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How to Build a Simple and Sturdy Stage Platform

By Brian D. Taylor, Project Editor, Pioneer Drama Service 

Brian D. Taylor is the project editor for Pioneer Drama Service, a published playwright and a former drama teacher.  Working with K-12, college and community theatre groups, he has a wide theatrical background with experience in directing, acting and technical theatre. 

So you want to make a platform or two to give your production more levels, but you’ve never made one before.  Or perhaps you’ve made platforms before, but they’re falling apart after only a couple of shows.  Good news!  This simple tutorial will show you how to make platforms that are strong, built to last for years and years and even relatively easy to store.

For purposes of this how-to, I will be discussing the construction of a standard 4’x8’ platform on 2’ legs.  However, the following directions can be adjusted to meet practically any platform needs.

Materials needed:

Begin by cutting your 2x4s to the necessary lengths:

Now, using the 8’ boards and two 3’9” boards, form the outline of your frame and secure it together with wood screws.  Attach the third 3’9” board to support the center of the frame.

Next, clamp the six 2’ boards into place in each interior corner of the frame.  These are the legs for your platform.  Be sure to attach them so that the 4” sides of the legs meet the 4” side of the 8’ frame board.  This will give you a large area to drill your holes for the bolts.

Next, you’ll do just that.  Drill two holes through each leg and through the frame.  Be sure to drill the holes at a diagonal.  This will reduce or eliminate any chance of wobbly legs once they are secured to the platform.  The holes you drill will need to be just big enough for your bolts to fit through and no larger, so make sure you are using a drill bit that matches the size of your bolts.

Next, using washers on both the frame and leg sides of the bolt, attach the legs with nuts and bolts.  The head of the bolt should be on the outside of the frame, nuts on the inside.  This is especially necessary if you are using bolts that are longer than 3.5”, as you want any excess length of the bolt to be concealed underneath the platform rather than sticking out.  Secure tightly.

Finally, attach the plywood to the frame with smaller wood screws.  Viola!  You have a strong, yet versatile platform that will likely last for decades.

Now, you may be wondering, how is a 3.5 inch bolt going to fit through 4 inches of lumber?

Fun fact:  A 2x4 is not truly 2 inches by 4 inches.

Actual dimensions are roughly 1.5” by 3.5”.  So, as the 2x4s that are used for the legs and those that make up the framing will be attached face to face, the bolts will actually be threaded through only 3 inches of lumber.  Thus, 3.5” hex bolts are the perfect size.

This also explains why the boards on the inside of your frame need to be cut to 3’ 9”.  This accounts for the additional 3 inches from the outside frame boards.  If you cut the interior boards to 4’, you’ll end up with a frame that is 3 inches too wide and your plywood will not fit.

Why use bolts to attach the legs instead of screws or nails?

Though slightly more expensive up front, you’ll get a longer life out of both the fasteners and the platform by using bolts instead of screws.  The legs are the part of the platform most likely to become damaged over time.  Bolts provide a tighter connection between leg and frame and will last much longer.  Bolts are also much stronger than screws and are less likely to break or become stripped and stuck inside the lumber.

The bolt construction also makes it much easier than screws to remove the legs for easy storage.  This is preferred for platforms that need to be stored and reused often and is excellent for touring shows.

Finally, the bolt fasteners, especially with washers at both ends, minimize the squeak that happens when actors walk or move around on the platform.

Do I have to use washers for this?  Are they really all that necessary?

If you want a platform that’s going to have a long life, then, yes, you must use washers.  The washers prevent the nuts and bolts from getting lodged into the wood from over-tightening.  In other words, the washers protect the lumber.  The additional advantage to using washers is that they prevent the squeaking sounds mentioned previously.  Without them, your platforms will squeak as your actors move about on them.

Will this work for smaller or larger platforms?  How about taller platforms?

Absolutely!  Simply adjust the plans as needed, noting that taller platforms may need additional leg support.

How does this help me save storage space?

Since you’re not using screws, the legs can be removed easily and without causing damage to the lumber.  Removing the legs greatly reduces the amount of space your platforms take up for storage.  With the legs attached, a 4’x8’x2’ platform takes up 64 cubic feet of space.  Without the legs, it takes only 12.8 cubic feet.

And one note about storage:  before you remove the legs, you’ll want to label each leg as well as the space on the platform where they go so that next time you put it together, you’ll know which legs go in which corner.  Or, if you have several platforms, you’ll know which legs go with which platform.  This is important because the holes you’ve drilled will have to match.  When working with multiple platforms, I label each leg with a letter and number combination:  A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, B1, B2, B3...  and so on.  Letters refer to the platform, and numbers refer to the leg.  Whenever it’s time to put the platform back together, simply match the legs to the platform and corner as your labeling indicates.