02-14-2014, 12:27 AM
Making a roman town, wall by wall
Goals
Portable
Theatrical set design modeled after standard flats
One person set up and tear down with no tools
Transport in standard cargo van
Store in standard size homes and garages, and fit through most standard US doors.
Built with inexpensive wood and parts
Measured to standard sizes to minimize cuts and reduce loss
Modular so can be combined or reconfigured
Construction can be done with minimal tools
Tall enough so most people can pass through doors.
Can accommodate different ground levels to some extent
Construction
Tools
Must cut luan in long straight cuts, so hand saw, but circular saw is better
screw driver matched to wood screws, or power drill with bits
For fastening luan to pine without head showing: countersink to match wood screws, or push harder on screw.
steel tape measure
carpenter's square
Miter box and saw, or power miter saw (for precise cuts in 1x3")
Modeled after theatrical flat, 3' wide by 6' 5 3/4 " tall. (Why such an odd height? that is the six foot board with the two 1x3 widths added).
Materials for each flat
1/4" luan 4x8' sheet
1"x3" 6' or 12' pine. 8' is more standard, but you get 2feet of waste.
#8 x 3/4" wood screws
#8 lathe screws (optional)
wood putty or similar
6" corner blocks of spare luan (see below)
Latex paint, indoor or outdoor. I try to get cheap stuff.
optional: Texture paint to simulate plaster.
Construction of flat
Cutting: these all need to be as precisely right angled as possible, so use the miter box or have the lumber store cut them.
Using miter box for precise cut, you need two 1x3s cut to 6' length
Then two 1x3s cut to 3'
Lay luan down, arrange rectangle of two upright 6' 1x3s capped on top and bottom by 3' 1x3s. Align along two edges of luan to save cutting.
Mark the perimeter of the 1x3 carefully on the luan, making sure it has exact right angles using carpenter square or other means.
Notice that the height of the flat is six feet plus the width of two 1x3s, which is not exactly six feet six inches: more like 6' 5 3/4". You can get the Home Depot or Lowes to do these cuts for you.
When the luan is cut, place it face down and arrange the four pieces of 1x3, two six foot, two three foot, around the edges. They ought to match pretty closely.
Now, you will tie the corners together with what is called in theatrical terms a "corner block". These are cut from the spare luan in 6" rectangles. This 6" rectangle or, if you cut it on the diagonal which is better, 6" right triangle, is used to fasten the 1x3 together. But you must set the corner block back from the outside edge by 1" so that when the flats are placed against each other at angles, they meet tightly.
It may be hard to get the lumber store to do these: you will need a hand saw or jig saw.
A wood screw does fine here, or you can use a lathe screw, which has a built in washer so is a bit stronger.
When the corners are all fastened down, you can then flip this frame over and put the luan on top. It should fit. The corner blocks are on the opposite side from the luan!! Do not fasten the luan to the corner blocks!
Use the regular wood screws to fasten the luan down. To avoid the screw heads showing you can either screw down really hard to get it flush, or you can try counter sinking. The idea is how best to hide the screw head. If it is flush you can putty over the hole and keep a smooth appearance. After all, Romans didn't have wood screws.
That should be a complete flat.
Painting the flat.
This is part of your building design. We originally decided all flats would be painted white with a lower part of "pompeiian red" similar to Pompeii streets. All the red was 34" high, so flats placed against each other matched up pretty well. You may decide on another design scheme.
Originally I decided to try to make the luan look more like plaster, so painted the surface with texture paint. This looks good but actually doubles the weight, increases the thickness and is more fragile, meaning it constantly is breaking off on the edges. A gallon bucket of texture paint covers only one or two flats, so is maybe not a necessary expense. And, for some reason texture paint is getting harder to find.
Linking Flats together:
There are several ways to do this, and I concentrate on the goal of one person being able to carry, set up and break down the 'set' with no tools or help.
