# 8' x 8' wall with door on wagon?



## danl (Sep 23, 2005)

8' x 8' wall with door on wagon?

i'm still very new to technical theater, but we would like to build a wall that can roll on and off stage, as well as be two sided (rotated on stage) with a passthrough screen door... one side would be interior of living room - other side would be front porch of house.

what is the best way to use casters on this wagon if it must rotate??? how large should the wagon be to support an 8' x 8' wall???

thank you for any help you can offer!!!

dan'l


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## CHScrew (Sep 26, 2006)

Put smart castors (swivle) on all four corners and dumb castors (don't swivle) in the middle.

As for the size of the wagon, it all depends on how large/heavy the wall is. If it's just a flat with a door jam. I'd say make it 8' X 4'.


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## tenor_singer (Sep 26, 2006)

I make my wagons out of a sheet of 3/4" ply screwed onto a 2x4 frame. I bought 4, 4" swivel casters and bolted them to each corner of the truck in such a way that they would be able to swivel without hitting the 2/4 frame AND be partialy hidden by the frame itself. The casters themselves are very heavy duty (I think that they have a 1000# rating per caster... not that I use anywhere near that load). I built three of them back in 1995 and we're still using them today. The only thing I had to do was add some reinforcement to the frame for heavier loads and some wagon brakes.

I had our agriculture class bend some 2" by 1/2" steel into 2' x 2' angle brackets with pre-drilled holes for screws. I use these to mount the 2-sided 8' flats to the truck 2 on each end front and back and two in the middle front and back.

For a functioning door, I have purchased pre-hung, pre-fab doors from a Carters or Lowes (they're usually $25) and substitute an actual stud wall (like you would build in a house) covered by luan rather than 2-sided flats. I learned this lesson after spending five years trying to rip perfectly square door frames without a table saw... (that and the luan to build the door is now up to $11.00 a sheet where I am, so the pre-fab... which comes with the door hardware... is cheaper). I also like to try to teach my construction crew a skill that they can use at home when they're older.

Now my wagons are fairly tall (I think a total of 6"). Any time I use them as acting space... like having cast enter and exit through a door mounted on them... I try to incorporate a step concept in to the scenic design... like the entrance to the Huxtables in the Cosby Show... they had a 6" or so step down from the main front door.

Hope this helps.


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## Van (Sep 26, 2006)

Hey try this. It's in Acad14 format.


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## Van (Sep 26, 2006)

View attachment 82

Ok didn't work let's see if this does.


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