Stage

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jayme
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Jayme

Jayme

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I don't know where to go to ask this and this is the only place i can think of!
Does anyone know how to build a home made stage out of cheap materials?
It only has to be 40cm or 50cm high. :)
 
Don't know how to get much cheaper than plywood and some 2x6s.
 
Well, the main question is permanence. Since your stage is high enough that you can't just rest the joists on the floor you are essentally building a floor.

So your concerns are:

1. Span: How far do the joists go between supports. Shorter spans are obviously better, but would require intermediate support walls underneath.

2. Load: What is going to go on the stage? Most floors are built for a 40psf live load and unless you are going to be putting some heavy equipment on it that is most likely enough. Moreover most floors are not sized for failure, but for deflection. In other words long before a typical floor would fail it woul bounce and creak far more than you would feel good standing on it.

3. Noise: Are folks going to be jumping or dancing on the stage? If so do you want it to sound like they are on a plywood box?

4. Underlying structure. Your stage may be solid as a rock, but if it is sitting on top of a second floor and already packed with people you may have a problem.
 
Build some 4'x8' frames out of 2"x4"s and cover the top with 3/4" plywood. Add a support across the middle to support the plywood. Add 6 legs of appropriate height (I wouldn't go over 6-8") and you have a decent riser. Build a few of them and combine as needed.
 
Consider it like a room with no floor. Build some short walls out of 2x4, run some 2x6 joists across the short dimension on top of the walls, screw down some 1 1/8" sub floor ply to the joists, cover the walls with ply or fabric and maybe carpet the deck and voila! I would make it at least the size of 4 sheets of ply. For you unfamiliar with construction, thats 8' x 16', which is just big enough for a 4 piece band. I've done it.

fitZ :D
 
Ok, i now have got 8 timbers (5cm x 15cm, 1'5m long) and 2 timbers (5cm x 15cm, 3'60m long) what now?


Is there any cheap board that i could use?
 
Plywood is expensive these days, no matter where you are.

I wouldn't use anything less than 3/4 plywood. Forget the pressboard stuff. Your bandmates jumping up and down on it will punch holes in it in no time.

Are you sure you know proper framing techniques??? At least find someone to help you that does. Nothing worse than having a bands' worth of gear and your bandmates on that platform and having it collapse.
 
If it does collapse, make sure you have a camcorder handy. You could get back some lost money selling the video to those comedy home video shows.
 
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