Stage brakes and slipping construction standards

[jonares]

I saw an interesting modification idea in one of the trade mags a while back. The user took two heavy duty breaks and bolted one to each end of a length of 2x4, countersinking the bolts to allow only the face of the board to touch the floor. They then welded a rod to the handles of the breaks to allow them to be set down at the same time. This gives you much bigger surface area for stability and strength. I tried to find a photo but couldn't..... and I don't have a chance to draw it out.... So I apologize if my description isn't clear...

I can't wait to give it a try myself though!

This is the method I use - has sure helped reduce the amount of bent wagon brakes. I found the hint here: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4463
I cut-n-pasted David McCall's method and made a PDF for my shop....

 

[The8erGuy]

I remember when I was a baby tech, it was possible to get real, solid wagon brakes. What is currently available, however, tends to do stuff like

Anyone know a good brand that won't break the bank? High school theatre TD, so budget is always a concern, but there has to be something better out there.

Call me old school, but after going through a bunch of bent and broken brakes like the one above for a high school production, I pulled out a crow bar and a 2x4 block of wood on a string at each corner of the wagon. Use the crow bar to lift the wagon up, slip the block under and it's done - no movement at all!. end of scene, crow bar lift, pull block and place on wagon (or in a pocket on the back of the flat) and roll the wagon away. the string keep the block handy, but some stage hands just put the block in their pocket and use it on the next wagon set. Best part... blocks are cheap, easily replaced, reusable, found in every shop !!!

 

[Stephen Porter]

I remember when I was a baby tech, it was possible to get real, solid wagon brakes. What is currently available, however, tends to do stuff like

I needed a cheap solution to this problem several years ago. Here's what I did:

Add a short block of 2x4 (2x6, or whatever your wagon is edged with) to the underside of the wagon parallel to the edge of the wagon and about one foot from the edge where the brake is located. Then attach a piece of luan (or 1/4" plywood) the same width as the block and long enough that it extends an inch or two beyond the edge of the wagon underneath the brake. The brake will flex the luan and press it against the floor. The luan (or plywood) has considerable shear strength and will protect the brake from bending. Optionally, you can distribute the brake force more evenly by adding a piece of 2x2 on top of the luan under the brake if you have enough room. Additionally, you can add a rubber (or other material) surface to the underside of the luan to better grip the stage floor. If the luan doesn't retract adequately when the brake is released, you can add springs from the ends of the 2x2 to the top edge of the wagon to pull it up. Sorry, I don't have a photo readily available to show you. Hope this helps!

 

[Stephen Porter]

EDIT: THIS APPEARS TO DUPLICATE MY ORIGINAL REPLY - SORRY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DELETE IT!

I had this same problem a few years back. Here's my low-budget solution:

Add a one foot long block of 2x4 (2x6 or whatever your wagon is edged with) under the wagon parallel to the edge and about one foot in from the edge where the brake is located. Attach to this block a piece of luan (or 1/4" plywood) the same width as the block and long enough to extend a couple of inches beyond the edge of the wagon. When the brake is operated it will flex the luan and press it against the stage floor. The luan (or plywood) has considerable shear strength and will protect the brake from bending. Optionally, you can add a piece of 2x2 along the top edge of the luan to better distribute the brake force. You can also add rubber or other material to the underside of the luan to better grip the floor. If the luan doesn't retract adequately when the brake is released, you can add springs from the ends of the 2x2 to the top edge of the wagon.

Sorry I don't have a photo handy. Hope this helps!