Set Design and Construction: Designing a revolve

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Designing a revolve

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=4111
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 9:52pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Designing a revolve

Posted By: DaedalusAZ
Subject: Designing a revolve
Date Posted: 7/02/09 at 3:38am

I find myself in need of a revolve this year. My only experience with one was ages ago in college, don't ask how long ago that was! Technology has changed a lot since back then.

My stage is in the corner of our cafeteria, it has a 26 foot radius; I have zero wing space, zero ability to fly anything, no curtains...and one doorway into my office/makeup room/prop room/male costume room.

I have slowly been able to set aside some money to buy what I need, as long as I keep it to the KISS factor...Keep It Simple Stupid!

Anyone out there with a design for a revolve? I was thinking of 16 footer, but hey...I'm flexible!

Replies:

Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 7/02/09 at 7:08am

Personal E-Mail sent.

TonyDi

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"Almost famous"

Posted By: Mr. Lowell
Date Posted: 7/02/09 at 9:15am

I have found that a turntable is better, safer, quieter and more reliable if you "build it upside down". In other words, rather than building a heavy platform with wheels attached...simply attach the wheels to the floor facing up, so that all that rotates is the top deck...like a record or a CD. (Your top deck could be made of two mated layers of 3/4" plywood).

Since you are in a cafeteria, then your floor is likely vinyl tile over cement - with no way to drive in nails or screws to anchor it. In that case, you will have to frame out an anchor structure underneath with lumber. You can connect those wheels to this structure, as well as your center spindle pipe. It is very important that your revolve does not "walk" across the floor during use, or it will bind against your other platforming or even pinch a costume or actor.

A motor would be cool, but that would complicate your project greatly. But if your wheels are good enough, then a cast or crew member should be able to just stand to the side of the turntable and push it around with one foot. The one place to invest a little budget is on good wheels. Good wheels last 20 years, so you can make a case for this being "a good investment in our theatre program". Don't waste money on weak and noisy casters from Lowe's or Home Depot...you'll just end up trashing them after one or two shows. Find a local industrial "material handling company" and purchase some heavy-duty casters that have ball bearings in the axles. (Remember, for a turntable you don't want "swival casters", by the way, but "fixed" wheels).

Sounds fun. Good luck with it! -Dana

-------------
Mr. Lowell,
Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director,
for the Linda Sloan Theatre,
in the Davison Center for the Arts,
at Greensboro Day School

Posted By: jdtoyer
Date Posted: 12/29/09 at 3:36pm

I agree with the good caster part of this email. I did the musical "Merrily We Roll along with a revolve. We had 88 revolves in the entire show. I one number it kept on moving.

I used large (9") polyeurthane fixed wheels with good bearings. I asked a broadway house what wheels they used for quiet execution and they recommended the larger base. It was very quiet and we were able to move it during the songs without interference. It was kind of spendy but I'm sure the theatre is still using them today and I bought them in 1995.

Call a company that deals with Casters like Service Caster and tell them your application and they will tell you EXACTLY what will be the quietest and best wheels for your project. You won't be disappointed.

Mr. Lowell, I love your turntable idea. Thanks. It gave me a great idea for a set I need retract upstage too.

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 12/29/09 at 8:44pm

Checkout revolving stages in a previous topic;-

http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2740&PID=13224#13224 - http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2740&PID=13224#13224

Or if you do a search on this site, there are other topics on turntables ect.

Good bearing castors are important & it's worth while to spend the extra. Check the castor for side to side ways slop on the wheel, as nost cheapies have only a bolt & sleave as a bearing.

I prefer revolves to be made in cheesecake of 4:8 segments, for easy storage. Also with the size required, it maybe easier to produce it by using standard available sheet size of boards off the shelf, for the deck.

The segmented revolve will help, if you need to regularly 'bump in/out' the set piece/performance at your cafetorium.

-------------
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: abraham.issac.j
Date Posted: 2/03/10 at 4:00am

Dear Gaafa,

Thanks for providing me the link and it's been useful for me .. As you told the bearing castor wheel were pretty much important and their worth will get back us for sure.. the advice you provided here is useful. I couldn't get the segments issue much but revolving must be expert choice.. Keep on suggesting..

Jacob.

http://www.rosshandling.co.uk - castors || http://www.rosshandling.co.uk - furniture castors

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 2/03/10 at 9:32pm

There is a lot of work involved in the 'cheesecake'' segmented revolve, than there would be with Mr Lowell's turntable type.

However dependant upon the deck size of the revovle, this may govern the chioce of method required.

Anchoring the central spigot would be the problem, as Dana suggested, although you could skin your floor stage space with MDF boards, which are cheap enough, especialy if you can salvage them from a local building site. They normally use them as a work cover to protect the finish on flooring during the build, then dump them after thier are finished.

Building site 'Skip diving' would be a great day out for your stundents! You could do it under the heading of a recycling excursion tutorial?

It is amasing what is chucked as landfill at the local rubbish dump!

Using the MDF it is easy enough to under gaffer tape boards together, as they do with 'Tarquet' dance mats.

MDF being easy to cut you can fit it snuggly between walls to stablise & reduce the revolves waltzing. Also to anchor the central spigot or with the [fixed] castors of the turntable to the stage floor MDF skin.

-------------
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: ttlss
Date Posted: 2/10/10 at 7:08pm

I made a revolve with turntables, three flats and some casters. While the portion of the revolve is facing the audience, this gives the crew the opportunity to velcro on the next scene. We did this for "A Christmas Carol the Musical"

Posted By: ttlss
Date Posted: 2/10/10 at 7:12pm

When you attach your casters, it is helpful to cut a piece of craft foam and put that between the caster and the unit. Make sure your screws are plenty tight. This helps to muffel any vibration of the platform

Posted By: StgMgrGary
Date Posted: 2/23/10 at 6:31pm

I found this resource, as it was passed onto me from another tech guy. We are building a revolve here at our theatre too for A Flea in her Ear, and I am doing secenic design and have never had to work with one before.

http://www.controlbooth.com/ - http://www.controlbooth.com/

Hope this helps.

-------------
J. Gary Walden
Executive Director
Theatrikos Theatre Company
Flagstaff, AZ
www.theatrikos.com