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om‘" .05...

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o. I. .5 q .
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H E :3: : 1:, g,

'sHtt“b

0-169

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

Experiments with Tubular Steel Framed Scenery

presented by

Ralph L. Vanderslice, Jr.

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

_Lir_A:_ degree in _§P_°flh_

Mam

Major professor

 

Date wt 5 e 1 955

 

 

 

 

 

EXPERIMENTS WITH TUBULAR STEEL FRAMED SCENERY

By
Ralph L. vanderslice, Jr.
“—

AN ABSTRACT

Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan
State university of Agriculture and Applied Science
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Speech

1955

The purpose of the study was to design and test a system of
framed scenery capable of easy and rapid construction and of
compact storage. Through the use of standardized, prefabricated,
re—usable parts, this system would eliminate handicraft operations
in the assembly of flats and facilitate dismantling them for
storage. One-inch by two—inch rectangular lock—seam steel tubing
was chosen for the basic framing members because of its rigidity
and twist resistance.

Telescoping corner pieces were fabricated to join framing

‘members. These permit some adjustment of the frame dimensions

‘without cutting the tubes. To facilitate removal and re-use of
canvas a mechanical means of attaching it to a tubular frame was
designed. Hardware differs little from conventional stage hard—
ware. Special problems such as sill irons for door flats, non-
rectangular flats and attachment of profile were considered.

Although imperfect in its present state of development, the
system appears capable of obviating some of the generally recog-
nized limitations of wood scenery and the handicraft system of con-
structing it. The most significant advantages would apparently lie
in (l) saving of time through use of prefabricated parts, (2) less
dependence on skilled workmanship through reduction in opportunity
for errors, and (3) greater efficiency of storage and re-use

through disassembly and preservation of standard members.

EXPERIMENTS WITH TUBULAR STEEL FRAMED SCENEEY

By
mm L. vmnsnsucs, Jr.

A.THESIS
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan
State University of Agriculture and Applied Science
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Speech

1955

 

TH €5.45

The writer wishes to express his gratitude to Dr. John.A.
lalker, whose guidance and criticism were so valuable to this
study, and to lr.‘Virgil D. Godfrey, Professor Donald 0. Buell,
and Dr. Charles P. Pedrey for their helpful suggestions and
assistance.

Professor Orvil IMHMrray of the Michigan State‘University
. ltechanical Mgineering department, who contributed much technical
advice, and Professor R. L. vanderslice, Sr., who photographed
the experiments, deserve special thanks.

The writer is greatly indebted to the John A. Koch Company
of Detroit, and to the van Duffel Tube Corporation of warren, Ohio,

for their generosity in donating the tubing for.this study.

3823-68

TABLE OF

GMT“ I O O O O O O O O I O 0

CHAPTER II . . . . . . . . . .
Tubing used in this study
Design of corner pieces .
Hethod of fastening canvas
Toggle rails . . . . . . .
Sill iron . . . . . . . .

Hinges and hardware . . .

CHAPTER III . . . . . . . . . .
Constructing a plain flat
Covering a plain flat . .

Applying a dutchman . . .

CONTENTS

Building and covering a door flat . .

Non-rectangular flats . .

Application of profiles .

Shifting tubular steel framed flats .

Dismantling and storing tubular steel framed

cmm IV 0 O O O 0 O O O O O

BIBLIOGWHY O O C O O O O O O

O O C O O O
.

Page 1
. . 9
. lO
. l2
. l4
. l4
. 15
. 16
. l9
. 19
. 22
. 23
. 24
. 27
. 28
. 30
. 32
. 36
. 39

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure
1. Corner construction employed by Sidlauskas . . .
2. Special channel aluminum used by Baron . . . . .
3. Aluminum two—fold showing twist . . . . . . . .
4. Cross—section of l" x 2" x .035" rectangular
lock-seam steel tubing . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Twelve foot lengths of l" x 2" steel tubing and
nominal l" x 3" white pine . . . . . . . . .
6. Comparison of flexural strength of steel tubing
and white pine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. Ninety-degree corner piece designed to telescope
into framing tubes . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. Adjustable corner piece . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. Steel clip for attaching canvas to frames . . .
10. a. Sill iron unit b. Detail of bottom rail assembly
11. Detail of Lpshaped hinge with flats folded . . .
12. Special all-purpose cleat shown as a stop cleat
13. Insertion of corner piece into rail and stile .
14. a. 5'10" x 12' tubular steel frame. b. Toggle
rail and hardware added . . . . . . . . . . .
15. Two scenery frames lashed together . . . . . . .
16. Detail of two methods of making right-angle joints
1?. Steps in stretching a painted canvas on a tubular

steel frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page

10

11_

ll

13
14
14
16
17
18

2O

21
21

21

22

Figure

18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.

28.

30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.

36.

Applying gauze dutchman over L-hinge . . . . . . . . .

L-hinged two—fold with dutchman painted and spattered

A door flat with door unit installed . . . . .
Detail of internal framing . . . . . . . . . .
Sill iron and bottom rail assembly . . . . . .
uncovered frame_for door flat . . . . . . . .
Steps in covering a door flat . . . . . . . .
Front and rear views of a door flat . . . . .
Door flat showing door unit locked in place .
Non—rectangular frame with adjustable corners
Detail of flexible corners . . . . . . . . . .
Profile attached to steel tube . . . . . . . .
Alternate method of attaching profile . . . .
Floating a steel framed flat . . . . . . . . .
Union stage manager running steel framed flat
Uncovered frames showing absence of twist . .
Flats lashed together . . . . . . . . . . . .
Details of lashing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Parts for a 5' 10" x 12' flat . . . . . . . .

