building an elevated field

VEX V5 General Discussion General Forum
#1

I’d like to build an elevated field. Does anyone have photo or two of a platform used to elevate a VEX playing field? Preferably without the field on the platform.

#2

Here are some other threads you can look at as well:
https://vexforum.com/t/raised-fields-at-competition-events/20767/1
[https://vexforum.com/t/building-an-elevated-vex-field/22941/1

I’ll see if I can get someone on the school team to post pictures of the elevated field platform. Before getting a proper elevated wooden field built, we had a bunch of desks put together, which worked but wasn’t optimal as the desks weren’t all the same height.](https://vexforum.com/t/building-an-elevated-vex-field/22941/1)

#3

My biggest concern is properly supporting the playing surface tiles.

#4

Ours is in storage right now. These are the best I have.

See this post answer:
https://vexforum.com/showpost.php?p=326111&postcount=8

You will need a bunch of 2x10’s and 4x4 posts to essentially make a nice stage. Please use stage level design considerations and rules for sturdiness and assume 10 kids may be on top of it horsing around. So some posts in the middle may be a good idea.

Architectural screws that are wicked long in the ends, big old lag bolts connecting the posts to the frame. Buy a small prefab set of stairs too.

4x8 plywood and 4x4 filled in make the flooring. Use flooring like you would in building a house.

Oh, and screw the field walls in to prevent them from falling off.

Sorry it’s blurry and has a field on it.

You don’t want one of these to happen to you…
http://fox59.com/2015/04/23/stage-collapse-reported-at-westfield-high-school/

#5

I do not have any photos handy. I may try to find some later. We had a parent build ours. He built 4 sections that were 4x8 and one that was 4x4. He used wood much like the photos above with two layers of plywood for the surface.

By braking it down to 5 sections, and putting levelers on the feet, it makes it a lot easier to move and set up in a different part of the building. It is still a bear to move. The big sections are about 200# each so the whole things weighs about 1000#. It is very solid, though.

Good luck.

#6