Metalworkshop
About
Many of the complex sets at the National either have a steel skeleton, or have steelwork visible on display. Steel is a very strong and safe material with which one can build items like bridges or walkways, but it's always vital to keep the weight of the structure down as much as possible.
People featured in this video include:
Steve Brown, Metalworker
Paul Evans, Head of Scenic Construction
John Pickersgill, Draughtsperson / Senior Carpenter
Transcript
Steve Brown: My role in the metal workshop is to conduct and oversee the construction of all the steel work that they use for scenery before it goes into the carpentry shop to be clad with timber.
John Pickersgill: There's been a movement away over the last twenty to thirty years from timber; traditionally it would have been all timber there would have been virtually no steel whatsoever but there's definitely been a move away from that now because steel can be fabricated very quickly. To join say a frame of timber together requires creating a mortice and tenon, whereas with steel work it can be welded together relatively quickly, it's a much quicker process.
Steve Brown: Scenic metalwork has to be as light as possible but structurally sound so that the stagehands can move it around. If a piece of scenery is being flown it has to be light enough, within the safe working limits of the hoist.
Paul Evans: There are certain things that need to be built from metal to give them the structural strength that they need. We've built bridges, walkways you can't really build those in timber they got to be built in steel.