Page

23
23
24
24
25
25
26
27
27
28
28
29
29
31
31
31
32
32

33

CHAPTER I

The representation of walls and other surfaces on theatrical
stages by means of suitably'painted fabric-covered frames is a
practice of long standing. Such covered frames, or flats, have
been used since the'Benaissancel when they may have developed from
the canvas covered frames used by artists for paintings. No sig-
nificant changes have affected the building of flats in the inter-
vening centuries, and the materials and methods used today are
essentially the same as those referred to in 1545 by Sebastiano
Serlio in Book II of his Architecture when he wrote, "I made all my
scenes of lathes covered with linen...'2

This time honored approach to construction of scenery for the
stage, which has been termed a wood-handicraft system,3 involves
building permanently joined frames after performing a series of
operations on each piece of lumber to prepare it for joining, and

covering the frame with fabric held permanently by adhesives.

 

lHarold Burris-Meyer and Edward C. Cole, Scenegy for the
Theatre, (Boston; Little, Brown; 1951), pp. 3-4.

2Quoted by Lee Simonson, The Art g£_Scenic Desigg, (New Yerk,
mar, 1950), p. 5.

aBobert Baron, A Plan for the Use at; Prefabricated Aluminum
Sectional Units 22L2_leans g! Rendering More Effective the Coup

struction and use 2£_Framed Scenes: for the Stage, (Unpublished
Master's thesis, Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 1949), p. 15.

There is no question that effective stage settings are built
by the wood-handicraft system. Where skilled personnel are avail-
able the complexity of the woodrhandicraft system presents no prob-
lem, and, if storing flats is not contemplated, the fact that they
are permanently joined is not a disadvantage. In certain theatre
situations, however, the wood-handicraft system may be regarded as'
a definite handicap to the production of plays. —Speaking of ama-
teur stageth in 311...! _A_r_‘_t_._ pf 2121 Production, John Dolmen says:

...building another complete set every now and then...is the

kind of chore that makes unpaid stage workers wonder why

they do it.‘

Another writer states that "one indication of the difficult nature
of building scenery in the non-commercial theatre is the tendency
to use draped sets instead of rigid scenery and set pieces instead
of full-sized flats and platforms."5

That storage and re—use of scenery is an important factor in
its economy is indicated by this statement of Burris-Meyer and Cole:

Between one fifth and one half of the cost of a pro—
duction is represented by the scenery. Materials and labor
of scene construction constitute a large percentage of this
cost. Producing organizations with limited budgets may save

a considerable portion of this scenery cost by salvaging and
storing sets when productions close.6

 

438V. GIL, Nev York “d London, Harper, 1946’ pe 366s

5Baron, p. 16.

60p. cit., p. 455.

The reference here is to storing whole scenic units, such as flats.
The component parts of a typical flat could be stored in about one-
tenth the space required for the whole flat, and the parts would in
addition be available for more efficient re-use. However, disman-
tling woodrframed flats for storage is not feasible because the
joints are of a relatively permanent nature whether screws or nails
are used, and frequent assembling and dismantling would not only
take too long, but would soon cause the lumber to split and crack.

Because of variations in producing situations and conditions
under which stage scenery is used, a definitive list of criteria is
difficult to establish. Samuel Selden and Hunton D. Sellman in
§tggg_8cene£z 232_Lighting suggest these practical requirements:

First, scenery must be capable of easy and rapid construc-

Secondtozcenery must be capable of economical construction. ...

Third, scenery must be capable of quick and silent shifting. ...

Fourth, scenery must be strong. ...

Fifth, scenery must be well assembled. ...

Sixth, scenery must be capable of storage.7

The purpose of this study was to design and test a system of
framed stage scenery capable of easy and rapid construction and of
compact storage through the use of standardized, prefabricated, re-
usable parts which would eliminate handicraft operations in the
assembly of flats and facilitate dismantling them for storage.

Two previous studies have proposed the use of metal scenery

frames. They are Robert Baron's previously cited work, and Francis

 

7New York, Crofts, 1936, pp. 79-80.

Sidlauskas' Aluminum Framed Scener1.8

Sidlauskas gives a detailed analysis of the limitations of
wood as a framing material. In his experiments he employed 1}"
aluminum equal-angle stock
drilled through both faces
in a somewhat complex pat-
tern to permit joining by
means of triangular alumi-
num plates closely resemp

bling conventional corner

 

blocks (Figure 1). He em—
phasized the versatility of
these members and presented
blueprints illustrating

their use in flats, plat—
forms, stairs, curtain tracks,

and lighting bridges. The

 

flats were covered with can-

vas attached with a rubber

Figure 1. Corner construction
employed by SidlBUOKGB base cement. Large paper
with angle aluminum frames.
Top: front view; Bottom:
rear view. Reproduced
from Aluminum Framed Scene ,
courtesy Yale University.

clips were used to hold the
canvas until the adhesive set.

