How to Build a Band Stage

Rather than try to build one large piece of a stage, create your platform in sections to easily break down and use for mobility. Wood provides for a sturdy and cheap structure for bands to perform.

1. Stand one of the wooden landscape ties up vertically to determine how high you want the band stage to be built. Use a tape measure to mark the desired height with a pencil. Horizontally wrap the tape measure around the landscape tie and create a straight line to guide you through cutting.

2. Use the jigsaw to carefully cut off the excess wood from the landscape tie. Make sure this piece is perfectly flat on the edge where you are cutting, as you do not want your stage to be uneven in any way. Cut each of the remaining 15 pieces of landscape ties to the exact measurement specifications of the first.

3. Lay one of the 1-1/8-inch plywood sheets down on the ground before you. This one plywood sheet will represent a section of the stage, therefore you need four cut landscape ties to raise this piece off of the ground. Use two L-brackets to secure each of the ties to each of the four corners of the plywood. Screw these L-brackets with the electric drill.

4. Turn the newly-crafted section of the band stage over so that it is standing upright. Place a second piece of 1-1/8-inch plywood on top of this section and use the 4-inch nails to secure. This reinforces the wood to support a full band and any monitors and other equipment that will be used on stage.

5. Create three more of these sections to complete the main portion of the stage. Paint each of these sections and use wood finish, accordingly. These four stage sections will be pushed together to form one giant platform, therefore paint and finish each to match. Let the paint finish drying before placing any equipment on the platforms.

6. Drape the curtains over the edge of the front and sides of the stage, stapling these features every 6 inches to secure. If necessary, measure and cut these drapes so that they are the proper fit for your stage. These curtains allow you to hide any stored items you may have underneath the stage. Make sure you do not overlap any of the stage sections, as you will still want to break down each of the sections when the time comes.