# setting down spikes



## NHStech (Mar 22, 2010)

As you know, there are limited number of colors for spiking sets. Some of the colors look a lot like others (florescent orange and pink, for example) under low-light blue light conditions. 
Generally, I spike according to scene number. If there is a piece that only goes to one spike, then that doesn't pose much of a problem, as we just make a note of that piece. But, what do you do when there are several scenes and many spikes, and you only have so many colors to work with?


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## seanandkate (Mar 22, 2010)

Use the problematic colours for top of show and intermission--when you have better light to work with. I've even used dark blue spike tape for that, because I don't particularly care if it disappears under any other lighting condition. You can also rip the spike lengthwise to create skinny and fat spikes in the same colour tape. You can also take a Sharpie marker and draw a line, cross-hatch pattern, what-have-you, on the tape to make the same colour mark a different set.


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## FHSTechDir (Mar 22, 2010)

Ive used two colors to make a striped/dotted pattern. IE the orange spikes with white dots. Worked pretty good for us


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## NHStech (Mar 22, 2010)

Great thoughts. Thanks!


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## rochem (Mar 22, 2010)

I SMed a show last year where I needed a total of 24 (yes, twenty four) different colors of spike tape. I basically did what FHSTechDir suggested. Lay down a normal-sized length of color A, then put a slightly smaller strip of Color B on top of that, and then finally put an even smaller strip of Color C on top of that. The biggest problem with having so many different colors of spike on the deck is remembering which one goes to what. I always tried to color code as much as possible, such as making sure that tri-colored spikes containing Blue were for Act I, and spikes containing Red were for Act II or something like that. I've also used paint pens to physically draw on spike tape - I've drawn diagonal white lines on a piece of red spike tape to make it stand out when necessary. Sharpie might work here too, but I've only ever tried it with paint pen.


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## kiwitechgirl (Mar 23, 2010)

I'll often use bi-coloured corner spikes - one side in one colour, one in another. The other thing I try and do as much as possible is use one spike mark for more than one thing - if you've got two spikes only 50mm apart, talk to the director and designer about moving each of the pieces 25mm and then you only need one spike. Also, if you have a patterned or painted floor then you can use the floor as a roadmap - put a piece of set on two intersecting lines rather than putting a spike down. Obviously that's no good on a one-colour floor though!


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## BDS0111 (Mar 23, 2010)

And if you can...try to always put some clear packing tape down over the spike tape to protect it from feet and scenery being dragged over it...it will also keep the tape from peeling up and give you an overall cleaner and neater appearance!


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## BrockTucker (Mar 23, 2010)

We seem to have a knack for ripping up spike tape at my theater. I might try that clear packing tape idea, but what I've gone to is spray paint. I made a stencil about the size of a spike corner and I spray spikes where they need to be. Can't be ripped up and I have as many colors of "spike" as there are colors of spray paint. Only downside is it's not as quick to throw a spike down during a rehearsal, I usually have to spike with tape and then go back with the spray paint later.

I would think the packing tape would shine on the deck, does it?


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## BDS0111 (Mar 23, 2010)

I'm an LD and I have never had a problem with the tape shining. In my opinion, it blends pretty seemlessly into the the floor and does its job real nice. What I do have a problem with is spikes everywhere!!!! I like to tell people that if you can't fit a 2" x 2" or 2" x 3" piece of packing tape over a spike mark the spike is probably too big. Some people put down WAY more tape then they need to. Try the pakcing tape over the spike tape, you'll love it...I promise. Sometimes it might be a slight pain to remove it after the run, but it will be worth it.


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## derekleffew (Mar 23, 2010)

BrockTucker said:


> ...but what I've gone to is spray paint ...


Might I suggest paint pen as a faster and less-messy alternative to spray paint and stencil? Sharpie® | Sharpie Water-Based Paint Marker Medium


BrockTucker said:


> ...I would think the packing tape would shine on the deck, does it?


