ‘Monkey fist’ is a rarity these days, I don’t think I have actually made one in the last 20 odd years?
I used to use it a lot when throwing lines & chucking halliards up
the grid for pulleys. Which of course is less dangerous than using a
hammer or spanner to end of the rope, for a receiver to catch it.
As a wee bloke I learnt knots back stage, long before I joined the Brussel Sprouts [Boy Scouts] as a Wolf Cub back in the 50’s.
Which made it easier when I went up to the Sea Scout troop latter on.
Like you it always amazes how many techyies can’t actually tie a Reef
knot [square] & end doing weird & wondrous things from ‘Granny’
to ‘thief’ knots.
Yet they can do a ‘bow’ knot to tie up their shoe laces. Then become
amazed when the two bows are pulled through, leaving a perfect Reef
knot. Which is easier to explain to them then doing ‘left over right
& under, then right over left & under’, as most tend to get
mixed up with their Port & Starboard sides { "There is a little Red
Port Left in the bottle"}.
Backstage the ones I use regularly are the Reef, Bow, Bowline, Sheet
bend, Round turn & two half Hitches, Larks Head, Rolling Hitch,
Prussic, Truckies hitch, Timber hitch & clove hitch {only with a
bite [half hitch to it lock off ]}.
Occasionally a ‘Turks Head & ‘Crown Knot’ & ‘Fisher mans’.
Along with the odd ‘Short’ & ‘Eye’ splice, the same with
‘whipping’, ‘Square’ [although I prefer the ‘Chinese Lashing], ‘Shear’
& ‘Diagonal’ Lashings which is a rarity, but lashings do come in
handy with spars & battens when running short of ‘gaffer’ tape on
occasions.
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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}
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Posted By: TimW
Date Posted: 3/21/07 at 9:01am
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Thanks for the memories!!!!!! I also was a scout and would sit at home tying different knots.I love tying something up and people ask "are you sure about that". "Of couse, it's a scout, etc. knot". I can still remember the first time I lashed a tie line to a fly bar. Me thinks me will 'brush up' on some of the knots I haven't used in a while!
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 7/05/07 at 2:11am
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Sorry to bring up this topic again.
But this site will help when doing knots & it is animated step by step.
http://www.animatedknots.com/indexboating.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com
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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}
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Posted By: Aimee
Date Posted: 7/05/07 at 7:56pm
This is great! I am always needing help with my knots. I love that it is animated step by step.
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Aimee
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