Rotating flat/Clue

[Sue27]

Hi. I want to have 6 flats that rotate from the center so a playing card is facing the audience and then rotates with a picture of the room on the other. I thought to use a hinged ball phalange (?) that we used to rotate a stage before which looks like picture. Just 2 sided. How would I attach it to the flats? (Ok to screw into stage floor) Thank you!

 

[RonHebbard]

Hi. I want to have 6 flats that rotate from the center so a playing card is facing the audience and then rotates with a picture of the room on the other. I thought to use a hinged ball phalange (?) that we used to rotate a stage before which looks like picture. Just 2 sided. How would I attach it to the flats? (Ok to screw into stage floor) Thank you! View attachment 22687

@Sue27 Without knowing the construction of your flats (Welded steel frames, wood, Hollywood style, yada, yada) my first thought is to use two pan head self tapping screws through flat washers through two diagonal holes into small diameter pilot holes centered in the edge of your 1 x 3 pine frame. You'd need to support the tops as well.

Have you considered free standing periaktoi using three, good quality, straight casters positioned as close to the three corners as possible? If you want to hide the casters carry the surfaces of your flats down to approximately a 1/4" from your floor.
How tall are your flats??
How wide are your flats???
Are they to be moved by adults or small children????
Please tell us more.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Lasermike]

I know that bearing as a 4 bolt flange bearing. While it will allow you to turn the flat, a single bearing at one end of a flat won't provide enough support to keep the flat from wobbling. This type of bearing only has a single row of balls trapped between two races and is meant to support the load between a pair of bearings. If the shaft the flat rotates on went floor to ceiling or to a sturdy frame you could attach a second bearing to, it would work very well.

Because of the above, we use periaktoi as Ron mentions above. We have 4 8' tall and 2 10' and they get used in every production, either statically or rotated for scene changes.

Michael

 

[TimMc]

Television had Perry Mason.

Theatre has Peri Aktoi.

 

[RonHebbard]

Hi. I want to have 6 flats that rotate from the center so a playing card is facing the audience and then rotates with a picture of the room on the other. I thought to use a hinged ball phalange (?) that we used to rotate a stage before which looks like picture. Just 2 sided. How would I attach it to the flats? (Ok to screw into stage floor) Thank you! View attachment 22687

@Sue27 Have you read any of our replies? Will you ever?? I guess you're one more 'one & done' poster.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[JonCarter]

Yeah, Ron, I hear you.

But a pair of Sue's bearings would probably be just the thing--if she wanted the flat, weighing a few hundred lbs., to rotate about 1800+ RPM. A couple of 4" x 4" x 2" wood blocks, screwed to the floor & ceiing, with 1" holes in them and a 1" dowell between them with the flat stuck on it would handle turning a flat 180 deg. a couple times per night. And would be a bit cheaper, too.

 

[almorton]

If the periaktoi are light enough, a solution we've used which avoids the noise of wheels on the stage is to cover the base with carpet which slides on the painted stage surface.

 

[RonHebbard]

If the periaktoi are light enough, a solution we've used which avoids the noise of wheels on the stage is to cover the base with carpet which slides on the painted stage surface.

@almorton What have you done as a central pivot to keep it in position or do you rely on marks on the floor for the up stage points?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[almorton]

For the show in question we relied on spike marks and the crew moving them in to the right place. A simple dowel in the centre would have been enough to keep them in place, though, if needed, but for this show it was useful to be able to move them away from their initial position during rotation.