[SML] Very portable flats

[jdunfee12 at yahoo.com]

Now that I have eliminated the idea of using large screen TV's to do scenery for large marionette show, I am thinking how I can make the show light weight, and use less space to store.  

The flats, as they are now, are 3' wide X 5' high., and framed with 1x2 wood.  The corners have 1/4" ply cleats, on the back surface.  So the total thickness of a single flat is 1". Some are hinged with other, smaller flats to form corners, or make larger flat areas. They are covered and painted the same as any traditional theatrical flat.
Here are some methods I considered, or are still considering;
1) Put the cloth onto a flat piece of corrugated plastic.  Though, once they get kinked, the plastic is permanently kinked.  But, that would tend to only happen on one direction.  Perhaps I could use two layers, glued to each other in opposite directions? I can get it in widths up to 60", so I know I can get the grooves to run the opposite way. 

2) Window Screen Frame; I saw this many years ago, as a method of making a portable puppet stage. They used aluminum window screen framing, with the cloth simply substituting for the window screen.  If I didn't want the aluminum frame to show, I would simply wrap the fabric around the frame before inserting the edge into the groove.However, I am not thrilled with the strength, or ruggedness, of the aluminum frame.  Someone simply carrying it outside on a windy day would probably cause it to kink.  Also, I wonder if it would provide enough tension, for wrinkles not to show.
3) Roll up blinds; Super easy and fast.  But, the edges of such things tend to curl.  I know there are tensioned projection screens, but those wold not permit my image to go to the edge.  I wonder if I could do something like glue some strips of plastic (perhaps from small zip-ties) to the long edge?  It might tend to make indentations onto the fabric when it is stored on the roll. 

3)Another approach is to use 1x2 for the framing, but made to be collapsible. This would also allow it to be transported in a car if needed. I have seen collapsible wood frames used by puppeteers.  But, they were used to hang curtains, not tension fabric. I might adapt that idea by affixing my fabric onto a single piece of wood on the top (which I would roll the fabric onto when stored), and then do an oversized whip-stitch of elastic cord along the long edge.  The elastic would hook onto some hooks attached to the back of the wood.
4) I have looked at trade show displays. But, all the one's I've seen have more than a little depth to them when used, or perhaps show their base.  

Any ideas or advice?

-Joe Dunfee
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://theatrical.net/pipermail/stagecraft_theatrical.net/attachments/20190111/f81cfef9/attachment.html>