Materials to join flats together
hinges that can fold 90' to flat
hinges that can fold 270' to flat
wire coat hangers or similar
Wire cutter
Screw driver
#8 x 3/4" wood screws
Joining Corners:
Rather than just have one piece joined to one piece, I have joined corners together with hinges, which has several benefits:
The two pieces are one less thing to carry and connect together.
The joints are always aligned
The corner stands up by itself, which is essential when setting everything up.
You don't need any tools join the panels together
cotter pins make set up and take down fast and easy
There are two types of corners, inner and outer.
The outer corner one has a 90' angle where the sides meet but folds in on itself, hopefully as flat as possible. Any type of hinge will do for this as it only travels 90'.
The inner corner is more complex as it actually has to fold around itself in 270' curve. A strap hinge, as for a gate, is good for this. The flats need to be fitted together and the strap hinge bolted on, taking care that the hinge is turned the correct way to move 270'.
Joining Flats
I join flats, that is, butt them up against each other, and fasten them with hinges whose pins can be removed.
(If you look at hinges in a store, you can tell which ones have pins that can be removed: they are not peened over. The pin can be removed by pushing it out with a nail smaller than the diameter of the pin. )
If you do this when the flats are upright, this may take a helper to keep the flats aligned. Doing this on a concrete or wood surface really helps here. If you have a large very flat space, you can lie them down next to each other and do this too.
When the flats are butted up against each other and the top and bottom level, you can use a hinge to cross over the join. align it and screw in place with wood screws. You can then knock the pin out. However you will no longer need the pin, so it can be discarded. You are going to join the hinges with a cotter pin made out of wire coat hanger (the type from the commercial cleaners)
Wire coat hangers are thin, strong, and pliable. You will cut about five inches of straight coat hanger wire, then bend one end into a loop. When you fit the flats together, the hinges will align and fit together, and the cotter pin wire will slip in easily and stay in place with the loop. This is far better than using a small common type nail since for that you will need plyers to get the nail out. The wire cotter pin is just yanked out. This speeds things up immensely.
Goals
Portable
Theatrical set design modeled after standard flats
One person set up and tear down with no tools
Transport in standard cargo van
Store in standard size homes and garages, and fit through most standard US doors.
Built with inexpensive wood and parts
Measured to standard sizes to minimize cuts and reduce loss
Modular so can be combined or reconfigured
Construction can be done with minimal tools
Tall enough so most people can pass through doors.
Can accommodate different ground levels to some extent
Construction
Tools
Must cut luan in long straight cuts, so hand saw, but circular saw is better
screw driver matched to wood screws, or power drill with bits
For fastening luan to pine without head showing: countersink to match wood screws, or push harder on screw.
steel tape measure
carpenter's square
Miter box and saw, or power miter saw (for precise cuts in 1x3")
Modeled after theatrical flat, 3' wide by 6' 5 3/4 " tall. (Why such an odd height? that is the six foot board with the two 1x3 widths added).
Materials for each flat
1/4" luan 4x8' sheet
1"x3" 6' or 12' pine. 8' is more standard, but you get 2feet of waste.
#8 x 3/4" wood screws
#8 lathe screws (optional)
wood putty or similar
6" corner blocks of spare luan (see below)
Latex paint, indoor or outdoor. I try to get cheap stuff.
optional: Texture paint to simulate plaster.
Construction of flat
Cutting: these all need to be as precisely right angled as possible, so use the miter box or have the lumber store cut them.
Using miter box for precise cut, you need two 1x3s cut to 6' length
Then two 1x3s cut to 3'
Lay luan down, arrange rectangle of two upright 6' 1x3s capped on top and bottom by 3' 1x3s. Align along two edges of luan to save cutting.
Mark the perimeter of the 1x3 carefully on the luan, making sure it has exact right angles using carpenter square or other means.
Notice that the height of the flat is six feet plus the width of two 1x3s, which is not exactly six feet six inches: more like 6' 5 3/4". You can get the Home Depot or Lowes to do these cuts for you.
