Stage Designs

Pallet Gaps

Adam Carmichael from Santa Cruz Bible Church in Santa Cruz, CA brings us this cool use of pallets with gaps of light bulbs peeking through. (Originally posted February 2015)

They designed this pallet stage to accent their theater-style layout.

Materials:
– 20-30 pallets of various shapes and sizes, all carefully dismantled (Note: they went for the weathered look, so they chose pallets accordingly. None of these were stained/painted.). Pallets were free from a local lumber yard.
– Pile of recycled 2x4s for the skeletal wall behind
– Clear 100W bulbs with socket extension cords, recycled from previous stage design
– a nail gun and chop saw

After disassembling the pallets, they were separated into similar-width piles, to make the nailing process a bit quicker. As far as building it, there wasn’t much too it. Once they decided what the layout would be, they built skeletal walls, and started nailing the pallet wood piece by piece; carefully selecting each piece to make a pleasing width/height and color arrangement. As they nailed, they constantly checked to see if they were plumb, both by eye and with a level. They found it really easy to start drifting, as pallet wood is rarely perfect.

Once the main, long wall was built, they decided how low they wanted the hanging walls to be, built skeletal right triangle walls, and repeated the process, all on the floor. Then the hanging walls were hoisted up into the lighting grid, and attached via eye-bolts in the walls, and rope tied off to the lighting grid supports. (The accent walls on the front of the stage were actually left over from Christmas, and were super simple pallet wood nailed across 1′ lengths of 2×4 and screwed down to the stage.) No special lighting, just whatever the wash lights pick up.

Stage was completely recycled and cost them nothing.

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8 responses to “Pallet Gaps”

  1. Rein John Falcon says:

    wow amazing stage.

  2. Johnny Shi says:

    What a great way to recycle pallets and the stage is amazing. I love the good atmosphere that the weathered wood brings. Although the process seems simple the outcome is amazing. Who wouldn’t love to play on that stage? http://coloind.com

  3. Jesse Coonen says:

    Where did you get the cable for the hanging bulbs?

  4. Paul says:

    Hey thanks for this design! – here’s our version of it from last night’s carols by candlelight services:
    https://www.facebook.com/risingbrook/photos/pcb.1178084225578724/1178079202245893/?type=3&theater

  5. Leslie Giesbrecht says:

    Hey. This stage design is amazing. I am thinking of making it in my own church. How did you hang the top wood pieces?

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