Baron chose the aluminum

 

8Unpublished Master's thesis, Yale, New Haven, Conn., 1949.

stock shape shown in
Figure 2. He described
the disadvantages of the
wood-handicraft system

as an operating proce-
dure and proposed to
abandon not only the con-

ventional material for

 

scenery frames but also

the conventional method

Figure 2. Special channel aluminum

 

used by Baron. Reproduced from of fabricating them. Re
A Plan for...Scenegy for the
Stage, courtesy Smith College. emphasized the need for

standardized, prefabri-
cated units which could be joined together quickly and dismantled
easily for storage. The scenery cost for a producing organization
using such a system would be substantially reduced because the pur-
chase of permanent re-usable metal parts would be a capital expen-
diture rather than an operating expense.9 To attach canvas tq his
flats, Baron also used an adhesive. He further presented plans for
several mechanical methods of attaching the canvas, but he did not
actually experiment with them.

Baron discovered that unless his flats were braced on both

sides, the unsupported side tended to loan or twist away from the

 

9Baron, p. 83.

vertical (Figure 3). He
attributed this to a need
for more internal bracing,
although he says at another
point, ”It is very possible
that the 'twist' is a com-
bination of the lack of
adequate internal support;

a weakness in the design of
the basic cross-section, and

inadequately designed jo ints ’10

 

Both studies of aluminum

71¢. 2.1. Protein-tested sinis- book-flat.
This photograph alums the

need for more a me e _

m. m, mums ,, . “u . framed scenery made contribu

toule. The an on the right. is
supported by a rectangular wood

__ brace. _- ., -_ -1 _ _

tions toward technological

advancements in scenery con-

Figure 3. Aluminum two-fold
showing twist possibly due
to lack of twist resistance
in open channel shape. Re-
produced from A Plan £25...

Scenery_for §§£_Sta e cour— study to the fund of knowledge
tesy Smith College.

struction. The specific con-

tributions of the present

 

 

about metal framed scenery
are: the investigation of steel as the basic framing material,

the use of a tubular rather than an open shape, the development of
a mechanical means of attaching fabric as opposed to the use of

adhesive, and certain refinements in joining and hardware.

 

10Baron, p. 81.

Steel is approximately three times as heavy per volume as
aluminum, and about twice as strong.11 Aluminum alloys generally
cost five times as much per weight as steel.12

Steel, like most metals, can be formed into shapes to suit
the purpose for which it is intended, and the shape can be dupli-
cated thousands of times with such accuracy that variations can be
distinguished only with special instruments. This is in direct
contrast to wood, which is naturally non-uniform and subject to
such defects as knots, warping, and grain variations.

The formability of steel and other metals is used to advan-
tage in common structural shapes such as "I" beams, channels, and
angles. The result of forming a length of solid bar into one of
these open cross-sections is.a great increase in its resistance to
bending, that is, in flexural strength.

Another shape which increases the flexural strength of a
material is tubing. Tubing is formed by the disposition of metal
or other material in a closed shape laterally surrounding a hollow
center, usually with a uniform wall thickness and with a constant
cross-section throughout its length. There are two principal types

of tubing, depending on the method of manufacture: seamed and seam,

less. Seamless aluminum or magnesium tubing is usually extruded,

 

1
1Eric Oberg and F. D. Jones, Machinery's Handbook, (12th ed.,
New Park, Industrial Press, 1944), pp. 332 and 1580.

12Information supplied by Mr. Orvil McMurray in an interview.

while steel, being difficult to extrude, is generally pierced.13
Seamless steel tubing is quite expensive and the walls cannot be
made very thin. Cheaper and thinner-walled tubing is produced by
rolling a flat strip into the tubular shape and electrically welding
or mechanically locking the seam.

The next chapter of this study deals with development of a
system of steel scenery, describing experiments which led to the
choice of tubing for basic framing members; and with the experimen—
tal fabrication of parts to illustrate how this system might work
if such parts were available or could be fabricated. Chapter
Three is concerned with experiments using the completed parts as
they would be received by a scene shop using this system, and illus-

trates how certain problems of scenery construction might be solved.

 

13Seamless Steel Tubes, (Michigan Seamless Tube Company, South
Lyon, Michigan), p. 7.

CHAPTER II

In any system of framed scenery the material and design of
the framing members affects almost every other factor. For exam-
ple, in the wood—handicraft system the traditional use of l" x 3'
white pine lumber permits a limited choice of right-angle joints,
the most common of which are the butt joint and the mortise and
tenon. The nature of wood also influences the method of attaching
canvas, the strength, rigidity and weight of the scenery, and its
capacity for compact storage. Hence, the design of framing members
is of great importance in any system of scenery.

The first experiments in the present study attempted to deter-
mine in what form or shape metal would best meet the requirements
of a scenery framing material. These requirements appear to be:
light weight, rigidity or flexural strength, and twist resistance.
The shape should also facilitate joining and covering.

Solid bars or rods, whether of steel, aluminum or magnesium
alloys, proved impracticable because a solid shape large enough in
cross-section to have sufficient rigidity is far too heavy. Sheet
steel of various gauges, formed into angle or channel shape, appears
to have adequate flexural strength without excessive weight, but

its twist resistance in these forms is insufficient. Increasing

10

the thickness of the sheet stock increases the twist resistance
only in proportion with the weight.

Due to the nature of sheet metal working facilities avail-
able, fabrication of tubing was difficult; however, a crude sam-
ple with protruding seam was made for testing. Spot welding this
scam at intervals resulted in a
startling increase in twist re-
sistance, which appears to be
an integral characteristic of
closed-seam tubing.

