New Flats.
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=650
Printed Date: 5/10/25 at 2:25pm
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Topic: New Flats.
Posted By: Guests
Subject: New Flats.
Date Posted: 2/07/03 at 11:02am
I hate coming here and finding nothing new to talk about sooooo...
I'm working on new flats for our playhouse. I was wondering what how many community theaters still use canvas, how many are now using luan, or what other materials they might be using. We are curently switching to Laun from canvas. I have used it in the past and am very happy with it. Luan adds stability, a smooth painting surface, a place to "hang" stuff, and a LOT of flexiblity on modifing a flat to special use (special doors/windows/nooks etc)and then being able to easily restore the flat to our stock standards. Any thoughts out there. Any new ideas?
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Replies:
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/07/03 at 12:50pm
I always build flats from luan now. The only time I would consider building more canvas flats is if they needed to be extremely portable, to be lugged around to road shows for example. I frame with 1x3s usually with the 3 inch face against the luan, but I have also started to build some with the narrow edge against the luan, resulting in a "boxier" flat. These don't work to well when the flats have to meet at an angle, but they have the advantage of being easier to attach together and are a little more stable, especially when you get over 8' tall.
Dan
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/07/03 at 12:56pm
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Good point on the ease of connection with the "boxy" flat. Currently, I am resurfacing striped down canvas flats made with 1x4's that have the wide side against the luan. In the past, I have made new luan flats with 2x2's. They give the some of the stability you are looking for, while still providing an excellent anchor point!.. Gee isn’t it nice to have something to talk about. lol
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/08/03 at 11:13am
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We just changed to luan also. We use half of a 2X6 for the edge. Our flats are 11' high and get too flexible without the extra structure of the "2x3". They are a lot heavier than canvass ones but the canvas gets stretched and dinged and doesn't last. The luan flats were actually cheaper than canvas. Ask me again in a couple of years. I don't like the luan joint. I have tried several different methods but none give a perfect fit. I turned the flats so the joint is at the top and paint it flat black above 7'11" which seems to hide it better than other things.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 2/11/03 at 10:31pm
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Don't mean to sound like a bleeding heart, but does everyone know that luan is a rain forest wood? At least, that's what I was told by this bleeding heart I worked with once.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 5/27/03 at 1:04am
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Its Plywood sevral layers of wood...(Pine most likley).......not a type of wood.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 5/27/03 at 5:10pm
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We've used luan flats for several years. They just plain last longer. The last ones I built were about three years ago and are still going strong. We use them in just about every show. If you're careful in how you store them, like in a roomy flat rack, they should last a few years more. As for the joint left at the top, ours are 4x10 and I use either a strip of masking tape and then a heavy coat of primer or a strip of muslin and secure it with wheat paste. If you're recycling the flats for each show, the amount of paint will cover up the joint quite nicely. Also, a nice texturing job such as rag rolling or spattering can hide an otherwise obvious joint as well.
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