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How you had a good sharp ripping blade on that table saw!

Most commercially made furniture like couches, it is hard to salvage things like lumber.

LG does seem to have rather incompetent technical support. I messaged them about the fresh care glitch that almost always turns the drain pump on constantly, and they wanted to claim no knowledge about the issue and that I should call in a technician on my dime (was out of warranty) to get it looked at. I just won’t use Fresh Care because that is likely the cause of many users’ early drain pump failures. It seems about 25% or less of the time when I run a wash only cycle that the drain pump reservoir ends up retaining more than 3 cups of liquid. I am not fond of leaving the door seal and other components damp after a wash-only cycle so I try to plan them to be followed by a wash and dry cycle. Like I will wash floor mats on Bedding with a low spin and no dry. Then I hang those to dry outside and immediately run a normal load with dry cycle. Again, I do recommend not leaving liquid in that reservoir for a week or longer. The decomposing fibers and dirt in the water gets pretty rank quickly. That rankness is like a Petri dish if you just leave it sit for a week or more. GFCI outlets can sometimes be wired a couple different ways and still be “correct”, especially if you have several of them cascading off of each other. I won’t suggest to offer advice remotely like LG did though. You do want to make sure you have a GFCI in this application and NOT an AFCI. They are different devices serving different purposes. I don’t remember the manual saying to not use it in a humid environment. May have to look back at that and see the context. I don’t see how the humid environment or the water in the drain reservoir could affect a GFCI outlet, though. You are talking about a GFCI outlet, not a GFCI breaker, yes? The outlet with the test and reset buttons on it? Could be a faulty GFCI outlet, as those can crap out on you unexpectedly, even though everything is wired correctly. Those outlets may also have issues with humid environments. I have another video where I measure room humidity generated by this machine, and it is negligible; a sink full of dishes and dishwater generates a significantly higher amount of local humidity increase than this machine ever will. .

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 Hi, it is on a combination CAFCI/GFCI which is code now for laundry rooms. Now on a breaker in the panel - previously had it on CAFCI/GFCI outlet in the laundry room and it tripped that too. Also tripped the GFCI on a different circuit. In other words, the fault follows the machine. I bought the machine from Costco who try to help but are incompetent.

Sorry you are experiencing this issue. Since it follows the machine, I would guess it is an issue with that particular machine. It’s not close enough to purchase to be able to trade it out with a second machine? When I got my Frigidaire gas range delivered, it came off the truck with some dings/scratches on the side. Not really an issue since it slides in between the cabinets and is not seen, but I opted for the swap out/replacement and a new one was delivered a couple weeks later.

Awesome!!!

I haven’t kept up with the available books and resources. I have a feeling all these are out of print and the Raoul one and Backstage Handbook are the only ones currently available.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 I was able to find good or better used copies of what you suggested, all three online of various sources for low prices, so they are still able to be sourced.

Gillette - Theatrical Design and Production -Fourth Edition

I think this is mostly about the comfort of the operator and about the best way to position your cut. Depending on which way your blade tilts, one side may be safer for compound miter cuts. But usually it’s the same as the miter saw, positioning the wood left or right depending on the size/shape of the off-cut. Most experienced operators should be equally comfortable on either side, so typical less of a left-handed or right-handed thing and more about the specifics of the cut.

1” or 1-1/4” construction or drywall screws and countersink the masonite so the heads sit below the surface. Which is why you want to use 1/4” Masonite and not 1/8” or 3/16”, both of which are harder/impossible to countersink. When I am not allowed to screw into the deck, I have attached a masonite top layer with double/sided carpet tape, the white/solid tape kind, not the mesh and/or clear/translucent kind and not thicker tape with spongy core.

Attaching Masonite (Hardboard) to our stage floor or stage platforms

The general rule I use is anything under 3” wide should use a push stick. 1x3 is 2-1/2” wide so technically it falls under that rule, but I ride my fingers against the ripping fence and with 16’ long boards and no catcher it is actually more dangerous to switch to a push stick for the final feed.

@calstatelaalproductions2358 dully noted

I have a video in my platform construction playlist about noise reduction options. Masonite on top helps a lot. A layer of 1/2” sound board (Celotex or Upsom Board/Homasote) between the plywood and masonite is even better.

Noise Abatement with Stage Platforms

The wrapping around and stapling to the back method is not as clean with the fabric especially on the corners plus it adds some thickness on the outside so your 4x8 flat (or whatever size) is now slightly larger. This can add up if you are assembling a large wall of them. If you are repeatedly painting those edges and protecting that edge fabric, the size will grow faster. Wrapping also creates more places where your fabric could tear. I take it you weren’t gluing the fabric to the frame relying completely on the staples to hold? One stray nail or screw or stable in a floor while you are running that flat and you’ll tear a big hole in the fabric of it is wrapped.

