oversized appliances
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=5160
Printed Date: 10/30/25 at 10:57pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: oversized appliances
Posted By: drose
Subject: oversized appliances
Date Posted: 9/08/11 at 5:47pm
| Wow, it's been forever since I posted...feels like coming home! I have to build some oversize appliances: vintage refrigerator, front-load washing machine, and maybe a car trunk (ok that last one isn't an appliance, but I still have to build it!). If you haven't guessed, we are doing CATS and the director wants what she wants. Any ideas? The doors will have to open (the trunk lid will have to raise). I'm just not sure how to go about creating the look of the outside of the pieces. Curves...so difficult. I look forward to your help! |
Replies:
Posted By: didj1028
Date Posted: 9/13/11 at 1:47pm
|
Can you cast pieces out of fiberglass? Or carve out of foam and then coat? Can you do something with nice square edges like a footlocker rather than a humped top trunk? (added option of cats on top of it?)
------------- Geoff Ehrendreich Waterloo Community Playhouse Waterloo IA |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 9/15/11 at 2:56pm
|
Unfortunately we cannot do any fiberglass casting. I like the foot locker idea. I am trying to stay away from curves as much as possible in the primary set pieces: we have ruled out the car trunk (so sad) and changed the refrigerator to a more modern, boxy style. But I'd still like to figure out some way to create more rounded shapes for future reference. Thanks!
|
Posted By: didj1028
Date Posted: 9/15/11 at 7:34pm
|
i try to think about things I've done and every one of them was labor intensive and never looked as smooth and clean as I wanted. probably the best would be to carve out of foam, coat in glue and cheese cloth, then bondo and sanding smooth. tedious and labor intensive...
------------- Geoff Ehrendreich Waterloo Community Playhouse Waterloo IA |
Posted By: startingout
Date Posted: 9/19/11 at 11:35am
|
I made a wood car for grease w/a curved trunk
1/4 luann ply wood
4 1x8 jig saw cut the curve then Screw w fender washers down (Big washer with small holes)
coved with 2inch painter tape
I have pic that I could send I don't have with me now
mailto:sgiehtbrock@ssd.k12.mn.us - sgiehtbrock@ssd.k12.mn.us
|
Posted By: jt7724
Date Posted: 10/06/11 at 7:07pm
|
Don't know if I am too late for this comment to help, but in case it does, I have had great luck carving curves like these out of foam. make a light frame and stick the foam on, pink (extruded polystyrene) is best, but white (expanded polystyrene) will work, I find the best way to carve the foam is to start using a serrated knife, followed by a drywall rasp and finally hand sand. If you are only using for one or two shows you don't need to cover it in anything, just paint it, good luck. |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/07/11 at 8:11am
|
Why not use an old fridge with the compresor & refridge gubbins stripped out.
Similar with the washing machine & the car boot [trunk]. the latter you could probably get from a vehicle Wreckers yard. With a wee bit of canablisation they could be made safe & workable. ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 10/07/11 at 11:49am
|
That would be a lot easier, but I think he wants the props to be very over-sized because it is more practical than shrinking the actors down to kitty size :-) ------------- David M |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 10/12/11 at 11:35pm
Thanks for the ideas. It seems that carving foam is going to be our best bet. I have pared down the the curves in the set and gone for more modern appliance looks just to make my life easier. (I hate to make artistic decisions based on that, but I'm a bit overwhelmed with 54 kids in the cast of a K-12 grade production of CATS, and very little set crew). We open in 2.5 weeks and the costume unitards are back ordered. Something had to give...and it is the antique refrigerator and the washing machine with a round window! But the show must, can and will go on...and it will be fantastic! I just may be ready for a lobotomy by the time it rolls around! 
|
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/14/11 at 3:24am
|
For you & your cast - Toi Toi Chookas! ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: colugino
Date Posted: 10/28/11 at 1:40am
| When our theatre did Cats, we found a cargo shipping company that had wooden shipping crates - really large ones, and used them for several of our set pieces - which we reinforced with 2x4s to support the weigh of actors on them. We didn't have the budget to do anything out of foam and don't have the skillset to do metalwork or anything. Best of luck! |