theatrical design and production chapter 8: tools and materials © 2006 mcgraw-hill. all right...

Theatrical Design and Production

Chapter 8: Tools and Materials

© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.

Hand Tools: Measuring Tools

Tape Measure

Plastic or metal case, appropriate for general scenic measuring

Tri Square

Used as a guide for marking 90-degree angles

Combination SquareUsed for marking 45- and 90-degree

angles

Bevel ProtractorAdjustable and used for marking 0 to

90-degree angles




Hand Tools: Measuring Tools

Framing Square

Used for checking accuracy of 90-degree corner joints in flat construction

Bevel Set

Used for transferring angles from one piece of work to another

Carpenter’s Level

Used to determine true horizontal and vertical angles




Hand Tools: Marking Tools

Pencils

Either carpenter’s pencils or number two yellows

china markers used for marking metal

wax pencils for lighting color media

Scribe

“Scratch awl” Used for marking wood, metal, and plastic; can also be used to make starter holes

Chalk line

Used to mark straight lines




Hand Tools: Hammers

Claw Hammer

Designed for inserting and removing nails

Rip Hammer

Can be used for prying or ripping apart previously nailed wood

Ball Peen Hammer

Used for bending and shaping metal and seating rivets




Hand Tools: Hammers

Mechanic’s Hammer

Used for shaping metal

Tack Hammer

Used for inserting tacks, the face is magnetized to hold tacks in place

Mallet

Wooden, plastic, or metal head, they are used for driving chisels




Hand Tools: Cutting Tools

Saws

Crosscut Saw

Used to cut across the grain of wood

Rip Saw

Designed to cut parallel with the grain of the wood

Backsaw and Miter Box

Fine-toothed crosscut saw, used with the miter box for more accurate cuts





Saws

Keyhole Saw

Used for making curvilinear cuts in stock lumber

Coping Saw

Used for making fine, curvilinear cuts in thin plywood

Hacksaw

Adjustable frame saw for cutting metal





Utility Knife

Used to trim excess muslin from the edges of flats as well as to cut out stencils and other lightweight cutting projects

Scissors

Used to cut papers and fabrics

Tin Snips

Used to cut thin ferrous and nonferrous strap and sheet metals





Wood Chisel

Used for gouging, paring, or smoothing wood

Cold Chisel

Used for cutting through, or shearing, mild steel and nonferrous metals





Planes

Block Plane

Used to smooth the ends (across the grain) of boards

Smoothing Plane

Applied parallel to the grain of the wood





Planes

Spoke Shave

Pulled across the surface of the work and used to soften or round sharp edges

Surform Tools

Not really a plane or a file, they are pushed across the work, cross-grain or parallel





Files

Wood Rasp

Used for rough shaping of wood

Wood File

Used for smoothing wooden and plastic surfaces





Files

Rat-Tail File

Can be used with wood, plastic, and metal

Metal File

Has very fine teeth for use on metal




Hand Tools: Drilling Tools

Hand Drill

Used for making small-diameter holes in wood

Brace

Used for holes larger than ¼ inch in diameter

Push Drill

Designed for light usage, it can be useful for making starter holes





Bits

Twist-Drill Bits

Designed for use with either wood or metal

Wood Bits

Designed for use in wood or soft plastic, used with power hand drills or drill presses

Auger Bits

Used with the brace for cutting holes in wood





Bits

Push-Drill Bits

Very sharp points that seem to punch rather than drill holes in wood

Hole Saws

Used to center the saw in the work




Hand Tools: Clamping Tools

Carpenter’s Vice

Attached to the edge of a workbench, used for holding wood

Machinist’s Vice

Used to clamp and hold metal

Adjustable Wood Clamp

Used in furniture construction





Pipe ClampUsed to clamp furniture frames, table tops, and similar wide objects together while their glue joints dry

Belt Clamp

Used to clamp irregularly shaped pieces together

C Clamp

Used for holding work together while the parts are being assembled or while glue dries