Round tubing, although
the most readily available form,
posed serious problems of join-
ing, covering, and applying
hardware to the frames. Rectan-

gular tubing was therefore cho-

 

sen to avoid these problems.

Figure 4- Cross-section of Tubing used in this study.
l”x2"x.035" rectangular "'

lock-seam steel tubing.

 

 

Sixty feet of tubing was donated
for this study by the Van Duffel Tube Corporation of warren, Ohio,
through the John A. Koch Company of Detroit. This 1" x 2" rectan-
gular lock-seam steel tubing with .035" wall thickness (Figure 4)
is very strong and rigid but fairly heavy. A thinner-walled tubing

could be used to advantage, making scenery lighter yet sufficiently

 

 

Figure 5. Twelve foot
lengths of l"x2”
steel tubing and
nominal l"x3"
white pine.

 

Figure 6. Comparison of
flexural strength of steel illustrated in Figure 6. The
tubing and white pine.

Weights are 10 pounds each. tubing also has more twist

11

strong; this particular tubing was used
for reasons of expediency in that this
was what the tubing company donated.
Apparently the tube mill was set up for
a large order of tubing in this size and
weight and ran the extra 60' along with
it. Rectangular tubing is not standard
warehouse stock; it is produced only af—
ter an order is received, and the cost
of set up must be included in the charge.
In small quantities such tubing costs
much more per foot than in larger runs.
One-bybthree white pine weighs
approximately .375 pounds per linear
foot, although it varies in
weight as in other characteris-
tics. The tubing used in this
study weighs .730 pounds per
foot, or slightly less than
twice as much. New twelve-foot
lengths of each material are
shown in Figure 5. A test of

their comparative rigidity is

12

resistance than wood.

One-eighth inch holes, drilled at one-inch intervals along
the center of both two-inch faces of the tubing, provided for
joining and application of hardware by accomodating #10 self-
tapping sheetqmetal screws. After drilling, the tubing was sprayed
with Rnstoleum to prevent rust. If this system of scenery were
adopted by a theatrical supplier in a position to order tubing in
efficient quantities and to have it punched and sprayed, the tubes
would come to the scene shop in this form, with screw holes accu-

rately prepunched and with rust preventative paint already applied.

Desigg‘g£_corner pieces. Because most scenery frames are
rectangular, a basic problem in scenery construction is that of
joining two framing members at right angles. It is at this
point in the construction of wood flats that the problems in-
herent in the handicraft system most frequently manifest them-
selves, and the finished joint, even if it is a mortise and tenon
joint, is far weaker than the rest of the frame. A problem of
major importance in this study was to provide a means of joining
tubular members at right angles in such a way that strength of
the joint would closely approach that of the members themselves
and which would permit rapid and easy joining by eliminating
the measuring, marking, and cutting operations of the handicraft

system.

13

The right—angle

 

corner piece shown in
Figure 7 employs rec-
tangular tubing just
enough smaller than the
tubular framing members
to telescope readily
inside. This smaller
tubing has an open

seam to accomodate the

 

internal protrusion of

the lock-seam tubing.

Figure 7. Ninety-degree corner
piece designed to telescope The corner piece was
into framing tubes.

fabricated by joining
the mitred ends of two eight-inch lengths of this open-sewn
tubing, and spotdwelding interlocking plates across the joint on
each side. These interlocking plates strengthen the joint and
increase the thickness of the exposed portion of the corner piece
to match that of the basic tubing.

While a preponderance of flats are rectangular, there is
frequently a need to join framing members at angles other than
ninety-degrees. To provide a means of making such joints in
tubular steel frames without resorting to handicraft, a sptcial

corner piece was designed and fabricated. It will adjust from a

 

Figure 8. Adjustable cor-
ner piece.

 

l4

thirty degree outside corner all the
way to a l20-degree inside corner

(Figure 8).

Method 21; fastening canvas to;

frames. The conventional method of

covering a wood flat is to tack or
staple canvas to the frame and ad-
here it with gelatin glue or wheat
paste. The excess canvas is then
trimmed off at the edges of the flat.
Partly because these conven-
tional adhesives will not hold on
steel, but primarily
to facilitate removal

and re-use of canvas

C
'X
_x V. 3‘. ’1 . m Lax '..-.‘.-m ' :a'm‘agwk

coverings, a mechani-

cal method of attach-

Figure 9. Steel clip for attaching

canvas to frames.

ing canvas to steel

frames was devised, employing channel-shaped clips illustrated in

Figure 9. These clips were fabricated from very thin (28 gauge)

sheet steel and are designed to fit snugly over canvas pulled

around the outside edge of the frames, holding it by friction.

Toggle rails. In conventional wooden flats the stiles are

15

braced apart at intervals of four or five feet by internal horizon-
tal members called toggle rails. Steel tubes, being more rigid
than wooden stiles, do not require as much bracing, however at
least one toggle rail is necessary in taller flats to facilitate
handling and prevent the stiles from bowing inward under the ten-
sion of the canvas covering. .A taggle rail was made from half-inch
electrical metallic tubing, the ends of which were crimped and
drilled to accomodate a single sheet-metal screw. There is no
provision for expanding or adjusting the size of this toggle.
Another purpose served by toggle rails in wood flats with in-
ternal openings, such as door, window, or fireplace flats, is to
support and partly form the inside framing. The round tubular
toggle is inadequate for this purpose, and a means of attaching a
toggle rail of the basic rectangular tubing had to be provided.
Standard, commercially available T-plates with new holes drilled
at one-inch intervals were used for this purpose and for attaching

the internal stiles to the toggle.

