Fatboy 3/16/11
Hi All, for an upcoming exhibit we will need to roll some heavy items with hard plastic wheels across our gallery floors. Does anyone have experience with a material that could be laid down to protect the floors and distribute the weight without impeding rolling? I know it's not a mountmaking question but any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
RuthT 3/16/11
4 x 8" sheets of 1/4" Masonite works well.
ebras 3/16/11
I second that. You could even get away with 1/8" cold press Masonite.
Field, George
3/16/11
Sheets of 5/8" tongue and groove plywood with wood cleats to hold the sheets from separating ?
George
Philip Brutz
3/16/11
We roll out Dura Runner http://www.protectiveproducts.com/durarunner.html and then lay down sheets of 1/4" tempered Masonite taping the seams with gaffers tape. For really heavy objects we do the same thing except that we use 3/4" cabinet grade plywood. We also attach Dura Runner on the bottoms of all of our cases to keep them from marking the floors.
Philip Brutz Mountmaker Cleveland Museum of Art 11150 E. Blvd. Cleveland OH 44106 (216)707-2617
Suzi McG 3/16/11
Masonite works very well with heavy craft paper underneath. Duct tape the edges together to keep them flush and keep them from curling up.
Fatboy 3/16/11
The objects we're moving are 5000 lbs and will arrive on the wheels so I don't think Masonite is an option. A rigger that I know suggested "phenolic sheets or mats" but so far I've only found small sheets and haven't heard of the material used in this way. Maybe the thicker plywood option is the way to go. Thanks for the feedback.
Field, George
3/16/11
Philip,
I went and talked to a couple of our people who have worked here as long as I have, over my last 20 odd years here we have had some very heavy items moved across our carpet, terrazzo and tile floors. We moved two large scissor lifts onto a polished aggregate floor in order to (in tandem) lift a 30 foot cedar war canoe up to and through a second floor interior window. In that case and many of the others plywood was used 3/4 " or less in thickness. If you wanted the hard surface than I would go with the idea put foreword of Masonite sheets with staggered joints on top of the plywood, that should work well for you. Good luck.
George