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Thursday, November 27, 2008
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16 comments:
The ring flooring looks to be what everyone used to call "Celotex", that gray compressed cardboard wall paneling that came in 4' x 8' sheets.
Actually, it was called "Homosote", which was manufactured by Celotex company. I think however the circus idustry long ago decided that the word "Homo-sote" was politicaly incorrect and went with Celotex. I'm not even sure you can still buy it?
Excuse me Mr. Cole, Celotex is Celotex, & Homosote is Homosote!
Celotex is a light brown substance made from corn shucks & stocks, it is a little soft therefore gives a fairly nice surface for animals.
Homosote is light gray to white substance,(made from I don't know what), & is a very hard surface & slick as glass. The only show I remember using Homosote was Chuck & Gracie on M&M. They were also the only show I remember laying it properly, by putting double sided tabe between it & the floor, then taping the top seams as well.
I remember one time Jimmy Hall & I were backing up the ring while Trudy practiced the POAs, I thought I smelled sawdust smoldering, & Jimmy replied, "dummy, that's the horses' hooves sliding on the homosote", he of course was right.
"HOMASOTE" (not homosote) was
brought to the US from England
at the turn of the century and
was originally manufactured here
by the "Agasote Millboard Co"
The name was changed to the
"Homasote Co" many years later
It is a gray composition of
totally recycled materials
"Celotex" is a light beige
much inferior product
Chic
They are both just different kinds of fiberboard. Homasote is stiffer and more brittle, and used often as a base for modeling. Celotex is a softer fiberboard used to sound proof alot of home studios on the cheap. They are both made from recycled materials. However celotex is the better choice as a flooring because it is not near as slick, and being softer will hold props ie. tables, platforms, tubs, and seats better.
Either way, the stuff is in pretty rough shape - a little paint before the big day, huh, fellas
are you being funny tomatoe head? of course the floor gets painted!! Evansville green and it looks great !this is a great date ! I love the privledge of performing here !yay for Paul Kaye!he is amazing !!
Yo, Mr.Tomato..Forget the Floor..The BIG paint and restoration JOB for the 75th Diamond Edition of the HADI SHRINE CIRCUS is the "Funster Bucking Car" here's the link ...http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/nov/27/funster-rolls-cardown-memory-lane/...My new ambition is to make my triumphant return to the Circus..driving the "Funster Bucking Car"...Perhaps little known Buffoon Authority Buckles can give me some old walkaround ideas as to speed up my ascension to that Glorious position...Reporting LIVE from Evansville....The Curator (Soon to be known as "Binky")
When Tommy Hanneford had Detroit he offered $25 to a performer to vacuum the carpet and paint the floors every night.
$25 dollars.
And who says Tommy was tight with the buck?
...and for the record I was there.
TAKE YOUR FOOT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH TOMATOES, THEY PAINT THE FLOOR WED. NIGHT AFTER THE DRESS REHEARSAL, AND IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT WE HAD TO WAIT & SET THE CAGE SAT. MORNING BECAUSE THEY PAINTED IT AGAIN ON FRI. NIGHT.
yes "24 hour man"! "they" still also paint the floor Friday night. AND anonomous "they" have union guys sweeping every time there is a blackout or some rogue manure..if you did this date you would know.. the floor is clean and pretty ! I know cuz I was skipping around in my bare naked feet before I ascended to the sky to perform on my silks and my feet stayed delightfully clean
kiss kiss
one of the fabulous and/or sisters
Rebecca,
Au contrare. I have slid/slipped plenty on the sand that they insist on putting on the "crap" to make it less slippery after it is painted. Nothing will replace patterned rubber or a good mix of shavings and dirt. Down side is you can't get it to match the Potentates skivvies. I didn't want 24 hour man to be the only equal opportunity insulter. LOL
Wade Burck
The very best floor I ever worked my ponies on was Ian M. Garden, Jr's.
It was a heavy blue rubber in 4 feet rolls, once on the floor the show had blue duct tape to cover the seams.
It is very expensive.
The first year it was purchased they used it in the center for Ian's ponies. He was so pleased with the results that the following year rubber was purchased for rings 1 and 3.
The blue in the rings complimented the red carpet on the track is purchased new every season.
Money well spent, the floor is as good as the first day it was used and that was 10+ years ago.
If I find a photo I will send it.
On one occasion I was brought in at the last minute to announce. On the bill was a well-known performer with a very unique act. He was the only one who had "notes" for me after every show. Nothing pleased him, his age was very well disguised.
One day this performer came to me with his notes and I had enough by this point.
After his suggestions I said to him, "I am so honored to be working with you because when I was a small child I saw you on the Ed Sullivan Show." Astounded and insulted that he was indeed much older than I, that he never spoke to me again.
It was not Billy Barton, who always livened up the dressing room.
"Tartan" or "Pyramid" rubber are
both terrific surfaces but must
outweigh "Homasote" or "Celotex"
about thirty to one but the level
of safety and comfort is worth it
Ever count the wheels on the
rubber wagons or try to move one
Chic
Mike,
That means they learned something. The first time the grey welsh were on the road was when I took them to Canada in 1994. The ring mat was a 1/4 inch thick piece of indoor/outdoor carpet. Yes a pretty blue, but by the end of the Garden date so marked up with 3 foot strips of white where the ponies had slipped and slide for 4 day's 2 and 3 times a day, plus practice in between. The greatest down fall of great horse acts in America has been the flooring. Not many producers want to spring for the rubber surface. I wager if the horses/ponies were not a house act it would be the same deal.
Wade Burck
Wade:
The one negative about painting the floor with rollers is if they don't roll the paint out good, & leave little puddles, those puddles skin over & look dry but stay wet underneath, you step on one on the move, it's "buttsville" for sure.
Bill,
Absolutely. And trust me that happened more times then it was ever completely dry. The worst was when they would forget to put the sand down until after the paint had dried, and decided just to throw the sand on any way so nobody questioned why the sand buckets were still full. If people thought it was difficult to navigate by the first show, they should have tried the first practice at 8:00AM opening day with brand new scared animals. You are trying to instill confidence in them, not sure if you are even going to be able to stay on your feet. LOL
Wade
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