§£llhiggg, Most door and fireplace flats have openings all
the way to the floor, preventing the use of a bottom rail. '4
thin band of steel, called a sill iron or saddle iron, is usually
screwed to the short rails on either side of the opening. Since
the tubing is not provided with holes in its one-inch face, and
the thickness of the strap steel would raise the flat off the

floor about 3/16", it was necessary to attach the sill iron by some

 

Figure 10. a. Sill iron unit.
of bottom rail assembly.

with the strap inside so they

tubing. Figure 10b shows the

-.-__

b. Detail

could telescope

16

means more compatible
with the rest of the
system; one which
would obviate the
drilling of new holes
and preferably be
somewhat adjustable.
The sill iron unit

in Figure 10a was
fabricated by welding
two short pieces of
open-seam tubing

onto the ends of

the strap steel

into the lock-seam

expanded bottom rail assembly with

ninetybdegree corner piece, short length of lock-seam tubing, and

one end of the sill iron unit. VCorner plates with new holes at 1"

intervals are used to join the inside stiles to the short bottom

rails because T-plates would extend into the opening.

Hinges and hardware. When two wood flats are hinged together

 

on the face side, the hinges, at least in professional practice,

are countersunk into the stile to prevent shadows under stage light-

ing. The leaves of the hinges and the crack between the flats are

17

then concealed by application of a dutchman, or strip of cloth,
painted to match the flats.

Hinges cannot be countersunk into steel tubes, and even if
they could it would be a handicraft operation contrary to the pur-
pose of the system. A special hinge
with L-shaped leaves was designed

to take the place of countersunk

 

 

back—flaps (Figure 11). The leaf
of this hinge is applied with two
screws on the back of the stile.

It extends around the edge of the

stile through the crack between

 

 

the flats, and engages a mating
leaf at a point approximately flush
with the front surface of the flats.

Actually, the hinge must protrude

 

enough to bring the center of the

Figure 11. Detail of L-
shaped hinge with
flats folded.

hingepin in line with the front of
the flats so they can fold without
straining the hinge.

The L-shaped hinges in this study were fabricated from stan—
dard theatrical two—inch loose-pin back-flaps by bending the leaves
and welding on an extension. Stock back-flaps were also used in

the experiments, after being equipped with new screw-holes to

 

 

Figure 12. Special all—
purpose cleat shown
as stop cleat.

effort to simulate the results

they were ultimately planned.

18

permit application to the tubing.
Most standard stage hardware
can be used in the tubular steel
system without modification other
than re-spacing of screw holes.
One type of cleat served as lash
cleat, lash line eye, tie—off
cleat, brace cleat, and step cleat
(Figure 12). It was also used to

attach profiles to the frames.

So much for the design and
prefabrication of parts for this
system of scenery. They were made
as carefully as possible in an
of machine production for which

The next phase of the experiments

involved building flats with the prefabricated parts to simulate

the procedure which would be followed in a scene shop employing

the system. This phase is described in the next chapter.

CHAPTER III

Constructigg 2 £19.33 £l_a_t_._ Under the wood-handicraft system,
plain flat construction involves selecting, measuring, marking,
and cutting two stiles, two rails, one or more toggle rails,
and two corner braces. The parts are laid out on a bench or
floor and checked for errors. Four plywood corner—blocks and
six or more keystones are needed to support the Joints. The joints
are squared with a framing square and fastened with nails or screws
driven into the framing members through the plywood blocks. Roughly
one hundred screws or nails are used in joining a large plain flat.

The procedure in constructing a tubular steel flat is some-
what simpler, because the parts are ready to assemble. First,
tubes are selected for the stiles and rails. They must be at
least four inches shorter than the height or width of the flat,
because each corner piece adds two inches or more to each dimen-
sion. Cutting the tubing to fit a particular flat is unnecessary
if tubes are available in lengths of six-inch increments since the
corner pieces can be adjusted to make any size in between as long
as it is in even inches. Tubes of appropriate length are arranged
in a rectangle roughly the size and shape of the frame. They must
be placed with the seam of each tube on the inside edge of the

frame so as to permit insertion of the corner pieces. If welded

 

Figure 13. Insertion of corner
piece into rail and stile.

 

20

instead of lock-seam tubing
were used, this minor
inconvenience would be
avoided.

Four right-angle corner
pieces are next placed in
position as illustrated in
Figure 13a. Two of these
can be inserted into either
the stiles or rails first.
When one end of the flat is
thus assembled, the other
corner pieces must be joined
to the rail (Figure 13b), and
both inserted into the stiles
simultaneously. Figure 13c
shows the assembled corner
before the application of
sheet-metal screws. The cor-
ner piece is inserted the full
six inches into the rail, but

only five inches into the

stile. Similar adjustment at other joints, using five and one-

half and eleven and one-half foot tubes for rails and stiles, makes

21

' a 5' 10" x 12' frame (Figure
14a). With the addition of a
toggle rail and hardware
(Figure 14b), the frame is
ready for covering. Assembly
of the entire frame took only
_‘fi five minutes.

