Stage Blocks

[Stanleymonkey]

I am looking into replacing a couple of old style school stage blocks.

Straightforward top and four sides. Corners reinforced with chunky timbers, bit of bracing. Glued and screwed.

These ones won't be moved much. Weight no a major issue.

MDF or Ply?

They need to look fairly smart as they are on permanent display in a hall. So I initially thought MDF, floors are buffed and not mopped daily so water shouldn't be an issue.

Any suggestions?

 

[jlawford]

Plywood is the only thing I've ever seen used for staging, speaking from my day job in pro audio.

 

[Steve Maskery]

My guess is that ply will wear a lot better than MDF.

 

[Rob Platt]

ply mdf can be dangerously slippy
all the best
rob

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Thanks guys.

Interesting to know that it's used in professional setups as well.

Might need to go an have look at some online - see what they do about the edges being on display. I guess the obligatory black matt paint helps hide a lot of that!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Use buffalo board, which is waterproof ply with a non- slip Melamine surface. it's a trade name, but any sheet supplier will know it. Some versions are slippery on one side.

I have a close friend who ran a scenic workshop for several years. They used nothing else for "lifts" (TV term), also for their collapsible raked event seating system (for the foot boards), and it is also often used for flightcases. It does knacker blades fairly fast though - use carbide tipped things to work it.

E.

PS: freshly cut edges are also razor sharp. take off any exposed arrises.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I've never heard of buffalo board - thanks for that

 

[jlawford]

Thanks guys.

Interesting to know that it's used in professional setups as well.

Might need to go an have look at some online - see what they do about the edges being on display. I guess the obligatory black matt paint helps hide a lot of that!

Correct. Matte black with a roller, the coarser finish the better to help with grip! Easy to touch up, 8ft by 4ft means you just use a whole sheet. I've seen plywood staging with a smooth lacquer finish and it was lethal for dancers, bad idea.

https://www.prolyte.com/en/products/sta ... k-standard

 

[Steve Maskery]

My mate Charlie has just painted his stair treads black and sifted a fine layer of block paving sand onto the first coat. Then a second coat without the sand. He is very pleased with the non-slip nature of it.

 

[Eric The Viking]

My mate Charlie has just painted his stair treads black and sifted a fine layer of block paving sand onto the first coat. Then a second coat without the sand. He is very pleased with the non-slip nature of it.

When I sailed dinghies as a youngster, that was a popular and inexpensive way of doing non-slip deck surfaces. There was a proper paint but it was stupidly pricey, and the sand approach let you have whatever colour you wanted, within reason.

 

[AndyT]

Buffalo board is brilliant stuff. Rhino board is an equivalent. It can be used outdoors so you'll see it on children's playground equipment as well as boats. Very strong and weatherproof. Almost certainly not cheap but you don't want something like stage blocks falling apart in use.