How to Make a Structural Catwalk

Strut your stuff on the catwalk.

A catwalk or runway is a raised platform used to display fashion designs. Models walk down the catwalk showing off custom made clothes and exhibiting accessories like jewelry and handbags. The catwalk is a medium that provides much needed exposure for models and designers alike. The audience at the fashion show sits around a T-shape runway. This shape gives everyone optimal view of the fashions. To make a structural catwalk, you need to create a sturdy platform that sits upon a metal frame.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• 8 scaffolding poles
• Hack saw
• Circular saw
• 72 by 72 by 1 inch pre-cut plywood
• Welder
• Metal clasps

Instructions

1. Cut eight scaffolding poles to size using a hack saw. You need four poles to be 30-inches long for the legs; two poles to be 72-inches for leg supports, and two middle support poles at 36-inches.

2. Lay out two leg poles, perpendicular to each other. Space them 72-inches apart or the width of the stage platform.

3. Place one leg support in the middle of the two legs and weld the ends of the support beam to the legs. This create an H-frame. Repeat Step 2 and Step 3 for the other two legs.

4. Form an X under the stage using the middle support poles. Weld one end of a support beam to a right corner leg and the other end to the opposite left corner leg. Repeat this step for the other support pole until you have two poles that cross each other.

5. Sand the plywood. Paint, polish or varnish the surface of the plywood to give a professional appearance. Use a dark color such as black or gray.

6. Cut a hole in all four corners of the plywood. The hole should be the same diameter of the scaffolding poles.

7. Lay the plywood runway over the frame you built. Push the four corners with pre-cut holes down over the scaffolding poles. These holes keep the catwalk platform in place as the models walk back and forth.

8. Line up two or more completed runways so they form a T-shape. Attach the legs of the catwalk with metal clasps.

Tips & Warnings

• Attach steps to the side of the catwalk so models can easily step up and down. Build as many frames as you need to create the desired length for your runway. For a small fashion show, you may only need three or four, but for a larger show, you may need ten or more.

• Test the sturdiness of the catwalk before allowing the fashion show to start.

References

• WNY Sound: Runway Stage
• "Stock Scenery Construction: A Handbook"; Bill Raoul; 1998

Resources

• People and Planet: Fashion Show Guide (PDF)