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Permalink Reply by Rich Dionne on November 23, 2011 at 1:58pm

I'm excited to know that the December issue of Stage Directions is in the mail, which means you'll all be reading the above article on platform supports. As Jacob posted above, Heather and I will be blogging about platforms and staging all through December, and will be checking back at this forum to discuss platforms and staging in all of their various incarnations. Wonder why you've always seen something built a particular way? Ask us! Curious why you've never seen anyone else do that incredibly smart thing you figured out with the widget to make legging easier? Share it here!

Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

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Permalink Reply by Heather Hillhouse on November 28, 2011 at 7:47am

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving as well! It has been interesting talking to Rich about how we build and the differences between our styles, even though platform legs sounds like such a basic part of scenery. I know that while Standard legs seem to be the most basic and you would assume most common, I tend towards studwalls whenever I have more than one or two platforms to leg. What is your default?

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Permalink Reply by Jacob Coakley on December 2, 2011 at 9:56am

Check out Rich's latest post about this topic here!

http://theatreface.ning.com/profiles/blogs/platform-structure-design

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Permalink Reply by Rich Dionne on December 16, 2011 at 8:18am

Erich Friend sent me a message after last week's post asking me to talk about some of the safety considerations of rigid-framed platforms, and I thought this would be a great topic for this discussion forum.

The first thing to remember about rigid-framed platforms (any stock scenery, really) is that they don't last forever! There comes a time in any hard-working platform's life when it deserves a relaxing retirement. How can you tell it's time?

• Is the lid pretty tattered around the perimeter from multiple screws, being banged against the floor/wall/truck/whatever?
• Are the lid plies separating (delaminating)?
• Are the framing connections splitting, frayed, or pulling apart?
• Are the framing members splitting or cracking?
• Are the bolt holes for leg attachments chipped, split, open, or ratty? (Did your carriage bolts spin the last time you tried to remove them?)

If you can say yes to any of the above, it's time to let that poor platform go to its final rest.

Let's talk about fasteners for a minute: drywall screws are cheap. But they aren't always the safest option. Drywall screws are strongest when carrying an axial load--meaning they don't pull out easily. They are not strong when resisting a shear load--how many times have you swung a hammer into a screw that's poked through the material to break it off? If it's that easy for a load from the side to break the screw, why would it make sense to build a frame in such a way that screws are under constant shear load? Use drywall screws for securing the lid to the frame if you must. For building the frame, use nails (which have the advantage of being able to be pneumatically-driven, hence faster) or wood screws, which are better at handling shear loads. (Screws will help the framing stay together longer than nails, though a good application of glue in the joint will help with either fastener.)

One last thought: screw tips or nail ends into fingers hurt--especially if those tips are pushing the equivalent of 30 pounds into your finger, which can happen when you're carrying a platform and manage to grab that one spot where a screw or nail has driven through the material and out the other side. Use properly-sized fasteners, and remove those that drive through the frame at weird angles and consequently stick out of the material. Your hands (and arms, and legs, and sometimes even faces) will thank you!

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Permalink Reply by Rich Dionne on December 27, 2011 at 8:32am

Al Sundby asked a great question about flammability, toxic outgassing, and polystyrene foam, in response to last week's post about sandwich-core panels. Check out our conversation here.

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