Scenic effects involving rotating turntables; tracking stage wagons; and the vertical movement of curtains and painted drops have become common in both Broadway and Regional theatre productions. The machines that drive these effects range from small pneumatic cylinders pushing loads of a few pounds an inch or two; to 40 horsepower winches running multi-ton scenery at speeds 6 feet per second or more. Usually this machinery is designed by theatre technicians specifically for a particular shows effect. Compared to general industry; this design process is short; often only a few days long; it is done by one person; design teams are rare; and it is done in the absence of reference material specifically addressing the issues involved. The main goal of this book is to remedy this last situation.Mechanical Design for the Stage will be a reference for you that will:* provide the basic engineering formulas needed to predict the forces; torques; speeds; and power required by a given move* give a technician a design process to follow which will direct their work from general concepts to specific detail as a design evolves; and* show many examples of traditional stage machinery designs.The books emphasis will be on following standard engineering design and construction practices; and developing machines that are functional; efficient to build; easily maintained; and safe to use.
#1959946 in eBooks 2011-09-26 2011-09-26File Name: B009B0ZJJW
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Brilliant.By Anna AntonovaRobert Bell is an engaging. spirited writer; and he writes on a topic he is both passionate about and widely competent in. This is no dry and dusty dissertation: his book is fun to read. even as it is exceptionally enlightening. An absolute must for all Shakespeare lovers and anyone who has ever seen past the smiling face of a clown; a priceless find for students and academics. In one word... brilliant.
