# Cardboard boxes don't work for machines!



## frozenozzie (Apr 3, 2008)

In our children's Show/workshop produciton of _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_, we had the idea to make the machines in the candy-creating room our of cardboard boxes and an assortment of items from our props loft as a teamwork building activity among the cast. Well, the assembly wasn't the greatest, since it was a time challenge, so the box-machines didn't hold up well when slid on and off stage. Especially since they had to have moving parts... which essentially stopped moving by our official show date.

Needless to say, duct tape, boxes, scraps of fabric and random props don't hold up well despite who puts them all together...


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## gafftapegreenia (Apr 4, 2008)

You obviously did not use enough duct tape.


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## frozenozzie (Apr 4, 2008)

We were suffering from a severe shortage at the time. Only two rolls to go around.


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## gafftapegreenia (Apr 4, 2008)

A tragedy indeed! 

Too poor for gaff?


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## frozenozzie (Apr 4, 2008)

Yes, that and forgetful. And clumsy. About halfway through we misplaced one of our rolls.

But poor is the curse of high school theatre, I've discovered from a lack of half-decent wood and no tape!


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## gafftapegreenia (Apr 4, 2008)

I can only imagine what your lights are like.

At least you're creative with what you have.


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## frozenozzie (Apr 4, 2008)

That's where most of our money went at one point. That and sound. We got a new sound system a couple years ago, so that's the big thing along with the new lights board.

Set kind of gets thrown to the wind, though. But yeah, creativity is, um, supported.


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## Spikesgirl (Apr 4, 2008)

Ooo, frozenozzie - you must be at my old theater. It seems like 90% of our budget went for lights, then sound, then whatever was left went into the shop for new tools and the like. I pleaded, begged, threatened for new saw (ours were over 30 years old) and a vent system for the saw dust - no money, no money, no money. After I left, the TD(also our LD and SD) had to take over running the shop and guess what? Yup, brand new saws, a state-of-the-art vent system and lots of new bells and whistles. Guess I should have quit years before...

Actually, cardboard can be your friend, but only under certain circumstances. Gaff is better (but more expensive) than duct (more colors), but when we did "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," we had all the students bring in non perishable garbage, cans, bottles, etc, and we used it to decorate the machines. They were made of either hard flats or platforms or both. For anything that's going to get that sort of traffic, you need to use something other than cardboard - not that it was your choice in the first place. At least you gave it your best shot and that's all anyone can expect from you. Always try to do your best, even if the result isn't the best.

Char5lie

P.S. wait until they ask you to make a set out of breakfast cereal and chips - yes, I have...


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## avkid (Apr 4, 2008)

Spikesgirl said:


> wait until they ask you to make a set out of breakfast cereal and chips - yes, I have...


I must know more.


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## Logos (Apr 4, 2008)

4000 test tubes.


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## Spikesgirl (Apr 4, 2008)

avkid said:


> I must know more.



We were doing a production of "La Mancha" and the entire set was 'decorated' with a concotion of Frosted Flakes, Cheerios, corn chips and spackling compound. We smeared about 150 pounds of that crap on every surface. It ws pretty ugly, but after it was painted, it was rather effective.

We did have fun making skulls out of wig heads and carving masoleum fronts out of sheets of styrofoam. Definitely the highpoints of the show...

The TD/Set Designer brought in ten hay bales and broke them on stage, so that everything was covered in hay - want to guess what all that hay did to the singers' voices? And the instruments in the pit? We spent two more days clearing all the hay from the stage after the director had a massive blow up with the TD. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times...

Char5lie


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## bobgaggle (May 3, 2008)

Kind of off topic, but in regards to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory....

Can it be done well by a high school? My director is considering producing it next year and I'm a little skeptical. It seems like too rich and full a show to do it well on a high school budget. How did your's turn out?


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## Spikesgirl (May 5, 2008)

Aaron - we did this for our Children's Theater twice and it would really depend upon how much leeway your director will give you for set design and which script you end up using. You can fragment the set (all of Charlie's house was represented by the grandparent's bed and a clothes line, but you still have to deal with such iconic pieces as the glass elevator (we used our Genie lift). Before you panic though, I would check out the script, because I know there are high school version of this.


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## bdkdesigns (May 5, 2008)

Cardboard has become our friend this semester. It really is amazing what you can build out of it. We used it for some facing, frames, and two set pieces in Gypsy this year (train and hay stacks). With the proper support, it can take a lot of abuse.

