I can't recall what material is used to cover the frame of the flats. Is it canvas or muslin? What type of solution do you use to get it to stick. It has been years since I have built one and I am working with my local high school... anyone have any advice?

You might want to consider using all wood instead of canvas.

Check out this thread further down the board:

http://www.communitytheater.org/ASP/forum/Thread-It/treplies.asp?message=236

There is a discussion of the merits of using wood over canvas.

Dan

It used to be gesso (?sp) applied on muslin-- but now it is much easier to use luan (really thin, and easier to work with.) We get ours from a local home store (i.e. Home Depot or Lowes) and apply to a frame of 1x2's or larger-- depending on the design and need to attach--- have you though of going this route? Honestly, it is MUCH easier then the way we used to do the flats.

I use white Elmers glue, thinned with a little water. Apply it liberally with a paint brush. When you lay the muslin on it, the glue should wick up and just dampen the top surface of the fabric (tiny little beads of glue just barely showing on top of the fabric). If it is too wet, it will dry with a hard surface and look different from the rest of the fabric surface when you paint it. If it is too dry, it won't stick well when you paint the material.

The book I mentioned suggests using "wall sizing" for shrinking the fabric. I use a white latex paint thinned about half with water. I paint the first coat on the back of the flat.

I am always amazed how much the muslin shrinks and how nice it looks when it is new. A hint: make sure you do not stretch the fabric on a diagonal - pull it straight across and straight up and down. If you have a diagonal pucker it will never go away.

I also went to luan flats recently. Of interest, both Home Depot and Lowes have stopped stocking luan - not enough volume. I wanted to use 2x3 for stiffeners so I ripped a 2x6 in half - it didn't work - there was so much stress in the 2x6 the 2x3's were anything but straight. 1x4 is probably a better idea. Since our flat height is 10' and I could only get 8' luan, I had a joint that was always visable - luan edges are not sharp - (I tried everything - tape, spackling, wood filler and more) - until I decided to paint above the joint flat black and wall color below the joint.

Have fun - I really had fun making fabric flats.

When I did canvas flats I would pull the muslin around the edges and staple it to the back of the flat. I would then put a coat of watered down while glue over the whole things.

Dan