# Curving raked platforms.



## SweetBennyFenton (Aug 17, 2007)

Hello all. I'm currently working on a show that will require a curving raked platform and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them before.

It's a bit of an "C" curve at about a 15 Deg. rake. The whole thing is about 24 feet long. I can't just build the thing flat and then tilt it because it needs to be level from one side to the other as you walk along it.. 

So, long, curving, raked walkway build on a college theatre budget. Anyone?


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## Charc (Aug 17, 2007)

I wasn't quite clear what you meant, so I made this quickly. Is this what you are talking about?

Edit: I'm a terrible carp, so I'd wait for Van's advice. However, why couldn't you great it flat first then tilt it? I don't follow the but about "must be level from one side to the other. You mean SL to SR? If you make it, then add the angled sections last, cut to fit, then the vertical supports?


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## Footer (Aug 17, 2007)

Ya... more info would be good. If you have a router, this really will not be that hard. Just did a show with a rake that the high point was DS that was very oddles shaped, I have a few ideas that work..


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## Traitor800 (Aug 17, 2007)

The easiest way to do that would probably be to make a gated rake, where basically you lay out stud walls for your rake and then drop plywood that is cut to shape ontop of. by doing that you can create almost any shape rake that you want.


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## Footer (Aug 17, 2007)

Traitor800 said:


> The easiest way to do that would probably be to make a gated rake, where basically you lay out stud walls for your rake and then drop plywood that is cut to shape ontop of. by doing that you can create almost any shape rake that you want.



If... your deck is strong enough. Doing stud wall legs works extremely well with triscuits or doubled up 3/4 ply in alternate directions. With single sheet your going to get a deck that will deflect a pretty good amount, unless you put in supports just like a standard 4x8.


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## gafftaper (Aug 17, 2007)

I"m not sure why you can't build it flat and tip it up. As long as your bracing is correctly placed it'll be level from side to side.


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## Van (Aug 17, 2007)

SweetBennyFenton said:


> Hello all. I'm currently working on a show that will require a curving raked platform and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them before.
> 
> It's a bit of an "C" curve at about a 15 Deg. rake. The whole thing is about 24 feet long. I can't just build the thing flat and then tilt it because it needs to be level from one side to the other as you walk along it..
> 
> So, long, curving, raked walkway build on a college theatre budget. Anyone?


 
"You keep using that word,I don't think that word means what you think it means."

You lost me, It's on a rake but it's level? Does the open part of the "C" point downstage?


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## SweetBennyFenton (Aug 20, 2007)

The open part of the "C" is downstage and faces a bit tward center.

It's hard to describe, I'll post a picture when I get it in CAD.

If I built it flat, then tipped it up, the ends of the "C" would not be raked in the direction of the curve, but just tward center stage.

Basicly, the platform needs to twist as it curves so that the rake will only take you down the ramp, not off one of the sides.

Again, I'll try to get a picture up when I can.


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## What Rigger? (Aug 20, 2007)

This almost looks/sounds to me like you need Thrasher magazine's skate ramp how-to book. Lotta weird sh*t in there.

thrashermagazine.com


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## jonhirsh (Aug 20, 2007)

Sounds like a compound rake. Tricky stuff.

jh


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## Van (Aug 20, 2007)

Aha! I think you want to build itt like an over pass, except without the bank to compensate for centipital force. Layout in Acad,V-works, the total length of the platform, as if it were in a straight line. Take measures every 18 inches and build ponywalls / kneewalls to those heights. Lay out the curve, in chalk on you deck. Posistion your poniesmaintaining the 18" O.C.. The fun part is going to be placing the Plywood cover. I would suggest starting with a 1/4" piece of plywood, not luan just good old fir. I'd then lay a 1/2" on top of that then either a 3/4" if you need it or another 1/2". The Plys is going to want to twist, which is why you need a thin layer at the bottom. The most difficult thing I see is the total amount of ply used. it may be considerable, depending on the sweep and width of the "c" . You could just build the whole thing up using 1/4" but that is going to take a lot of glue and staples. 

What show are they starting with over there?


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## SweetBennyFenton (Aug 20, 2007)

Yeah Van. You've got it.
Here's the pictures I promised. First a front view then one of it in the space in 3D view. The posts you see are the scaffolding uprights that will hold this thing in the air.



It may just take layer after layer of 1/2" ply if it can take the twisting.


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## gafftaper (Aug 20, 2007)

OHHHH... That's what you want. Yeah it doesn't seem that hard to me as long as you do it in layers. I think 3/4" might be a little too thick, think I'd stay with 1/2" and I like the idea of starting with a layer of 1/4" first.


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## SweetBennyFenton (Aug 21, 2007)

Yeah... I just came up with a plan for layout. Now I have to figure out how to build it in pieces. Won't be able to install that bad boy in one piece.


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## gafftaper (Aug 21, 2007)

I think I would take a sheet of 1/2" and clamp it to a table on one end. Then go around to the other end and give it a bit of a lift and a twist. Try to see how much of it you can put some bend into without a lot of strain... and make that the maximum size of your piece.


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## Van (Aug 21, 2007)

You could do layers and layers of "wiggle board". Oh wait, you're on a budget. ...... four layers of 1/4" with glue inbetween is just as strong as a layer of 3/4" With the torsional load of the twist on it it might even be a bit stronger/rigid.


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