A l' 4” x 12' jog, which

was built to demonstrate methods

 

of joining two flats, is shown

in Figure 15. This jog was
Figure 14. a. 5' 10' x 12'

tubular steel frame. constructed with butt joints
b. Toggle rail and
hardware added. and triangular steel corner

blocks (Figure 16), a method
which proved rather unsatisfactory.
The corner blocks take longer to apply,

permit the frame to twist and flex a

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 15. Two scenery Figure 16. Detail of two methods
frames lashed. of making right-angle joints.

good deal, and prevent adjustment

of frame dimensions.

Covering 3,2191“ flat. When

 

the tubular steel frame was assem-
bled, it was laid face up on saw
horses so that the fabric covering
could be unrolled across its face
(Figure 17a). The steel clips dis-
cussed in Chapter II were used to
attach the canvas to the frame.

They were applied across one rail
first, then alternately along the
stiles. The canvas was stretched
while the clips were pushed over both
canvas and tube (Figure 17b). Final-
ly, clips were applied on the remain-
ing rail (Figure 17c and d). At
the‘corners the canvas was folded in
three layers, and the steel clips
were mitered in order to meet
smoothly (Figure 17e). No diffi-
culty was encountered in covering

a corner piece that was inserted
only part way into the tubing, and

the canvas appeared perfectly smooth.

22

 

 

Figure 17. Steps in
stretching a painted
canvas on a tubular
steel frame.

23

These pictures show how a painted canvas was returned to its
frame after it had been removed and rolled up for storage. A very

slight amount of touching up with matching paint was necessary.

.{gngtj7f{fl.V3:§ Applying 2_dutchman. Figure 18 shows
the application of a dutchman over the crack
in a two-fold hinged with the L—shaped hinges

described in Chapter II. This dutchman is a

 

strip of two-inch surgical gauze applied with

the base-color scene paint. The appearance

 

.. “ " . ‘ of the two-fold with the dutchman dry and
spattered is shown in Figure 19. The joint

is barely discernible.

 

Figure 18. Applying Figure 19. L—hinged two-fold
gauze dutchman . with dutchman painted and

over L—hinge. spattered.

 

Figure 20. (A door flat with
door unit installed.

 

24

Building and coverigg g
$253333. A door flat (Figure
20) presents most of the prob-
lems encountered in any flat
with an internal Opening. The
procedure in constructing this
flat was as follows: The top
rail and the outside stiles were
assembled just as for a plain
flat. A toggle rail of rectan-
gular tubing was fastened to the
stiles with T—plates, high
enough to clear the tap of the
door unit. T-plates were also
used to attach the internal
stiles to the toggle .
rail (Figure 21). The
four-inch T-plates
used in the experib
ments were too small,
but were used because
six-inch T-plates to
match the six-inch

corner plates were

Figure 21. Detail of internal framing. unavailable.

25

 

Figure 22. Sill iron and bot— Figure 23. Uncovered frame
tom rail assembly about for door flat.
to be joined to door flat.

The sill iron unit described in Chapter II was joined to
the bottom corner pieces with short lengths of tubing, and this
whole assembly (Figure 22) was then joined to the rest of the
flat by inserting the corner pieces into the outside stiles and
applying corner plates to butt joints between the short rails
and the inside stiles. In Figure 22 the corner plates are
positioned on the inside stiles. Figure 23 shows the completed

door flat frame.

The procedure for covering a
door flat also begins like that used
with a plain flat: The frame was
placed face up on horses, and the can—
vas spread out and taped temporarily
in place with masking tape (Figure 24a).
The cloth was clipped to the top
rail first, then clips were placed
alternately along the outside stiles
(Figure 24b). Figure 24c shows the
flat turned around with clips hold-
ing the canvas on the bottom rails
up to the opening, where the sill
iron starts. The canvas across the
opening was cut so that it hung down
as illustrated in Figure 24d. In
Figure 24e the stretching of the
canvas is completed with clips on
inside framing tubes, and Figure 24f
shows the flat with excess canvas

trimmed.

Figure 24. Steps
‘in covering
a door flat.

 

Figure 25.
Front
and
rear
views
of a
door
flat.

Two views of the finished
door flat are shown in Figure
25. A stock door unit can be

locked into the opening by

the conventional method using

. strap hinges, as illustrated

in Figure 26.

Non-rectangular flats.

 

Designs calling for flats
with framing members joined
at angles other than ninety-
degrees require the use of the
adjustable corner discussed in

Chapter II. A non-rectangular

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..1

,.. j

I , ”vb,
\___ I
1.; -_.. .rf ~«
”vs-4» ~
‘0' ' LA" «-4 a

Figure 26. Door flat showing
door unit locked in place.

 

 

28

frame employing two such joints
is shown in Figure 27. The
acute angle at the top (Figure
28a) was strengthened with a
short brace of round tubing.
The inside corner (Figure 28b)
is not readily subject to addi-
tional bracing, and flexes
considerably when the flat is

raised or moved.

Application gf_profiles.

Quite frequently irregular

 

flats must be built so that

Figure 27. Non-rectangular
frame with adjustable
corners.

their outline is neither

rectangular or rectilinear.

Figure 280
Detail
of
flexible
corners.

 

 

29

In such cases
the conventional
solution is to
build a recti-
linear frame to
support the pro-
file board cut
out according to
the design.

