# no fly zone- but drop has to fly



## techie_stg (May 2, 2005)

hello all more enlightened than I- ever tried the textbook "roll-it-from-the-bottom-up-with-rope-wrapped-around-a-pipe" to get a drop up when there is no fly space/equipment? Don't have the money for the motors, etc. to roll the drops down, can't drop into a trough, and curtains leave too much bulk in the limited wing space. i'm thinking of either the "roman shade" approach (several trips to get the drop folded skyward) or the "roll-your-own" method- hopefully everyone will understand the latter. Any Help? Does the textbook drawing of a theory actually work in the dark with set pieces and people around?
thanks in advance for any wisdom and /or advice.


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## ship (May 2, 2005)

Backstage Handbook has a drawing of a roll drop if I remember correctly. Never seen one in use or beyond transporting it from place to place while in storage, never otherwise used one. Concept is fairly simple once you have a drawing and a long pipe. Most all stagecraft books should have similar drawings. Think PVC pipe laminated together with rope coiled around it in just such a way. My advice would be to also use some form of guide wire. Perhaps swivel pulleyes mounted to the end of the say 6" dia PVC pipe.

You could also in a less organized way similar to a horizontal blind simply build a U-Shaped ground row under the drape and raise that to the ceiling wile dead hanging the drape and forgetting about it otherwise. Given than the drape piles up within the trough, you just have to worry about hoisting that box to the grid directly as opposed to making it roll.

This ground row box than would allow for shorter spans between lift lines in that they can be run at the center of the drape only behind it and to the box itself as opposed to only from the ends of the roll drop. Lots less sag to worry about than given normal distances between lift lines. This given the drape will not be as neatly rolled or folded and will than be bunching up around the center lift lines to some extent. Should work in concept however if you can allow for a ground row at the bottom of the drape.


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## techie_stg (May 3, 2005)

hadn't thought about lifting the whole trough. lots of bunching- but depending on the material not a problem. Scrim would be fine like that....and probably better than on the roller. good idea!


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## ship (May 3, 2005)

Scrim could be fine like that as long as there is nothing to snag on - as better stated. This especially around the center support cables, than again you might not need them due to the lack of weight.

On a scrim, you might need to weight the trough at it's ends and perhaps center some, if not it might be wise to attach it's side to the lift line by way of rings or better yet small pulleyes that ride the lift line so it's stretched as if on a guide wire system. Otherwise it's very possible to have the sides bowing in and while drawing itself up, the fabric flop over the edge. At least to a further extent than it can already.

I would probably also counter weight (sand bag) the trough to rough balance and use the weight of the drape itself as the variable. A little more safe.

On other fabric, as cheap and light weight in thread count as possible would be a good thing in this case. Not something you want to use Duck on.

Still this is just a concept. Don't think I have ever seen anyone using it before so some trial and error might be necessary.


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