I tried it and found the results inconclusive. I felt like the more important factor on success of drying was how recently you have done a Tub Clean. Doing the Tub Clean seems to also generally clean the sensors and make them more successful at measuring humidity and adjusting dry time to compensate. I do tube cleans every 15 cycles or so.

@calstatelaalproductions2358 what's a tub clean and how do I do that? 🙏

It’s a cleaning cycle, the bottom right selection on the main dial. Takes about 90 minutes and steams the insides to release “gunk” from the door seal and other locations. You do it with an empty tub, or you buy some front load washer “soap” loads to toss in first with the empty tub. I use the Affresh brand tub cleaner. Do not use Tub Clean with other items in the machine. The manual recommends once a month, or every 30 cycles. I find every 15-20 cycles is best for machine performance. I am using the LG ThinQ app and it tracks my cycle usage. You also want to empty the drain pump filter regularly and remove any debris there. I do that about once a week. The cleaner that is, the better the machine performance.

Cleaning cycle is bottom left on the dial. Bottom right is Downloaded cycle for additional cycles you can choose from the LG ThinQ app.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 I don't think the previous tenant cleaned the machine properly or did a tub clean. This is extremely useful information. A thousand thanks 🙏. I'll try a tub clean

I usually find a good clear concrete sealer, but make sure it is one that won’t make your concrete slick or slippery. The hardest part is stripping back all the years of paint drips and overspray/brushing. It drives me crazy when folks say “it’s a scene shop floor, it’s supposed to have paint on it.” But as you say it’s hard to tell what is sawdust and dirt and paint residue. Floor should be clean at end of work day and mopped regularly. But if you people won’t use drop cloths or take care to use them properly, then your floor stripping and refinishing will be short lived.

Awesome! I was going to look up the model and serial number next week. I figured this was one of the first machines purchased when the theatre building was built in 1959. So thereabouts or shortly after. It’s also possible they purchased used machines at that time potentially making it older.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 yup, used machine is quite possible for a small theater group. BTW, if the mfgr doesn't have a listing I'd bet there's a collector group out there with a forum.

Dating a Singer 31-20 Sewing Machine!

It advertises itself as a dust mop.

But you don’t have to watch the bobbin wind correctly. All you need do is get it started. It happens in the background while you sew. No monitoring necessary. Bobbin is full and gets released automatically before I have used even 1/4 of the bobbin in the machine.

If you beed to watch you bobbin wind, there is something wrong with your bobbin winder. I’d get my machine serviced in that case.

It's highly possible I was told/shown this at some point and it just never stuck until now. That's how learning works. It only really sticks when you are ready to receive it. Or for a physical skill, when you have done it hundreds or thousands of times. I'm all about sharing little secrets and tips like this; it does no one any good for me to be the keeper of specialized knowledge. That's the main purpose of my YT channel here. Share as many of the secrets and tips I know for backstage work in theatre and entertainment.

@@CarolLawson-h1o I do! I have 3 different commercial Singer machines, the youngest is at least 65 years old, the oldest close to 100. I have 2 domestics that are a bit newer at about 55 years old.

This is an industrial straight stitch head and table. It may look like an antique, but it is still a solid work horse. My guess is this particular model is between 40-70 years old. Industrial straight stitch machines have changed little in the last 50+ years. They do their primary job and they do it well. It's the ideal machine for sewing stage scenery fabrics: velour curtains, muslin/canvas drops, other stage fabrics and drapes. The biggest change in the newer machines is the motor. Most come with a servo motor now, which is much quieter than the motors these tables came with. And I think the newer machines have reverse; this old singer does not have a reverse. None of them have a release on the sewing mechanisms for winding bobbins like the home user models do. So when you put the bobbin on the bobbin winder and run the machine, the needle goes up and down the entire time. The revelation that I learned this week is that I don't have to stop to wind the bobbin, I can be winding it while I am sewing my stage curtains. The bobbin winder is shown in the video when I pan to the right, it just doesn't have that release function. We have newer machines in the costume shop, but the costume shop is upstairs. So our choice is to haul 50-100 lb (or heavier) curtains upstairs to sew on the newer machines or bring the machines downstairs. You don't just casually carry an industrial sewing machine up and down stairs when you need to sew in a different location. Plus the costume shop doesn't have the layout space for larger stage scenery fabrics. We also don't do stage curtain builds and modifications frequently, maybe a dozen times a year or less. So I'm not going to invest in a new $2500-5000 machine that is going to sit unused 95% of the time. That's where this beauty comes in. It stays on the ground and rolls into place wherever needed to work on stage scenery. The other advantage of this particular machine is the bobbin size. It holds almost twice as much thread on the bobbin as other machines. That comes in real handy when you are trying to sew a seam or a hem on a 60' long/wide stage curtain, scrim, or drop. The last thing you want to have to do is change out the bobbin in the middle of those long runs.

th-cam.com/video/ZTIrcUD-D18/w-d-xo.html

Some suggestions for securing one piece of moving scenery to another.

