[SML] Masonite Stage Floor Issue

[e-mail frank.wood95]

Coming back to the main topic, for over 50 years we have been covering
our stage with oil-tempered hard board, laid ROUGH SIDE UP. I do not
remember a problem with pant adhesion. The simple stage paints we used
(water, size - later emulsion glaze - and pigment), have al adhered
successfully, and withstood anything from tap dancers to heavy wagons.
Even Mother Courage's cart, with crude wooden wheels, did not defeat
them.

This is the procedude we have followed. First, the hardboard is
ordered early, and stored in the theatre so that its humidity
stabilises. It is then nailed to the floor, usung what we call
'hardboard pins'. These are square 1" nails, with a coppery finish and
a head designed to lie flush. The boards are flush-jointed, and the
joints covered with strips of TORN newspaper, stuck down with whatever
the paint base is. This avoids sharp edges. After that, the floor is
painted as the set designer wishes.

I do realise that some parts of the US suffer from more extreme
climates than do we in the UK (so far!), and this may affect the
dimensional stability of sheet hardboard.

On 17 July 2015 at 18:53, Bill Conner via Stagecraft
<stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
> I could not get the stageboard folks in Canada to say that theirs met
> building code and the fact it isn't tested - that the manufacturer
> wont have it tested for whatever reason - means that it does not meet
> most building and fire code interpretations.  I have not called and
> pressed the polyonyx people for the same info, but am suspect.
> Normally if a manufacture pays to have it tested and it passes, its in
> their interest to advertise that.  Holding a match to a sample (of
> stage board) it sees to continue to burn - not a good sign.  Tests
> have some fickleness - I can't predict it would pass or not - but if
> it isn't tested and passes, it's not complaint with the codes.
>
> --
> Bill Conner Fellow of the ASTC
>
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-- 
Frank Wood