Dropping a table leg

Merpug

New Member
Hi, just found this forum in my search for a solution to the above. We're doing Tim Firth's The Safari Party, and it requires a table leg to crash onto the stage. Ideally, I'd like to drop it straight down. My thoughts involve putting a screw eye into the top and hanging it from one of the bars with a manual quick release, but it's finding a quick release that's bugging me. Solenoids and electrical solutions aren't going to happen.
Any helpful suggestions gratefully received...
 
Crash onto th stage from where? The sky? The table itself? I guess I don’t understand whatcha mean.

Also welcome to CB :)
 
If it is from the heavens, I would think you'd want some sort of safety to release prior to whatever mechanism you utilize to do the quick drop. Something to provide a little insurance so as to prevent it from dropping unexpectedly with someone under it. My only thought is one of the rigs like Adam Savage would frequently employ on the Mythbusters, but I'm sure many around here have better solutions.
 
It's the leg that's dropping - the table, offstage, has been hit by a combine harvester. The director and I have made sure the cast are well away from the drop zone, and the landing point will be shielded further by various items of furniture. Set is the back store of an antique shop, so no problem there.
 
So th leg is shooting out the harvester from offstage. Why not just throw it high and let gravity do the rest. You said everyone will be clear.

But.

You could take an eye screw tovthe top of the leg.

Then run two pick points on your batten. The onstage pick take fishing line and do one turn ( or a knot if you can’t fly the pipe in each night to reset ) then run the fishing line through the table leg and then back through the other pick.

So the weight of the table leg when you let go of the fishing line will drop her. Then you just pull the fishing line out so you can reset for next show.

BD6D91BE-A790-4AA6-AAD6-37DD20FB2D39.jpeg
 
So th leg is shooting out the harvester from offstage. Why not just throw it high and let gravity do the rest. You said everyone will be clear.

But.

You could take an eye screw tovthe top of the leg.

Then run two pick points on your batten. The onstage pick take fishing line and do one turn ( or a knot if you can’t fly the pipe in each night to reset ) then run the fishing line through the table leg and then back through the other pick.

So the weight of the table leg when you let go of the fishing line will drop her. Then you just pull the fishing line out so you can reset for next show.

View attachment 16070
I guess this would work but it would depend on how and when it would be cleared from stage. To have it rise up from the stage under lights would look a little odd.
I have made an electrical (battery powered) release from a car central locking system and that worked well for dropping stuff in the past. It was wired with an on/off switch and from memory a rocket launcher switch cover to prevent accidental activation.
The only hard part might be the reset if the bar cant be lowered to the ground.
Regards
Geoff
 
I guess this would work but it would depend on how and when it would be cleared from stage. To have it rise up from the stage under lights would look a little odd.
I have made an electrical (battery powered) release from a car central locking system and that worked well for dropping stuff in the past. It was wired with an on/off switch and from memory a rocket launcher switch cover to prevent accidental activation.
The only hard part might be the reset if the bar cant be lowered to the ground.
Regards
Geoff

Fishing line gets pulled instantly. Unless the pipe can’t come down then it lives there the duration of the show. Hence why I went with fishing line vs paracord or anything else that pulls nicely.

Personally a good lob from off stage would do the trick instead of rigging something but I’m giving him what he asked for so *shrug*
 

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