Chug-A-Chug-A Motion

So Monday I arrived at Albuquerque Little Theatre ready to finish my cabinet for the switchboard, and whatever else happened along. Colby came at (about) 8:30 and told me he was going for plywood as soon as he could get away, and if I finished what I was doing on the switchboard before he got back, I should bolt together the four four by eight platforms on stage into two eight by eight. Then I would be putting straight (non-swivel) casters on the bottom side such that the platforms would pivot. Then I would flip them over and put another layer of plywood across them to solidify them big time.

All of this came to pass. The HMMMM moment came in mid-afternoon when I had lag bolted all twenty four casters to the bottom, each at ninety degrees to the line from the wheel to the pivot point. I told Colby I was ready to flip. He looked at my casters and said, "Is that gonna roll?" I told him it's the way I'd always done it. So we flipped one and it pivoted like gangbusters. Hey, I been doin' this a long time.

Tuesday I finally started on the train set. It's three benches with windows behind them and a luggage rack overhead, which clamp together in an eighteen foot long bench. Each has straight casters running forward so that when the scene comes up, they can be rolled downstage as the lights are coming up. Today I finished the construction, clamped them together, and everybody liked it. Yay. I went home early in celebration.

On the way I stopped into the Home Depot to investigate chicken wire. Rev. Robinson at First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque asked Carmen to ask me about creating a talking ox and I just wanted to see what was available and for how much before I proposed my plan. Well damn it, my plan was dashed. There on the floor below the rack of pristine rolls of wire was a beat up, dirty, squished one for half price. I bought it, because you never know when old gnarly roll of chicken wire will come in handy, ox or no ox.

So now you're up to date at last. Boy this working thing (paid or not) sure cuts into my blogging time.