Yes, it does, which is why it's usually only used over glow tape. Why oh why does glow tape have the weakest adhesive of any tape?


BDS0111 said:


> I'm an LD and I have never had a problem with the tape shining. ...


Angle of Incidence=Angle of Reflection.


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## BDS0111 (Mar 23, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> Why oh why does glow tape have the weakest adhesive of any tape?


 
How about Glo Gaff... Have you tried that?


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## BrockTucker (Mar 23, 2010)

BDS0111 said:


> How about Glo Gaff... Have you tried that?



Nice stuff, one of my new favorite things for backstage safety.


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## BDS0111 (Mar 23, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> Yes, it does, which is why it's usually only used over glow tape.
> 
> Angle of Incidence=Angle of Reflection.


 
I have never had a problem or complaint ever with reflection or shinning using the packing tape method. Not once, not ever...


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## Dionysus (Mar 24, 2010)

I don't mind using the same colour for multiple scenes as long as it's clear. For instance if only one piece is moving in a change, and it's position and layout is distinctive I find it not necessarily necessary to use a distinctive colour.

In instances where tape lifting is a concern or long runs, or shows with a floor with distinctive (ie not flat black) treatments I often whip out a paint brush and paint (first laying out in tape for rehearsal) the marks on. Any colour or pattern or whatever under the sun.


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## gafftapegreenia (Mar 24, 2010)

I've always used a staple gun to secure glow tape.


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## ajb (Mar 24, 2010)

BDS0111 said:


> And if you can...try to always put some clear packing tape down over the spike tape to protect it from feet and scenery being dragged over it...it will also keep the tape from peeling up and give you an overall cleaner and neater appearance!


You have to be absolutely sure that you get all of it up before you repaint the floor, though. I think I've finally got the last of it up from when an SM did that five shows ago. We kept having to touch up the floor a week into the show as paint would finally flake off of another bit of packing tape that was missed, and the orange floor of that show would peek through. I'd strongly suggest doing painted spikes instead where durability is a concern.


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## rochem (Mar 24, 2010)

ajb said:


> I'd strongly suggest doing painted spikes instead where durability is a concern.



At my high school, we always paint the stage a fresh coat of flat black (or a floor treatment if we happen to be using one) a few days before every show opens. For us, we lay down tape spikes before we paint as we determine what we need, because these are easy to move around. Then when we paint the floor black, we paint right over all the spikes and make everything black. We then go in and just write in colored paint pen where that spike had been. It allows for flexibility to change spikes during the rehearsal process, while also giving a durable mark that won't come up. It's a great system if you're repainting the deck for every show.


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## cdub260 (Mar 25, 2010)

BrockTucker said:


> We seem to have a knack for ripping up spike tape at my theater. I might try that clear packing tape idea, but what I've gone to is spray paint. I made a stencil about the size of a spike corner and I spray spikes where they need to be. Can't be ripped up and I have as many colors of "spike" as there are colors of spray paint. Only downside is it's not as quick to throw a spike down during a rehearsal, I usually have to spike with tape and then go back with the spray paint later.



Before you start painting you spike marks, get permission from the house. In my venue, I'd give serious thought to throwing you out of the building for even suggesting that you'd paint your spikes on my floor. At the very least, you'd be billed for damage to the building.


gafftapegreenia said:


> I've always used a staple gun to secure glow tape.



On our main stage, this is not an option due to the flooring material we used.


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## NHStech (Mar 25, 2010)

I assume you have to sand your floor down every so often? That seems like a lot of coats of paint on the floor. 
And you paint over the tape spikes??


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## BrockTucker (Mar 25, 2010)

cdub260 said:


> Before you start painting you spike marks, get permission from the house. In my venue, I'd give serious thought to throwing you out of the building for even suggesting that you'd paint your spikes on my floor. At the very least, you'd be billed for damage to the building.



I am the house in my venue, so not an issue there. But I agree if someone else came in on a rental and started painting my stage there'd be an issue.