Maybe I was overthinking your question though. Assuming the ramp was a wagon and moving. If it’s just attaching a fixed ramp to a fixed platform, then screw them together, bolt them together or even using clamps is okay for something short.

Check out this video, as this method is similar to what you are calling a "step leg". th-cam.com/video/rRjWkUfXpDY/w-d-xo.html The disadvantage of legs screwed to the frame and also resting under the lid is that if the screws fail, the lid can de-laminate from the frame. Which is why I always screw my lids to the frames rather than gluing and stapling. Screws would provide additional holding strength in the event of catastrophic screw shear failure. But in reality, the screw shear failure is very very low, especially if you are using construction screws. T-25 construction screws or deck screws have better shear strength than 3" drywall screws. I think 4x4 legs is super-overkill for anything under 6' or 8'. I'll build up to 8' tall and maybe taller using 1x6 framing and hog's-trough legs with screws and appropriate cross-bracing. Folks have asked for a demonstration of this method, and I do want to make a video, but don't know when I will be able to get to it. I like to keep everything light, so I avoid 2x4 framing and generally avoid 2x4s , 2x6s, and 4x4s. A hog's-trough is just as strong as a 2x4 in vertical orientation but has the advantage of less bowing and warpage over its life. Hog's-trough stock doesn't store very well though because of its odd shape.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 thank you so much for your thorough answer! I have been perusing some theatre construction books, especially Stock Scenery Construction Handbook, which highlights the step leg (which is essentially a half lap made out of two 2x4s). I'm hoping to find reusable/stock/easy to reassemble type procedures for our school, since it's almost always parent volunteers who are just DIY types (like myself, although I'm taking extra steps to learn). Our most recent production had 8' and 7' platforms that actors were on, and also crossed under in multiple directions, so we were happy to use 4x4 legs. We added diagonal bracing but could only put them at the top few feet, from the middle of the platform frame to about halfway down each leg. Our 3/4" ply lids are all screwed to the 2x4 framing with a LOT of screws. I'm super relieved to hear that the shear strength of 3" T25 construction screws is stronger than what I thought, because we are putting our literal own children on top.

Glad you found the video showing off a parallel structure. That’s still one of the best easy-to-build and easy-to-set-up re-usable options. There is a manufacturer who sells a metal bracket for the inside corners of 2x4 platforms to readily accept 2x4 legs and you don’t have to screw through your platform framing every time. Not sure what they are called off the top of my head but probably easy to find somewhere like BMI Supply or other theatrical supply vendors.

How to Tie a Snub Knot th-cam.com/video/XBlmFgUxTH0/w-d-xo.html I am using 3/8” double braided nylon rope in this video, which ranges between 4700 and 4900 lbs tensile/breaking strength depending on the manufacturer.

Thanks, your awesome!

Surprised you have to drain yours after every cycle. I clean mine once every week to ten days. Or just before I run a load with floor rugs. Most front load washers (not just this washer/dryer combo) have this style of pump drain filter that needs draining/cleaning regularly. There are some videos of folks who never cleaned it and they squeeze sludge out of the drain tube. No idea how their machine works with that kind of gunk because my experience is that at 75% full of fibers and animal fur, my machine refuses to drain properly and does an OE error. They also make a pedestal for these kinds of machines which brings the pump drain filter higher off the ground.

Most stand alone front load washers have a similar drain pump filter.

You mean the eye bolt on the underside of the arbor? I was pinching the bend down to keep it from slipping while tying the first half hitch.

The only requirement is that it is HE detergent. Can be liquid or powder. I don’t use pods but I think pods should be okay too. Do they come in an HE variety? My previous machine was a 1993 top load washer so I learned a lot quickly about newer machines and not to use excessive quantities of detergent, that it’s the agitation, not the quantity of detergent, that cleans the laundry. I stick to 2 tbsp of liquid detergent or less, depending on the size of the load. I do toss the tub clean packets directly into the tub before running a tub clean cycle, so that is a similar thing to pods.

Still haven’t had time to make it. I probably can do a narration with scale drawings more quickly than I can manage to put together a video of the actual process.

Our asbestos curtain was removed decades ago. This one is made of Zetex.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 last I worked at a CSU level theater was 22 years ago. Nor Cal still had asbestos fire curtains… so you were likely ahead of them. I am sure they all converted by now. I mean, a lot has changed… DMX LED Lighting… conversion of reel to real sound cues… I was trained to splice tape… kids these days have no idea what “lead time” is… think running cues off Spotify will work. Anyway wanted to say thanks for these videos, I have been using them in the classroom.

Yikes!