I got roped into building some risers for a local orchestra. Nothing fancy, just 4′ x8′ boxes maybe 9″ high. I was planning on using #2 pine for the “joists” maybe 12″ on center running the long way on the sheet of plywood with maybe a bit of blocking to lessen the chance of collapse.
They should be safe, fairly light, and not too costly when it comes to materials. Any ideas? How thin a piece of plywood can I get away with? I might be able to buy the 1×10 pine rough cut at a local saw mill to save $.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Replies
tell them to have a bake sale and buy the commercial ones.. they'll last forever.. and no liability on you
we have an 80 member chorus... we have (5) 3-riser sections.. they even have wheels
reminds me... tonite is the first rehearsal for the Christmas concert
thanks for the reminder...
supposed to have 5 or 6 combined chorus with about 300 people total
1x is a little thin for the joists. I would use 2x8 with 3/4 ply for the sheathing, which would make a 8" riser, just on the limit of a step. If you us 2x10, it will be a bit of a stretch to step up on it. And I would run the joists the short way.
If you don't do something to fill the void between the joists, it will make for a hollow drum sound with every step.
Go with the bake sale and buy commercial risers.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt