Open Forum

Where should wagon brakes be placed?  How many per platform? Any tricks I should know?

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Linda Brown
Theatrical Director/Instructor
Mount St. Mary Catholic High School
Oklahoma City OK
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Linda,

How many depends on how large the platform is and what the load is and will be.  When it is braked are students performing or not?  Generally, I put anywhere from two to 3 brakes on a piece; usually on the sides and the back.   (two in the back; and one or two on the front side) Make sure you know what the load limit is per brake.  When you buy them it usually tells you or you can look up your model number. It's ok for them to be visible; willing suspense of disbelieving comes into play.  

With wagon brakes there is always going to be some wiggle and dancing on it is not recommended.   Ultimately, the amount needed depends on the situation.  Test and then adjust if you need more or less. You don't want them to become tripping hazards to so just be mindful based on the design make sure they actors and tech crew get used to where they are .

Tricks:  Before you attach to the platform make sure you test the placement of the brake and adjust the spine prior to the attachment or you may find yourself positioning several times to get it right!

Cheers!

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Rachel Ferrari-Engel
Pittsburgh PA
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I'm not sure there are any hard and fast "rules".  A lot of it depends on the load to be placed on the platform that will become a wagon and the material the platform is made of.  For 1 x 6 platforms, I place wagon breaks every four feet, for 2 x 6 structural members, every 8 feet.  On the back of the wagon, It's a good idea to put a glue block behind the break as well to distribute the connector (bolt) load-- especially in a 1 x 6.  Essentially, the break becomes a leg when engaged, so that would be my best advice for span and load thoughts.

A lot of times, when we convert a 1 x 6 platform into a wagon, we'll take out that back stile and replace it with a 2 x 6-- that way we limit the on and off stagehand work.

This is a good question, though.

Will have to look at this and see-- the Backstage Handbook might have some information.

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Michael Johnson
Trinity NC
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Hi Linda

Michael is spot on.  There are no hard and fast "rules" for wagon brakes, and I imagine each person has a slightly different criteria they use when selecting the number, type, and location of brakes to use.  Rachel also has great advice in saying that the load you are trying to arrest is a huge consideration in how to brake the wagon.  As there are many sages on this forum with excellent advice on the use of wagon brakes, I am going to strike off down a different path.

In my history of having to brake wagons (both professionally and academically), they are usually wagons upon which artists will perform, thus making the load dynamic.  At NIU, we even have wagons for our ballets upon which dancers will perform on pointe.  Consequently, I have actually reversed the thought process on the braking of wagons.  Rather than making the assumption that a moving platform MUST have casters bolted underneath and I have to find a way to stop it, I design a platform to sit firmly on the stage FIRST and then I design a system that make it movable state its temporary state.  By doing this, the unit is no longer a "wagon" but rather a "portable platform".

There are actually a large number of clever ways to handle this.  Many text books show ways of designing tip jack systems that lift the platform up onto casters when it needs to move.  There are commercially manufactured pneumatic lift casters, but just be careful not to overload them.  In addition, I have design many "clever levers" over the years that use items on the platform to create leverage to lift the unit onto its wheels temporarily.  An option I often use  for lighter units is to make a sled using a tight weave carpet to lessen the friction between the floor and the unit so that it can easily be pushed or pulled along the floor, but someone standing on the unit will not move it.

I hope this gives you some food for thought :-)

All my best

Tracy
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Tracy Nunnally
Owner/President
DeKalb IL
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I would be interested in knowing how you created the "clever levers" or used the carpet to move the platforms. I am helping build a stage set for the play Annie and we are transitioning between the orphanage and mansion 5 times during the play. Our initial thought is to build the walls on wagons with the orphanage side having bunk beds attached.  When we turn them around to the mansion side, the bunks will double as a second level to the mansion. Our concern is that the director wants the actors to be able to dance on the bunks so we need them to not move when in place but to be able to move to change the set. This stage doesn't have but a small area on each side so there isn't really room to store walls offstage between scenes. Help!