# Moving Stairs



## gabei (Jan 14, 2009)

A new challenge for the theatre geniuses. 

I am building a staircase for a new version of "Les Miserbale" we are doing. (It is NOT the over done musical) The staircase is 13' high and 18' long and on wheels and it moves alot during the show. One side (the one show in the image) is Val Jean's apartment, the otherside is the Inn, so it has to be able to be moved. Does anyone know of any robotic wheel systems that could handle a set piece this big? Here is a image of it:


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## Footer (Jan 14, 2009)

In the theatre world, we usually want to pull or push something accross the stage, not drive it. People do drive things all the time, but its not suggested because you lose precision. No, there is no off the shelf scenery car out there. I would be extremely concerned with running such a system. The reason why we put scenery in tracks is because we know what it will do, it has hard limits. Now, this could be done, but I have a feeling that it would easily cost over 10k, odds are more like 50-100k

What do you want the piece to do when it moves? What type of buget do you have?


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## icewolf08 (Jan 14, 2009)

I assume that by "robotic" you mean some kind of automation system. As Footer said, most automated systems perform the best when the scenery is tracked. Now, it is possible to put in curved track and make the piece able to rotate, but you are still limited in range of motion (which isn't a bad thing). However, any form of automation is going to cost you, from hardware to control you are looking at great expense unless you already own automation gear. You also have to consider that automating the scenery will usually require that you can access the underside of your stage to run track, control, and power cables. Either that or you might have to build the entire deck up if you can't get underneath the stage.

Probably the easiest solution is to put the piece on casters and just have cast or crew push it to each position. There is nothing wrong with this type of solution, and it is used very often in the professional world. This will be the most cost effective and simple solution.


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## jessamarie6 (Jan 14, 2009)

I too am going to suggest putting the unit on castors and just having run crew push it. With carefully placed spike marks and some good places to grip, the crew members could probably do it all from whichever side is upstage and remain all but invisible.
If you want something that looks a little more high tech you may look into building some sort of pneumatic brake system into the unit (I'm sure there are tons of posts on how elsewhere on this site so I won't go into details here).


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## icewolf08 (Jan 14, 2009)

Small hijack...

CASTOR - _noun_
a reddish-brown oily substance secreted by beavers, used in medicine and perfumes.

CASTER - _noun_
each of a set of small wheels, free to swivel in any direction, fixed to the legs or base of a heavy piece of furniture so that it can be moved easily.

Right, back to your regular scheduled program.


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## cdub260 (Jan 14, 2009)

> castor oil
> n.
> A colorless or pale yellowish oil extracted from the seeds of the castor-oil plant, used pharmaceutically as a laxative and skin softener and industrially as a lubricant.



Also known as a weed that grows in the canyon behind the Pageant's work shop building.


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## Van (Jan 16, 2009)

icewolf08 said:


> Small hijack...
> 
> CASTOR - _noun_
> a reddish-brown oily substance secreted by beavers, used in medicine and perfumes.
> ...


 

cdub260 said:


> Also known as a weed that grows in the canyon behind the Pageant's work shop building.


 
Sorry, gotta add;
Did you know that Castor Oil and one of most deadly toxins known to man, Ricin, both come from the Castor bean ?

Whereas Caster Oil usually comes from a can, marked WD-40.


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## gafftaper (Jan 19, 2009)

Van said:


> Sorry, gotta add;
> Did you know that Castor Oil and one of most deadly toxins known to man, Ricin, both come from the Castor bean ?



Van you amaze me! First it was the tetanus coming from bird poop, now this. I thought I new a lot of useless information but you are the KING! I bow to you oh wise one.


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