Category Archives: Tools

Tools

Five Prop Quick-Fixes

Sometimes you need to fix things right, and other times, you need to fix them right now. Here are four things which prop people rely on to fix a prop when the audience is already seated and the curtain is about to go up.

Hot Glue

hot glue gun
Hot Glue Gun

It’s a common prop adage that “anything can be fixed with hot glue.” That’s true in many cases, and the fact that it cools in minutes (sometimes seconds) and is removable makes it a great candidate to hold two things together at the last minute. When you need to separate the items, just peel them apart. Keep in mind that it is not structural, and it will not come out of most fabrics.

Gaff tape

gaffers tape
Gaffer's Tape

Gaff tape is short for gaffer’s tape, so named because of its use by gaffers to tape down cords and cables. It’s like duct tape for prop people; unlike duct tape, it leaves no residue when removed, and most importantly, it comes in black, so it disappears on stage (and can be used in a pinch to make other things disappear on stage as well).

Wire

wire
Wire

Wire of all different thicknesses is great for tying things together when adhesives just won’t stick. It’s also key for hanging things from walls or ceilings. With glue, there’s always a chance the weight will prove too much for the bond and cause the prop to come crashing down on someone’s head.

Mortite

Mortite rope caulk
Mortite Rope Caulk

Mortite, or rope caulk, is a type of caulk that will not dry out. It’s great for keeping glasses from sliding around on a tray, or vases from toppling off of a shaky table. It also makes it very easy to remove the prop when needed, as when an actor needs to pick up the vase during a scene.

5-minute Epoxy

5 minute epoxy
5 Minute Epoxy

I prefer the kind that comes in the easy-dispense tubes, which makes this product as idiot-proof as possible. Epoxy resin is a liquid which comes in two parts; when mixed, it sticks to many materials and becomes rock-hard. As the name implies, 5-minute epoxy hardens in 5 minutes, making it one of the quickest ways to get a very secure bond.

Tools

The Future of Making Props 2

In the last post, I looked at desktop fabricators and how they might impact the future of building props. In this post, I’ll check out what kind of new materials will change how we make props.

New Materials

by conarcist
by conarcist

One of the grandest changes in the way we make things came from the development of plastics during the last century. Consider the scope of plastics: Styrofoam, epoxy and epoxy resin, acrylic, Plexiglas, PVC pipe, styrene, nylon, kevlar, many laminates like Formica. Consider too the amount of adhesives we use based on plastics. PVA and most contact cements are plastic-based, while most tapes are at least backed in plastic. These days, a small prop shop can work with materials whose properties would have seemed miraculous even as late as World War I.

The downside of course is the ecological damage these materials cause, both in their production as well as their disposal. The future of making props will see a transition to more organic and biodegradable materials which can exhibit the same properties as synthetic plastics.

The first phase will see greater use of recycled materials. We are already beginning that phase. The field of props is almost defined by its reusing and repurposing of otherwise worthless cultural objects, and many of us build new props from material found in scrap bins or the trash. But we will also see more “new” materials made out of recycled bits. Many of our fiber and particle boards are made from the dust and scraps which are left over from processing lumber.

Instructables’ user Star Simpson has a guide on plastic smithing, where you can construct plastic objects out of old plastic bags.

We may also see a return to older, friendlier ways of constructing things. The Victorians made beautiful objects out of plastic milk and papier-mache, and there’s no reason these techniques cannot be used for the more temporary theatrical productions. You can find information on how to make your own plastic milk at Instructables, or at Joey Green’s Mad Scientist, which also has some fun facts about the stuff.

These kinds of things may be fun to experiment with, but may not be useful for more commercial shops. However, companies around the world are developing new materials based off of these homemade projects using organic and biodegradable products. It is worth it to keep on top of these products and try them out if you have the chance.

One website which showcases new materials with interesting materials is Transmaterial. Some products they’ve featured in the past include a polymer fiber which is five times stronger than steel. A company called Ecovative Design has developed an insulation foam substitute made out of mushrooms.

All in all, the explosion of materials technology we’ve seen in the last century or so shows no signs of slowing down. Our challenge now, as it always is, is finding the best materials to do our jobs. Are there any new materials you’ve been trying out lately?

Tools

The Future of Making Props

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Every once in awhile, I thought I’d try to look ahead at the future of building props. Prop-making has come a long way in the last few decades, from papier-mache and chicken-wire, to sculpted Styrofoam and CNC-routed parts. Today, I’ll take a peek at desktop fabrication.

Desktop Fabrication

If you need a color copy of a printed page, you can scan it and print it within minutes on the computer which is already in your office. Paper props have become vastly simplified with today’s computer and printing technology, and if your shop has a large color plotter, you can print nearly anything up to four feet wide.

Imagine doing the same with a three-dimensional object. You scan it in, and then “print” an exact copy.

A Fab@Home Fabber
A Fab@Home Fabber

The technology to do that already exists, and has for years, but remains bulky and expensive. Products like the Desktop Factory bring the dream of a desktop factory in every school, business, and home closer to reality.

According to the blog at Ponoko, the Desktop Factory is similar in price to the first consumer laser printer which was released in 1985. If we look ahead, we can see how prices have changed. These days, it can sometimes be cheaper to buy a new printer then new ink! In ten or fifteen years, desktop fabricators can easily cost less than a hundred dollars.

For the truly adventurous, there is a wealth of resources dedicated to constructing your own “fabber”. Fab@Home has everything you need to build and program your own machine to make three-dimensional objects out of a whole range of materials, from plastics to sugar.

When you combine desktop fabrication with more sustainable materials, you get machines like the Matrix 3D Printer, which uses sheets of letter-sized paper to build up a three-dimensional object.

These machines make objects which can be molded and cast, or in some cases, used directly.

I can certainly see more commercial prop shops using these kinds of machines and technologies. For smaller prop shops or university shops, they can still come in handy. Obviously, a desktop model will not let you print out a giant prop. Likewise, if you need a piece of wooden furniture, you can’t use a fragile plastic fabrication, nor would it make sense to cast a piece of furniture in some kind of resin. Additionally, these fabricators would require at least some knowledge of 3D computer programs, such as CAD. While many prop shops have at least one person with a working knowledge of one of the CAD programs, generating a precise drawing of a complicated piece may be too specialized a skill for a five-person shop.

I see the more immediate benefits of a machine like this as a way to make all the “bits and bobbins” that a prop shop is always looking for. Think about the boxes of finials and rosettes we keep around, or the bucket labeled “brass things.” Now imagine building up a virtual library of all of these parts, and whenever you need one, you just print it out. There are many other times when you need some kind of custom shape for a prop where precision is key.

I’m interested to hear how everyone else feels about these possibilities.

**Update** The Desktop Factory is no more.

Tools

Miniature Craftsmanship

I just started looking at The Internet Craftsmanship Museum. It’s a great museum featuring highly crafted miniatures of any number of objects. A large portion of the collection can be viewed online. I like the miniature gun section, although the aircraft are pretty cool, too.

1/3 scale Thompson machine gun by David Kucer
1/3 scale Thompson machine gun by David Kucer

If you want to do your own miniatures, or if you just have extremely limited space for a workshop like I do, you can find any number of tools from either Micro-Mark or Sherline. I’ve been looking at a number of machines from both of these places for awhile.

I’m often tempted to get one of those cheap mini machines, like a tabletop table saw, from any of those discount tool outlets. But then I read reviews for them and realize they’re just utter crap. The tools from Micro-Mark or Sherline are built like real tools, only smaller; they aren’t toys. Of course, this is reflected in the prices. Ah, well.