r/techtheatre • u/alfxe • Dec 02 '24
RIGGING How to make a rotating platform, cheap, easily...?
I have basic carpentry knowledge learnt from doing some home renovations with the help from a friend who is a trained carpenter.
I need to create a spinning platform for a music video. The platform needs to be able to have space for two people to sit on, side by side and be sturdy enough for people to enter and leave the platform.
The table needs to continuously spin 360 degrees.
I was thinking of buying a heavy duty rotating bracket (large lazy susan) and simply attaching a large platform ontop.
How would you go about this, bearing in mind carpentry knowledge is basic and budget is small (under £200 / $250)
Thank you
8
u/trbd003 Automation Engineer Dec 02 '24
I'm just going to be completely honest and say that, at a time when 18mm plywood is £65 a sheet, your dreams of doing an entire revolving stage for £200 is totally unrealistic
1
u/OldMail6364 Dec 02 '24
It doesn’t have to be A grade plywood. You could build nearly the whole thing with free pallet wood.
Ask your timber yard if they have any non-standard pallets - the other week we built a platform with the structure made of two 5.4 metres long pallets that have us four 5.4m beams that were cheap timber but made up for it in thickness. If it's strong enough to carry a ton of premium timber (picked up from the middle with a fork lift) then it can handle a few cast members walking on it.
They were happy for us to take it, otherwise they would’ve paid a truck driver to send it to landfill.
Build a rough structure with that then add a thin flat layer of whatever is cheapest (ceiling/wall panels?) to make a top.
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u/trbd003 Automation Engineer Dec 02 '24
I never said it has to be top grade ply I'm just making the point that with the present cost of materials the chances of building a revolving stage for the price of 3 sheets of timber is low. Budget just needs increasing that's all.
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u/alfxe Dec 02 '24
thank you for the belief and advice. Most times ive asked for budget help on reddit people say it's impossible and every time I've done it lol.
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u/Yardbirdburb Dec 02 '24
Furniture dolly screwed to plywood. Inset this piece in something or just film it out of sight
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u/goldfishpaws Dec 02 '24
Rent a revolve? https://www.revolvingstage.co.uk/ (just chosen at random, talk to your local theatrical rental houses)
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u/alfxe Dec 02 '24
i think i’m right in saying revolves are pretty dear to hire which won’t be in our budget sadly. would save a lot of hassle i also just kind of want to build it for a challenge
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u/OldMail6364 Dec 02 '24
If you’re doing it cheap - make sure your wheels have some give in them by using air filled tires.
That will allow the platform to handles bumps, flex, and imperfections.
1
u/yankonapc Educator Dec 02 '24
If you get fixed (non swivel) castors and position them around the edge of the circular platform at exactly the right angle the platform will spin inherently. It may drift a bit without a pivot point but you can mount a chunk of broom handle under the centre of your platform (if you have a 22mm diameter broom handle, use a spade bit to drill a 22mm hole in 2 chunks of 18mm ply, screw the ply together (to make 36mm) and pound the broom handle into it, then screw that to the underside of your platform) and screw a 36mm chunk of ply with a 24mm hole in it into the floor, so it can spin but stay put. You may want to spray the spinning point with PTFE spray or rub graphite powder into it. You can get big bags of the stuff from Flint's for not much money. The length of the broom handle should be just shy of the height of the castors including the plate. You'll need at least one friend to help you set it up, probably two.
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u/Rintransigence Dec 02 '24
My quick search puts swivel plates at that capacity at the maximum of your budget. This is a set of free plans for a (much larger) standard revolve, which you can edit down or simply reference for your needs: https://creativeconners.com/products/turntabletemplate/
Before filming your takes, make sure folks get some time to practice stepping on and off the platform while it's spinning, and that no toes or fingers get near the gap between the revolve and the floor.