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## ajb (Mar 25, 2010)

NHStech said:


> I assume you have to sand your floor down every so often? That seems like a lot of coats of paint on the floor.
> And you paint over the tape spikes??


The configuration of our space makes the floor treatment a prominent feature of any set, so artistically it would be a big sacrifice to not paint it to suit every show. We do about six shows a ear, so you can do the math there. I only spot sand as needed. When the floor gets in too rough shape, we'll just replace the masonite (probably at the 6 year mark for the current floor due to some subfloor issues, hopefully longer in the future). 

We don't paint over tape spikes (well, we try not to. . . sometimes they get missed at strike) because the floor gets painted before tech and cast isn't on stage until then.


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## icewolf08 (Mar 25, 2010)

Unless you have a ridiculously huge show, it is usually pretty easy to keep your spike marks within the tape colors. Also there are quite a few colors of spike tape, I know that we have 10+ colors. We usually spike everything in a given scene or setup the same color. There is no way that a chair would fit on a table's spikes or that someone would confuse the spikes for the giant piece of scenery upstage with the sofa downstage. This is also why you have rehearsals, so that the people moving the scenery and props know where it is actually going.

Sometimes we do make some kind of notation on the spikes themselves (in sharpie), but it has to be very simple and easy to read without bending over and squinting at it. This might be a scene number or something to that effect.

You also have to consider that you can't really use bright green spike tape on dark colored stage. You don't want your stage to look like an airport. In general you really should be picking colors that mostly blend in with the floor treatment but show up enough to place the scenery. Sure, nothing blends if your stage is black, but that is another story. I really hate going to shows where I could figure out where the scenery is supposed to go from half-way back in the house due to the obscene colors of spike marks.

Many times at our theatre the spike marks go down on stage before the painters finish the floor treatment. If they are about to paint something really dark they will cover the spikes before painting, but many times the final glaze step and sealer will just go on right over the spikes. This dulls them down and makes them blend more, which the scenic designers usually appreciate.

Consider also that you need only spike the upstage side of anything that needs spikes! This will limit the number of spikes you place and it will usually mask the ones that are in use. You don't need to mark all four legs of a chair or all four corners of a platform. It only takes three points to get any of those things aligned and one of those points never moves, it is the stage! So, don't use more spikes than you need. If you have a piece of scenery that moves in a track, you only need one spike where the operator can see it!

Think about how and where you spike, be logical about it. And don't use packing tape to reinforce them, that is just as bad if not worse than the spikes themselves. There is a great vinyl tape that works much better. If you have a planked deck or if your spikes span gaps, slit them with a knife in the gap and they won't peel up as easily! Remember, don't use obscene colors that stand out for them deck unless you have not other choice.


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## cdub260 (Mar 25, 2010)

icewolf08 said:


> You don't want your stage to look like an airport.



Why not!?


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## Tex (Apr 3, 2010)

It's contest time in Texas and every competition venue looks like an airport!
Friday, I'll have 6 schools come in for rehearsal and they will all use massive amounts of spike tape. I'll try to get some pictures; it's pretty ridiculous...


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## derekleffew (Apr 4, 2010)

An interesting addition to the competition: Each group is provided ONLY with two feet (24 inches) of 1/2" spike tape!


Pro-Gaff Cloth Spike Tape, 1/2" (aka Gaffer Tape)


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## Tex (Apr 5, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> An interesting addition to the competition: Each group is provided ONLY with two feet (24 inches) of 1/2" spike tape!


LOL!
Then I'd have a different clean up problem. Directors would be soiling themselves on my stage...


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## Dionysus (Apr 5, 2010)

For the SEARS Ontario Drama Festival there is also a limited amount of spike tape allowed. There are generally three shows each night (sometimes 4) and the rules allow you so much of ONE COLOUR of spike tape. There is also a 10-min setup (before the show, this does not count your 'tech time' during your technical rehearsal) and 5-min teardown, and 50-min time allowance between Cue 1 and the last cue.

