@mrb604 I recall this being beaten to death within the past year and a half here on the Control Booth forum; possibly using our search function will call up the threads. If you're building your stock platforms as 4' x 8' x anywhere from 6" to 6' tall you've an appreciably bigger problem on your hands than if you're building either old-style "platforms & parallels" (where the lids are all single sheets of 3/4" ply with only 1/4 or 3/8" thick corner blocks glued and screwed on the undersides of their four corners and their supporting sides, ends and centre frames are hinged with 2" back flap hinges screwed and bolted into T-nuts and collapse diagonally) OR today's newer, trendier, platforms supported by a collection of 1.5" schedule 40 iron pipes of a variety of lengths detached from the undersides of their lids by either threaded four bolt flanges or via unthreaded Kee Klamp (brand name) flanges secured with an Allen key. These later two methods are costlier and more time consuming to construct but store in MUCH less space and, if built properly with really GOOD materials, are capable of being used in a respectfully busy road house for some 45 years and counting with periodic repainting. More than enough said; try the search function and there'll likely be a few more posters along if there haven't already been others posting while I've been typing.
@mrb604 A local amateur group formed in 1953 and built their initial stock of platforms the way most amateur groups of the era were doing, varying only by purchasing the best quality materials they could afford then assembling them with glue, screws and more intermediate supporting cross-members than normally utilized; thus their initial stock were either 4' x 8' framed with 2" x 3" clear cedar, straight, true and securely glued and screwed with flat head wood screws neatly counter-sunk perfectly flush or 4' x 4' framed the same way with one additional 2" x 3" on the centre-line at 2' from one end. The main mover and shaker of the group chose to secure their platforms with a 'pin and wedge' system more commonly seen securing concrete forms for poured concrete construction; his goal was to make the platforms easy to mate securely using only a hammer, easy to dis-assemble with the same hammer and with minimal holes drilled in a minimal number of precisely located 5/8" accurately jig-drilled locations. Their original stock of platforms lasted for more than 3 decades. Initially they stored their platforms flat but over the years switched to storing them vertically with their 4' dimension on the floor and standing up, neatly clearing storage mezzanines built against both concrete block sidewalls at a height measuring approximately 8' 2" clear from their stage deck to the underside of their mezzanines' supporting structures. The mezzanines store larger set pieces / props such as tables, chairs, wardrobes, dressers, et al. The vertical supports for their mezzanines were spaced approximately every 32" centre to centre and provide solid / stable / secure bracing to lean their stock of nominally 4" thick platforms against on a slight angle. 4' x 8' platforms are intermingled with 4' x 4' platforms stacked two high vertically in pairs between 4' x 8's for stability. As I stated previously, this method worked for them for more than three decades until newer, lazier, corner-cutting volunteers began building additional risers with cheaper materials, far less skill, care and precision.Ron, I have searched , but not found much specific to platform storage. While I might choose to build differently in the future, right now I am just trying to find the best way to store what I currently have.
Gafftapegreenia , I like the idea of storing platforms on their short ends, especially since our new storage space is small but has a very high ceiling. Having said that, Van’s suggestion to store flat might be easier.
Does anyone have pics of storage bays they made to hold platforms. Has anyone created vertical storage? I am considering a rack to hold platforms with another rack for flats on top.
My best advice is don’t keep more than you need/regularly use, and do your best to junk the odd and custom shapes.
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