Pliers

Slip-Joint Pliers

Used for clamping, gripping, bending, cutting light wire

Long-Nose Pliers

Useful for holding small objects in hard-to-reach places

Adjustable Arc-Joint Pliers

Used for holding metal pipe and tubing and other similar gripping jobs





Pliers

Locking Pliers

“Vise Grip” Used to grasp, lock, and hold almost any object

Diagonal Cutters

Used by electricians for cutting soft wire

Wire Strippers

Used for stripping insulation for electrical wires

Wire-Crimping Tool

Used to pressure-clamp solderless connectors to electrical wire





Wrenches

Open-End Wrench

Designed to fit nuts of specific standard or metric diameter

Box-End Wrench

Have a closed, toothed head that must be fit over the nut

Adjustable-End Wrench

“Crescent Wrench” It adapts to fit any small to medium sized nut





Wrenches

Monkey Wrench

Adjustable, used on large nuts and other work too large for the crescent wrench

Pipe Wrench

Used to hold or twist metal pipes

Socket Set and Ratchet Handle

Allows you to tighten and loosen nuts without removing the socket from the nut




Hand Tools: Screwdrivers

Standard Screwdriver

Available in a variety of sizes

Philips Screwdriver

Four-flanged tip allows for more rotational force

Nut Driver

Used for tightening small hex nuts on bolts




Hand Tools: Misc Hand Tools

Wrecking bars

Used to pry wood apart and remove nails

SandpaperUsed for smoothing wood, metal, and plastic

Nail puller

Used for extracting nails that have been driven flush to the wood surface




Hand Tools: Misc Hand Tools

Grommet Set

Used to seat grommets on drops, stage draperies, and the like

Oil Stone

Used to sharpen knives, chisels, and other cutting tools

Staple Gun

Used for attaching muslin to flat frames and fabric to furniture




Hand Tools: Metalworking Hand Tools

Anvil

Used for bending metal

Conduit Bender

Used to bend thin-wall conduit

Center Punch

Used to make small indentations in metal, starter holes




Hand Tools: Metalworking Hand Tools

Bolt Cutter

Used to cut through mild-steel bolts and round stock

Pipe Cutter

Used to make clean, right-angle cuts through steel pipe

Tap and Dies

Used to cut threads on pipe and rod stock




Power Tools: Stationary Power Saws

Table Saw

Used for ripping lumber

Radial-Arm Saw

Used for cross cutting and angle cutting, as well as for ripping lumber

Bandsaw

Used to make curvilinear cuts




Power Tools: Power Handsaws

Circular Saw

Used for straight-line cross cutting and angle cutting, as well as ripping

Saber Saw

Used to make curvilinear cuts

Cut Awl

Used for making curvilinear cuts and intricate cuts




Power Tools: Power Drilling Tools

Drill Press

Used to polish and sand as well as cut mortise and tenon joints for furniture construction

Electric Hand Drill

Used for light-duty drilling on lumber and light metals

Heavy-Duty Hand Drill

Used for heavier work, such as thick wood, thick mild steel, and concrete




Power Tools: Battery-Powered Tools: Pneumatic Tools

Pneumatic Stapler

Uses air pressure to drive the staples

Pneumatic Nailer

Used for rapid assembly of platforms and similar structures

Impact Wrench

Uses air pressure to tighten or loosen nuts




Power Tools: Metalworking: Welders

Oxyacetylene Welder

Combines oxygen and acetylene to produce a very hot flame that burns through metal

Arc Welder

Works by creating an electrical arc that

melts the metals being welded

Mig Welder

An arc welder that focuses a flow of inert gas on the welding zone




Power Tools: Metalworking: Soldering Equipment

Pencil, gun, iron

Used to bond wires together

Propane Torch

Used for soldering most heavy-duty scenic jobs and heating thin-gauge steel for bending and shaping

Power Hacksaw

Used to cut through various types of metal stock




Power Tools: Metalworking

Cutoff Saw

Used to make either straight or angle cuts through metal stock

Power Pipe Cutter

Used for cutting and threading metal pipes




Power Tools: Misc

Router

Hand-held, used for shaping wood

Wood Lathe

Bench-mounted, holds and spins wood rapidly for shaping and carving

Bench Sander

Mounted and used to bevel or smooth the surface edges of wood and some plastics




Power Tools: Misc

Electric Screwdriver

Magnetized tip, used with Philips screws for assembling flats and platforms

Bench Grinder

Used for grinding and sharpening metal

Hand Power Grinder

Used for pieces too heavy or awkward for the bench grinder




Power Tools: Misc

Hand Power Sander

Uses a rotating disk of sandpaper to sand wood, metal, and plastic

Belt Sander

Uses belts of sandpaper for rapid sanding of wood

Hot-Melt Glue Gun

Used for making rapid-hold glue bonds between just about every type of material




Wood: Stock Lumber

A Select: Free of all knots, blemishes, erratic graining and warps

B Select: Grain can be less uniform and the wood can contain more pitch

C Select: Can have a few tight knots, slightly less uniform, and still more pitch




Wood: Stock Lumber

D Select: Can have more tight knots, an occasional pitch pocket, and some warping

