Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1975 - 27

A SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HANDBOOKS AND
TEXTBOOKS ON METALWORKING AND PlASTICWORKING FOR THE THEATRE SCENE SHOP
THOMAS VAN BRUNT

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

The use of plastics and metal in theatre production for scenery, costumes, and properties is increasing. Technicians and designers in these fields need a
more thorough knowledge not only of simple procedures for fabrication but also of physics and chemistry and their offshoots, metallurgy, organic chemistry
and plastics technology. This annotated bibiliography
is not an exhaustive Iist of all books on these
subjects. It is an attempt to indicate what seems
most relevant and available for the theatre technician.
Generally, the books fall into two catagories. First
there are scientific explanations of the chemical and
physical principles at work in the manufacture and
use (usually on a commercial scale) of various
plastics and metals. These volumes are of use to the
advanced technician who already can work with the
materials and for those concerned with experimentation.
The second group of books are in the "arts and
crafts" field and are intended either for the hobbiest
or the sculptor-painter. Usually these books are filled
with "projects you can do," e.g., ashtrays, soup
spoons, and furniture. Too seldom does either
catagory of book give specific and clear instructions
on the basic processes of working with metal and
plastics on a small scale; they are either too simple or
too complex. The best complete book on elementary
metal working processes is John L. Feirer's General
Metals,
published
by
McGraw-Hili.
Nicholas
Bryson's first volume on the use of plastics in the
theatre is the best book on vacuum forming.
Armarego, E.J.A., and Brown, R.H. The Machining
of Metals. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall,
1969.
In chemical, mathematical and statistical terms
this book discusses the theory of machining metal.
It assumes a knowledge of the practical processes
of tool and die operations and does not explain or
illustrate mach ine tools.
Arnold, Lionel K. Introduction to Plastics. Ames, la.,
Iowa State Univ. Press, 1968.
Intended as a textbook for a course in plastics
technology, this volume is primarily concerned
with chemical descriptions of a wide variety of
plastics, commercial means of producing them
and final industrial products examples. For the

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

technician experienced with plastics this is an enlightening and interesting book.
Bedford, John R. A Basic Course of Practical
Metalwork. London, John Murry, 1960. (Available
from Transatlantic Arts, Levittown, N.Y.)
Primarily a guide to making metal things for the
home including ashtrays and napkin rings. There
are, however, exercises in cutting and filing,
riveting, soldering and forging. A very simple
book but with superb illustrations.
Benning, Calvin J. Plastic Foams. 2 vols. New York,
John Wiley and Sons, 1969.
Volume one, Chemistry and Physics of Foam
Formation, contains explanations understandable
to the theatre technician with considerable scientific background, of how the major types of foams
are produced. Volume two discusses structure,
properties and application of plastic foam. This is
a highly valuable reference set for the theatre
technician who wishes to experiment with foam.
Boyd, T. Gardner. Metalworking. Hqmewood, III.,
Goodheart-Willcox, 1968.
A shop manual mainly concerned with the forming, bending, drilling etc., of cold metals in
sheets, rods and tubes. There are also short
sections on forging, heat treatment and foundry
work. Projects included.
Bruce, Leroy F., and Meyer, Leo A. Sheet Metal
Shop Practice. 3rd ed. Chicago, American Technical Society, 1965.
One of the finest books on sheet metal work,
because of its superior illustrations, step by step
descriptions of important processes, and its concentration on how to work with the material rather
than on projects' 'you can do." Specific material
on safety, metallurgy, punching, folding, forming,
turning and pattern making.
Bryson, Nicholas L. Thermoplastic Scenery for
Theatre: vol. 1. - Vacuum Forming. New York,
Drama Book Specialists, 1972.
This excellent spiral bound workbook is concerned
primarily with vacuum forming as an alternative
to standard scen ic materials. Includes detai Is of
the construction of a simple vacuum forming
table, its operation, and the hand ling, fastening,
painting, and designing of vacuum formed pieces
for a variety of scenic applications.

SPRING.1975

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1975