When the luan is cut, place it face down and arrange the four pieces of 1x3, two six foot, two three foot, around the edges. They ought to match pretty closely.
Now, you will tie the corners together with what is called in theatrical terms a "corner block". These are cut from the spare luan in 6" rectangles. This 6" rectangle or, if you cut it on the diagonal which is better, 6" right triangle, is used to fasten the 1x3 together. But you must set the corner block back from the outside edge by 1" so that when the flats are placed against each other at angles, they meet tightly.
It may be hard to get the lumber store to do these: you will need a hand saw or jig saw.
A wood screw does fine here, or you can use a lathe screw, which has a built in washer so is a bit stronger.
When the corners are all fastened down, you can then flip this frame over and put the luan on top. It should fit. The corner blocks are on the opposite side from the luan!! Do not fasten the luan to the corner blocks!
Use the regular wood screws to fasten the luan down. To avoid the screw heads showing you can either screw down really hard to get it flush, or you can try counter sinking. The idea is how best to hide the screw head. If it is flush you can putty over the hole and keep a smooth appearance. After all, Romans didn't have wood screws.
That should be a complete flat.
Painting the flat.
This is part of your building design. We originally decided all flats would be painted white with a lower part of "pompeiian red" similar to Pompeii streets. All the red was 34" high, so flats placed against each other matched up pretty well. You may decide on another design scheme.
Originally I decided to try to make the luan look more like plaster, so painted the surface with texture paint. This looks good but actually doubles the weight, increases the thickness and is more fragile, meaning it constantly is breaking off on the edges. A gallon bucket of texture paint covers only one or two flats, so is maybe not a necessary expense. And, for some reason texture paint is getting harder to find.
Linking Flats together:
There are several ways to do this, and I concentrate on the goal of one person being able to carry, set up and break down the 'set' with no tools or help.
Materials to join flats together
hinges that can fold 90' to flat
hinges that can fold 270' to flat
wire coat hangers or similar
Wire cutter
Screw driver
#8 x 3/4" wood screws
Joining Corners:
Rather than just have one piece joined to one piece, I have joined corners together with hinges, which has several benefits:
The two pieces are one less thing to carry and connect together.
The joints are always aligned
The corner stands up by itself, which is essential when setting everything up.
You don't need any tools join the panels together
cotter pins make set up and take down fast and easy
There are two types of corners, inner and outer.
The outer corner one has a 90' angle where the sides meet but folds in on itself, hopefully as flat as possible. Any type of hinge will do for this as it only travels 90'.
The inner corner is more complex as it actually has to fold around itself in 270' curve. A strap hinge, as for a gate, is good for this. The flats need to be fitted together and the strap hinge bolted on, taking care that the hinge is turned the correct way to move 270'.
Joining Flats
I join flats, that is, butt them up against each other, and fasten them with hinges whose pins can be removed.
(If you look at hinges in a store, you can tell which ones have pins that can be removed: they are not peened over. The pin can be removed by pushing it out with a nail smaller than the diameter of the pin. )
If you do this when the flats are upright, this may take a helper to keep the flats aligned. Doing this on a concrete or wood surface really helps here. If you have a large very flat space, you can lie them down next to each other and do this too.
When the flats are butted up against each other and the top and bottom level, you can use a hinge to cross over the join. align it and screw in place with wood screws. You can then knock the pin out. However you will no longer need the pin, so it can be discarded. You are going to join the hinges with a cotter pin made out of wire coat hanger (the type from the commercial cleaners)
Wire coat hangers are thin, strong, and pliable. You will cut about five inches of straight coat hanger wire, then bend one end into a loop. When you fit the flats together, the hinges will align and fit together, and the cotter pin wire will slip in easily and stay in place with the loop. This is far better than using a small common type nail since for that you will need plyers to get the nail out. The wire cotter pin is just yanked out. This speeds things up immensely.
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