No. 1 Common: Can have knots that fall out; commonly warp and twist

No. 2 Common: Knots that fall out, bark on the edges, warped and twisted




Wood: Molding and Trim




Wood: Sheet Stock

Plywood

Made by laminating several layers of wood, much stronger than solid wood

Particle Board

Composed of wood chips and sawdust mixed with a glue binder

Heavier than plywood, but not as strong




Wood: Sheet Stock

Wafer Board

Similar to particle board but lighter, cheaper, and just as strong as plywood

Hardboard

Called Masonite, is manufactured from wood pulp and used as a facing surface

Upson Board

Paper pulp and binder, fairly flexible with little strength, used to cover fairly sharply curved surfaces




Wood

Sonotube

Paper tube used for forming concrete; in theatre, it can also be used to make columns

Manufactured Wood

Woodlike construction materials made from wood by-products




Metal: Mild Steel

Square and Rectangular Tubing

The most used and useful shapes of steel, used

for platform framing and flat framing

Tubing or Pipe

Primarily used for decorative items

Channel

Used in structures requiring significant strength, such as the framework for large platforms and wagons




Metal: Mild Steel

Angle

Used in those situations requiring less strength, such as lightweight frames, braces, and stiffeners

Strap

Used to strengthen or brace existing wooden structures




Metal: Proprietary Structural Systems

Unistrut

Consists of U-shaped channels of differing sizes

Telespar

A system of telescoping square steel tubing; can be adjusted without cutting

Slotted Angle

Manufactured with a variety of holes and slots punched into both faces of the stock

Aluminum

Not used as extensively as mild steel, more expensive and more difficult to weld; mainly used for decorative purposes




Plastics

Acrylic

Used as a glass substitute and for making decorative baubles and stained glass

Epoxy

Most commonly used types are those for adhesives and casting resins, can be worked with either wood or metal cutting tools

Fluorocarbons

Teflon, makes an excellent bearing surface for turntables and for covering skids




Plastics: Polyesters

Saturated Polyesters

Have a variety of uses in both scenic and costume construction, such as stage mirrors

Unsaturated Polyesters

Can be used in casting or to create fiberglass




Plastics

Polyethylene

Available in film and foam, can be used for such things as drop cloths and projection screens

Polystyrene

Styrofoam, used for making decorative trim

Polyvinyl Chloride

PVC pipe, can be used for a variety of decorative scenic purposes

Urethanes

Commonly used for cushions and padding in furniture




Fasteners: Nails

Common Nail

Large head, thick shank, used for heavier general construction

Box Nail

Narrower shaft that reduces the chance of splitting lumber

Coated Box Nail

Even narrower shaft, coated with an adhesive that bonds the nail to the wood




Fasteners: Nails

Finish Nail

Slender shaft and narrow head, used for building props or furniture in which the nail head needs to be hidden

Wire Nail and Brad

Small finish or box nails with slender shafts, used in property construction or for attaching delicate decorative moldings to larger scenic elements

Double-Headed Nail

Used for scaffolding or any temporary structure that needs to be dismantled quickly




Fasteners: Nails

Screw Nail

Threaded shank that rotates as it is driven into the wood for more holding power

Clout Nail

Used to be used in flat construction but has since been replaced by power-driven screws and pneumatic devices

Tack

Used for attaching fabric and for decorative purposes




Fasteners: Nails

Corrugated Fastener

Used to hold lightweight frames together

Staple

Come in a variety of types, used to fasten things together




Fasteners: Screws

Flat-Head Wood Screw

Used for attaching hardware and

joining various wooden elements together

Round-Head Wood Screw

Used in those situations in which you do not want to have the top of the screw flush with the surface of the work

Drywall Screw

Used to attach gypsum board or drywall to wooden wall and ceiling studs




Fasteners: Screws

Sheet-Metal Screw

Used for joining sheets of metal

Lag Screw

Very large wood screws used where the lack of access to both sides of the work prevents the use of bolts




Fasteners: Bolts

Carriage Bolt

Used to join either wood to wood or wood to metal

Machine Bolt

Designed to join metal to metal

Stove Bolt

Used for attaching stage hardware, hinges, and similar items that require extra fastening strength




Fasteners

Washers

Flat-steel disks that increase the bearing surface of the nut or bolt and prevents the nut or bolt from cutting into the surface of the work

Nuts

Applied to threaded ends of bolts to close

and tighten the fastener




Glues and Adhesives: Glues

Animal Glue

One of the prime ingredients of scenic glue, used to glue muslin or canvas to flats or to construct furniture

Flexible Glue

Animal glue with glycerine, used for projects requiring flexibility

Wheat Paste

Used for hanging wallpaper, papier-mâché, and for attaching dutchman




Glues and Adhesives: Adhesives

White Glue

Elmer’s Glue, used extensively in scenic construction

Carpenter’s Glue

Used in woodworking, dries almost clear, is stronger and dries more quickly than white glue