Figure 29 shows

Figure 29. Profile.attached to steel tube; a segment of such
a. Front view b. Rear view showing

cleats.

 

Figure 30. Alternate method
of attaching profile.

profile work and
how it is attached to the tubular
steel frame using the cleats dis-
cussed earlier. Nails were driven
through special holes in the
cleats into a short wooden batten
attached to the profile. The
thickness of the profile and the
batten just equals that of the
tube. Another method of attaching
profile board is shown in Figure 30.
Three-quarter inch #8 sheet—metal
screws were used to hold the profile

board on the front face of the frame.

30

A tubular steel frame with profile attached by either
method could be covered by the conventional method using staples
or tacks and glue. The first method can also be used to apply
profiles to a steel frame already covered with the use of clips.

A narrow dutchman might be needed to conceal the crack.

Shifting tubular gtggl_framedrflggg, This study is con-
cerned with the design of a system of scenery which differs
from the conventional woodvhandicraft system primarily in matters
of construction and storage. An exhaustive comparison of the
systems is not warranted by this purpose; however certain
questions concerning the feasibility of the system are
treated tentatively where the results of the experiments seem
to cast some light on them. One such question is whether the
scenery is capable of quick and silent shifting. The flats built
in this study have not been used in an actual stage production,
and the results noted here derive from experiments and from
handling the units during construction, painting, and photography.
One important consideration in shifting scenery is its
weight. A 5' 10" x 12' tubular steel framed flat, covered and
painted, weighs slightly over 40 pounds. A newly constructed
wood framed flat of the same dimensions weighs approximately
30 pounds. A typical stock flat of roughly the same size, which

was taken out of storage for comparison and which has had numerous

adaptations, weighed 44 pounds.

 

Figure 31. Floating a steel
framed flats

31

The weight of the
steel framed flat does not
prevent it from being raised
by one man, floated (Figure
31), or run (Figure 32).

Rigidity of the frame
appears to be a useful factor
in shifting or handling flats.
Figure 33 shows the 5' 10" x
12' and the 1' 4" x 12' steel
frames hinged to support each
other on one side. The un-
supported side shows no ten-

dency to lean or twist.

 

Figure 32. Union stage
manager running
steel framed flat.

Figure 33. Uncovered
frames showing ab-
sence of twist.

32

 

Figure 34. Flats

lashed to-

gether.

Lashed steel framed
flats are illustrated in
Figure 34. Details of

the lashing are shown

in Figure 35.

Dismantling 2511! 332.5“
igg_tubular giggl_framed
11255? The capacity of
tubular steel framed flats
for storage is important
to this study because it

was one of the purposes

 

underlying the design of

Figure 35. Details of lashing. the system. Fully

33

assembled steel framed
flats can be stored in
approximately the same
amount of space as would
be occupied by equivalent
wood flats. .A far more
compact method of storing
them is possible because

the units were designed to

 

come apart. Figure 36
shows all the parts from
a dismantled 5' 10“ x 12'

plain flat. These parts

 

can be stored in roughly

one-tenth the space occu-

Figure 36. Pants for a 5'10" x
12' flat. pied by the assembled flat,

and they are readily available for re-use in other combinations.
Disassembling the flat involves merely removing the steel canvas
clips and the canvas, taking out ten screws, and sliding the cor-
ner pieces out. It is done by the reverse of the procedure used
in assembly. The tubes could be stored either vertically or
horizontally with others the same length. Special racks or bins
could be provided for corner pieces and for steel clips. The

canvas could be rolled as shown and stored to preserve the painting,

34

or it could be laundered before re-use, thus avoiding any need for

scrubbing the framed flat.14

The experiments in this chapter were undertaken to test
whether the system and the parts described in Chapter II would
work, and to demonstrate graphically how that system and those
parts would operate. The next chapter deals with the conclusions

which appear to be warranted by the results of these experiments.

 

14At the time of this writing, commercial laundries charge

about 15¢ per pound for washing such canvas.

CHAPTER IV

Although imperfect in its present state of development, the
tubular steel framed scenery system appears capable of obviating
some of the generally recognized limitations of wood scenery and
the handicraft system of constructing it. The most significant
advantages would apparently lie in (l)saving of time through use
of prefabricated parts, (2) less dependence on skilled workmanship
through reduction in opportunity for errors, and (3) greater effi-
ciency of storage and re-use through disassembly and preservation
of standard members.

The tests in this study did not include use of the scenery
in actual productions. Adequate evaluation of the system would re-
quire its use in productions over a period of years. Such investi-
gation might reveal shortcomings in the system not recognized in
this study, and it might reveal further advantages. The rigidity
of steel tubes and their freedom from warping might prove advanta-
geous in handling and shifting. Possibly the steel parts would
prove sufficiently durable that their continued re—use over a period
of years would result in greater economy despite their higher ini-
tial cost.

Most of the engineering problems encountered in this study

36

were problems not of design but of execution. Slight inaccuracies
in spacing the holes in the tubing would not have occurred in a
production set-up, where the holes could be punched within .005"
tolerance. Similarly, variations in the steel clips, which caused
difficulties in covering the flats, could be obviated by machine
production.

The problem of weight in steel framed scenery deserves further
attention. The tubing used in this study appeared to have strength
and rigidity to spare insofar as this was put to test. Similar
steel tubing with thinner walls might be practicable.