It's not a quick process since you have to wait for the glue to set, however it is dirt cheap and extremely light yet heavy duty. For instance the hay stack received a plaster and twine treatment. It became so heavy from the plaster that we had to put handles on the back of it and it held up just fine and was easily handled by the actors.


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## derekleffew (May 5, 2008)

The next step up from cardboard is FoamCore, used extensively in the display industry. Significantly more expensive, but generally results in a better product. Try also Honeycomb Board.


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## Van (May 5, 2008)

I would just like to point out that the "Card Board" most of you are referring to is known, in the industry, as "Corrugated Paper Board" or "Corrugated Fiber Board". 
Derek, I cannot believe your campaign for typographical and grammatical perfection would allow you participate in such a travesty. 


Just as an aside or perhaps a postscript I have a book ,somewhere, from the '70's that is all about making furniture and furnishings from cardboard and recycled materials. If I can find it I'll post a link or scan some pages, for as hokey as it was, they did have some excellent construction techniques and I especially enjoyed the cool speaker array and hanging lamp that was manufactured from recycled styrofoam cups.


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## derekleffew (May 5, 2008)

Van said:


> Derek, I cannot believe your campaign for typographical and grammatical perfection would allow you participate in such a travesty.


Meh. Cardboard is cardboard, I only use it for shipping items. (Redneck Roadcase)


Van said:


> Just as an aside or perhaps a postscript I have a book, somewhere, from the '70's that is all about making furniture and furnishings from cardboard and recycled materials...


My carpenter friend has that book! So very kitchy!

See also this site.

Remember the TV commercial featuring a Rolls-Royce driving up a ramp of "Corrugated Paper Board"? I think it was sponsored by the Corrugated Cardboard Council or some similar organization.


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## Van (May 5, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> ............Remember the TV commercial featuring a Rolls-Royce driving up a ramp of "Corrugated Paper Board"? I think it was sponsored by the Corrugated Cardboard Council or some similar organization.


 
My Father Used to bring home all sorts of cool paper products when he worked for Kimberly Clark and Olin Mills. I remember once he brought home a thing about the size of a brick, it had a peice of "cardboard" for each face and when you pull it apart the iside of the brick was all honey combed paper. Well you could stretch this thing out to some like 5 or 6 feet place it on a hard surface then walk across it. It really was amazing seeing as how the honeycombed stuff was just regular old brown paper material.


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## gafftapegreenia (May 6, 2008)

Another awesome and versatile product is coroplast. It's corrugated plastic.


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## derekleffew (May 6, 2008)

gafftapegreenia said:


> Another awesome and versatile product is coroplast. It's corrugated plastic.


That's just plastic cardboard. Being PVC, I suspect it's difficult to paint. What scenic uses have you found for it?


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## gafftapegreenia (May 6, 2008)

The transparent versions I have used as a window material. Since its corrugated, it is translucent, giving it diffusion properties that can make for interest internally lighted set pieces. 

Semi-related, I have used it as a base for pusing mini-lights through to make shapes and outlines. A trick I learned from my friends in the Christmas and holiday decorating fields. 

Sure, it might be a trick to paint, but some kyrylon fusion can help with that. Or, they do make it in colors. I know I've seen other uses that are escaping me.


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## derekleffew (May 6, 2008)

And I suppose it's good for mail tubs at the USPS also?


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## jwl868 (May 6, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> That's just plastic cardboard. Being PVC, I suspect it's difficult to paint. What scenic uses have you found for it?




Coroplast (per their MSDS and other technical literature) is polypropylene, not PVC (polyvinyl chloride). 

(I don't know if that affects how well it can be painted, though.)

Joe


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## derekleffew (May 6, 2008)

Sorry, I didn't peruse the website thoroughly enough. You are correct. Corocel® is "Expanded PVC Sheets". However, none of the "polys" take paint well, without proper prep and primer. Or so I've been told. With the price of crude oil, it may be better for Van to cut down his old-growth forests to make paper.


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## Van (May 6, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> ..... With the price of crude oil, it may be better for Van to cut down his old-growth forests to make paper.


 
Hey don't you know? "Oregon will never grow out of trees." 
At least that's what weyerhaeuser tells us.


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## Tex (May 22, 2010)

> Gaff is better (but more expensive) than duct (more colors)


I don't know...
This may be blasphemous, but for putting cardb..., er corrugated paper board together, I would prefer duct tape. Here's my rule: If it needs to stay together forever I use duct tape; if it ever has to release without a sticky mess I use gaff tape.
If it needs to stay together forever and be painted, I'll use duct for adhesion and cover with gaff to take the paint.


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