SCENERY PAINTING FOR THE AMATEUR MUSICAL THEATRE and PANTOMIME
Questions and Answers, - How to hold up a flat?
I am making a "bookcase" for a show. Could you recommend a support structure if there aren’t any braces and weights. Julie
I suggest a French Brace. This is a self contained support which is hinged to the scenery and is opened up when in use on the stage. I have recently been making some flats with French Braces attached so took the opportunity to photograph one for this answer.

Temporary strut

A TEMPORARY SUPPORT

Before I make a brace, I temporarily hold the flat at the angle I require (exaggerated in the sketch) by screwing a length of wood which is jammed into the workshop corner where the floor meets the wall and screwing it to the side of the flat.

For the actual brace, I practice with lengths of wood temporarily held together with "G" clamps. This enables me to organise the angles and lengths of timber needed. You'll be surprised how far up the flat the brace needs to extend to make the item stable.

View of Brace

 

THE COMPLETE BRACE

Here is my completed brace attached to a small flat. Note I have tipped the flat back slightly so it doesn't fall over on stage. (Especially important if the stage is raked)

To further support this structure on stage, consider draping a sandbag over the bottom bar.

Top joint

TOP JOINT

Note, as with the bottom joint, I have left an overlap which helps to lock and hold the brace into place.

It is not always possible to leave this overlap.

BOTTOM JOINT

Here is a close-up of the bottom joint. I have bent the brace inwards slightly so you can see the gap.


Note no posh joints, just plain old two lengths of wood butted together with two screws.

 

You can supplement this joint, and the other two, by inserting a triangle of thin plywood to help strengthen it.

Rear joint

REAR JOINT

And here is the rear joint

I have two wood screws in each of all three joints so the brace is rigid.

Back of brace

REAR VIEW

Rear view shows the hinges.

With the brace permanently hinged to the flat it means when you move the flat the brace goes with it.

I sometimes attach a simple cupboard catch on the back of the flat so that when the brace is folded shut it clicks into the catch and then wont flap about when the flat is being carried.

 

So that's a basic French Brace. There are many variations of this system which often depends on what sort of flat you are supporting.
<< Return to Question and Answer list
<< Return to list of Stage Sets