Latex Cement

Used in laying carpet




Glues and Adhesives: Adhesives

Contact Cement

Used for bonding nonporous surfaces together

Polyvinyl Glue

Resembles white glue and can be used for furniture construction and repair and as a binder for scene paint

Cyanoacrylate Cement

Super Glue, powerful adhesives used in property construction

Epoxy Resin Adhesive

Used in the shop in situations where its strength can be an advantage, furniture construction and property work




Hardware: Construction Hardware

Eye Bolt

Used for attaching lines or ropes to an object

Screw Eye

Similar to eye bolts but used when the extra strength or the bolt fastener is not necessary

Screw Hook

Have a hook instead of an eye so that items hung from the hook can be quickly removed





U Bolt

Used to secure or fasten pipe, tube, or rod to flat surfaces

Cable Clamp

Used to hand scenery and battens

Nicopress Tool

Provides a permanent, nonremovable friction clamp for wire rope or cable





Thimble

Used to protect wire, rope, or cable from sharp bends or kinks

Turnbuckle

Used to lengthen or shorten a line system

Snaps

Used to provide a quick means of attaching a line to its associated load




Hardware: Construction Hardware: Hinges

Strap Hinge

Used to hinge stage doors

Butt Hinge

Used to hang stage doors

T-Strap Hinge

Used for hanging doors, gates, and box lids




Hardware: Construction Hardware: Hinges

Loose-Pin Back-Flap Hinge

Used for joining scenery, the pin can be removed in

order to break the unit apart

Tight-Pin Back-Flap Hinge

Used for joining scenery permanently




Hardware: Stage: Lashing

Lash-Line Eye

Used to attach the lash line to the flat

Lash-Line Cleat

Used to hold the rope in place so that the flats can be lashed together

Lash-Line Hook

Used to hold the rope in place so that the flats can be

lashed together; can also be used in place of a tie-off cleat




Hardware: Stage: Lashing

Tie-Off Cleat

Used in pairs to tie off the line after the flats have been lashed together

Stop Cleat

Attached to the back of flats to prevent the flats from slipping past each other when they are being lashed together in an outside corner configuration

Stop Block

Small piece of scrap wood used to prevent flats from slipping past each other when they are being lashed together in an inside corner configuration




Hardware: Stage: Flying Hardware

Hanger Iron

Used in conjunction with a bottom hanger iron for flying heavy scenery

Bottom Hanger Iron

Used in conjunction with a hanger iron for flying heavy scenery

Ceiling Plate

Bolted to primary structural members of the ceiling to provide a means of attaching the flying lines to the ceiling




Hardware: Stage: Bracing

Stage Brace

Adjustable pole attached to the brace cleat and secured to the stage floor

Brace Cleat

Attached to the stile of the flat, provides the point of attachment between scenery and the stage floor

Rigid Foot Iron

The long leg is attached to the bottom of the scenery and the short leg is secured to the stage floor





Hinged Foot Iron

Similar to the rigid foot iron, its horizontal foot is hinged to fold out of the way when the scenic unit is shifted or flown

Stage Screw

Used to anchor a foot iron or stage brace to the stage floor

Improved Stage Screw

Doesn’t tear up the stage floor as much as the regular stage screw





S HookLatch keeper, used to hold stiffening battens on the back of wall units made of two or more flats

Floor Plate

Used when the stage floor is not wood or you are not allowed to put holes in it




Hardware: Stage: Misc

Corner Plate

Used to reinforce the corners of doors, windows, door or window casings, and picture frames

Tee Plate

Used as a substitute for keystones

Picture Hook and Eye

Used in sets of two or more for rapid hanging and removal of decorative draperies




Hardware: Stage: Misc

Casket Lock

Heavy-duty, hidden lock used to hold platforms together

Casters

Wheeled attachments used

to easily move scenery




Hardware: Stage Hardware




Rope, Cable, and Wire

Manila Rope

Primary type of rope used for raising and suspending loads in the theatre

Sisal Rope

Much stiffer than manila and easily deteriorates when used in sharp angle bending

Clothesline

Used for operating line on travelers as well as for lashing flats together




Rope, Cable, and Wire

Nylon Rope

Stretch too much and are too expensive for use in the theatre

Monofilament Line

Fishing line, used whenever lines need to be invisible

Aircraft Cable

Flexible and strong, used for flying heavy stage scenery




Rope, Cable, and Wire: Wire

Stovepipe Wire

Used for tying or wiring things together, not to be used for flying scenery

Piano Wire

Used to fly scenery

theatrical design and production chapter 8: tools and materials © 2006 mcgraw-hill. all right...

Documents

hand tools

tools pencils

tools wood chisel

theatrical design

tools framing square

production chapter

tools saws keyhole

tools utility knife