Scene Shop Renovation

Apologies for the large delay in updates about this project. Work has continued on and off, as well as through a few shows, in getting the space in good shape. I'm going to be handing this off to another person soon, but there are still many things I'd love to accomplish. Below are some photos of the clean shop, which I would consider "stage 1" of fixing the place up. A complete "before" picture is still in the first post.

Shop1.jpgView from entrance. New lighting! 3100 lumen, 3500K, 85 CRI, electronic ballast, T8. Up to about 45 footcandles now. :cool: (36 lamps*3100 lumens/2500ft^2)
Shop2.jpg
Shop4.jpgView of the front entrance. Lumber storage is starting to look better! What was it like before again?
Shop5.jpgOh, the humanity.
Shop3.jpgFrom the rear entrance.

Still to do:
  • soda blast walls/floor as needed
  • coat floor with epoxy
  • paint West wall white
  • update lighting capacity to 100fc
  • update in-house equipment (saws, tools, PPE, etc.)
  • install pegboard in West wall, rethink organization
  • continue scrapping old scenery
 
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You've got the fixin's for a solid bonfire there Max...
 
Glad to see you check back in with more info. A few observations based upon what I could see in the photos:

1. Are any of the light fixtures equipped with emergency lighting (battery back-up) ballasts? Either equip several of of these with such, or add some 'frog-eyes' along the wall. You need to be able to find your way out during a power failure.

2. Add some EXIT signs over the two exit doors (again, on emergency power or with battery back-up). Of all the places in the theatre plant that there might be a fire, the shop is very high on the list - you want at least two exits available - local code may even require it.

3. I noticed a lot of wood (fuel) for the fire. You can substantially reduce the fuel load by doing two things:
a.) Store ALL unnecessary flammable materials outside the shop (steel shipping containers are cheap and fairly fireproof). This will free-up a lot of space, too. (Note Sean Stone's tag line "All the world's a stage ..." - If all the world is a stage, then that would explain the lack of storage space.)

b.) Make a policy of painting all of the wood materials with intumescent paint immediately upon arrival to the shop. When it is cut for fabrication, then you just have to touch-up the exposed edges and then assemble it. This will keep you in compliance with the NPFA Life Safety Code 101, Section 13.4.5.11.3 "Scenery and stage properties shall be of . . . fire retardant treated wood."

4. The steps coming from the door do not have contrasting color tread edges. I suggest using photoluminescent paint with traction grit added. An alternative is to use glue down strips. You can also use the photoluminescent paint to mark the floor "keep this area clear of junk" lanes and around the door frames. This will help when the emergency lights fail to operate as they should (product warranties and/or NFPA required inspections don't guarantee that they will work when needed).

5. Consider adding an Emergency Power Shut Down system for the tool power circuits. This involves E-Stop type mushroom head pushbutton station(s) that control a shunt-trip master circuit breaker. This allows anyone in the ship to quickly kill the power to the tools should their be an accident.
E-Stop Button Sign.PNG
E-STOP 2-GANG.PNG

Keep us posted!
 
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3. I noticed a lot of wood (fuel) for the fire. You can substantially reduce the fuel load by doing two things:
a.) Store ALL unnecessary flammable materials outside the shop (steel shipping containers are cheap and fairly fireproof). This will free-up a lot of space, too. (Note Sean Stone's tag line "All the world's a stage ..." - If all the world is a stage, then that would explain the lack of storage space.)

See, Erich, now I need to 1) change my tag, and 2) get a T-shirt with this . . . ;)
 

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