Stabilizing a Bikes at Work trailer
 

I'm contemplating using my Bikes at Work trailer as a puppet stage. It would be nice if I could be inside it. But I would need some way to efficiently stabilize it so it doesn't roll or wobble. Any suggestions?

http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/Bike&Trailer2.jpg

How stable? Need two people to kneel together? Honestly my first thought was to tip it on its side and use it as a wall of the stage. You need legs at both ends to keep it from becoming a teeter-totter. Something like the legs on a lap table perhaps.

travel trailers use 4 screw jacks at the corners, to stabilize them.. you might add something like that .
un hooked from the bike.. then .

so you rigging up a flat pack scheme for the rest of the stage?

Say of Aluminum , and stretched canvas, to paint.

Hadn't gotten too deep into the construction. I was thinking of probably an aluminum or PVC framework that could be raised or assembled with some form of roof and then hanging-drape-like walls. It would probably be a 1 person operation, similar to a Punch & Judy theater in size.

http://tuckerstales.dot5hosting.com/...es/BTF-LBL.jpg

Part of my inspiration is Puppet Bike, seen here, but it looks like they used a pretty heavy wooden construction and I think the trailer might give me more options.

http://avoision.com/portnoy/images/2...petBike_04.jpg

I'm not sure whether to put the entire theater on top of the trailer or perhaps put it off of one side of the trailer and stand on the ground and use the trailer as a storage and back-stage.

I definitely see at least a power source, laptop, audio system and lighting. I'm guessing that I want to start out very simple, basic and flexible because I know I'll change my mind before I'm done, or want to be able to reconfigure things rapidly.

Jack stands from a car accessories shop. They have a wide base and a flattened U-shaped top on them. The smaller versions, rated for small cars, are fairly light, and they are adjustable for height so you overcome the problem of uneven surfaces.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...wBUu5EbEMquGv9

I had thought about those. The weight, as I remembered from the pair I used to have was daunting. I'll look and see what the lighter ones can do.

My suggestion would either be the jack stands (the lightest ones you can find) or possibly some sort of screw stabilizer that could be attached to the trailer. I have seen them used on rolling scaffolds and other odd equipment.

Aaron :)

Speed rail

http://www.filmtools.com/hollaender-...nge-1-1-4.html

You can get this stuff from grainger and mcmaster carr as well, but they're harder to link to.

put a couple of these on the side of the trailer, short lengths of 1-1/4" aluminum pipe will make adjustable legs.

I have a pair very similar to the ones shown. They are quite light -- about a 2lb each -- and they are strong enough to hold up the front end of a two-tonne four-wheel-drive, with one on either side. Their real beauty lies in the stability, which you aren't really going to get with just about anything else without some decent engineering on the trailer itself.

Certainly elegant and it would look professional.

I found these with a shipping weight of 8 lbs for a set of 4 on Amazon. I like the thread, so I can get a very tight tolerance no matter how uneven the ground. Guess I'd also need a bubble gauge to be sure I'm getting level.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q6bGZZfaL.jpg

Yes, they should work very well for you. The two distinct advantages are the screw adjusters, as you point out, and the wide base for excellent stability. You might need two bubble gauges for each direction.