The adjustable corner piece failed to give adequate rigidity
to non-rectangular flats. Possibly a redesigned unit would be
strong enough. Rigid units of various angles on the pattern of
the ninety-degree corner pieces might fill much of the need for
adjustable corners, but unless a very wide range of angles were
available, they would seriously limit the designer. Perhaps the
best solution-would be to use the tubular steel system for con-
structing rectangular flats and retain the wood-handicraft system
for irregular pieces.

The system of tubular steel frames for scenery set forth in
this study would be feasible for ordinary producing groups only
if a metal-working shop could be persuaded to prefabricate the
special pieces, or if an organization with sufficient capital to
produce the parts in efficient quantities should enter the field

as a supplier. The difficulty of working up steel would prevent

37

the great majority of scene shops from fabricating their own parts.

The multiplicity of factors which would affect the production
and distribution of such parts makes an estimate of their cost im-
possible. The initial cost of tubular steel frames would probably
be at least twice that of conventional wood frames.

If tubular steel framed scenery parts were available, the
system would probably have its most effective application in
amateur theatreswhich depend on volunteer labor for scenery con-
struction and which produce plays with sufficient regularity to
make purchase of tubing and parts economically feasible.

Touring companies might regard the weight of steel framed
scenery as an obstacle unless lighter tubing could be used. The
possibility of removing the painted canvases and disassembling the
frames for every move on a tour could be investigated, although the
space saved probably would not justify the work and time involved.

The possibility of storing and re-using painted canvases
might prove valuable in repertory production. If the implications
of these experiments are valid, the painted scene canvas from many
productions using tubular steel framed flats could be removed from
the frames and rolled up for compact storage. The frames, or their
component parts, would be released for use in other productions.
Restoring a set for re-use would involve merely assembling frames
of the dimensions originally used and clipping the painted canvases

in place. The front edges of the steel canvas clips would need to

38

be retouched with matching paint to prevent their being visible
to the audience.

In the area of educational theatre the tubular steel system
might make possible greater concentration on aesthetic considerations
by releasing students and staff from much of the routine and time
consuming effort of construction under the wood-handicraft system,
and permitting a larger proportion of the available time to be spent
on painting and decor. The possibility of efficiently storing and
re-using steel framed scenery is another factor which might appeal
to school and university theatres.

Use of tubular steel framed scenery in commercial combination
production would presumably depend on the scenic construction com-
pany contracted to build scenery for the show. This company might
arrange to lease the scenery to the producer or to re-purchase it
at the end of the run, similarly to lighting equipment. Possible
union opposition to use of steel framed scenery would have to be
considered.

The results of this study suggest that a system of tubular
steel framed stage scenery using prefabricated, standardized parts
could be established in certain situations to supplement the wood-
handicraft system. The feasibility of such a system appears to
depend on machine production of the parts, and hence on its
adoption by a manufacturer or distributor in a position to produce
or purchase the parts in economical quantities. Further research

into the problems suggested in this study seems to be warranted.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Albaugh, Ralph. Thesis writing: 5:6uide 32 Scholarly Style.
Ames, Iowa (Littlefield, Adams and Co.), 1953.

Aluminum Company of America. Alcoa Architectural Stocks. A.I.A.
File No. 15~J, Pittsburgh, 1954.

American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. Tube
.Producing Practice. Institute of Metals Division Symposium
Series, vol. 4., New York, 1951.

Sectional U'i'ite 93 _a_ Means 2i; findering More Effective the
Construction and Use 2!.Framed Scenes: for the Stagg,
Unpublished Master's thesis, Smith College, Northampton,

M888. , 1949e

 

 

Burris-Meyer, Harold and Edward 0. Cole. Scenes: for the Theatre.
Boston (Little, Brown and Co.), 1951.

Dolman, John. The Art 2£_Plaz Production. Rev. ed., New Yerk and
London, 1946.

Michigan Seamless Tube Company. Seamless Steel Tubes. South Lyon,
Michigan.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. Scotchply Reinforced Plastic.
St. Paul, Minnesota. '

Oberg, Eric and F. D. Jones. machinery's Handbook, 12th ed., New
York (Industrial Press), 1944.

Selden, Samuel and Hunton D. Sellman. Stage Scenery and Lighting.
New York (Fe Se Crofts), 1936e

Sidlauskas, Francis. Aluminum Framed Scenegy. Unpublished Master's
thesis, Yale University, New Haven, Conn., 1949.

Simonson, Lee. The Art gf_Scenic Desigg. New York (Harper Bros.),
1950. “

Van duffel Tube Corporation. Where Ideas Take Shape. Catalog L.
warren, Ohio.

Ralph L. vanderslice, Jr.

Outline of Studies

Major subject: Speech
Minor subject: English

Biographical Items
Born: January 2, 1930, South Bend, Indiana
Undergraduate Studies: ‘Michigan State College, 1948-51

Graduate Studies: University of Michigan, summer 1953
Michigan State College, 1954-55

Experience: Teacher of English, art, and journalism,
Whitehall (Michigan) Highschool, 1951-52
Teacher of speech, English, and art, Milford
(Michigan) Highschool, 1952-54
Graduate Assistant in technical theatre,
Michigan State College, 1954-55

Member: Theta Alpha Phi
Pi Kappa Delta \\
Kappa Delta Pi (\
Phi Kappa Phi \f

 

 

 

 

 

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