Practice your changes, and only one colour of tape is required as long as you don't have a HUGE show.

Still looks like an airport if there are 4-or-5 shows with lots of set the same night.


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## zuixro (Apr 5, 2010)

We hosted the SCTA (I think those were the initials) Festival last semester. They had to bring their own spike tape, and if I remember correctly, they had to peel it up after their tech time, then put it back down before their actual performance. It was kinda weird. It was really only useful if you had a change during the show.


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## Parker (Apr 8, 2010)

BDS0111 said:


> And if you can...try to always put some clear packing tape down over the spike tape to protect it from feet and scenery being dragged over it...it will also keep the tape from peeling up and give you an overall cleaner and neater appearance!



**shaking fist** boo! I am not a fan of using packing tape on my stage!
the only tape allowed is gaff and glow tape (even some glow tape leaves a sticky residue or pulls off the paint).


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## Parker (Apr 8, 2010)

ajb said:


> The configuration of our space makes the floor treatment a prominent feature of any set, so artistically it would be a big sacrifice to not paint it to suit every show. We do about six shows a ear, so you can do the math there. I only spot sand as needed. When the floor gets in too rough shape, we'll just replace the masonite (probably at the 6 year mark for the current floor due to some subfloor issues, hopefully longer in the future).
> 
> We don't paint over tape spikes (well, we try not to. . . sometimes they get missed at strike) because the floor gets painted before tech and cast isn't on stage until then.



WOW... what are the dimensions for your space? That could get annoying to re-paint so frequently... not to mention the added expenses involved


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## ajb (Apr 8, 2010)

Parker said:


> WOW... what are the dimensions for your space? That could get annoying to re-paint so frequently... not to mention the added expenses involved



Well, we've got steep seating-- ~14" rise per row--so the floor becomes visually very prominent, and a plain black floor does not suit much of our programming. So as I said, it would be a huge design sacrifice to *not* paint for every show. That said, we usually have some amount of platforming that obscures part of the floor, so we rarely paint the *entire* floor, though at times it comes very close. We also run shows in quick succession, so it really is only one coat per show--we don't have to go back to black between shows, like some places do. 

The fun part to all of this is that after striking the last show, I can see 5 different floor treatments, the oldest of which is from a show almost 2yrs ago (only a few square inches left). It's fun to reminisce.


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## Dreadpoet (Apr 9, 2010)

Tex said:


> It's contest time in Texas and every competition venue looks like an airport!
> Friday, I'll have 6 schools come in for rehearsal and they will all use massive amounts of spike tape. I'll try to get some pictures; it's pretty ridiculous...



Thats why my students force the texanites into a competition where the first schools champion to pick up there tape wins a "stupid tech trophy" which usually something from in the shop like a board with a screw in it.


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## DuckJordan (Apr 10, 2010)

in our venue, we use almost no spike tape, we are just that good at drawing diagrams. also we paint our main stage before and after every show, unless we use black for the floor. Since we have band, and choir coming in to do performances they probably don't want a "dirt" road underneath their chairs or risers. our stage is something like 50' by 60' and is the basket ball court floor, with Masonite covering in the 20 years its been there it has not been replaced so our 1/4" Masonite is now something like 3/8". (some of our flats are a lot like it)


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## Tex (May 3, 2010)

Dreadpoet said:


> Thats why my students force the texanites into a competition where the first schools champion to pick up there tape wins a "stupid tech trophy" which usually something from in the shop like a board with a screw in it.


We've had venues try to force this "competition" on us. We're dressed for awards and politely decline. 
I clean up my venue after we host; you clean up yours.


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## Scarrgo (Jun 4, 2010)

NO Packing tape, after a small run or a dance show its a major pain to get up, I recommend using Clear Dance floor tape, it covers well, holds down the spike, and pulls up well at strike...had one dance company cut shapes out of color paper for spikes for little kids, clear floor tape works really well...

Sean...


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